My Favorite First Foods

Hi friends!

I can't believe it, but Owen is already starting to eat solids! 

I'm a big fan of homemade baby food for two reasons:

     - I know exactly what is going into it

     - it saves a ton of money

I remember reading somewhere once that no baby food company has been found to be completely honest about what goes into their food. Whether that is completely true or not, I would much rather know exactly what my little one is eating. That gets much harder to do as they get older, so I'm going to do it while I can!

Also, have you seen the price of baby food lately? Holy COW! No way. 

So here they are, my favorite first foods!

     

Applesauce
Vitamins: A, C, Folate 
Minerals: Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium 
Prep time: Zero! I usually grab a jar at the store. Just make sure it doesn't have added sugar. It is sweet enough on its own. Making applesauce is super easy, too. This one is super chunky and not great for first eaters, but I peeled and sliced some apples last weekend, threw them in the crock pot and cooked them until they were mushy. Perfect applesauce!

Bananas
Vitamins:  A, C, Folate  
Minerals: Potassium, Phosphorus, Selenium, Magnesium, Calcium
Prep time: Zero! Mash and serve. Bananas are also great because you can get them pretty much anywhere. Even gas stations have them, so if you find yourself out and about without baby food (or you left it on the counter which, of course, I have never done) you won't have to look far.

Avocados
Vitamins:  A, C, Niacin, Folate  
Minerals: Potassium, Phosphorus, Iron, Magnesium, Calcium
Prep time: Zero! Just like bananas, mash and serve!

Sweet Potatoes
Vitamins: A (tons of it! ), C, Folate 
Minerals: Potassium, Sodium, Selenium, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Calcium
Prep time: 30-45 minutes. I prefer roasting sweet potatoes in the oven. The get super sweet and delicious, and they keep a great texture. You can also boil them or, in a pinch, microwave them. Then just mash and serve!

My Favorite Tips
     - Make large batches and freeze them in ice cube trays. Easy single servings, ready to grab and go!
     - Mix in breast milk, formula or water to thin out foods for early eaters.
     - If your child doesn't like something, keep trying! It can take over 10 tries to enjoy a new food

     - Try new foods one at a time, with a few days in between. That way if your child does have a reaction,           you will know which food caused it.
     - When in doubt, mix it with sweet potatoes! Little one not a fan of peas? Mix them with sweet potatoes.         Spitting out spinach? Mix them with sweet potatoes. Seriously. They're made of magic.




Disclaimer: I am NOT a medical professional or dietitian. Just a mom who has done this before. Most pediatricians recommend starting solids between 4 and 6 months of age. There is all sorts of research that debates starting solids and development of food allergies, but this is the recommended window. There are also some developmental things that need to happen for babies to even be able to attempt eating solids, and most of those have happened by this age as well. In all honesty, we started a little bit early, but Owen was showing every sign of being ready, so we gave it a shot. He had been extra hungry, and was SO interested in our eating. We figured if he didn't take to it we would wait a while and try again later. He took to it like he had been eating off of a spoon since he was born! We also don't have a family history of food allergies, and have stuck with low-allergen foods. When in doubt, talk to your doctor.

Have you ever made your own baby food? 
What are your favorites?

Be blessed,
Heather