Pureed Vegetables for Baby

Baby’s Beta-carotene Boost

From Rachel in the United States

2 carrots

1 sweet potato

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Prick sweet potato with fork and bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes or until soft.
2. Meanwhile, peel and slice carrots.
3. Place in a steam basket, pour 2″ water in pan and steam for 10 minutes or until soft.
4. With an electric beater, food processor, or with a fork, mash carrots and sweet potatoes with nutmeg.

Exotic Sweet Potatoes

From Andi in the United States

2 sweet potatoes, baked, and flesh scooped out into a bowl

1 handful of fresh mint

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

organic whole yogurt to taste

1. Combine the sweet potato with the seasonings and mint in a blender or food mill and process until smooth.
2. Add a dollop of yogurt on top if desired.

Baby Dal

From Amy in the United States

1 cup red or brown lentils

1 large sweet potato or 2 large carrots

6 oz fresh spinach

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 fresh garlic clove

1 tsp onion powder or 1 tblsp grated fresh onion

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1. Rinse the lentils and pick through for stones.
2. Mix lentils with 2 1/2 cups of filtered water.
3. Add spices, sweet potato or carrots, onion and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer until lentils are very soft and creamy.
5. Stir in spinach and cook until it is soft and mixed in well.
6. Puree all the ingredients together in the food processor to your babies preferred consistency!

Sometimes I also add a dash of sweet paprika!

Cheesy Leek Mash

From Michelle in the United Kingdom

3 medium potatoes

1 leek

a knob of unsalted butter

30g (1/3 cup or 1 1/2 oz) cheddar cheese

milk

baby chicken stock (salt free or low sodium)

1. Peel and chop the potatoes.
2. Wash and then thinly slice the leek.
3. Place the potatoes and leek in a pan with the baby chicken stock and bring to the boil, then simmer until tender.
4. Place the potatoes and leeks in a bowl and add the required amount of baby chicken stock and milk for the consistency that suits your baby.
5. Add the unsalted butter and cheddar cheese and mash together (or blend) until at the right consistency for your baby.

Protein Packed Mashed Potato

From Donna in the United States

1 large baking potato (7 to 9 oz)

2 tablespoons of butter

1 egg white from a large egg

1 tsp finely ground flax seed

1/4-1/2 cup of 2% milk

1. Peel the potato and cut into 1 inch cubes. Boil the potato till soft.
2. Put the potato in a food processor and add the next three ingredients.
3. Process till smooth. Just add enough milk to achieve a smooth consistency.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is quick, delicious and nutritious for busy parents.

Swiss Chard Delight

From Lily in Canada

3 stalks Swiss Chard

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste (no salt before 12 mths)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Chop swiss chard into small pieces. Place in a pot.
2. Heat pot on medium heat.
3. Steam Swiss Chard for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste and olive oil.
4. Puree in a blender. Pour into a bowl.
5. Cool before serving to your baby.

Make sure there aren’t any stringy pieces in the puree. Strain if desired. This is a great side dish for dinner. This is a simple dish but a delicious one. You may double the recipe and then freeze it for later use. (Please do not freeze the puree for more than a month, the flavour may change)

Apple Spice Squash

From Jamie in the United States

1 Butternut squashed, steamed and mashed (or 1 pkg frozen butternut squash)

1 apple peeled, steamed, and chopped in food processor (or 1/2 cup natural applesauce)

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/3 cup milk or formula

1. Combine cooled squash and applesauce and puree in food processor.
2. Mix in 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.
3. Stir milk or formula until smooth. Enjoy!

Eggy Veggies

From Gillian in Gravesend, UK

1 tsp unsalted butter

1 tsp wholemeal (whole wheat) flour

2 fl oz (1/4 cup) breast milk or formula

1 tbsp milk powder

1 beaten egg (at room temperature)

4 oz (1/2 cup) pureed veggies

1. Heat the oven to 350 deg F (170 deg C).
2. Grease 2 ramekins.
3. Melt the butter, stir in the flour, then slowly add the milk and dried milk, stirring, until the mixture has thickened.
4. Stir in the veggies and the beaten egg.
5. Pour the mixture into the ramekins.
6. Set the ramekins in a shallow baking dish and pour in water until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
7. Bake in the oven for 25 to 35 minutes until set and cooked through.

