Learn how to maximize your mealtime routines and help your baby learn to eat! We’ll share 5 of our top tips for creating positive meals for baby. (Psst – these tips also work well for toddlers and older kids!)

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Meal Time Routine for Baby

You’ve probably put a lot of thought and effort into your baby’s sleep schedule. But have you ever considered the importance of your mealtime routines?

Having a consistent routine can help your baby know what to expect when it’s time for meals. When baby knows what’s expected, they feel calmer and more relaxed. And calm, relaxed eaters are more likely to be engaged in the meal and try new foods!

Fortunately, it’s never too late to set up a good mealtime routine – or make a few tweaks to your family’s current routine if you feel it isn’t serving you well. Let’s talk about 5 tips for creating a positive mealtime for your baby and your whole family.

Benefits of Mealtime Routines

Research has shown that children who have mealtime routines are more likely to eat a variety of foods and consume more fruits and veggies than those who don’t have a routine. Here are a few other benefits of setting up good routines:

• Physical development: Providing regular opportunities for eating gives your baby a chance to develop fine motor skills. Baby can practice using a pincer grasp to pick up small pieces of food. As they get older, they’ll practice using a spoon and fork. Older kids can practice skills such as using a knife to cut soft foods and pouring water from a pitcher, as these support fine motor control for activities like handwriting and shoe tying!
• Social skills: Baby can learn a great deal about social interactions just by being present at the dinner table – sharing food, social smiles, the give and take in conversation. Mealtimes allow older kids to practice using their manners and sharing about their day.
• Language development: Babies often learn many of their first words at mealtimes, such as ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ ‘more’ and ‘all done.’ Mealtimes are the perfect place for helping babies and toddlers build vocabulary skills and combine multiple words.
• Sensory Exploration: Regular mealtimes allow babies to use their fingers and hands (sometimes even their arms, legs, and hair!) to explore how foods look, feel, smell, and taste. Although things might get a little messy, it’s a great learning experience!

Frequently Asked Questions

Typical Eating Schedule for Baby

Although every baby’s journey to eating foods is unique, most babies are ready to start solid foods around six months of age, whether you’re using a baby-led weaning approach or spoon-feeding purees. You can start by offering 1 or 2 eating opportunities a day between breast or bottle feeds and slowly progress to 3 meals and 1-2 snacks from there. Ideally, this will be close to, or at the same time that the rest of the family is eating, but making a plan ahead of time for when you’ll offer foods can still be helpful.

Below is a sample schedule for 6-7 month olds. For more information on eating schedules and baby-led weaning tips, check out our Complete Guide to Baby-Led Weaning.

7am- 7:30-wake-up, bottle/breastfeed
7:30am-8:30am- play
8:30am-9am- breakfast of banana segments and/or spinach and cheese omelette strips
9am-10:30am- morning nap
10:30am-11am- bottle/breastfeed
11am-12pm-play
12pm-2pm- afternoon nap
2pm- 2:30pm-bottle/breastfeed
2:30-4pm- play
4pm-5pm- cat nap
5pm-5:30pm- bottle/breastfeed
5:30pm- 6:30 pm- play
6:30pm- bath
7pm-7:30pm- bottle/breastfeed
7:30pm-bedtime

The post 5 Mealtime Routine Tips for Baby appeared first on Baby Foode.

Homemade fruit cups will have you feeling like the savviest parent on the block! All you need for these quick DIY fruit cups are your favorite fruits and juice. The whole family will love these!

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Homemade Fruit Cups

DIY fruit cups – how on earth have I never thought of these before?!? I mean, homemade yogurt pouches, homemade popsicles, homemade smoothies, yes. But making my own fruit cups? I wish I would have thought of it sooner!

Store-bought fruit cups are definitely convenient, but I often find myself wishing they didn’t come with as much packaging waste. And I’ve noticed that my kids seem to love these homemade versions even more, especially since I can customize them with our favorite fruits.

These homemade fruit cups are easy to meal prep on the weekends, so that you can enjoy them for lunches and snacks all week long.

Feeding toddlers can be tricky! But, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! Here you will find real-life toddler meal ideas, over 100 toddler snack ideas, great hidden-veggie recipes, 50 cooking with toddler recipes, and so much more! For even more toddler-friendly recipes, be sure to check out my best-selling cookbook: Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.

Reasons to Love Homemade Fruit Cups

• Easy to make
• Budget-friendly alternative to store bought fruit cups
• Endless fruit combinations
• Perfect for packed lunches or snacks
• Environmentally friendly snack option
• Great recipe for kids to help out with in the kitchen

Ingredients

• Assorted Fruit: almost any diced fruit will work – apples, pears, cherries, blueberries, oranges, peaches, strawberries, pineapples, etc.
• Juice: you can use apple juice, white grape juice, lemonade, or coconut water. Juice helps prevent the cut fruit from turning brown.

Health Benefits of Homemade Fruit Cups: These homemade fruit cups are tasty and nutritious. Store-bought fruit cups can be packed in heavy or light syrup, which is just another name for sugar, so by making these yourself, you can cut back on added sugar. Most all fruit is packed with fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants so no matter which fruit you choose, your kiddos will be getting lots of nutrients.

Fruit Ideas

The beauty of these DIY fruit cups is that you can use practically any fruit you can have on hand. We seem to have favorites in our house, but I also love changing it up weekly with a new fruit diced up in our typical mix.

• apples
• pears
• peaches
• cherries
• mango
• grapes
• apricots
• blueberries
• clementines
• strawberries
• pears

Juice Ideas

Use your favorite juice, lemonade or coconut water here. The juice is helpful for preventing the cut fruit from turning brown.

• apple juice
• white grape juice
• coconut water
• lemonade
• strawberry lemonade
• fruit cocktail

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Dice fruit into bite-sized pieces.
2. Place fruit into jars or containers, filling about 3/4 of the way full to save room for liquid.
3. Add just enough of your preferred liquid to cover fruit. Use a spoon as needed to gently stir and make sure all fruit is covered with liquid.
4. Serve immediately or cover with lids and store in the fridge.

How to Store

Fruit cups will keep fresh when stored in the fridge for 3-5 days in airtight containers. Make sure the fruit is covered entirely with liquid to help keep it from turning brown.

Best Jars to Use

Make sure your jars have an airtight lid. Other than that, the type and size of jar you’ll want to use will depend on your family’s needs. Serving to toddlers? You’ll probably want smaller containers, such as 4 oz. Older kids? You’ll probably want bigger containers and ones that are shatterproof if packing in lunches.

Glass Storage Jars

WEESPROUT Glass Baby Food Storage Containers – We absolutely love these jars! You get 12 colorful glass jars that hold 4oz each. Great for storing baby food purees as well as yogurts, overnight oats, chia seed pudding for toddlers and kids. While the price is a little high, you will get many years worth out of these jars. Well worth the investment in our opinion.

Babymoov Glass Food Storage Containers – I love that this set comes with two different sizes of containers – 4oz and 8oz. This is great if you have a baby that is a bigger eater and needs more than an ounce or two of purees at each meal.

Plastic Storage Containers

WEESPROUT Leakproof Baby Food Storage – just as amazing as their glass jars, just with a smaller price tag! This set comes with 12 colorful 4oz jars made out of BPA free high-quality polypropylene plastic. I also love that this plastic version is easier (and lighter) to toss into your diaper bag for a quick baby meal on the run.

OXO Tot Baby Blocks Freezer Storage Containers – a great smaller set that contains 4 – 4oz PVC, BPA, and phthalate-free jars and a storage tray. Great space-saver system that helps keep your jars of baby purees organized and tidy. Plus, you can easily stack more trays on top of each other if you need a bigger freezer stash.

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5-Minute DIY Fruit Cups

Homemade fruit cups will have you feeling like the savviest parent on the block! All you need for these quick DIY fruit cups are your favorite fruits and juice. The whole family will love these!

Course Snack

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 jars

Author Michele Olivier

Equipment

• Glass Baby Food Jars
• storage container
• Measuring Cups

Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped fruit
• 1 cup juice

Instructions

• Peel, core and dice fruit into bite-sized pieces.
  
• Place fruit into jars or containers, filling about 3/4 of the way full. Pour in the juice, leaving a little bit of room at the top to help with spillage.
  
• Serve immediately or cover with lids and store in the fridge.
  

Notes

Age: 9+ months 

Yield: roughly 6 4-oz jars

Fruit Ideas

• apples
• pears
• peaches
• cherries
• mango
• grapes
• apricots
• blueberries
• clementines
• strawberries
• pears

Juice Ideas

• apple juice
• white grape juice
• coconut water
• lemonade
• strawberry lemonade
• fruit cocktail

*you can also use half juice and half water in the jars.

 

The post DIY Fruit Cups appeared first on Baby Foode.

Flavorful and easy to take on the go, these homemade applesauce pouches are a healthy and convenient alternative to pre-packaged snacks from the store. They’re perfect for baby, toddlers, and big kids.

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Homemade Applesauce Pouches

These homemade applesauce pouches are one healthy snack that I can reply on to get my family through a variety of seasons – from long summer days on the go, to back to school days and busy weeknights.

Making your own homemade applesauce pouches is an easy, affordable, and environmentally friendly way to serve a healthy snack your kids will love. I especially love that I can make these quick pouches without added preservatives, sugar, or sodium.

Plus, homemade applesauce pouches are quite versatile – I love mixing it up from time to time with a delicious berry blend or a little blueberry and spinach combo for some added veggie power.

If you are looking for more easy and healthy applesauce recipes for your family, then be sure to check out our Unsweetened Applesauce, Strawberry Applesauce, Beet Applesauce, our reader favorite  Applesauce Muffins, or these delicious 8 5-Minute Applesauce Combos for Kids. You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.

Reasons to Love DIY Baby Food Pouches

• Budget-friendly
• Healthy alternative to store-bought snacks
• Easy to prepare
• Environmentally friendly
• Freezer-friendly
• Perfect for traveling or on-the-go snacking
• Customizable with your favorite fruits and veggies
• Great way to introduce your little one to a variety of flavors

Ingredients

• Apples: Make sure to use apples that are ripe and sweet, such as Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Pink Lady or Golden Delicious.
• Cinnamon and Vanilla: (optional) add great flavor and depth.

