What Is the Best Homemade Baby Food?

Homemade baby food ensures that your little one is getting the maximum nutritional value.

Homemade baby food is inexpensive and healthier for your baby, as it retains the vitamins and nutrients that are often lost in commercial baby foods. But when you have a busy schedule, the idea of making baby food at home can be a little daunting.

Of course, before introducing solid foods into your baby's diet, make sure that they are ready and that you have talked to your pediatrician about it. Below are some examples that are easy to make and nutritious:

Single-ingredient puree

You can start with a simple puree that has one ingredient. Fruits and vegetables you can try include the following:

• Steamed carrots
• Mangoes
• Strained peas
• Steamed apples
• Leafy greens such as spinach
• Bananas
• Prunes
• Cooked sweet potatoes

Combination puree

You can combine two or more ingredients to make a combination puree if your baby has been tolerating single-ingredient purees. Do not initially start with a combination puree because it can cause sensitivity and allergies. Some combinations that your baby may like include the following:

• Apple and spinach
• Meat (ground beef or chicken) with carrots, peas, or other vegetables
• Banana and mango
• Squash and peach
• Apple and cauliflower
• Broccoli and sweet potato
• Squash and sweet potato
• Pear and peach
• Sweet potato and banana

Table foods

After purees, you can introduce the following table foods:

• Well-cooked eggs (small pieces of hard-boiled or scrambled eggs)
• Soft foods such as cooked mashed potato or sweet potato
• Portions of soft fruits such as ripe mango or banana
• Small, thin pieces of soft meats
• Small slices of meat substitutes, such as tofu, as long as they do not contain a lot of added salt