Parents looking for baby food online need to consider a lot of things. More than the cost (which is often high), they also have to think about the flavor and whether or not the brand they want will provide the nutrients their baby needs. The good news is that your baby can have most of the table foods you prepare for the rest of the family; you just need to prepare them differently. What can you puree for baby food? Find out here.
First Things First
Before discussing what to puree for baby food, let’s first talk about how to know when your little one is ready for solids.
Most babies are ready for solids once they reach 6 months. But experts say each baby is different, so parents must look for clues indicating that their baby is ready to expand their diet beyond the breast or formula milk.
Some of these clues include:
- Diminished or absent tongue-thrust reflex (when the baby pushes their tongue on the roof of their mouth). This reflex helps prevent choking, but it also pushes food out of their mouth.
- Good and steady head and neck control. If your little one still struggles to keep their head upright, then they are not yet ready for solid foods.
- Interest in and ability to grab food and put them in their mouth.
- Doubling their birth weight.
If the pediatrician gives you the go signal, but your baby appears irritable or frustrated when you feed them, try to wait for a couple more days.
Puree for Baby Food: A Quick Guide
Before purees, your baby’s first food will probably be a combination of dry infant cereals and breast or formula milk.
Initially, prepare a thin mixture for your baby and give it to them for a few days to determine if they can tolerate it. If they develop diarrhea, repeated vomiting, or rashes, they might be allergic to cereals.
Once you determine they can have cereals without a problem, make thicker preparations. Three to five days later, you can introduce other foods one at a time.
What To Puree:
Foods you can puree for baby food are fruits, vegetables, and even meat. While it’s preferable to use fresh produce, you can also use the canned and frozen varieties; just be mindful of their content as they might have extra sugars, salt, or fats.
Fruits and Vegetables
You can use almost all kinds of fruits and vegetables, like ripe bananas, prunes, peaches, pears. For veggies, consider potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash.
Just limit their high-nitrate vegetable portions to 1 to 2 tablespoons per feeding. Examples of high-nitrate vegetables are cabbage, carrots, celery, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, and turnips.
Meat
You can use meats, such as poultry and fish. Remove the bones, connective tissues, skin, and visible fats.
Eggs
You can also puree eggs – just make sure they are well cooked until both white and yolk are solid. Babies younger than a year old should only have the yolk because egg white might cause an allergic reaction.
Grains
Puree for baby also calls for grains as they are excellent sources of carbohydrates. You can use rice or pasta, and cook them until they are very soft before mashing.
Beans and Peas
Cook beans and peas per instructions; do not add salt or other seasonings.
What NOT To Puree for Baby Food:
Do not give your baby baked goodies or any foods that might contain honey. Also, if you come across raw fruit puree elsewhere, be sure to heat it first before giving it to your little one.
How to Puree:
To puree means to “process” the food until it is soft, liquid-like, and has a smooth texture. Below is the step-by-step process of preparing puree for baby:
- Wash fruits and vegetables under running water. Use a scrubber or scrub them thoroughly with your hands. Don’t forget to remove pits and seeds. For meat, don’t forget to remove fats, bones, or any tough parts.
- Cook the food thoroughly until they are soft or tender. You can cook fruits and veggies in a saucepan filled with little water or steam them until soft. Meat, fish, and poultry should be well done and tender. You can use broiling, stewing, steaming, roasting, or poaching, but do not resort to frying meat.
- Start with the puree. You can use a blender, food mill, or a baby food grinder. If none of these equipment are available, you can also use a fork and strainer. Remember that the final product should be soft, smooth, and liquid-like – free of small pieces that may be hard to digest.
- Feed your baby one food type at a time. That way, you can check if they have allergic reactions to it. After 2 to 3 days, you can introduce another type of food. Consume the food within 2 hours or freeze it for future use.
- Freeze pureed food in single servings. Before mealtime, thaw them in the fridge or under running water. Reheat at about 74 C by placing the food in a heat-resistant dish over a saucepan with little water.
Key Takeaways
What can you puree for baby foods? It turns out you can use most foods from fruits and vegetables to grains and meat. The important thing is to prepare them properly and give them one at a time. If you feel like choosing puree for baby food is too much for you, don’t forget that buying pre-packed baby food is also okay. Simply talk to the doctor about what’s best for your baby.
Learn more about Baby Nutrition here.
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