What type of Apples to Use: Applesauce can be made from any apples. Choosing a sweeter variety of apples (such as those listed above) will yield more natural sweetness (without adding sugar). If you really want to bump up the flavor, go for a mix of apple varieties.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Peel, core, and roughly chop the apples.
2. Place the apples, cinnamon, vanilla, and water into a medium saucepan.
3. Bring the apples to a soft boil and then reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. For a chunky sauce, mash the apples with the back of a wooden spoon. For a smoother sauce, transfer all ingredients into a blender or food processor and puree for 30-60 seconds or until you achieve your desired consistency. I pureed mine for 45 seconds. If pureeing for baby, puree for 1-2 minutes or until very smooth.
5. Transfer to an air-tight container and serve.

Favorite Reusable Baby Food Pouches

Reusable baby food pouches are a must-have item if you make your own baby food or want an easy and mess-free way to feed your baby or toddler on the go. Check out this guide for 6 of our favorite reusable baby food pouches for more information on all of our favorites.

• Hippypotamus Resuable Baby Food Pouches – These stylish reusable food pouches are great for your baby and toddler and feature a transparent window for a clear view of the contents, BPA, PVC, lead, and phthalate free, and are dishwasher and freezer safe!
• WeeSprout Double Zipper Reusable Food Pouches – These WeeSprout food pouches have a dual-zipper design that prevents leaks and rounded edges that are easy to clean. Each set includes 6 reusable food pouches that hold 5 ounces of food each, great for older babies and toddlers. Freezer and dishwasher safe.
• Squeasy Silicone Reusable Food Pouch – This food pouch holds 8 of 16 ounces and stands on its own! A 2-in-1 removable, no-spill lid insert prevents spills or leaks from the top. All parts are dishwasher safe, plus the silicone body is also flexible enough to flip inside out so you can reach inside the bottom and handwash as needed.

Homemade vs. Storebought

Homemade applesauce is a great alternative to store-bought snacks. Although store-bought applesauce is fine if you’re short on time, when you make your own it’s:

• Budget-friendly – you can make several servings in one batch.
• No unwanted ingredients – like preservatives, added sugar or salt, etc.
• Super flavorful – you can make blends that you won’t traditionally find in the store, like mango or blueberry and spinach.
• Eco-friendly – with homemade applesauce, you can reuse your pouches over and over again.

Equipment Needed

• Reusable Pouches
• Blender

Nutritional Benefits of Homemade Applesauce Pouches: These homemade applesauce pouches are nutritious and provide fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. And since they are homemade, they are free from things often found in store-bought, like additives, preservatives, and added sugar and sodium.

How to Store Applesauce Pouches

To Store or Freeze

You can store the pouches in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. We recommend placing the pouches in a small reusable Tupperware before placing them in the fridge or freezer, just in case there is any leakage.

To Thaw

To thaw frozen pouches, simply place the pouches in the fridge and let them thaw overnight. For a cool toddler treat, you can pack the pouches straight out of the fridge in their lunch box or snack bag, and by lunchtime, they will be a soft frozen consistency.

Add-Ins

The great thing about homemade applesauce is that it offers a solid base to get creative with many other kinds of fruit. You can include many kinds of fruits in your fridge or freezer that need to be used up, like these:

• strawberries
• carrots
• blueberries
• mixed berries
• spinach
• raspberries
• mangoes
• cherries

More Applesauce Recipes to Try

Homemade Strawberry Applesauce (Extra Easy!)

5 stars (4 ratings)

This Homemade Strawberry Applesauce is made with lots of strawberries (2 heaping cups), apples, a drizzle of vanilla extract, and a pinch of cinnamon. No added sugar! It’s very easy to make stovetop, and is full of bold fruit flavor.

Get the recipe

Carrot Applesauce for Baby + Toddler

5 stars (4 ratings)

Carrot Applesauce is the perfect afternoon snack for your toddler or baby (and yourself) that is full of wholesome apples, carrots and spices, and tastes just like a bowl of warm carrot cake,

Get the recipe

20-Minute Spiced Unsweetened Applesauce

5 stars (1 rating)

This Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce is the perfect healthy snack for kids. Made with a drizzle of vanilla extract, a pinch of cinnamon, and no added sugar! Easy to make on the stovetop and freezes well!

Get the recipe

Homemade 20-Minute Cinnamon Applesauce

5 stars (1 rating)

You'll love this Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce for a healthy snack or treat. It's easy to make, stores well, and tastes absolutely delicious warm or cold! Great for babies, toddlers, and kids!

Get the recipe

Print

DIY Applesauce Pouches (no sugar added)

Flavorful and easy to take on the go, these homemade applesauce pouches are a healthy and convenient alternative to pre-packaged snacks from the store. They're perfect for baby, toddlers, and big kids.

Course baby food, Snack

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Pouch Filling 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 pouches

Author Michele Olivier

Equipment

• Saucepan
• Blender
• Reusable Pouches
• Bumkins Sleeved Bib

Ingredients

• 6 large apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

• Prep: peel, core and chop apples.
  
• Simmer Apples: in a large stockpot, bring the apples, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat, cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly.
  
• Blend: transfer all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Puree for 30-60 seconds or until you reach a smooth consistency.
  
• Pouches: using a spoon, fill the pouches with the applesauce until you reach the fill line. Securely close the zip-lock and wipe off any spills on the pouches.
  
• Eat: serve or store in the fridge or freezer for another snack.
  

Notes

Age: 6+ months. Babies can eat the applesauce at 6 months, but you may want to wait until they are a little older until you have over the applesauce pouch to them. 

Storage: Applesauce Pouches will keep for 4 days in the fridge (if they lasts that long!) or for 4 months in the freezer.

Apples: Make sure to use apples that are ripe and sweet, such as Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Pink Lady or Golden Delicious

The post DIY Applesauce Pouches appeared first on Baby Foode.

Homemade applesauce pancakes are a great way to sneak in some fruit for a healthy breakfast. These easy pancakes are light, fluffy, and kid-friendly!

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Healthy Applesauce Pancakes

You’re never going to believe this, but in a recent, unofficial poll of my family members (particularly the small ones), results showed that a warm, fluffy stack of pancakes was the preferred breakfast, compared to a bowl of cold cereal. (Shocking, right?!?)

And honestly, I’ll be the first to admit that yummy, homemade pancakes, like these healthy applesauce ones win my vote as well. They’re soft, fluffy and made with whole grains, which helps keep little tummies full. And the applesauce adds the perfect amount of moisture, sweetness, and flavor.

These healthy applesauce pancakes have just the right balance of having a little variation from traditional, plain pancakes, yet they still use simple ingredients that you’re likely to have on hand in your pantry.

If you are looking for more easy and healthy pancakes for your little one, then be sure to check out my Spinach Blender Pancakes, Pumpkin Pancakes for Baby, our reader fave Strawberry Pancakes, or these delicious 3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes. You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook, Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.

Reasons to Love Applesauce Pancakes

• takes 15 minutes from the start to the first bite
• great for babies, baby-led weaning, toddler, and kids
• freezer-friendly
• made in one bowl
• perfect for breakfast, snack, lunch, or even dinner
• healthy
• made with whole grains
• soft and fluffy

Ingredients

Make sure to read the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!

• Flour: All-purpose, white whole wheat, or a one-for-one gluten-free flour will all work here.
• Applesauce: unsweetened, plain – homemade or store-bought
• Maple Syrup: pure maple syrup helps add a touch of sweetness, you can also use sugar.
• Milk: You can use any milk you prefer – dairy, almond, oat, etc.
• Egg: One large egg is needed to bind everything together.
• Butter: Feel free to substitute mild olive oil, coconut, or vegetable
• Baking Powder: Helps to make the pancakes perfectly soft and fluffy.
• Spices – cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt:  These flavors really up the taste factor.

Applesauce Pancakes Benefits

These are not your average processed pancakes. These are homemade and are free from additives and preservatives, and bursting with health benefits.

• If using a whole grain flour like whole wheat, it will give these pancakes fiber for full bellies, and other nutrients.
• Applesauce also contains fiber, and vitamin C for immune health and iron absorption, and antioxidants.
• Depending on the type of milk you choose to use, it may give them some protein, calcium, vitamin D, and B vitamins.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
2. Add Wet Ingredients: add in the applesauce, melted butter, maple syrup, egg, vanilla extract, and milk.
3. Combine: Gently stir together the wet and dry ingredients.
4. Cook: Heat a non-stick pan or pancake griddle over medium to medium-low heat. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of batter onto the pan and let cook for 2-3 minutes or until tiny bubbles appear on the outside of the pancake. Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes. If the batter gets too thick, add in a tablespoon at a time of milk and stir until you have the right consistency.
5. Repeat: Transfer pancakes to a cooling rack and repeat the process until you have used all of the batter.
6. Eat: Serve and enjoy!

Tools to Make this Recipe

These tools will make it easier for you to make these applesauce Pancakes. For more of my favorite kitchen tools, make sure to check out my online shop.

• Griddle
• Mixing Bowl
• Skillet
• Grabease Purple Baby Fork
• Catch Pocket Bib
• Open Lid Cup
• Bumpkins Baby Grip Plate

How to Serve Applesauce Pancakes

These pancakes are made to be simple for lazy weekends or reheated easily for busy week days, so don’t feel like you need to serve them with anything too complicated. Here are some of my favorite easy ways to serve them to your baby or toddler:

• BLW – cut in half and served for baby-led weaning – no syrup necessary!
• Classic – cut into chunks and served with maple syrup and fresh berries
• Bagel & Hemp Sprinkles – Smear with whole fat cream cheese and sprinkle with hemp seeds (serve whole or in chunks)
• PB&J Sandwich – take one pancake and spread with your favorite jam, then take another pancake and spread with a nut or seed butter or your choice, press two pancakes together and serve as a sandwich. Great for preschool or school lunches.
• Apple Supreme – if you can’t get enough of that apple flavor, spread a little apple butter on top of the pancakes in place of maple syrup or serve with warm, stewed apples and a dollop of whipped cream
• Dipping Fun – cut pancakes into long strips and serve with some yogurt (thinner yogurt works better for this recipe) to dip the pancakes in. Serve with a side of your favorite fruit, anything goes – chunks of banana, cut up berries, slices of cooked apples, etc.

Storing and Freezing

These pancakes can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Pancakes freeze well and will last up to 3 months in the freezer. To reheat, gently heat in the microwave or toaster.

Kids in the Kitchen

Though pancakes are a little hard for younger toddlers to flip, there are still so many ways they can help make this recipe.

Toddlers

• Toddlers can help measure and put the ingredients into the bowl.
• They can help mix the ingredients together.
• They can help pour pancake batter onto the griddle for cooking (with adult supervision).

Kids

• They can pick out and measure all of the ingredients. 
• Kids can help mix the ingredients together.
• They can help pour the batter onto the griddle (with adult supervision).
• They can help flip pancakes.
• Kids can help spread butter and pour syrup onto warm pancakes.

