Last Updated on February 5, 2022
The thing with babies is that you can’t really feed them pizzas. Nor can little ones survive only on love and sunshine (some idiotic parents have actually tried). So the topic can be a bit confusing for new dads. But don’t worry! I’ll give you a short overview and provide you with five homemade food recipes for babies to get you started.
What do Newborns and Young Babies eat?
Babies need only milk for their first six months on this planet. There are two options for this- breastfeeding and formula.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is the best option for babies. It has one big con though… Little ones get fewer calories during a single feeding session, and so they demand food more often. Yes…this also means the nights.
Bedside sleepers make the night sessions more tolerable as the mother doesn’t have to get out of the bed. That said, fathers can chip in and help to transport the baby to and from the crib.
With breastfeeding, the mother should let her child eat as much as he or she likes.
Formula
There are many reasons why breastfeeding isn’t an option, and it’s OK. It’s a topic in its own right and nicely covered elsewhere.
What can 6-Month-old Babies eat?
Parents can start introducing solids when the baby is four to six months old. Six-month-old babies need more energy and nutrients that breastmilk can provide!
General principles:
- Continue breastfeeding (or formula) at least until your little one is one year old
- Start with one food item at the time and wait four to seven days before introducing another. The aim is to make sure that your little ones don’t get any adverse reactions
- As a dad, you’re probably expecting that your baby will eat all the food you made. The truth is, the baby’s stomach is tiny, and young ones start with only 1-2 spoons per day
- Don’t start with sweet food items! The first one should be something rather dull (potato, for example).
- Meat should be introduced when the baby is around six months old. He needs iron!
- One-year-olds can already eat the same food as the rest of the family!
Which Cooking Technique to Choose?
Steaming helps to preserve all the essential nutrients. Buy a baby food maker to make your life easier! We used Philips 4-in-1, but if you live in the U.S., there are better options available because you’d need a transformer.
Five Homemade Food Recipes for Babies
The portions are quite big because we gave the same food two days in a row and a lot of food ended on the floor.
1. Baby Vegetable Puree With Chicken
Ingredients:
- Tomato
- Paprika
- 2 Potatoes
- Carrot
- Zucchini
- 1 Clove of Garlic
- 75G of Chicken Meat
- (Thyme- it makes the puree better but can be too surprising for the first time)
- Snack: 1/2 Banana (sliced) and a Couple of Raspberries
Instructions:
- Cut meat into tiny pieces to make sure that it cooks properly
- Chop all the veggies into small bits
- Now steam all the ingredients (including meat) in a steamer. It should take around 25 minutes. You could also boil the items, but you will lose essential nutrients
- Now blend or mash all of it to make a puree
- We tended to give the snack as a reward for eating at least some of the unsweetened healthy stuff
2. Baby Vegetable Puree With Red Meat
Ingredients:
- 2 Tomatoes
- Carrot
- ¼ Sweet Potato
- ½ Onion
- ¼ Zucchini
- Green Beans (Frozen or Fresh)
- 50G Red Meat
- Small Cup of dry Pasta
- (Parsley- it makes the puree better but can be too surprising for the first time)
- Snack: 1/2 Banana (sliced) and a Couple of Raspberries and Blueberries
Instructions:
- Cut meat into tiny pieces to make sure that it cooks properly
- Chop all the veggies into little bits
- Now steam all the ingredients (including meat) in a steamer. It should take around 25 minutes. You could also boil the items, but you will lose essential nutrients
- At the same time, prepare the pasta according to the instructions
- Now blend or mash all of it to make a puree and serve it with pasta
- We tended to give the snack as a reward for eating at least some of the unsweetened healthy stuff
3. Baby Vegetable Puree With Chicken 2
Ingredients:
- 2 Tomatoes
- Carrot
- Onion
- Zucchini
- 50G Chicken Meat
- Bulgur
- (Basil- it makes the puree better but can be too surprising for the first time)
Instructions:
- Cut meat into tiny pieces to make sure that it cooks properly
- Chop all the veggies into small bits
- Put 1 chopped tomato on a plate
- Now steam all other ingredients (including meat) in a steamer. It should take around 25 minutes. You could also boil the items, but you will lose essential nutrients
- At the same time, prepare the bulgur according to the instructions
- Now blend or mash all of it to make a puree and serve it with bulgur and tomato
4. Baby Vegetable Puree With Red Meat 2
Ingredients:
- Tomato
- Carrot
- ½ Zucchini
- Sweet Potato
- 75G Red Meat
- Pasta (Orzo, for example)
- (Green Onion- it makes the puree better but can be too surprising for the first time)
Instructions:
- Cut meat into tiny pieces to make sure that it cooks properly
- Chop all the veggies into small bits
- Now steam all the ingredients (including meat) in a steamer. It should take around 25 minutes. You could also boil the items, but you will lose essential nutrients
- At the same time, prepare the pasta according to the instructions
- Now blend or mash all of it to make a puree and serve it with pasta
5. Baby Vegetable Puree Without Meat
Ingredients:
- ½ Tomato
- Carrot
- ½ Zucchini
- 1 Clove of Garlic
- Pasta (Orzo, for example)
- (Oregano- it makes the puree better but can be too surprising for the first time)
- ½ Cucumber
Instructions:
- Grate the cucumber
- Chop all other veggies into tiny bits
- Now steam all the ingredients in a steamer. It should take around 25 minutes. You could also boil the items, but you will lose essential nutrients
- At the same time, prepare the pasta according to the instructions
- Now blend or mash all of it to make a puree and serve it with pasta and grated cucumber
To Sump Up
I hope my five homemade baby food recipes will help you get started when introducing your little one to solids. As I’ve said, one-year-olds can (and want to) eat like others in the family. My toddler has even had pizza a couple of times:)
