Homemade puree ideas

[gldnbearz]

So far, we've made sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, and peaches.

What have other mommas made? I'm in need of veggie ideas as well as ideas for summer melons.

[littleapplemom]

LO likes fruits and veggies mixed.
Corn and zucchini
Broccoli and apple
Strawberry and canteloupe
Honeydew was a favorite.
Spinach
Sweet peas?

[spiraltheory]

I often just mix whatever I have. Carrots and mangos
Blueberries and bananas
Sweet potatoes and apples
Squash and apples
Peach, mango, banana

I bought a bag of frozen tropical fruit yesterday and I'm going to purée some of that, maybe with a banana.

I need to do more veggies. I have just buying the peas and green beans because lazy, but now that he can handle chunkier food, I'll probably start making those.

I need to do meat, but I'm weirded out by it. I don't know why.

[sjp03]

Purées I have made:

Sweet potato - LO's favorite
Pears
Peaches
Apricot
Green beans - LO doesn't like
Banana
Avocado
Peas
Chicken
Beef & Spinach
Apple & oatmeal
Raspberry, peach, quinoa

Let me know if you want more details on any of the above.

[singingmama10]

I've done all the ones you've listed plus peas, pears, avacadoo and green beans
littleapplemom, mmmm honeydew!!!! that's going to have to be next
spiraltheory, I'm weirded out by meat too.... I think I'm just going to buy those ones

[ninergirl52]

You ladies are way more advanced then me. My LO loves sweet potatoes and peas. Those are the main things I puree. We give him a lot of fruit in the mesh feeder, and meat I've been giving him tiny bits of, as he doesn't seem to like the consistency of pureed me. I also give him little bites of bananas and avocado (again he doesn't like the pureed version). I need to start mixing meats and veggies. We were on the go the other day and I heated up one of those pouches that was a chicken casserole one and he loved it.

[gldnbearz]

When preparing fruit puree, are you steaming or cooking the fruit or just fresh fruit puree? My daycare lady asked me to fully cook fruit if under 1 years old or buy commercial.

[gldnbearz]

littleapplemom Any tips for cantaloupe puree? Isn't that too watery?

spiraltheory sjp03 Are you starting with fresh peas and green beans?

[sjp03]

I used frozen peas but fresh green beans. As for the fruit, I have steamed most of it: peaches, pears, apricot. The avocado and banana was raw. LO has also had raw fruit in his mesh feeder.

[singingmama10]

I second sjp03, certain fruits I just mash but the others I steam

Questions:
I have used the mesh feeders once but I can not seem to get them completely clean. Any tips?

Also... my Pedi told me to stay away from berries. I would love to give him some but I haven't because of her recommendation. Has anyone else's said the same?

I have also seen that people are introducing peanuts to their LO's. I have heard the new research that says waiting till, whenever you're supposed to wait, has been debunked. Have any of your pedi's backed this?

[spiraltheory]

gldnbearz - I haven't done my own peas or green beans yet. I buy the gerber ones.

I haven't cooked any of the fruit. Hmmmm.
I should add, I just use organic, no-sugar applesauce to stuff. I've never puréed my own. I just make sure there's nothing but apples in the ingredient list. I also use some frozen fruit, especially for out-of-season stuff.
M has had a lot of melons, but we use the mesh feeder for those. singingmama10 - I rinse the mesh feeder right away. Then I just wash it like normal. I think I've put it in the dishwasher too. I also don't put bananas in it because they are hard to clean. I haven't been told to avoid berries. Hmmm. Do you remember why? My pedi also said nuts were fine, but I know other people have been told to wait.

[jjh1119]

Liam has had tons of stuff by now- watermelon, avocado, peaches, bananas in the mesh feeder

I got a lot of plum organics and happy babies organic pouches and he likes those either with our without oatmeal added for thickness (so he can grab the spoon and bring it to his mouth without dropping the food)
He's had spinach, broccoli, barley, quinoa, mango, apricot, Apple, peas, green beans, etc.

Now that he's had a ton of stuff I use the munchkin baby food grinder and have ground chicken that I cooked for dinner with spices and everything and he gobbled it. The consistency was perfect for him to pick it up and eat it. He had broccoli just roasted with a little pepper the other night. I made a teeny tiny turkey burger (with spinach) and ground that I the thing too.


The mesh feeder and the grinder are kind of pita to clean but if I do it right away It isn't so bad. BanAnas in the mesh feeder are the worst but still not too bad to clean.

[singingmama10]

So the only thing I have tried in the mesh feeder is bananas so i guess I need to try something else.
spiraltheory, my pedi said that babies often times are allergic to berries early on and then usually grow out of it. I think that is the only reason she suggested not to give them. She didn't even really tell me this it was just in the outdated paperwork she gave me. I might give some a try.

[spiraltheory]

singingmama10 - bananas get stringy and slimy in there. There should be a warning on the packaging! Melons are a HIT in the mesh feeder.

As for berries, maybe start with blueberries? They seem mild in comparison to strawberries.

[ccam]

singingmama10 Our pedi said to just go for it and let her try anything we eat that can be pureed or easily mashed by her. She said to stay away from honey, shellfish and eggs, but we could even go ahead with peanut butter. We even did scrambled egg yolk with DS at this point and he did fine with it.

The wholesome baby food and weelicious websites have great information and recipe ideas.

[jjh1119]

hmmm, I wasn't told to steam any fruits. I just read a little more clearly this thread. Basically anything is fine. She wants me to wait until 1 year for PB (no Honey either but I think that's a given) and shellfish.

Any fruit that I am eating that he has is raw, We have all organic fruits/veggies so i'm cool with giving them to him. All the veggies have been cooked, though. Basically because raw veggies are hard lol.


She wants me to try eggs with him around 9 months. Whites and yolks separate because they are both allergens and you can be allergic to one and not the other. I'm super weary with allergy foods so I haven't tried strawberries either. Though he has had mango a few times and that's another common allergen.

[pixie523]

jjh1119, how did you do quinoa? Just spoon fed? I have a ton cooked right now and H won't eat it.

[jjh1119]

pixie523 that was in one of his pouches. Same with the barley. Though I think I would try a small pile on the high chair. Or maybe a pass or two in the food grinder/processor. I really need to start making carbs for dinner so I have options like that for him

[jjh1119]

singingmama10 avocados in the mesh feeder are the easiest to clean so far in my experience. It's been all different levels of ripeness and it still rinses away easily then a quick wash with soap and it's good to go.

[pixie523]

Jun 19, 2015 8:45:13 GMT -5 jjh1119 said:

pixie523 that was in one of his pouches. Same with the barley. Though I think I would try a small pile on the high chair. Or maybe a pass or two in the food grinder/processor. I really need to start making carbs for dinner so I have options like that for him

Yeah, same here. Quinoa is the only carb in our house typically. It's so small though I wasn't sure she'd be able to pick it up, swallow it down. We had a texture problem with pureed spinach so I added some greek yogurt and it helped her. Maybe I'll try yogurt with some quinoa.


singingmama10, I put cherries, blueberries, peeled apples, and frozen peas for the teeth in the mesh feeder. We soak it right away then throw it in the dishwasher and it hasn't been too bad. We used to have a silicone feeder that I liked better for banana and avocado, but it broke. We just throw her chunks of banana/avocado now. 

I've got some BLW questions. Should it be in a new thread? 

[jjh1119]

pixie523 if she is having texture issues I REALLY like the grinder. It doesn't mash it to a pulp of liquidy puree just basically the same idea as a potato ricer. It would probably make the quinoa easier to chew and swallow and the texture kind seems like sticky rice? So like it clumps together in their hand so they can have an easier time picking it up.

Also- I've been afraid to do blueberries for fear the awful mess. Is it as bad as I'm imagining? Do I need him to wear something blue just in case? Perhaps Saran Wrap everything thing around him??

Maybe a new thread for BLW stuff?

[pixie523]

jjh1119, In the mesh feeder the blueberries weren't too bad, but at this point it all feels so messy. We do a lot of nude-y eating.

[jjh1119]

Yes naked eating here too

[gldnbearz]

jjh1119 pixie523 NOW I understand why your kiddos eat so freely. They dine naked! Certainly takes care of the mess.

[jjh1119]

Haha gldnbearz oh yes. Our high chair try has a tray that is remove able and then a second one underneath.

Morning the thing is fully assembled- messy thing, rinse the top one leave the bottom. Then a less messy food like puffs or whatever or mesh feeder then at dinner whatever we eat goes on the underneath one.

First messy food is naked or pjs second food is clothes or naked and then bath

High chair parts all get cleaned after he's in bed

[singingmama10]

Thanks ladies for all the recommendations! Definitely going to try some different things in the mesh feeder. I only tried banana in it... and he LOVED it. But it was way to hard to clean so I haven't used it since. I'm excited to give it another try .

[spiraltheory]

Bump!

[heatherbee]

Jul 8, 2015 21:24:20 GMT -5 spiraltheory said:

Bump!

Thank you

[gldnbearz]

Zucchini and crook neck squash have high water content and are good mixed with thick sweet potatoes.

Started green beans this weekend, but the texture wss still too chunky for her. Maybe I'll put the next batch on the blender vs food processor. I started with frozen green beans. Plums are next week.

We've started mixing up fruits and vegetables for texture. If it's too runny, I thicken with rice cereal or oatmeal cereal.

[sjp03]

I roasted a bunch of chicken breast, pureed it, and froze it. It gets a very weird texture when thawed. I think it grosses DH out - avoids feeding it to LO. LO seems to like chicken but is a little put off by the texture of it. When I mix it with sweet potato he gobbles it up.