Print

Fluffy Spiced Applesauce Pancakes (made in 15 mintues)

Homemade applesauce pancakes are a great way to sneak in some fruit for a healthy breakfast. These easy pancakes are light, fluffy, and kid-friendly!

Course Breakfast

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 15 pancakes

Author Michele Olivier

Equipment

• Stackable Glass Bowl Set
• Measuring Cups
• Silicone Baby Bibs
• Bumkins Grip Plate

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose, 50/50 all-purpose and whole wheat, gf blend
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
• 2 tbsp melted butter or oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil, olive oil or avocado oil
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cups milk regular, or any plain plant-based milk

Instructions

• Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
  
• Wet Ingredients: Add in the melted butter, maple syrup, egg, vanilla extract, and milk.
  
• Incorporate: Stir until incorporated, do not overmix.
  
• Cook: Heat a non-stick pan or pancake griddle over medium to medium-low heat. Pour 3 tablespoons of batter onto the pan and let cook for 2-3 minutes or until tiny bubbles appear on the outside of the pancake. Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes. If the batter gets too thick, add in a tablespoon at a time of milk and stir until you have the right consistency.
• Continue: Transfer pancakes to a cooling rack and repeat the process until you have used all the batter.
  
• Serve and Enjoy!
  

Notes

Age: 9 months and up

Yield: 15 pancakes

Notes on Flour: you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat, store-bought oat flour or a gluten-free one-for-one blend. 

Freezer-Friendly: store any extra pancakes in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for up to a month. To reheat, simply place the frozen pancake in the microwave for 30 seconds or pop them straight into the toaster.

 

The post Applesauce Pancakes appeared first on Baby Foode.

Nothing beats the smell of freshly baked apple cinnamon muffins. These no-fuss, real fruit added muffins come together in just minutes to create a warm, comforting addition to breakfast or snacks that you can enjoy all week long.

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Homemade Apple Muffins

It’s no secret I love a good muffin recipe. I’ve racked up quite a variety, from my banana muffins, to spinach muffins, to yogurt muffins, all the way to these mini blueberry avocado muffins. And now, let’s add a classic – these healthy, homemade apple muffins.

They’ve got real apple flavor, two ways – from both grated apples and unsweetened applesauce. They’re spiced with cinnamon and vanilla. And they’ve got just the right amount of sweetness to make you feel like you’re enjoying a light little treat, but not so much sweetness that you’ll be dreading a sugar crash hours later.

Toddlers, kids and adults will all love these cozy apple muffins. They pair just as well with a side of Greek yogurt and fresh fruit for breakfast as they do with a schmear of peanut butter for lovely pick-me-up afternoon snack.

You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook, Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.

Reasons to Love these Apple Muffins

• toddler, kid and adult-friendly
• easy to make
• great for school or packed lunches
• healthy
• freezer-friendly
• great for breakfasts on the go
• can be made gluten and dairy-free
• naturally nut-free and naturally sweetened

Apple Muffins Health Benefits: These are not your average muffins. They are much healthier in that they provide fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants, have no additives and preservatives, and are less processed sugar than your typical muffin.

Ingredients

Make sure to read the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!

• Flour: you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat flour, a mixture of 50/50 white and whole wheat flour, or gluten-free one-for-one flour. 
• Apples: chopped or grated
• Maple Syrup: a good quality maple syrup to bring out the natural sweetness of apples. You can also use honey (for babies 1 year and up) or agave nectar.
• Oil/Butter: to make the muffins nice and moist. You can use coconut, avocado, vegetable, olive oil, or melted butter.
• Applesauce: plain unsweetened applesauce – homemade or store-bought
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• Cinnamon
• Baking Soda
• Salt

Allergy Tips: to make these muffins gluten-free, you can use any one-for-one gluten-free flour blend. If you are looking for a dairy-free muffin option, you can use any plant-based milk you prefer such as almond, soy, hemp, oat, etc.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep: preheat the oven and spray or line a muffin tin. Grate the apples and press out any excess moisture.
2. Whisk: in a large bowl, whisk together the applesauce, maple syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs.
3. Combine: add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and stir until just combined.
4. Apples: add in the grated apples and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
5. Fill Muffin Tin: Scoop the batter into the muffin tin 3/4 of the way full.
6. Bake: Place the muffin tin into the oven, and bake until just golden brown.
7. Eat: Let cool to the touch and serve.

Tools Needed

• Mini Muffin Pan
• Cookie Scoop
• Measuring Cups and Spoons

How to Store & Freeze

Once the muffins have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container. They will keep on the counter for up to 4 days and in the fridge for up to a week.

To freeze the muffins, place the muffins into a freezer zip-lock baggie or stasher bag and place in the freezer. They will keep for up to 3 months frozen.

Thaw frozen muffins overnight in the fridge or gently warm them in the microwave.

Muffins for Toddlers & Kids

These apple muffins are great served as is, or with a smear of cream cheese, butter or peanut butter for breakfast. My kids’ current favorite is to serve them with a hard-boiled egg or a cheese stick for a little extra protein for snacks or packed into a school lunch.

Kids in the Kitchen

Muffins are a great beginner recipe to help kids build their skills in the kitchen. There are many different ways both toddlers and older kids can help out.

Toddlers

• Toddlers can help count out the muffin liners and place into the muffin tins.
• They can help measure and place ingredients into the bowl.
• Toddlers can help mix the ingredients together.
• They can help scoop the batter into the muffin tins. (I find it’s easiest to give them their own smaller bowl and spoon to use.)

Kids

• Older kids can pick out and measure all of the ingredients. 
• They can help chop or grate the apples with adult supervision.
• Kids can help mix the ingredients together.
• They can help pour the batter into the muffin tins.
• Depending on your child’s age and skill level, they can carefully put the muffin tin into the oven (with adult supervision) and remove once baked. 

Print

Healthy 30-Minute Apple Muffins

Nothing beats the smell of freshly baked apple cinnamon muffins. These no-fuss, real fruit added muffins come together in just minutes to create a warm, comforting addition to breakfast or snacks that you can enjoy all week long.

Course Breakfast

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Author Michele Olivier

Equipment

• Stackable Glass Bowl Set
• Measuring Cups
• Silicone Muffin Cups
• Bumkins Grip Plate

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups white wheat flour, or all-purpose, gluten-free blend
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, honey (babies over 1), or agave nectar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter, or oil such as olive oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil or coconut oil
• 1/3 cup applesauce, homemade or store-bought
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup apples finely chopped or grated

Instructions

• Prep: Preheat the oven to 375° F. Spray or line a muffin tin. Grate or chop the apples.
  
• Whisk: In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, sugar, applesauce, butter, eggs, and vanilla.
  
• Stir: Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Gently stir until just combined.
  
• Combine: Add in the grated or chopped apples, and gently fold in. Do not overmix.
  
• Fill Muffin Tin: Scoop the batter into the muffin tin 3/4 of the way full.
  
• Bake: Place the muffin tin into the oven, and bake for 15-18 minutes or until just golden brown.
  
• Eat: Let cool to the touch, serve and enjoy!
  

Notes

Age: roughly 9 months and up 

 

Mini or Regular Size: you can make these muffins into mini or regular size muffins, the only difference is the baking time. For mini muffins, bake for 10-12 minutes, for regular muffins bake for 18-20 minutes. 

 

Storage: store in an air-tight container on the counter or fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

 

Note on Flours: you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat flour, a mixture of 50/50 white and whole wheat flour, or gluten-free one-for-one flour. 

 

 

Applesauce: can use homemade or store-bought. If using store-bought then make sure to look for no-added-sugar applesauce.

 

Oil/Butter: to make the muffins nice and moist. You can use coconut, avocado, vegetable, olive or melted butter.

 

The post Healthy Apple Muffins appeared first on Baby Foode.

You’ll love this Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce for a healthy snack or treat. It’s easy to make, stores well, and tastes absolutely delicious warm or cold! Great for babies, toddlers, and kids!

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce

Who needs store-bought applesauce when you can easily whip up this healthy, homemade cinnamon applesauce?

Made in less than 30 minutes, with only 3 simple ingredients – apples, vanilla extract, and cinnamon – this easy-to-make applesauce delivers big on flavor. And because we simmer the naturally sweet apples down, there’s no need for added sugar!

If you are looking for more easy and healthy applesauce recipes for your family, then be sure to check out my Carrot Applesauce, Beet Applesauce, our reader fav Applesauce Muffins, or these delicious 8 5-Minute Applesauce Combos for Kids. You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.

Reasons to Love No Sugar-Added Cinnamon Applesauce

• healthy, simple ingredients
• makes for an easy side to have with meals or as a snack
• budget-friendly alternative to storebought applesauce
• can make a double batch and freeze extra as needed
• a fun recipe to make with kids
• freezer friendly
• takes 20 minutes
• endless flavor combinations – you can add in strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.

Ingredients

Make sure to read the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!

• Apples: the base of the recipe is fresh apples. Make sure to use apples that are ripe and sweet, such as Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Pink Lady or Golden Delicious.
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla Extract
• Water

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Peel apples. This step is optional. Peeling apples will give the applesauce a crisper taste, while not peeling them will give the applesauce an earthier taste and texture. Both are great.
2. Core, and roughly chop the apples.
3. Place the apples, cinnamon, vanilla, and water into a medium or large saucepan. Cover.
4. Heat over medium heat-low heat for 15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
5. Transfer all ingredients into a blender.
6. Pulse for a chunky applesauce or blend for 15-30 seconds for a smoother applesauce. You can also use an immersion blender for this step.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Health Benefits of Cinnamon Applesauce: Cinnamon Applesauce is full of antioxidants, fiber and contains vitamin C. It is free from added sugar since the only sugar in this applesauce is coming naturally from the apples.

What Type of Apples to Use

Applesauce can be made out of any apples. But if you are able to choose, pick a sweeter variety of apples, as they will make this applesauce have more natural sweetness (without adding in sugar). If you really want to bump up the flavor, go for a mix of apple varieties. Here are a few examples:

• Sweet and Mildly Sweet: Fuji, Kiku, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Gala, Jazz Ambrosia
• Tart (with a little sweetness): Pink Lady, Jonagold, McIntosh, Jonathan, Empire, Granny Smith
• Crispy, Tangy and Sharp: Braeburn, Liberty, Ida Red, Rome, Pacific Rose, Opal

How to Store Cinnamon Applesauce

This Cinnamon Applesauce will keep for 1 week in the fridge (if it lasts that long!) or for 3 months in the freezer.