Daal

From Darpan in the United States

1/2 cup lentils

cilantro – according to taste

black pepper – according to taste

cooking oil

1. Wash and Soak the lentils in sufficient water overnight, than next morning wash them again to drain all the grime.
2. Add rest of the ingredients apart from oil and grind to a coarse mixture.
3. Heat a non-stick pan, take a ladle full of batter and spread it circularly to make a pancake.
4. Spread 1 tsp of oil all around the pancake. Cook it till browned flip and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Tip: You can mix different type of lentils according to the availabilty.

Gourmet Tators

From Maria in the United States

2 red potatoes

3 baby carrots

1 tsp of low sodium beef broth

1. Peel the red potatoes and boil them on the stove top until fork tender.
2. After the potatoes are finished, blanch the baby carrots. (Make sure to put them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.)
3. Put the potatoes, carrots and broth in the food processor until they form a smooth mixture.

Kyle’s Favorite Green Bean Recipe

From Jill in the United States

1 peach

1 cup green beans

1. Sit the peach upright in an oven proof dish. With a sharp knife, make 2 slits in the top of the peach (just the skin).
2. Bake the peach at 350F for about 30-40 mins depending on the peach size (until soft). Additional peaches can be baked at the same time for other recipes or to double the recipe.
3. Steam the green beans until soft.
4. Peel the peach & slice.
5. Puree the peach & green beans together until the desired consistency is reached.

More green beans baby food ideas

Mashed Root Veggies

From Corinne in the UK

4oz (1/2 cup) carrots, peeled and sliced

4oz (1/2 cup) swede (rutabaga), peeled and chopped

4oz (1/2 cup) turnips, peeled and chopped

a little freshly grated nutmeg

1. Put the prepared veggies in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then simmer steadily for 20-25 mins until the veggies are tender.
2. Drain, keeping aside some of the cooking water.
3. Mash the veggies together, using some of the cooking water to keep everything soft and moist.
4. Add the nutmeg, stir and the mash is ready to eat!

Sweet Potato and Celeriac Puree

From Keely in Boston, USA

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

1/4 celeriac, peeled and diced

1 tbsp chopped onion

1 small potato, peeled and diced

1 tsp unsalted butter

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the sweet potato, celeriac and potato cubes. Simmer until tender (5 to 10 mins), then drain but keep a little of the cooking water.
2. Saute the onion in the butter until golden and tender.
3. Put all the ingredients in your blender and whiz until smooth. Use a bit of the cooking liquid to make it thinner if you need to.

Eva’s Favourite

From Jude in the United Kingdom

broccoli

prune

tofu

small pinch of dried or fresh tarragon to flavour

1. Use varying quantities of each. More prune for sweetness, more tofu for texture, more broccoli for greens.
2. Place ingredients in a steamer, steam until broccoli is soft and the prune and tofu warmed through
3. Puree to desired consistency.

Eggplant and Cauliflower Puree

From Lillie in Tanzania

1 medium sized egg plant

1/2 cauliflower

250 ml (1 cup or 8 fl oz) milk (formula)

1/2 tablespoon butter

1. Boil water in a pan and add butter.
2. Wash, peel and cut your eggplant, then add to the boiling water.
3. Wash and cut the cauliflower, then add to the mixture.
4. Cover and cook over a medium heat until tender. 
5. Drain, let the mixture cool and blend with milk to form a puree.
6. Serve to your 6-9 month baby… its tasty and nutritious and my baby loves it!

Vegetarian Baby Food Recipe

From Carla in the United States

4 carrots peeled

1 can garbanzo beans

10 baby potatoes peeled

1 cup (8 fl oz) water (or more as determined by consistency)

1/2 head broccoli

1 cup love!

1. Boil a large pot of water (one you might use for soup). Add broccoli stems first as these take the longest to cook.
2. Peel carrots and potatoes. Add broccoli heads, carrots, and potatoes to boiling water (which has the broccoli stems).
3. Open can of garbanzo beans and rinse three times to remove the sodium.
4. Get out a 7 cup food processor or blender and process the garbanzo beans and add 1/4 cup water.
5. Once boiling vegetables are soft enough for a fork to easily poke through them, rinse them in a large colander.
6. Add the vegetables one cup at a time to the running food processor or blender. Add the remaining water after each cup of vegetables. Add as much water as needed to achieve the right consistency.

Pearl’s Spinach & Potatoes

From Ralph in the United States

Half a bunch (8oz) fresh organic spinach

2 Small (4 oz) fresh organic potatoes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh organic parsley

1. Sort the spinach and remove stems, wash and drain well.
2. Wash and cut potatoes into 1/2 inch chunks.
3. Chop the parsley.
4. Steam the spinach and potatoes in a double boiler.
5. Let cool slightly when finished, and then add to a Cuisinart (blender). Pulse to combine, then add the parsley and process till mixture thickens, 30 seconds or so. It should be a little bit lumpy but mostly smooth.

