Homemade baby food ideas + when to start milk

[mod19]

Question 1:

Ok so I'm running out of ideas of concoctions to make dd. I'm pretty strict about organic only when it comes to fruits and veggies, and she's 10 months old and eating soft solids like a champ. So here's what I'm looking for: new recipes that aren't too weird as well as soft food ideas to send to daycare. So far what I have:

Babyfood - my go-to's are:
Squash & apples
Pears & bananas
Apples & bananas
Apples & carrots
Carrots & broccoli
Bananas & oranges
Blueberry, strawberry & bananas
Green beans & apples
Bananas, kiwi, & blackberry/raspberry
Strawberry & banana

And sometimes a mixture of all lol

Snacks:
Yogurt puffs
Rice puffs
Rice teething crackers
Teething biscuits
Bananas
Strawberry


She eats soft solids fine (breads, overcooked veggies, etc), so when do you stop feeding baby food?

Question 2:

When do you stop formula and switch to milk. I've made her a few bottles with milk and formula and she drank them fine, but I'm not sure how she'd react to strictly milk. The dr said the goal is to have them off a bottle by a year, so does that mean formula too?

Thanks in advance to anyone who has continued reading through this book lol

 

[MindUtopia]

If she's 10 months, I would be offering her whatever you eat. You can puree it or mash it, whatever texture you feel comfortable with, but I would be offering normal foods so she can get used to the tastes in the cooking in your family. If you're offering some finger foods already, then you can start to add in more. We only ever offered finger foods, never pureed or mashed, so they really can handle them even from very young. At her age, she'll definitely have the hand eye control and grip strength to be able to handle them just fine. It also means less work for you if you've been making her something special. The only thing you need to avoid at this age is added sugar and salt and whole nuts.

So pasta sauteed with garlic and roasted butternut squash and topped with cheese should be manageable (also something you can eat yourselves). Pasta with tomato sauce. I often make a roasted tomato and garlic sauce by roasting everything with olive oil in the oven and then blending. You can scoop some out for her and then season to your own taste with salt.

Soups are also good with bread and butter dippers. You can make all sorts of blended soups which are smooth. Butternut squash and apple soup, parnsip soup, broccoli and cheddar, tomato, etc. They also freeze well, so easy to package up and have ready to send to daycare with some bread for dipping.

We also did a lot of mini rice cakes with various things on it, like hummus, white bean dip, nut butters, mashed avocado, etc. with cucumber sticks. Also an easy thing to package up to send to daycare with her.

And then really just whatever you eat. If you have roast chicken with mash potatoes, gravy and roasted carrots, that can all be blended or mashed up if you want to, or you can start to offer it as it. Same with like baked salmon with rice and broccoli. You might have to alter some of your usual meals a little bit to suit her (omitting salt or anything spicy until after you've taken a portion out for her), but there's very little that can't easily be modified. I would just try to get her to start exploring more savoury foods rather than sweetened or fruit based foods, so it's more like what you'd probably eat in your house anyway.

As for milk, I know her the recommendation is to stay on formula to 1 and then gradually switch. We personally did what you're doing, offering a mix of milk and formula from about 10.5 months. I would just add in maybe half a bottle of milk mixed with formula one bottle per day, and then the next week, I increased it to a full bottle of milk for that feed. And then so on, until I had each week added in a bit more milk, and then at a year we switched entirely to cow's milk. Cow's milk is saltier than formula, which is one of the reasons they don't recommend you use it loads before a year because they need time to develop and be able to process the extra salt. But I don't think a few weeks makes much difference, as long as you aren't switching to milk at like 6 months. And no, you don't have to switch off all formula right at a year. Ideally, you should move to milk sometime after that (or switch to the toddler formula) as baby formula is more made for babies than active toddlers, but personally I'd go for cow's milk (it's much less expensive, and it has less sugar, some of the toddler formulas have been correlated with tooth decay just because they're so sweet). So if she'll happily take milk, I'd move in that direction.

 

[mod19]

Thank you! We have been giving her pieces of what we eat, but I never though of pureeing it for her. She still only has 2 teeth so I'm weary if giving her anything that's too big or hars.

 

[loeylo]

Honestly, its amazing what they can eat! My little one is cows milk intolerant so she is on special formula, but we have been offering "tastes" of blended foods since 4 months (literally licking a bit off our fingers, then licking a tiny amount from a spoon) - she started grabbing the spoon and chewing it and has great hand-eye co-ordination, so we have started sitting her in her high chair at mealtimes and putting finger foods on the tray. Today she has had a large piece of pasta and I have some sugar snap peas, pasta and baby corn cooking. She doesn't actually swallow much, but she doesn't have any teeth and can chew pretty well already! She's 5 months by the way.