Add-Ins

The great thing about homemade applesauce is that it offers a solid base to get creative with many other kinds of fruit. You can include many kinds of fruits in your fridge or freezer that need to be used up, like these:

• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Cherries
• Peaches
• Mangos

How to Serve Applesauce with Cinnamon

Besides eating this straight out of the container after your kids go to bed, there are so many fun ways to enjoy this applesauce.

• Easy Dessert: warmed with a dollop of coconut whipped cream.
• Yogurt Parfait: Spooned over yogurt and sprinkled with granola.
• School Lunch: add this delicious applesauce to your kids air-tight lunch box (or container) and send it for school lunch.
• Oatmeal: spoon into a bowl of warm oats and top with some chopped pecans, sprinkle of hemp seeds and a little brown sugar.
• Reusuable Pouch: spoon into a reusable food pouch for an easy on-the-go toddler or kid snack.

Cooking with Kids

Making homemade applesauce is a fun and easy way to help kids build their cooking skills and confidence in the kitchen.

Toddlers

• They can help pick out and measure the ingredients.
• Toddlers can help chop the apples into small chunks, with a child-safe knife.
• With assistance, they can add cinnamon and vanilla to the cooking apples.

Kids

• They can gather and measure all of the ingredients.
• Kids can help peel and chop the apples with a child-safe knife.
• They can help spoon the cooled sauce into a container.

Print

Homemade 20-Minute Cinnamon Applesauce

You'll love this Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce for a healthy snack or treat. It's easy to make, stores well, and tastes absolutely delicious warm or cold! Great for babies, toddlers, and kids!

Course Side Dish

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 3 cups

Author Michele Olivier

Equipment

• Saucepan
• Blender
• Measuring Cups
• Silicone Baby Bibs
• Bumkins Baby Bowl

Ingredients

• 6 large apples peeled cored and chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

• Prep: peel, core and chop apples.
  
• Simmer Apples: in a large stockpot, bring the apples, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat, cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly.
  
• Blend: transfer all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Pulse for a chunky applesauce or puree for 30-60 seconds for a smooth consistency.
  
• Eat: serve or transfer to an air-tight container and store in the fridge.
  

Notes

Age: 6+ months. For babies, just puree until smooth and serve.

Storage: Cinnamon Applesauce will keep for 1 week in the fridge (if it lasts that long!) or for 3 months in the freezer. 

Apples: Make sure to use apples that are ripe and sweet, such as Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Pink Lady or Golden Delicious.

The post Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce appeared first on Baby Foode.

This Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce is the perfect healthy snack for kids. Made with a drizzle of vanilla extract, a pinch of cinnamon, and no added sugar! Easy to make on the stovetop and freezes well!

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Homemade Sugar-Free Applesauce

When apples are in peak season in the fall, you’ll be glad you saved this easy homemade unsweetened applesauce recipe!

Made in less than 30 minutes, with only 3 simple ingredients – apples, vanilla extract and cinnamon – this easy to make applesauce delivers big on flavor. And because we simmer the naturally sweet apples down, there’s no need for added sugar!

If you are looking for more easy and healthy applesauce recipes for your family, then be sure to check out our reader fav Strawberry Applesauce, Carrot Applesauce, Beet Applesauce, or these delicious 8 5-Minute Applesauce Combos for Kids. You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.

Reasons to Love Unsweetened Applesauce

• healthy, simple ingredients
• makes for an easy side to have with meals or as a snack
• budget-friendly alternative to storebought applesauce
• easy to make a double batch and freeze extra as needed
• freezer friendly
• a fun recipe to make with kids
• endless flavor combinations – you can add in strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.

Ingredients

Make sure to read the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!

• Apples: the base of the recipe is fresh apples. Make sure to use apples that are ripe and sweet, such as Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Pink Lady or Golden Delicious.
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla Extract
• Water

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Peel apples. This step is optional. Peeling apples will give the applesauce a crisper taste, while not peeling them will give the applesauce an earthier taste and texture. Both are great.
2. Core, and roughly chop the apples.
3. Place them apples, cinnamon, vanilla and water into a medium or large saucepan. Cover.
4. Heat over medium heat-low heat for 15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
5. Transfer all ingredients into a blender.
6. Pulse for a chunky applesauce or blend for 15-30 seconds for a smoother applesauce. You can also use an immersion blender for this step.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Health Benefits of Homemade Applesauce: This applesauce is bursting with flavor and nutrients with all of its fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants. For even more fiber, leave the skin on the apples. What you won’t find in this homemade applesauce is additives, preservatives and added sugar.

What Type of Apples to Use

Applesauce can be made out of any apples. But if you can choose, pick a sweeter variety of apples, as they will make this applesauce have more natural sweetness (without adding in sugar). If you really want to bump up the flavor, go for a mix of apple varieties. Here are a few examples:

• Sweet and Mildly Sweet: Fuji, Kiku, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Gala, Jazz Ambrosia
• Tart (with a little sweetness): Pink Lady, Jonagold, McIntosh, Jonathan, Empire, Granny Smith
• Crispy, Tangy and Sharp: Braeburn, Liberty, Ida Red, Rome, Pacific Rose, Opal

How to Store Homemade Applesauce

Unsweetened Applesauce will keep for 1 week in the fridge (if it lasts that long!) or for 3 months in the freezer.

Add-Ins

The great thing about homemade applesauce is that it offers a solid base to get creative with many other kinds of fruit. You can even include a combination of a couple of fruits in your fridge or freezer that need to be used up, like these:

• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Cherries
• Peaches
• Mangos

How to Serve this Unsweetened Applesauce

Besides eating this straight out of the container after your kids go to bed, there are so many fun ways to enjoy this applesauce.

• Easy Dessert: warmed with a dollop of coconut whipped cream.
• Yogurt Parfait: Spooned over yogurt and sprinkled with granola.
• School Lunch: add this delicious applesauce to your kids air-tight lunch box (or container) and send it for school lunch.
• Oatmeal: spoon into a bowl of warm oats and top with some chopped pecans, sprinkle of hemp seeds and a little brown sugar.
• Reusuable Pouch: spoon into a reusable food pouch for an easy on-the-go toddler or kid snack.

Cooking with Kids

Kids love helping in the kitchen and this applesauce recipe is a great way to get them involved.

Toddlers

• They can help pick out and measure the ingredients.
• Toddlers can help chop the apples into small chunks, with a child-safe knife.
• With assistance, they can add cinnamon and vanilla to the cooking apples.

Kids

• They can gather and measure all of the ingredients.
• Kids can help peel and chop the apples with a child-safe knife.
• They can help spoon the cooled sauce into a container.

Print

20-Minute Spiced Unsweetened Applesauce

This Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce is the perfect healthy snack for kids. Made with a drizzle of vanilla extract, a pinch of cinnamon, and no added sugar! Easy to make on the stovetop and freezes well!

Course Side Dish

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 3 cups

Author Michele Olivier

Equipment

• Saucepan
• Blender
• Reusable Pouches
• Bumkins Baby Bowl

Ingredients

• 6 large apples
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

• Peel apples. This step is optional. Peeling apples will give the applesauce a crisper taste, while not peeling them will give the applesauce an earthier taste and texture. Both are great.
  
• Core, and roughly chop the apples.
  
• Place the apples, cinnamon, vanilla, and water into a medium or large saucepan. Cover.
  
• Heat over medium heat-low heat for 15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
  
• Transfer all ingredients into a blender.
  
• Pulse for a chunky applesauce or blend for 15-30 seconds for a smoother applesauce. You can also use an immersion blender for this step.
  
• Serve and enjoy!
  

Notes

Age: 6+ months

Storage: Unsweetened Applesauce will keep for 1 week in the fridge (if it lasts that long!) or for 3 months in the freezer. 

Apples: Make sure to use apples that are ripe and sweet, such as Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Pink Lady or Golden Delicious.

The post Unsweetened Applesauce appeared first on Baby Foode.

In this guide, learn how to serve beets to your baby – for baby-led weaning or as a smooth puree. Beets are a great source of fiber, folate and other essential nutrients, making them a great first food for babies 6 months and up. Serve them as a baby food puree, as a solid for the finger food stage, or for baby-led weaning.

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Beet Baby Food

Whether you prefer red, golden, white or even a pink and white candy-striped variety, beets are a very nutritious veggie. Beets are a great source of fiber, antioxidants, and other important vitamins and minerals, including folate, potassium and iron.

Sounds like something that would be good for your growing baby, right?

But how exactly do you serve these mighty little root vegetables to your baby? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this guide, we’ll cover all the information you need in order to safely serve beets to baby for baby led weaning or traditional (spoon) feeding. You’ll learn about the nutritional benefits, FAQs, helpful tools and expert feeding tips.

First time making homemade baby food? Then, I would suggest that you start by reading my very in-depth Guide on how to Make Homemade Baby Food – which goes over all the important information such as the best cooking tools to have on hand, safe storage, how to know when baby is ready for solids, how to introduce purees, the best first foods for baby, and more! If you are doing Baby-Led Weaning, then be sure to check out my Complete Guide to Baby-Led Weaning – which covers what exactly is baby-led weaning, to every parent’s concern of baby-led weaning and choking, this guide goes over it all. I will also share how to know when baby is ready for BLW, the top 10 best first foods, a helpful sample blw feeding schedule, helpful tools to have on hand, and much much more!

Want more information? Then check out my best-selling cookbook for even more information and recipes!

Reasons to Love Beets for Babies

• delicious baby food purees – 6+ months
• great for baby-led weaning – 6+ months 
• also great for the finger food stage – 9+ months
• full of essential nutrients for baby
• easy stage one and combination puree
• different ways for baby to eat – spoon-fed or self-feed 
• easy to make

Benefits of Beets

Beets may not be at the top of your list of favorite veggies, but it might be worth getting it to the top of your little one’s. Beets are packed with nutrients that can benefit health.

• They are full of fiber, which can help with digestion.
• Their rich color indicates they are an excellent source of antioxidants, which helps with immunity and reducing inflammation.
• Beets are high in compounds called nitrates, which are important for brain health.
• They contain many other important vitamins and minerals, including copper, manganese, folate, potassium, and iron.

How to Pick Beets

Here are some pointers on how to choose the best beets:

• Size:  Look for beets that are small to medium-sized, as these will be more tender and sweeter than larger ones. Ripe beets should be heavy for their size and firm.
• Color:  Choose beets without any nicks or cuts and smooth, firm roots. If the beet greens are still attached, their color should be bright and fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tools Needed

These tools will make it a lot easier for you to serve beets to your baby. For more of my favorite kitchen tools, make sure to check out my shop.

