In short
- Cook until soft, then puree or mash, with no added salt, sugar or seasoning.
- Homemade food spoils faster: refrigerate leftovers and check before serving.
- Freeze purees in ice-cube trays and use within 3 months.
Make it
Pick some fruits, vegetables and grains. Cook them until soft enough to mash easily with a fork; ripe banana and avocado can be mashed raw. Puree or mash, and thin with breast milk, formula or water.
- Cook with no added salt, sugar or seasoning. Babies don't need added sugars (US guidance is none before age 2), and only a little sodium, which food already has.
- Remove fat, skin and bones from meat, poultry and fish before cooking.
- Remove seeds and hard pits from fruit.
- Never add honey before 12 months, even cooked or baked.
Store it
Homemade food isn't bacteria-free and spoils faster than food from a jar. Refrigerate what you don't use and check for signs of spoilage before serving.
To freeze, spoon purees into ice-cube trays. Once frozen, move the cubes to labeled, dated bags and use them within 3 months. Later, mix cubes to make new combinations.
Foods in this article
Avocado
Banana
How to serve each one at every age is in the app's food guide.
Sources
- When Can Babies Start Solid Foods? · AAP (HealthyChildren.org)
- When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods · CDC
- Picky Eaters and What to Do · CDC
- Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit · CDC
All articles, recipes, guides, tips and chat answers in Mama & Baby Bites are for general information and education only. They are not medical, pediatric or nutritional advice, and they don't replace care from a qualified professional. In an emergency, call 911.
