Baby Food Recipes

Taken from "Mommy Made and Daddy too!"
"Home Cooking for a Healthy Baby and Toddler"

Bananas
(Introduce bananas at 6 months of age)

*Babies are big on bananas because they are easily digestible
*Select bananas with smooth, unbruised skins, and firm, unbroken stems
*Serve only slightly ripe bananas with skins just speckled with brown spots

Ingredients
1 ripe banana, peeled

Directions:
Mash banana with a fork and add a little breastmilk, juice, or water to adjust consistency if desired.

Make 4-6, 1 oz or heaped tablespoon baby servings

Variations for Bigger Babies:
*Banana/Avocado puree

Peaches
(Introduce peaches at 7 months of age)

*Peaches tend to brown when cooked or pureed, but this is not harmful

Ingredients:
1 can peaches (recommended not to use peaches canned in heavy syrup or light syrup; use peaches canned in their own juice)

Directions:
Strain peaches in a food mill or in a fine gauge strainer.  Usually no additional liquid is required to correct consistency.  If you need to add liquid, add a little breastmilk, formula, juice, or water to adjust the consistency.

Sweet Potatoes and Yam, Too
(Introduce sweet potatoes and yams at 6 months)

*When cooked and cut into chunks, sweet potatoes and yams make great finger foods for older babies
*Sweet potatoes are at their peak in fall and midwinter
*Discard any sweet potatoes that have bad/soft spots
*Store sweet potatoes dry in a cool spot, do not refrigerate

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato or yam, scrubbed and pierced a few times with a fork

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake sweet potato (or yams) on a foil-lined pan for 1 hour, turning after 30 minutes.  Check for doneness with a fork; it should pierce easily.  Cook for another 15 minutes.  Set aside until cool enough to handle.  Peel off outer skin and strain cooked potato in a food mill or fine gauge strainer.  Add about 5 tablespoons of water or breastmilk or formula to puree and adjust consistency according to age and preference.

Make 12-14, 1 oz or heaped tablespoon baby servings

Variation for older babies:
Mix sweet potato or yam puree with other fruit purees such as apple or apricot.

Chicken Little
(Introduce meats at 8 months of age)

*For a nice creamy texture, use a generous hand when adding liquid to the puree.

Ingredients:

1 whole boneless chicken breast (about 3/4 pound)

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.  Remove any remaining skin, bones, and fat from the chicken breast and cut the meat into 3/4 inch pieces.  Add chicken to the pot.  Lower heat and simmer gently for approximately 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Strain and reserve cooking liquid.  Puree chicken dry in blender or food processor.  Slowly add enough of the reserved cooking liquid until a smooth, creamy texture is achieved.  (The longer you puree, the smoother the texture.)

Make 12-14, 1 oz or heaped tablespoon baby servings.