• High chair
• Suction bowl or baby bowl
• Baby spoon
• Bib with catch pocket
• Sleeved bib
• Blender or food processor
• Steamer insert with lid
• Freezer tray
• Storage containers for fridge
• Stasher bag
• Reusable pouches
• Easy to hold fork and spoon
• GOOtensils

How to Prepare Beets

First, clean any dirt off your beets with gentle scrubbing under running water. Second, it’s best to cook beets with the skin on and even some of the stem and root attached. This will help minimize staining from the beets on your hands. Use gloves or a paper towel to help protect your fingers from staining and simply peel off the skin after cooking.

Roasted

Place whole beets in a single layer in a parchment-lined or greased casserole dish and cover with a lid. You can also brush the beets with olive oil and wrap each beet loosely in foil. Roast beets at 400°F for 45-50 minutes. Beets should be tender and able to cut through easily with a knife. Allow to cool and peel skin.

Steamed

Place a steamer basket into a large pot filled with water to just below the steamer basket. Bring water to a boil and then add whole beets to the pot and cover with a lid. Reduce heat to low and simmer until tender. Small to medium-sized beets will need about 30 minutes to cook, while larger beets will typically need about 40 minutes. Remove beets from the steamer and allow to cool. Peel skin. 

Beet Puree

Beet puree is incredibly easy to make. Simply steam whole beets until tender. Then peel beets, add a touch of cinnamon, and puree in your blender.

Beets for Baby-Led Weaning

Beets are a great food for your baby to self-feed, whether for baby-led weaning, which happens around 6 months of age, or during the finger foods stage at 9 months.

Halves or quarters (cooked) – 6+ months: great for babies 6+ months or just starting on solid foods. Make sure to cook beets until easily pierced with a fork or mashable with your fingers. It’s best to start your baby with a bigger piece of cooked beets so your baby can chew, gnaw, and take bites without them being a choking hazard. Remove the skin before serving to your baby.

Bite-sized pieces (cooked) – 9+ months: Bite-sized beets will allow your baby to practice using their pincer grasp, which is developing at this age. Continue to cook beets until they are soft and remove the skin before serving to baby.

Storage Instructions

Beet Puree

Refrigerator

You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

Freezer

This puree can be frozen for up to 4 months.

• Spoon puree into a freezer storage container – do not overfill. 
• Place the lid on the storage container or cover it with a piece of saran wrap and label it with the date and recipe name. 
• Place the tray into the freezer and let freeze completely – preferably overnight. 
• Pop out the baby food cubes and place them in a zip-lock baggie or stasher bag – don’t forget to re-label the baggie or stasher bag for future reference.

Baby-Led Weaning

You can store cut beets in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Combination Purees

While Beet Baby Puree is great by itself, it’s also super easy to mix and match with other nutrient-dense baby food purees. Give these fun flavor combos a try!

• Apples
• Ricotta
• Chicken
• Pears
• Yogurt
• Sweet Potato
• Carrot
• Rice Baby Cereal

More Beet Recipes

Sweet Potato, Beets + White Beans Baby Food Puree

5 stars (5 ratings)

An easy 3-ingredient baby food that is loaded with protein, fiber, manganese, calcium, iron and vitamin A and C.

Get the recipe

Banana, Cherry + Beet Baby Food Puree

5 stars (9 ratings)

This intensely colored Banana, Cherry and Beet Baby Food Puree is full of fiber, potassium, antioxidants and a vast amount of other essential vitamins and minerals for baby.

Get the recipe

Sweet Beet Popsicles (plus, 5 fun flavors to try!)

5 stars (1 rating)

These 3-ingredient Sweet Beet Popsicles are a baby, toddler and kid favorite and are going to be a staple in your house this summer!  Delicious, refreshing and creamy, these frozen treats go beyond just a tasty pop, they are also full of veggies, fruit and protein. Plus – there are 5 fun flavors to try!

Get the recipe

Pink Beet Pancakes

4.75 stars (12 ratings)

These Pink Beet Pancakes are quick and easy to make and perfectly soft and fluffy. Plus, they have a hidden veggie and are great for picky eaters. Great for babies, toddlers, and kids!

Get the recipe

Beet Hummus for Baby, Toddler & Kids

5 stars (3 ratings)

This beet hummus is a great snack or lunch option for baby, toddler and kids! Filled with wholesome ingredients and a hidden veggie, this fun pink dip will be a hit with your little ones!

Get the recipe

Oatmeal with Beets + Carrots

5 stars (10 ratings)

Yummy healthy oatmeal gets mixed with beets and carrots, spices, and raisins for a veggie packed breakfast your toddler won’t be able to resist.

Get the recipe

Roasted Root Veggies + Thyme Baby Food

5 stars (8 ratings)

This golden yellow puree is filled with roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and beets and sprinkled with a little olive oil and thyme for a delicious and healthy baby puree meal!

Get the recipe

Print

Beets for Baby (puree or baby-led weaning)

In this guide, learn how to serve beets to your baby – for baby-led weaning or as a smooth puree. Beets are a great source of fiber, folate and other essential nutrients, making them a great first food for babies 6 months and up. Serve them as a baby food puree, as a solid for the finger food stage, or for baby-led weaning.

Course baby food

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Michele Olivier

Equipment

• Saucepan
• NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensils
• Bumkins Sleeved Bib
• Bumkins Baby Bowl
• Freezer Tray

Ingredients

Baby Food Puree

• 3 medium beets
• pinch cinnamon

Baby-Led Weaning

• 1 medium beet
• pinch cinnamon

Instructions

• Prep: scrub off any dirt on the beets, leaving the skin and stem attached.
• Steam: In a medium saucepan, bring 2″ of water to a boil over medium heat. Place the whole beets into a steamer basket, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes or until tender when pricked with a fork. Reserve steamer water. Let cool slightly and then peel the skin and stem.

Baby Food Puree

• Transfer: Place the cooked carrots into a blender or food processor and add a pinch of cinnamon as well as 1/4 cup of reserved steamer water, fresh breast milk, formula or water.
• Puree: turn on the blender or food processor and puree for 1-2 minutes on medium. If the puree is too thick, add in 1/4 cup of liquid at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency.
• Eat: Serve and enjoy, or freeze some for later.
  

Baby-Led Weaning

• Slice or chop the beets to be age-appropriate for your baby. Serve and enjoy.
  

The post How to Serve Beets to Baby appeared first on Baby Foode.

Baby bibs are an essential accessory for feeding time. In this buying guide for the best baby bibs, we’ll go over how to pick the best one for your baby, frequently asked questions, how many bibs you need, tips for baby self-feeding, and the best baby bibs for both feeding and baby-led weaning.

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Baby Bibs

With all that you have on your plate right now, the last thing you need is more spit-up or mashed peas all over your blouse, in your hair, or spread over every inch of your floor. Sure, all the drool and messy eating come with this job called parenthood, but to stay sane, a reliable baby bib is an absolute necessity. Finding the best baby bib can make mealtime a more enjoyable and mess-free experience.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll point out my absolute favorite baby bibs, as well as top-rated options amongst the parenting community that will provide excellent protection against mealtime messes. Plus, they will keep your baby comfortable and dry. From innovative designs to the cutest baby bibs out there, I’ve got you covered (literally!).

How to Pick the Best Baby Bib

There are a few practical features to keep in mind when selecting the best baby bib for your lifestyle. First answer a few questions: Do you want bibs that can be machine washed or wiped clean? How often do you think you’ll do laundry? What stage and size is your baby at? Here are a few things to keep in mind while choosing the best bib for your baby:

Material

Baby bibs typically come in soft cotton, rubber, and silicone. I recommend starting with soft and absorbent cotton or muslin baby bibs for newborns and eventually grow into silicone baby bibs with wipeable surfaces or backings at around 4 to 6 months. If you decide to do baby led weaning, where they feed themselves, you’ll want to upgrade to a wipeable material and a deep pocket or silicone baby bibs to catch bits of food.

Comfort

If your baby’s bib is not comfortable, they’ll be more focused on taking it off than eating their food. Always choose a bib that is neither too large nor too small around the neck and you can loosely measure your child’s neck to ensure the proper size. It should fit snugly but give enough space for moving freely without creating huge spaces for liquids or food to sneak through. While some of my favorite baby bibs can be used for multiple stages as the baby grows, there are some that are specific to certain ages. 

Ease of Cleaning

Make sure to read the label carefully to know if you can wash and dry your bibs as some need to air dry. I recommend pre-treating stains right away by using an old toothbrush to apply stain removal before you toss it in the dirty pile or leave to soak. Do not use hot water because it can set the stain and always choose a baby-friendly detergent that won’t irritate skin.

Closure

The closure of a baby bib can make or break mealtime! Your closure needs to be easy for you to get the bib on while your baby is hungry and fussy and  easy to take off after a big spill, but needs to be secure enough to prevent her from ripping it off. I think baby bibs with cotton ties can be too tedious. You have to double tie them to keep them in place and any knots can be a nightmare. Velcro can get stuck in the hair and it’s difficult to get food out from all the plastic crevices. I prefer snaps or buttons because they can be fastened and unfastened quickly without much extra effort. 

Here are my top picks for the 5 best baby bibs you can buy right now!

Reviews of The Best Baby Bibs

1. My Overall Favorite: Simka Rose Silicone Bib

The Simka Rose baby bibs are my top choice for anyone who needs to stop the madness at mealtime or for anyone who needs help for baby-led weaning. They’re made from food-grade silicone that is softer than you’d expect a plastic to be, super easy to clean, and they won’t stain like cloth baby bibs. Plus, they last a long time (I’ve had mine for 6 years!). 

The catch pocket is a lifesaver for anything that drips down and will also catch any bits of solid food so you don’t end up having peas or cereal all over the floor. When mealtime is over, you can pop it in the dishwasher and move on to the next chore. It’s a complete win in my book.

The Specs:

• Type: Feeding
• Material: Silicone
• Care: Dishwasher and microwave safe
• Quantity: 3

The Pros:

• Soft and comfortable
• Four adjustable neck sizes
• Last for years
• Cute design

The Cons:

• Can get stuck in hair
• Takes up more space than cloth

What Others are Saying:

The Simka Rose Silicone Bib baby bib has more than 3,100 reviews and a 4.8 rating on Amazon.

Simka Rose Silicone Bib

This silicone bib is perfect for babies 6 to 24 months. It’s easy to wipe off and will last you many, many feedings to come!