We pour it out into ice cube trays and freeze it. The cubes are perfect serving sizes once thawed.

Curried Vegetable Mash

From Leanne in the United Kingdom

1 potato

1 sweet potato

1 carrot

1/2 swede (rutabaga)

1/4 cup peas

100g spinach (around 3-4 oz)

a few florets of cauliflower

1/2 tbs oil of choice

1/4 tsp coriander and cumin powder

pinch garam massala

1/4 inch garlic paste

few leaves coriander, very finely chopped

1. Finely dice the vegetables.
2. Heat the oil on a medium heat, when hot add the spices (but not the coriander leaves), fry for 30 seconds then add the garlic.
3. Add a good splash of water, then add the vegetables. Cover and cook until the vegetables are soft for baby. You may need to add more water to ensure a nice texture to the mash.
4. When cooked, take off the heat and cool.
5. Mash with a potato masher until most is mashed, but there are still a few lumps for texture.
6. Add finely chopped fresh coriander and serve, reserving the rest in sterilised containers.

Cheesy Vegetable Mash

From Prarthana in India

1 potato

2 carrots

1/4 cup (2 oz) green peas

1/4 cup (1 oz) cheese

1 tsp Butter

100 ml (approx 3-4 fl oz) milk

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1. Peel the carrots and potato.
2. Cook the potato, carrots and peas until they are soft and mash them together.
3. Melt butter in a saucepan.
4. Add the cheese and milk to the butter and cook till it reaches a sauce-like consistency.
5. Add the mashed vegetable mixture and pepper and mix well. Serve hot. Makes two portions.

Cuban Black Beans and Plantains

From Angela in the US

1 very ripe plantain

2 teaspoons butter or canola oil

1/2 cup (4oz) canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup (4oz) cooked white rice

pinch of cinnamon

pinch or cumin

pinch of salt (unsuitable for younger babies – read more here)

juice of half a lemon (optional)

1. Peel the plantain and cut it into 1/2 inch rounds.
2. In a medium skillet, heat the butter over medium heat and add the sliced plantain.
3. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned.
4. Strain and keep the broth.
5. Put the cooked plantains, black beans, rice, cinnamon, cumin, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until a chunky paste forms.

This is good for babies who are eating chunkier foods, but it can be made into a puree if you like.

Pumpkin Rice Porridge

From Eva in Malaysia

chicken bones

knob of ginger

a whole carrot, peeled and cut into large chunks

quarter cup (2oz) rice

1/2 cup (4oz) cleaned and chopped carrot

1. Boil the chicken bones, ginger and carrot in 2-3 cups (16-24 fl oz) of water.
2. Reduce heat to simmer.
3. Occasionally skim off any residue that floats to the top.
4. Boil until reduced to half the liquid.
5. Strain and keep the broth.
6. Boil the washed rice and chopped pumpkin in the broth until you get porridge consistency
7. You may need to add a little more water.
8. Depending on the age of your baby, either blend the mixture or mash with masher before feeding.

Mashed Plantain with Mung Bean

From Regha in the UK

1 ripe plantain

3 teaspoons mung bean (without skin)

1 teaspoon mashed avocado

3 fl oz (1/3 cup) water

1. Wash the Mung bean (green gram beans) and add 100 ml water.
2. Peel the plantain, cut into 4-5 pieces and add to the Mung bean.
3. Cook in a pressure cooker at medium flame for 7-8 minutes (after the pressure has developed).If you are not using a pressure cooker, increase the amount of water and cook till the Mung bean can be easily mashed into a paste.
4. Once the pressure becomes normal open the cooker. Mash the contents and remove the black thread like part of the plantain (running along its length in the centre).
5. Add the mashed avocado while still hot and mix well.

Cooked ripe plantain is one of the first solid foods I gave to my daughter, starting when she was just 6 months. Ripe plantain is a very good source of carbohydrates and addition of Mung bean and avocado makes it a more a more healthy food containing proteins and fats.

Italian-Style Green Beans

From Laurel in the United States

4 cups frozen green beans or equal amount of fresh

1/4 medium onion, chopped

1/4 red bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

half a (15 oz) can diced organic tomatoes

1. Steam the first 6 ingredients together until tender. 
2. Add diced tomatoes and puree.