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Pumpkin Puree Baby Food Recipe (6-8 months)
1 sugar pumpkin
water
cinnamon, nutmeg (optional - sprinkle into the cooking water or when you puree/mash)
Pumpkin is best when baked though you may peel, cube and steam it! Bake a pumpkin exactly as you would bake a winter (Acorn, Butternut etc.) squash! Pumpkin is afterall a squash!
1. Halve the pumpkin, de-seed
2. Place halves face down in a baking pan with approx 1-2 inches of water
Baby's Yummy Avocado Fruit Salad
3 or 4 ripe avocados
3 or 4 ripe bananas
3 or 4 Pears (steamed)
A couple of dollops Yogurt (for 8 months +)
Directions:
Peel, deseed and slice fruits as needed
Place in a blender or food processor and puree until desired texture is achieved
Add a couple of dollops of Yogurt if desired
*Use diced fruits as a Baby Finger Food snack for older infants and toddlers - drizzle the Plain Yogurt over the fruits
Squash Baby Food Recipes -
Squash & Rice "Soup" 6 months+
1 cup cooked mashed butternut squash (works well with pumpkin too!)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cooked brown rice
dollop whole milk yogurt
Mash squash with the water in a food processor or blender and slowly mix in the brown rice.
Process to a consistency that your baby enjoys and can handle then stir in the yogurt
Butternut Squash Baby Food Recipes - Baked Acorn Squash Bowls
1 acorn or butternut squash
2 tablespoons applesauce
handful of raisins
cinnamon (as you prefer)
ginger (as you prefer)
nutmeg (as you prefer)
Cut acorn or butternut squash in half, scoop out seeds
Wipe insides with butter or olive oil and add raisins and applesauce
Add 2 inches of water to a baking pan
Place halves face up with shell down in a pan
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes or until the “shell/skin” puckers and halves feel soft.
Serve as is in the shell to older toddlers (our kids LOVE this in the shell!) or scoop out the meat and mash then serve.
3. Bake between 375-425 F for approximately 40 minutes to 1 hour
Skin should be "puckery" and/or wrinkled and pumpkin should feel soft when pressed
4, Scrape out the pumpkin "meat" and then mash or puree as needed for your baby!
Boiling/Steaming Sweet Potatoes for Baby Food:
1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into small chunks
2. Place chunks into a pan with just enough water to slightly cover potato
3. "Steam" boil until tender, be sure to check on the water level.
4. Reserve any left over water to use for thinning out the sweet potatoes if desired.
How To Make A Baby Food Purée
1. Start by cooking the vegetable/fruit either by steaming, baking, microwaving or boiling.
Steaming maintains the most nutrients. Steaming, baking and boiling all allow for big batches of foods to be made at one time.
Microwave if you have a small appliance or for when you plan to puree only a full ice tray of food. Many parents prefer to not use a microwave; we suggest that you steam or bake as the preferred cooking method! Read all about the various Cooking Methods and Baby Food.
2. Take the vegetable/fruit and remove them into the machine you have decided to use for pureeing.
3. Set aside the liquid that the vegetable/fruits were cooked in. This will be the liquid you add to make the puree. (do not use reserved water from carrots or other high nitrate veggies for a baby under 7 months old! Read more about Nitrates ) You may also thin with Formula, Breast Milk or Plain Water.
Hope I helped! Good luck!
Happy parenting,
BabyGirl18