$19.98 at Amazon

$26 at Macy’s

$17.98 at Walmart

2. My Favorite for Baby Led Weaning: Bumkins Sleeved Bib Baby Bib

For baby-led weaning, this is my favorite baby bib. I’ve also owned these ones for 6 years and love that they have long sleeves to provide full coverage as a baby learns to feed themself! It’s more of a temporary outfit than a bib, but I’ve had no trouble getting my kids to wear it. The bib can grow with your baby, too, and is made for babies and toddlers from 6 to 24 months. It measures 14 inches across the chest, 13 inches from neck down, and 32 inches from cuff to cuff so you can always measure your child to ensure it fits.

The little pockets on the bottom help catch food, and it’s available in 27 cute patterns. Made of a durable, waterproof fabric, it can easily be wiped for quick cleanup or you can toss it in the wash after, which is key to me because mealtime can be so messy.

The Specs:

• Type: Smock
• Material: Polyester
• Care: Machine wash
• Quantity: 1

The Pros:

• Full coverage
• Waterproof
• Easy to wash
• Grows with baby

The Cons:

• Hot for summer use
• Tie can come undone

What Others are Saying:

This waterproof baby bib has more than 16,000 reviews and a 4.7 rating on Amazon. It was named best bib with sleeves by Good Housekeeping and Epicurious. 

Bumkins Sleeved Bib Baby Bib

This baby bib acts more like a protective top, so your baby really can’t get too dirty. The waterproof fabric makes it easy to clean and welcomes many messes.

$14.95 at Amazon

$9.99 at Walmart

$14.95 at Maisonette

3. Best Silicone Bib: Mushie Silicone Baby Bib

This baby bib is made from food-grade silicone that resists stains and is water resistant, so it keeps the baby comfortable and dry. The large pocket makes it good to collect all sorts of foods and purees that drop out of your baby’s mouth — meaning less cleanup on your actual baby. Plus, the built-in neck fasteners are easy to attach and are snug enough that your child can’t pull them off but will still feel comfortable wearing them.

It’s easy to wash out with soap and leave to dry, whereas other catch-all bibs made of fabric demand immediate cleaning or they will stink. You can get them in 32 adorable colors.

The Specs:

• Type: Feeding
• Material: Silicone
• Care: Hand wash only
• Quantity: 1

The Pros:

• Dishwasher safe
• Easily adjustable
• 32 cute designs

The Cons:

• Can push against high chair
• Not dishwasher safe

What Others are Saying:

The Mushie Silicone Baby Bib has a 4.7 rating on Amazon with more than 16,000 reviews. It was also named best silicone baby bib by The Bump.

Mushie Silicone Baby Bib

Available in 32 adorable patterns, you might end up picking up a few of these silicone bibs to add to your rotation.

$12.99 at Amazon

$12.99 at Target

$12.99 at Nordstrom

4. Best Value: Green Sprouts Stay-Dry Baby Bibs

Baby feeding can be a frenzy throughout the day, but if you buy this 10-pack of baby bibs in bulk you’ll always have a fresh one ready to go. What makes these Green Sprouts ones so great is the two layers of fabric — a super absorbent top layer (similar to a  towel) to soak up messes, and a waterproof layer underneath that stops any leaks from getting baby’s clothes wet. 

At less than $2 each, you absolutely cannot beat the price for this set. Plus, it won’t be the end of the world if you accidentally leave one somewhere.

The Specs:

• Type: Feeding 
• Material: Cotton
• Care: Machine washable
• Quantity: 10

The Pros:

• Affordable
• Waterproof 
• Lightweight
• Beautiful color combinations

The Cons:

• Small around the neck
• Not as soft as others

What Others are Saying:

These Green Sprouts Stay-Dry Baby Bibs have more than 800 reviews and a 4.6 rating on Amazon. Additionally, they were named best value baby bibs by The Bump and Good Housekeeping.

Green Sprouts Stay-Dry Baby Bibs

Coming in a 10-pack, you’ll have more than enough cotton bibs for you baby. Just throw them in the wash while you use the others available.

$19.50 at Amazon

$21.99 at Macy’s

5. Best Bib for Newborns: Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Comfi-Neck Baby Bib

Unlike other baby bibs that are typically made for baby’s 6 months and older, the Tommee Tippee was designed with newborns in mind. The plush collar with a rolled design that fits snugly at baby’s neck makes it one of the best baby bibs you can buy to guard against drool, spit-ups, or drips from milk and formula. Because it catches every drip, the baby will stay dry and you can avoid irritation around delicate skin. 

It’s relatively affordable too, at just $10 for two bibs. The manufacturer does suggest washing it by hand, but reviewers have washed it in a washing machine with no problem. 

The Specs:

• Type: Drooling, feeding
• Material: Cotton
• Care: Hand wash or washing machine
• Quantity: 2

The Pros:

• For both newborns and infants
• Easy velcro fastener
• Reversible
• Padded for comfort

The Cons:

• No waterproof liner

What Others are Saying:

This inexpensive duo has more than 5,000 reviews and a 4.8 rating on Amazon. The Bump and Good Housekeeping both named it the best bib for newborns. 

Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Comfi-Neck Baby Bib

Perfect for newborns and infants, this cloth option has two sides — one for drooling and one for feeding — meaning you’ll have less to wash.

$8.30 at Amazon

Other Baby Bibs to Consider

KeaBabies Organic Bandana Drool Bibs

There are so many bandanas bibs out there, but these ones are quite popular with a 4.8 rating and more than 10,000 reviews on Amazon. They are made of water-resistant fleece and an extremely absorbent organic cotton, so they are very lightweight. The 8-pack comes in 16 different combinations and reviewers say they look like new after multiple washings, but are only best for infants. The KeaBabies Organic Bandana Drool Bibs is available at Amazon for $18.96.

Aden + Anais 2-in-1 Muslin Burpy Bib

This 2-in-1 baby bib can be used as a silky soft burp cloth and a bib. It easily snaps at the back of the neck and spreads out wide in front. After your baby is done eating, you can swing it around your shoulder to burp them, so you don’t have to get anything else dirty! Plus, it has four layers of muslin, so it’s very absorbent. But it’s still quite expensive for a 2-pack, compared to others. The Aden + Anais 2-In-1 Muslin Burpy Bib is available at Amazon for $24.95.

Parker Baby Co. Bandana Drool Bibs 8-Pack

The organic cotton on the front is super absorbent and the soft polyester backing keeps the baby and their clothes dry, so you can do a lot less laundry. The 8-packs come in gender-neutral colors, so it’s an easy and stylish gift to give if you don’t know the sex of the baby. Plus the two nickel-free snaps adjust to grow with a newborn into the teething stage but won’t fit when they get any older. The Parker Baby Co. Bandana Drool Bibs 8-Pack is available at Amazon for $17.95.

OXO Tot Roll-Up Bib

This bib has more than 4,000 reviews with a rating of 4.8 on Amazon and parents love that the silicone is comfortable and lighter for babies. The pocket on the front catches food spills, and the shape makes it easy to store. The only drawback is that a few reviewers caution you to wash and dry it right away as they have a tendency to get stinky or grow mold. The OXO Tot Roll-Up Bib is available at Amazon for $19.99.

Why You Can Trust Us

I’m Michele Olivier, the creator of the Baby FoodE blog, where I post adventurous recipes ranging from babies first purees to equally memorable (but perhaps less enjoyable) sit-down family dinners with feisty toddlers. I began my baby food making shortly after I had my first baby girl, Elliette. I quickly realized how this feeding is quite a messy business, which is why I tried several baby bibs to figure out which ones were best for my kids. I’m sharing my favorites with you in this guide.

For bibs that I haven’t personally used, I diligently researched popular options from top parenting publications and read reviews to see how comfortable and useful these bibs were for catching food and drool. I made sure that they are not only made of baby-safe materials, but also we’re easy to clean and long-lasting. These products were also medically reviewed by Lauren Braaten, a Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Frequently Asked Questions

The Best Recipes for Baby Led Weaning

A new baby bib can be incredibly helpful when beginning baby led weaning. While there is no one, perfect, way to introduce solids into their diet, a great place to start is with my guide that outlines how to serve eggs to a baby. Eggs are my favorite first-foods for a baby because they are easy to make, loaded with essential nutrients, and inexpensive.

Once you’ve mastered serving eggs, try your hand at my other kid- and mom-approved recipes. They are all quick, easy, and nutritious.

• Banana Pancakes
• Oatmeal for Babies
• Breakfast Egg Muffins
• Easy Spinach Pancakes

Prices were accurate at time of publication.

The post The 5 Best Baby Bibs of 2023 appeared first on Baby Foode.

Elevate your next breakfast with these homemade, healthy strawberry pancakes. Made in one bowl, they’re easy, kid-friendly, and the perfect recipe for those sweet, summertime strawberries.

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Healthy Strawberry Pancakes

When I first made these pretty little strawberry pancakes, they almost felt too fancy to eat for a weekday breakfast. But considering how easy they are to whip up, I think this is just the kind of ‘fancy’ I need on a weekday morning, in a summer heat wave, after all the excitement and chaos of a non-stop holiday weekend.

I’m talking about light and fluffy, naturally sweetened, pantry staples pancakes, made in just one bowl. With perfectly placed pockets of juicy strawberries, blending sweetly with maple syrup.

Sure, you can also make them ‘next level’ fancy and top ’em with fresh fruit, a dollop of whipped cream. Maybe even serve them in little heart shapes for a thoughtful start to a birthday breakfast, Valentine’s day, or another special occasion.

But don’t forget that they’re also fancy enough to mix into your usual breakfast rotation. And that’s the level of fancy we’re going for today.

If you are looking for more easy and healthy pancakes for your little one, then be sure to check out my Spinach Blender Pancakes, Pumpkin Pancakes for Baby, or these delicious 3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes. You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.

Reasons to Love these Strawberry Pancakes

• takes 15 minutes from the start to the first bite
• great for babies, baby-led weaning, toddler, and kids
• freezer-friendly
• made in one bowl
• perfect for breakfast, snack, lunch, or even dinner
• healthy
• made with whole grains
• soft and fluffy

Ingredients

Make sure to read the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!

• Flour: All-purpose, white whole wheat, or a one-for-one gluten-free flour will all work here.
• Strawberries: finely chopped
• Maple Syrup: pure maple syrup helps add a touch of sweetness, you can also use sugar.
• Milk: You can use any milk you prefer – dairy, almond, oat, etc.
• Egg: One large egg is needed to bind everything together.
• Butter: Feel free to substitute mild olive oil, coconut, or vegetable
• Baking Powder: Helps to make the pancakes perfectly soft and fluffy.
• Ground Flax Seeds: Great way to add in extra nutrients. This is optional.
• Spices – cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt:  These flavors really up the taste factor.

Strawberry Tip: For ripe strawberries, choose medium-sized berries with a deep red color and bright green stems, free of any bruises or dark spots. Buy local and in season for the best taste.

Strawberry Pancakes Benefits

These strawberry pancakes are going to be much healthier than a Bisquick box you’ll find at the store since they’ll have less preservatives and other additives and will be much fresher. Not to mention:

• Strawberries are packed with vitamin C and fiber.
• If you’re using a whole grain flour, it’ll have more fiber and other nutrients not found in those made from white flour.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Dice Strawberries: hull and cut strawberries into small chunks and then place on a few paper towels to absorb any excess water. Set aside.
2. Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, flax seeds, and cinnamon.
3. Add Wet Ingredients: add in the melted butter, maple syrup, egg, vanilla extract, and milk.
4. Combine: Gently stir together the wet and dry ingredients.
5. Add Strawberries: gently fold in the strawberries. Let batter sit while you heat the pan.
6. Cook: Heat a non-stick pan or pancake griddle over medium to medium-low heat. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of batter onto the pan and let cook for 2-3 minutes or until tiny bubbles appear on the outside of the pancake. Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes. If the batter gets too thick, add in a tablespoon at a time of milk and stir until you have the right consistency.
7. Repeat: Transfer pancakes to a cooling rack and repeat the process until you have used all of the batter.
8. Eat: Serve and enjoy!

Tools to Make this Recipe

These tools will make it easier for you to make these Strawbery Pancakes. For more of my favorite kitchen tools, make sure to check out my online shop.

• Griddle
• Mixing Bowl
• Skillet
• Grabease Purple Baby Fork
• Catch Pocket Bib
• Open Lid Cup
• Bumpkins Baby Grip Plate

How to Serve Strawberry Pancakes

These pancakes are made to be easy, so don’t feel like you need to serve them with anything too complicated. Here are some of my favorite easy ways to serve them to your baby or toddler:

• BLW – cut in half and served for baby-led weaning
• Classic – cut into chunks and served with maple syrup and fresh berries
• Strawberries & Cream – Smear with whole fat cream cheese and top with thinly sliced strawberries. Add a sprinkle of hemp seeds for a lovely little crunch.
• PB&J Sandwich – take one pancake and spread with your favorite jam, then take another pancake and spread with a nut or seed butter or your choice, press two pancakes together and serve as a sandwich. Great for preschool or school lunches.
• Dipping Fun – cut pancakes into long strips and serve with some yogurt (thinner yogurt works better for this recipe) to dip the pancakes in. Serve with a side of your favorite fruit, anything goes – chunks of banana, cut up berries, slices of cooked apples, etc.

Storing and Freezing

These pancakes can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Pancakes freeze well and will last up to 3 months in the freezer. To reheat, gently heat in the microwave or toaster.

Kids in the Kitchen

Even though pancakes can be a little tricky for kids to flip, there’s still plenty of ways that kids and even toddlers can get involved in the kitchen.

Toddlers

• Toddlers can help measure and put the ingredients into the bowl.
• They can chop the strawberries with a toddler-friendly knife.
• They can help mix the ingredients together.
• They can help pour pancake batter onto the griddle for cooking (with adult supervision).

Kids

• They can pick out and measure all of the ingredients. 
• Kids can help mix the ingredients together.
• They can help pour the batter onto the griddle (with adult supervision).
• They can help flip pancakes.
• Kids can help spread butter and pour syrup onto warm pancakes.

Print

Homemade Strawberry Pancakes (with flax seeds)

Elevate your next breakfast with these homemade, healthy strawberry pancakes. Made in one bowl, they're easy, kid-friendly, and the perfect recipe for those sweet, summertime strawberries.

Course Breakfast

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 14 3″ pancakes

Author Michele Olivier

Equipment

• GreenLife Ceramic Skillet Set
• Stackable Glass Bowl Set
• Bumkins Grip Plate
• Grabease Utensil

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour white whole wheat, all-purpose, 50/50 all-purpose and whole wheat, gf blend
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp ground flax seeds (optional)
• 2 tbsp melted butter or oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil, olive oil or avocado oil
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups milk regular or any plain plant-based milk
• 1 cup strawberries hulled and diced

Instructions

• Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, ground flax seeds, and cinnamon.
  
• Wet Ingredients: Add in the melted butter, maple syrup, egg, vanilla extract, and milk.
• Incorporate: Stir until incorporated, do not overmix.
  
• Strawberries: Gently fold in the strawberries and let sit while the pan heats up.
  
• Cook: Heat a non-stick pan or pancake griddle over medium to medium-low heat. Pour 3 tablespoons of batter onto the pan and let cook for 2-3 minutes or until tiny bubbles appear on the outside of the pancake. Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes. If the batter gets too thick, add in a tablespoon at a time of milk and stir until you have the right consistency.
  
• Continue: Transfer pancakes to a cooling rack and repeat the process until you have used all the batter.
• Serve and Enjoy!
  

Notes

Age: 9 months and up

Yield: 15 small pancakes

Freezer-Friendly: store any extra pancakes in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for up to a month. To reheat, simply place the frozen pancake in the microwave for 30 seconds or pop them straight into the toaster.

The post Easy Strawberry Pancakes appeared first on Baby Foode.

Learn how to serve chia seeds for your baby, for either baby-led weaning as a puree. Chia seeds are a wonderful source of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as B vitamins, iron, calcium and zinc. They’re a nutritious addition to foods for babies 6 months and up. 

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Chia Seed Baby Food

I know, I know, chia seeds are most likely not one of the first foods people think of when they start introducing foods to your baby.

Chia seeds belong to a flowering plant in the mint family, and while not typically eaten by themselves, they are a powerful little seed that many people add to different foods for nutritional value.

In fact, chia seeds are a great way to include more omega-3s, protein, B vitamins, iron, zinc, and calcium to your baby’s diet. In addition, chia seeds are rich in soluble fiber, helping with digestion and relieving constipation.

In this guide, we’ll cover all the information you need in order to safely serve chia seeds to your baby. You’ll learn about the nutritional benefits, FAQs, helpful tools, and expert feeding tips.

First time making homemade baby food? Then, I would suggest that you start by reading my very in-depth Complete Guide to Baby-Led Weaning – which covers what exactly is baby-led weaning, to every parent’s concern of baby-led weaning and choking, this guide goes over it all. I will also share how to know when baby is ready for BLW, the top 10 best first foods, a helpful sample blw feeding schedule, helpful tools to have on hand, and much much more!
You can also check out my best-selling cookbook for even more information and recipes!

Reasons to Love Chia Seeds for Baby

• Great for baby-led weaning – 6+ months 
• Also great for the finger food stage – 9+ months
• Full of essential nutrients for baby
• Different ways for baby to eat – spoon-fed or self-feed 
• Easy to prepare
• Introduces baby to new food textures

Health Benefits of Chia Seeds

Chia seeds might be tiny, but they are mighty when it comes to nutritional benefits!

• They are an excellent source of fiber for healthy digestion.
• They are a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids and iron, both important for babies’ development.
• They are a good source of calcium for healthy bones.
• They are high in other minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, copper and selenium.

Types of Chia Seeds

There are two different kinds of chia seeds, black and white. Nutritionally speaking, there is not much difference between the two. Avoid brown chia seeds if you happen to find them, as they won’t have the same nutritional value.

• Black chia seeds: typically more common than white chia seeds; they have a slightly higher protein content
• White chia seeds: have slightly more omega-3s compared to black chia seeds

How to Choose and Store Chia Seeds

Ideally, look for chia seeds that are organically grown. Consider how often you’ll likely be using chia seeds, as a small amount will often last quite a while. Chia seeds should have a mild, nutty aroma. If the chia seeds smell rancid or clump together in the package, you should throw them away.

Chia seeds have a long shelf life. They can be stored in an airtight, dark colored container in the fridge or freezer for up to 4 years. Even when stored in a sealed container in the pantry away from heat sources, they’ll last at least 2 years.

How to Prepare Chia Seeds for Baby

Chia seeds are a versatile food, with a mild taste. Here are a few ideas on how to enjoy them with your baby.

• Stirred into yogurt, pureed fruits or veggies or oatmeal
• Hydrating or “gelling” chia seeds can even be used as an egg substitute in baked goods, since they can absorb more than 10 times their weight in liquid
• For toddlers closer to 12-18 months, you can start to add chia seeds to drinks like smoothies or drinks

Spices to Add

You can serve chia seeds as-is or pair them with other flavors. Some spices that go well with chia seeds include cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice blend, vanilla, and mint.

Frequently Asked Questions

Helpful Tools

Here are some products that help you make and serve chia seeds to your baby even easier! To find even more products that I love, make sure to check out my online shop.

• Highchair
• Saucepans
• Steamer Insert with lid
• Easy to hold fork and spoon
• GOOtensils
• Bowl or Sectioned plate
• Open lid cup
• Bib with catch pocket
• Sleeved bib
• Splat mat to cover the floor

Chia Seed Puree (Chia Seed Pudding)

One of the easiest ways to serve chia seeds to your baby is to mix them into a chia pudding.

1. In a small air-tight container, blend together a mashed banana, cinnamon and chia seeds.
2. Add in the chia seeds and cover with a lid.
3. Place the container in the fridge and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight.

Puree Tip: for a traditional smooth puree, you can add all ingredients into a blender and blend for 30-60 seconds or until just smooth (some lumps are okay) before pouring the mixture into an air-tight container and letting sit overnight in the fridge. 

Chia Seeds for Baby-Led Weaning

Chia seeds are a great food for your baby to self-feed, whether for baby-led weaning, which happens around 6 months of age, or during the finger foods stage at 9 months.

Pre-soaked, stirred into purees or chia seed pudding (6 -18 months):  Serve pre-soaked chia seeds to your baby by stirring them into yogurt, fruit or vegetable purees, warm cereals, or making a chia seed pudding (let all sit for at least 30 minutes before serving). Baby can self-feed by scooping the puree with their hands or offer them a pre-loaded utensil. You can also sprinkle a small amount of dry seeds onto these types of foods, but avoid serving dry spoonfuls of chia seeds.

Stirred into purees, puddings or blended into smoothies and drinks (18+ months): You can continue offering pre-soaked chia seeds added to purees at this age. You can also serve chia seeds mixed into smoothies or a drink like a chia fresca.

Storage Instructions

Chia Seed Puree

Refrigerator

You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

Freezer

This puree can be frozen for up to 4 months.