(Ps I know you ate not supposed to BLW before 6 months but we had to wean earlier than I would have liked due to her allergy, the health visitor agreed there was no point us doing purees for a month then switching to BL. )

 

[george83]

I agree with giving what you eat, I'm the biggest scaredy cat when it comes to weaning and even got told off by my hv for not moving my first son on fast enough when he was little but my youngest copes really well with mashed up food. I use soup pasta for him when offering pasta and he eats that fine but I know Heinz do a range of baby pasta which comes even smaller. I've been trying to offer mine finger foods but he's not really interested in bread or sandwiches etc he just eats his crisps (skips, cheese puffs etc) and baby biscuits.

My go to foods for my lo's have always been:
Cauliflower cheese
Cauliflower and broccoli cheese (mixes with pasta and chicken or white fishes easily)
Simple pasta sauce with vegetables (tinned tomatoes, carrots and corgettes mixes with anything - pasta/mashed potatoes and meat/fish)
An Annabel Karmel recipe for a simple beef stew (can be puréed as much or as little as you like)

 

[noon_child]

We also did family food from 6months and LO didn't get a tooth till 11 months and her second tooth till 14 months. Their gums are very hard and they can chew fine without teeth. They all need time to learn how to move food around their mouths and swallow when its properly chewed, but thats not really dependant on teeth, its just something they learn.

At her age she'll start needing more of her nutrition from food, so (unless you are veggie) it looks like a good time to add some fish and meat or other protein and some more starches and less sugars.

I agree with the others that she can eat what you are having at home, but for daycare how about sandwiches. For fillings you can start with soft options so you can have cheese (I didn't see any cheese in the snack list you gave and my LO was absolutely nuts about cheese at that age), nut butters, hummus, avocado etc.

 

[mod19]

She's had grilled cheese but I haven't tried actual real pieces of cheese yet. I'm stopping at the grocery store on my lunch today and you gave me some good ideas. I've started sending her with oatmeal and yogurt for breakfast and we just found out she loves Mac n cheese. I'll definitely pick up some fish and see how she does with that.

What sort of bread did you use for sandwiches? Also what kind of cheese? We don't usually we dont buy American slices or soft bread.

Thanks!

 

[minties]

It seems to me she is lacking in fat and protein there - what about avocado slices, bits of chicken, boiled eggs (mashed with butter if you are nervous about big foods), lasagne type dishes, mild curries? At 10 months mine were both eating regular food so just ate what we did.

 

[mod19]

I feel chicken is still too hard for her...I dunno. We don't eat avocado so that's off the table.

Her dr said to stay away from table foods till a year, so that's why I'm on here asking.

But right now all of this is out the window cuz she started teething bad and will only take a bottle of formula or food pouches. No applesauce, no juice, no cookies/crackers, no bananas or strawberries...nothing! Ugh I feel like I'm back to square one. Smh. Poor baby

 

[noon_child]

I feel chicken is still too hard for her...I dunno. We don't eat avocado so that's off the table.

Her dr said to stay away from table foods till a year, so that's why I'm on here asking.

But right now all of this is out the window cuz she started teething bad and will only take a bottle of formula or food pouches. No applesauce, no juice, no cookies/crackers, no bananas or strawberries...nothing! Ugh I feel like I'm back to square one. Smh. Poor baby

Teething really messes with things doesn't it? Never mind, just follow her lead, she'll be back to her old self soon.

I'm not sure why your Doctor said no table food till 1yr. Has your LO got underlying health problems? Or maybe he/she just meant not to give her the food you'd prepare for yourself with salt in. Salt is something that needs to be avoided but it just means preparing your dishes with no salt, using low salt stock cubes and not feeding her too much shop bought processed foods (like ready meals, sausages etc.) because they have loads of salt. Like mindutopia said, you can add salt in to your food after you have separated a portion for yourself. I also started creating dishes with other flavours in so salt wasn't required, like balsamic vinegar glaze for salmon for example.

 

[mod19]

Not sure why her dr said that, I guess this being my 1st I thought it was normal. She's doesn't have health issues at all so I dunno. He also said to hold off of baby foods until 6 months, but after seeing other babies eating them at 4 I started earlier.

 

[pansorie]

I talked to my ped when my daughter was 6 months old and she said I can give her whatever I want except honey, so with that being said:

For reference, my daughter is 9 months old.
Also, we totally skipped rice/ baby cereal.

My husband is the pickiest of picky eaters, but he loooves Middle Eastern food, so our baby has had a range of ME foods, lol. Her favorites are hummus and falafel. If your baby likes hummus it is actually really easy to make or to pick up at the store and have on hand for baby for a quick lunch. Falafel is very easy to make as well, and it is healthy and delicious.

A snack that I make for my daughter are tofu bites. I buy the extra firm tofu, and press it for about 30 minutes (get as much liquid out as possible). Then I cut it however I want (I usually do small rectangles, easy for picking up). I toss it with some cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder. Fry it up in just a little oil, and it's done! Of course always monitor baby when eating, but these treats are good finger foods because they are so soft on the inside. They are also very versatile, you can season them however you want.

