DIY Baby Food

First of all, don't be in too big of a hurry to start your baby on solids. What babies need is milk or formula, and their little bodies aren't developed enough until they're 4-6 months old to get the benefits of anything else.

I like to joke that a baby's ready for solids when they watch you eating with such hungry eyes and drooly mouth that you feel guilty.

Baby food doesn't take much to make. You just need some cooked food or fresh fruit, plus a liquid - like formula or breastmilk. Look at the food combinations on store jars of baby food for ideas: Sweet potato and apple, peas and carrots, turkey and squash. Here's my (our) favorite recipe:

Tropical Treat

1/2 ripe avocado
1/2 ripe banana
1/4 C yogurt or 1/8 C breastmilk or formula

Blend ingredients together until smooth.


I like to mix them in The Magic Bullet. Yeah, I know, what's with the name, right? But I like it for making smoothies and baby food.

Once I'm done blending, I put the extra in an ice cube tray and freeze it. After it's solid, I just pop the little baby food cubes out of the tray and double bag them in labelled ziplock bags I keep in the freezer until I need one. Each portion is about an ounce of baby food, and I usually thaw it by putting it in a bowl which I put in some hot water.

I got my favorite baby food recipe out of this cookbook for kids. A friend of mine gave it to me at my baby shower, and I've used it for 2 babies and it's really been great. She's got recipes for newborns through toddlers with fun ideas for finger foods, snacks and crafts and tons of other parenting tips.

You don't have to be a supermom to make your own baby food, but you'll feel like one when your baby gives you this kind of reaction: