Making Baby Food 101

Making your own baby food may seem daunting, especially if you’re not really a superstar in the kitchen…but we promise, you can do it!  As the founders of Petit Organics, it is our mission of to bring 100% organic, fresh baby food to the many busy families in the NYC area. We are huge believers in the fresh baby food movement, whether you order from us, or make it yourself – we are here to help!

You probably want to know why fresh baby food is better than the grocery store brands. Well, besides the fact that the shelf stable stuff taste like paste, processed baby foods have added sugars, preservatives and starchy fillers.  Processed baby foods are also cooked at extremely high temperatures, and unfortunately this eliminates approximately 90% of the vitamins and nutrients.  So, now that we have you convinced that fresh, organic, homemade baby food is the way to go…here are our favorite cooking methods and tips for getting started, along with a special recipe we developed just for you!

No-cooking – Banana, Avocado

Just peel the fruit, mash with the back of a fork, and serve!  If desired, you can absolutely add filtered water or breast milk to thin it out a bit.

Baking/Roasting – Sweet Potato, Butternut Squash
Preheat oven to 375 F and place whole sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. For Butternut Squash, slice it in half lengthwise; remove seeds and place facedown on a lined baking sheet. Bake the veggies in the oven for 45min – 1hr, until fork tender. When cool, remove peels and puree in a blender with filtered water until the desired consistency is reached.

Boiling – Carrots, Apples
Bring a large pot of water to a boil on your stove stop. Peel the veggies/fruit. For the apples, remove the cores. Chop the fruits/veggies into 1-inch cubes and boil until fork tender (usually between 5-8 minutes). Remove cubes from boiling water, let drain in a colander, and then puree in a blender.

Last but not least, don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun!
Try adding spices to your purees such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or curry. The more flavors you introduce to your baby now, the less issues you will have with him being a picky eater as a toddler. You can also mix in your favorites grains, meats, fish and dairy products when your baby is around eight months old. Some of our favorite starter grains are oats and quinoa. We also love pureeing with winter squash and swirling into Greek yogurt, so delish!

SPECIAL RECIPE FOR YOUR FOODIE-IN-TRAINING

Apple, Maple and Oat Blend (7 months and older)

• 4 organic apples
• 
¼ cup organic quick oat

• 2 teaspoons organic maple syrup
• dash of cinnamon to taste

Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil. While the water boils, peel and cut the apples into 1 inch square pieces.  Place the apple pieces into the water and boil 7-8 minutes or until fork tender. Drain apples, puree until smooth in a blender or food processor and set aside to cool. In a small saucepan, bring ½ cup water to boil and add oats. Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes until oats absorb water and are soft. When finished, stir the oats into the apple puree. Add the maple syrup and cinnamon, then stir until thoroughly blended.

Serve warm or cold. Makes 3-4 servings. Bon appétit to you and your bébé!

If you have additional questions about making your own baby food, please feel free to email us at support@petitorganics.com.