Homemade Baby Foods

Homemade Baby Foods

Include you baby in family mealtime

Babies enjoy the taste of properly prepared, homemade foods better than commercially jarred foods. At about 6 months, begin offering your baby single ingredient foods (texture appropriate) from your table. As your baby gets older, he can try other textures and dishes from your family’s meal. Here are some easy ways to feed your baby from foods you have at home. Breast milk (or formula) is still the most important part of your baby’s diet for the first year.

Clean
  • Wash your hands, kitchen area, equipment and foods.
Fresh
  • Buying fresh is best, but plain frozen or canned may also be used.
Safe
  • Remove pits, seeds, and skins from fruits and vegetables.
  • Remove extra fat, gristle, skin and bones from meat, poultry and fish.
  • Home-prepared spinach, beets, carrots, turnips and collard greens should not be fed to infants less than 6 months of age.
Simple
  • Avoid adding seasonings (butter, salt, sugar, gravy or sauces).
Prepare
  • Cook hard fruits and vegetables by boiling in a small amount of water or steaming until tender. Cook meat, fish and poultry to a safe temperature.
  • Use blender, fine mesh strainer, food grinder or fork & knife for desired texture. Go from pureed, to thicker and lumpier – as your baby gets older.
  • If needed, thin with breast milk, formula, water, cooking liquid or 100% juice.
  • Serve to baby on highchair tray or on own plate.
Store
  • Keep refrigerated & use within 48 hours. Toss what’s left on baby’s plate.
  • Freeze larger amounts in ice cube trays or portioned onto baking sheet. Cover, date, label & use within 1 month. Do not refreeze thawed foods.
  • If a microwave is used to thaw foods, stir and let cool down before feeding.

Simple Examples

6 months 8 months 10 months
Pureed/mashed Ground/finely chopped Chopped/small pieces of finger foods
  • Ripe bananas, mashed
  • Sweet potatoes, baked until soft, pureed
  • Cooked oats, mashed
  • Fully cooked chicken, pureed
  • Fresh peaches, peeled, finely chopped
  • Carrots, cooked, finely chopped
  • Well cooked rice, mashed
  • Fully cooked beef, ground
  • Canned green beans as finger foods
  • Cauliflower or broccoli, steamed, chopped
  • Whole wheat bread, toasted, torn into small pieces
  • Canned or dry beans, cooked
  • ·Shredded mozzarella cheese

Note: Some foods are not appropriate for infants. Refer to an infant feeding guide for more information.

What’s so great about homemade baby foods?

❤ Healthy

❤ Tasty

❤ Variety

❤ Cheap

References: USDA Infant Feeding Guide, 2007. Available at: http://wicworks.nal.usda.gov