Homemade Baby Food Ideas: No Cooking Necessary

You have probably heard about a lot of moms preferring to make their own baby food, rather than purchasing the jarred type. It is becomoing more of a trend to make baby food yourself instead of buying pre-made. A lot of baby preparation requires steaming, blending, freezing, and packaging. I have done all of these things (and still do!) to make my own baby food, and it can get a little time consuming. I don't always have time to cook up a batch of baby food. So, when I am low on my frozen supply, or when I just want to whip up something fresh, I like to use some of these great baby food ideas. None of these require any cooking! All you need is a blender, and a hungry baby.

Bananas
This is almost a no brainer! Almost all kids love bananas, and will eat them happily. Bananas are a great food for older babies and toddlers to start on because they are soft and sweet. But, don't forget to give some to your young baby also, who can only handle purees. Bananas blend up very nicely in the blender, and are a great easy food to make at home for your baby.

Mango
This tropical fruit is overlooked way too often. This is a fabulous food for young babies. It has a sweet and creamy texture, and also blends up beautifully in a blender. All you need to do is peel the mango, cut it into chunks, throw it in the blender, and serve.

Avocado
This is one of my favorites. Avocado is very good for babies because is is full of healthy fats and nutrients. It also has a soft creamy texture, and it blends up nicely. Avocado is not sweet, so it is a great one to introduce early to help your baby's tastes to include savory flavors.

Pear
This is another wonderfully soft fruit that blends up very well. Just be sure that your pear is nice and ripe so that it is soft enough for your young baby. Use a delicious fresh pear, rather than the canned variety because it still has nutrients that may have been lost in the canning process.

Chick Peas
These are the main ingredient found in hummus, and have quite a bit of protein. They are also known as garbanzo beans. If you can find a good organic, canned variety of chick peas (or garbanzo beans), they are perfect for blending up and feeding to your baby. Help your child learn to appreciate the flavor of these beans early!

Peaches and Plums
Two more great fruits that you can easily peel and blend up. Again, make sure that the peach or plum is ripe and soft enough for your baby. You don't want to include the skin because it can be tough and not pleasing for your baby. Also, plum skin can be quite bitter, but it is easy to remove.

Kiwi
Many parents forget about kiwi completely, but I have yet to meet a baby that doesn't like it. Kiwi can have a little bit of a tartness to it, so it is also helpful in expanding your baby's tastes. Just peel of its fuzzy skin and throw it in the blender. It's a very yummy green fruit!

Yogurt
If you have access to raw milk, you could make your own yogurt. I realize that most of us don't have this option, but luckily there is a great organic yogurt made from whole milk specifically for babies 6 months and older. It is called YoBaby, and it is made by Stonyfield Farms. They have some fruit flavored yogurt, but they also have a plain variety for babies. This yogurt can be given plain, or it can become the base for anything. Bananas blended with yogurt, mango yogurt, or even chick peas blended with yogurt can be great for your baby. Don't be afraid of the non-sweet options. Your babies taste might surprise you. He or she probably does not always want something sweet.

So Many Combinations!
Don't forget to mix and match these ideas together! I often make a little thing I like to call Bana-cado. It's avocado blended together with a little banana. My kids have loved it. This is a good one to try if your baby is not loving the flavor of avocado by itself. Also, mango with avocado is a good combination. Of course, banana mango is a delicious one too. Peaches and pears are really good together as well. Have fun with it, and find out what your baby's favorite combination is.

Making your own baby food definitely doesn't always have to involve cooking. There are many great options that can go directly into the blender. You will feel better about giving your baby something fresh rather than canned, your baby will love the food, and you will probably save a little money while you're at it. It's win, win, win for everyone involved!