Baby Nurse Question: We want to start introducing some fruits and veggies to our baby but are not interested in buying processed food. How do I begin making our own and what foods should we start with?
There’s nothing wrong with buying baby food, however, freshly prepared fruits and veggies—particularly local and organic—provide the utmost in nutrition and taste.
Baby food-making gadgets abound, but you can really prepare great baby food with anything from a fork, masher, or a hand-turned food mill, to a blender, food processor, or all in one steamer/pureeing device. Just be sure to check reviews before dishing out a lot of money!
First Foods: Sweet potatoes are packed with nutrients and are typically a hit with babies as a first food. Clean and scrub a sweet potato, bake for about 45 minutes, cut in half and scrape out the flesh. Mash with a fork, add breast milk or formula until desired consistency.
Other great first foods you can steam and mash or puree raw include butternut squash, carrots, avocado, apples, pears, and bananas.
Finger Foods: By about nine months old your baby’s fine motor skills may be developed enough to pick up small pieces of food. Some healthy ideas include avocado or banana slices, steamed diced apple and peas, small peach pieces (peeled and very ripe), cooked carrot slices, and blueberries.
