Purees for Days

I've always been the type to show love with food. Maybe because food is so important to me or because giving someone something that will make them happy, makes me happy. I love trying new recipes on Al. He is very accustumed to being involved in my culinary experiments. "Babe, try this", is a citation heard all to often in our house. Luckily for me, or at least he says, I have done his tastebuds justice (lucky for him).

After his regular check-up at four months, Jacks' doctor informed me I could start feeding him "food". I slowly introduced veggies, fruits etc. - but with a have-at-er kind of attitude. He was a big boy and I had been worrying about my milk supplying not being enough for him - in terms of satiety. So, until six months of age Jack tossed back breast milk, formula and purees to his hearts contient. He was noticeably happier!

I couldn't help but acknowledge my fascination with his hearty appetite and it fuelled my fire for cooking him up flavourful, nutritional blends of veggies, fruits, herbs and spices. I got my feet wet with Little Foodie cookbook by Michelle Oliver - which we dove into trying most of her imaginative collection of puréed recipes. I quickly learned the basics from there and started whipping up my own creations for Jack - this is where my passion for homemade baby food all started. Since becoming vegan, that passion is ever growing!

I set aside about 1 hour or so, twice a week for Jacks meal prep. Most of the purees I make (quantity and ingredients), last 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Jack eats purees with a side of "finger-foods" (see Jack Protein Bites recipe) 3 times a day; sometimes more with snacks if we are out and about. So making his food at home, for me, is more affordable - not to mention enjoyable. Your baby may eat more or less but you can always freeze and thaw at your convenience!

Assuming you have introduced your baby to some different foods already, and with no noted gastric upset or other issues, you can start adding in some flava! I grew up in a house where spicy, Asian-inspired stirfry and curried Indian delights were commonplace - I want the same sort of palate-experience for my Jack.

Give these a try...

In your blender (I have a Ninja) put the following:

O-Me-Ga This is Good!

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup of broccoli (I prepared it by steaming with numeric ground pepper)

1 ripe banana (spotty, brown)

1.5 cups of steamed till soft sweet potato

1 ripe avocado

1 tbsp flax

1 tbsp hemp protein

1 tbsp chia

3/4 cups of water (water amount may vary so try 1/2 a cup first)

Let the blending begin!

Curry-up & Feed Me! (A Jack Fav)

1 cup steamed till soft sweet potato

1 ripe banana

1/2 ripe avocado

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp hemp protein

1 tsp mild curry

Start with 1/4 cup of water - add more if needed

Bae Needs Protein!

1 cup of organic cooked or canned black beans

1 cup baked blueberries (in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F)

2 hardy handfuls of steamed spinach (measured before steaming)

1/2 ripe banana

1 tbsp flax

1 tbsp chia

1/4 cup of water (you may not even need water depending on how soggy your spinach is so blend first)

As I have said in previous blogs, I like the most bang-for-the-buck nutritionally speaking. Protein, carbs, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. So, if I ran out of time one day (I literally tried to make baby food for the blog for the past 2 days - where does time go?) and I only had one thing prepared to feed him, he would get it all in that one meal.

Kaled It!

1 cup of edamame beans

1 cup of steamed kale

1/2 a ripe avocado

1 cup of carrots

1/4 ripe banana

1 teaspoon of chia seeds

1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

Spice is Nice

3/4 cup of sweet peas

3/4 cup of quinoa

1/2 cup of black beans

1/2 cup of chickpeas

1.5 bananas

1/2 of an avocado

1/2 teaspoon of mild curry

1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon pf hemp protein

Peachy Green

1 cup of steamed spinach

1 cup of steamed broccoli

1 pitted peach

1/2 cup of oatmeal

1/2 tablespoon of chia