My husband loves lemons (which is why he likes ME foods so much, lol) so he has been giving her lemon water since at least 6 months. I always add just a splash of lime juice. I have seen moms being very critical of giving babies less than a year citrus, but my daughter loves it. We have been giving her almond milk for a treat since at least 6 months as well.

My food processor has been given a workout. I often make ahead, and then freeze it. You can even freeze mashed bananas, avocados, etc.

I do daycare when I have a lot of crap going on. On those days I am usually rushing, so I often will just mash an avocado, add some lime, and send her on her way.

We do keep some of those pouches on hand, but those are what we consider her fast food, like when we are running around.

We don't eat beef or pork, but we have given her chicken and salmon, and she really likes it, especially salmon.

I would be lying if I didn't admit that one of the things I really looked forward to was making my own homemade baby food. Almost everything my daughter has eaten has been things that I have made, and it is very fulfilling to me.

 

[Soph1986]

Avacado or avacado mashed with banana are favourites of my 9 month old. He also loves omelette and home made hummus

 

[zorak]

Those all sound like first foods and at 10 months babies diet should be more complex. You don't seem to be offering fats or proteins. By 1 when most people stop formula /breastfeeding baby needs to be able to get their nutrition from food.

My son is also just about 10 months. I don't make special meals he eats either what we are having or a variation of that.

Today he's had
- Porridge with banana. Then toast with a smidge of peanut butter (spoon fed porridge, fed himself toast)
- Potato cakes with grated cheese and sliced pear (fed himself)

_ Dinner is chilli with rice. He will have exactly the same but I serve his before adding extra chilli for the rest of the family.
Yoghurt for dessert.

You need to trust your baby. They are capable of so much.

 

[2have4kids]

I think after reading the lists the only concern I have and like a few have mentioned is healthy fats & proteins. Our wee girl is just past 6 months and ate the ground turkey, quinoa, turmeric, curry (mild), and carrots in our stuffed peppers for dinner sat night. Egg mash with oatmeal + banana for breaky, avacado, carrot/apple puree with tiny cubed cheese for lunch. She loves goats milk and goats milk keffir (keffir is thicker and helps their immune system as it has probiotics), we had lentil ham soup after easter and she loved that, she has no teeth but our doctor said that they need protein a few times everyday and milk - either breast, goat,or formula or a mix of those for variety and do not start feeding them juice till at least after the age of 2 because there's far too mch sugar in it. A better alternative is coconut water, and it's great in the summer cold for them as it replenishes their potassium when they sweat.

Babies need protein to feul brain growth and both long periods of sleep and protein will ensure they grow tall. Human growth hormone is only produced with sleep lengths over 2-3 hours and with protein, hence why asian cultures have short populations - they relied heavily on vegetable & carby (rice) diets to survive for centuries.

 

[minties]

No table food till 1 sounds like very weird advice. Mine were both eating regular foods well before that age. Sophie loved toast at 6 months. Thomas would tuck into a curry by 7 months. There's no reason to drag out the mushy/runny food stage.

 

[Kanichen34]

I'd definitely grab an avocado for her, my husband and I both hate them but they are sooo good for you, my daughter was obsessed with them from 6 months til about 18 months although when I offer it now she doesn't seem interested. I think she may have just over eaten them as she used to eat one a day lol! I used to love going to the reduced section to find fruit and veg that I hadn't eaten before and cook it for baby. And now my toddler views a fruit and veg stall like a sweet shop, asking to try loads of things. I never get to walk away from a f&v stall without buying her something! At your little ones age her favourite foods were fish cake, asparagus, broccoli, carrot, porridge, avocado, plums, cheese and omelettes. You could make a frittata which can be served cold for daycare? Or if they have hot water my go to lunch that's ready in minutes is couscous. I cheat and have a ready seasoned pack in the change bag for emergencies - not ideal as its full of salt but for once in a blue moon it's fine! Otherwise you just add some butter and your own seasonings and pour hot water on it. Let it absorb the water, and fluff with a fork, ready to eat!

 

[mod19]

I appreciate all your suggestions, but the whole avocado thing...nope. she won't eat them. Turns out she's more of a pizza girl finally found a sippy cup she'll use (those munchkin 360 ones), and she's being moved over to the toddler side of daycare next week, so she'll just eat whatever everyone else is eating, minus their milk and fruits and veggies. Those I will be providing as I only want her to have organic in them. If I wouldn't eat it, I'm not giving it to my daughter...good thing strawberries are in season!

 

[2have4kids]

Are you vegetarian, is that why you didn't list any proteins or is she getting them with her daycare?

 

[mod19]

She'll be getting that through daycare. They provide a weekly menu of what they'll be eating, so if there's something I don't think she'll be able to handle or don't want her to eat (they don't necessairly have the most nutritous menu, ie: poptarts) i can bring her something else. Definitely not a vegetarian...love steak waaaay too much!