• Spoon puree into a freezer storage container – do not overfill. 
• Place the lid on the storage container or cover it with a piece of saran wrap and label it with the date and recipe name. 
• Place the tray into the freezer and let freeze completely – preferably overnight. 
• Pop out the baby food cubes and place them in a zip-lock baggie or stasher bag – don’t forget to re-label the baggie or stasher bag for future reference.

Baby-Led Weaning – edit

You can store chia pudding in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

More Favorite Recipes

Sweet Potato, Carrots, Cauliflower Baby Food Puree with Chia Seeds

5 stars (9 ratings)

This Sweet Potato, Carrot, Cauliflower Baby Food Puree with Chia Seeds is as nutrient dense and veggie filled of a baby food puree as you can get – plus it tastes so good baby will want to eat it!

Get the recipe

Cantaloupe, Banana + Chia Seeds Baby Food Puree

No ratings yet

This Cantaloupe, Banana + Chia Seeds Baby Food Puree is a fresh tasting puree that can be made in 5 minutes or less! Great for 6+ months!

Get the recipe

Easy Strawberry Chia Seed Oatmeal

5 stars (1 rating)

This Strawberry Chia Seed Oatmeal is great for baby and toddler and is full of fresh strawberries, chia seeds, oats and a hint of vanilla.

Get the recipe

Print

Chia Seeds for Baby (purees & baby-led weaning)

In this guide, we’ll cover all the information you need in order to safely serve chia seeds to baby. You’ll learn about the nutritional benefits, FAQs, helpful tools and expert feeding tips.

Course baby food

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Chill Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Michele Olivier

Equipment

• NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensils
• Bumkins Sleeved Bib
• Tripp Trapp High Chair
• Stackable Glass Bowl Set
• Bumkins Grip Plate

Ingredients

• 1 medium ripe banana, mashed
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2/3 cup milk, regular or any plant-based milk

Instructions

• In an airtight container, add in the mashed banana, chia seeds, and cinnamon.
  
• Add in the milk and stir.
  
• Cover the container with a lid and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight.
  

Notes

Age: 6+ months

Smooth Puree: for a traditional smooth puree, you can add all ingredients into a blender and blend for 30-60 seconds or until just smooth (some lumps are okay) before pouring the mixture into an air-tight container and letting sit overnight in the fridge. 

Storage: leave the chia seed pudding in the air-tight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. 

 

The post How to Serve Chia Seeds to Baby appeared first on Baby Foode.

What do you get when you pair mini bagels with your favorite pizza toppings? A tasty and fun-to-make dinner that your family will absolutely love! Plus, they come together in 10 minutes and reheat easily.

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Homemade Bagel Bites

Do I know how to change a flat tire? No. Have I figured out the correct watering schedule to keep my plants alive? Not exactly. Do I have a good strategy for how to get my kids to sit down for an entire dinner? Why, yes, I do.

When it feels like my kids have been snacking all day long without a solid meal, I know I can turn to these homemade bagel bites to help fill their bellies with some protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates (and maybe even a veggie or two!). There’s just something about a little ‘bite-sized’ morsel that piques their interest and keeps them coming back for more.

These toasty bagel bites are incredibly easy to make and customize with your family’s favorite toppings, or whatever else you might need to use up in the fridge. And I love that they’re freezer-friendly and store well for packed lunches or traveling.

Feeding kids can be tricky! But, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here you can find 40 Family Dinner Ideas, over 100 Kid Snack Ideas, great Hidden-Veggie Recipes, 50 Cooking with Kids Recipes and so much more! And for even more family-friendly recipes, check out my best-selling cookbook Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.

Reasons to Love Easy Bagel Bites

• toddler, kid and adult-friendly
• easy to make
• can be customized with favorite toppings
• great for school or packed lunches
• healthy
• freezer-friendly
• great for lunches, snacks or dinner
• can be made gluten and dairy-free

Ingredients

• Mini Bagels: we are using mini bagels for the pizza base, but you can also use regular-size bagels or a large loaf of French bread and cut into pieces after you cook them.
• Pizza Sauce: I used this amazing hidden veggie pizza sauce for these bagel bites, but you can use any pasta or pizza sauce you prefer. If you are using a store-bought pizza sauce, and you are wanting to add in some extra veggies, then you can mix 1/4 cup shredded carrots or peppers into the sauce before spreading, or use this spinach basil pesto.
• Mozzarella: you can shred your own or use pre-shredded mozzarella from the store. I used pre-shredded cheese. You can also use an Italian cheese blend.
• Parmesan: optional, but is great to sprinkle on top.
• Toppings: you can use any topping you prefer. See below for lots of fun options and combinations.

Health Benefits of Bagel Bites: Just because it’s pizza, doesn’t mean it’s not healthy! The bagels provide carbohydrates, an important macronutrient needed for energy. Pizza sauce contains nutrients like vitamins A and C and potassium, and the cheese provides the calcium needed for healthy bones. Depending on what toppings you choose, you can boost the health factor even more with fiber and other nutrients from vegetables and protein from meats.

Allergy Substitutions

• Gluten-Free: use a trusted brand of gluten-free mini bagels and gluten-free toppings.
• Dairy-Free: try plant-based mozzarella or parmesan-style shreds. If that doesn’t appeal, you can absolutely still have delicious pizzas sans cheese!

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Toast Mini Bagels: for a crispier crust, place the bagels in the oven for a few minutes before adding your toppings.
• Spread Sauce: spread the sauce onto each bagel.
• Add the Cheese: Next, sprinkle on your cheese, avoiding clumps.
• Toppings: Scatter the toppings evenly on top of the cheese.
• Bake: Pop the bagel bites into the oven and bake until golden.
• Done: Serve warm or set aside to come down to room temp for freezing.

Bagel Bites Variations

The best thing about these bagel bites is the ability to personalize them. If you want, you can mix and match different toppings on each bagel half!

Sauces

• Hidden Veggie Sauce or Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce
• Spinach Basil Pesto
• Barbecue Sauce
• Spinach + Artichoke Sauce
• or just brush with olive oil!

Toppings

• Veggies: bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach
• Cheese: mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, cheddar, “jack” cheeses, feta
• Meats: pepperoni, ground sausage, chicken, bacon crumbles

Combos

• Classic: Hidden Veggie Sauce + Pepperoni + Mozzarella
• Veggie: Tomato Sauce + Bell Peppers+ Onions + Mushroom + Mozzarella
• BBQ: Barbecue Sauce + Shredded Chicken + Cheddar Jack + Red onion
• Italian: Pesto + Ground Sausage + Bell Peppers + Provolone
• Greek: Olive Oil + Tomato + Black Olives + Feta Cheese

Cooking with Kids

Both toddlers and kids will have a blast making these bagel bites! There are many ways they can help in the kitchen.

Toddlers

• Can help spoon and spread on the sauce.
• Toddlers can help wash and dry vegetables.
• They can help sort and pour ingredients into smaller bowls for serving.
• Toddlers love to sprinkle on the cheese and add their own toppings.

Kids

• Kids can preheat the oven.
• They can spoon and spread on the sauce.
• Can help cut softer veggies with supervision, such as tomatoes.
• Kids love to sprinkle on the cheese and add their own toppings.
• With an adult’s help, kids can place the baking sheet into the hot oven and set the timer.

How to Store and Freeze

You can store cooked bagel bites in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for 2 months. Make sure to let them come down to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container or freezer bag.

To reheat, simply pop them into the microwave for 30-second intervals until warm (my microwave takes 90 seconds). Or place them on a baking sheet and warm them in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 8-10 minutes

Print

DIY 10-Minute Pizza Bagel Bites

Course Main Course

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 12 bagel bites

Author Michele Olivier

Ingredients

• 6 mini bagels, sliced in half
• 1/2 cup pizza or pasta sauce
• 1 cup cheese, shredded mozzarella or Italian blend
• 1/2 cup toppings of choice, optional

Instructions

• Prep: preheat oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup. Place sliced bagels on a baking sheet.
• Toast Bagels: optional – for a crispier crust, place the bagels in the oven for 3 minutes.
  
• Spread Sauce: spread the toasted bagels with the sauce of your choice.
  
• Add the Cheese: Next, sprinkle on your cheese, avoiding clumps.
  
• Toppings: Scatter the toppings evenly on top of the cheese.
  
• Bake: Place the bagel pizzas into the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.
  
• Done: Serve warm or set aside to come down to room temp for freezing.

Notes

Age: 12+ months

Toppings:

Sauces

• Hidden Veggie Pizza Sauce or Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce
• Spinach Basil Pesto
• Barbecue Sauce
• Spinach + Artichoke Sauce
• or just brush with olive oil!

 

Toppings

• Veggies: bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach
• Cheese: mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, cheddar, “jack” cheeses, feta
• Meats: pepperoni, ground sausage, chicken, bacon crumbles

Combos

• Classic: Hidden Veggie Sauce + Pepperoni + Mozzarella
• Veggie: Tomato Sauce + Bell Peppers+ Onions + Mushroom + Mozzarella
• BBQ: Barbecue Sauce + Shredded Chicken + Cheddar Jack
• Italian: Pesto + Ground Sausage + Bell Peppers + Provolone
• Greek: Olive Oil + Tomato + Black Olives + Feta Cheese

The post DIY Bagel Bites appeared first on Baby Foode.

Bread is a quick and cost-friendly source of carbohydrates, protein and fiber for babies 6 months and up. In this guide, learn how to serve bread to your baby, for baby-led weaning or finger feeding. Plus, we’ll share the best toast options for babies and toddlers!

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Bread for Babies

Not much beats the smell of freshly baked bread, right out of the oven (or toaster!). And thankfully, your baby can also get all the deliciousness and health benefits that you can from a toasty slice of bread, no matter if it’s homemade or store-bought.

Bread is a quick and easy source of carbohydrates, protein and fiber for your baby, depending on what type of bread you choose to serve. So how do you serve bread safely for baby led-weaning or if your baby is starting finger foods?

You’ve come to the right place! In this guide, we’ll cover all the information you need in order to serve bread to baby. You’ll learn about the nutritional benefits, FAQs, helpful tools and expert feeding tips.

First time making homemade baby food? Then, I would suggest that you start by reading my very in-depth Complete Guide to Baby-Led Weaning – which covers what exactly is baby-led weaning, to every parent’s concern of baby-led weaning and choking, this guide goes over it all. I will also share how to know when baby is ready for BLW, the top 10 best first foods, a helpful sample blw feeding schedule, helpful tools to have on hand, and much much more! You can also check out my best-selling cookbook for even more information and recipes!

Reasons to Love Bread for Baby

• Great for baby-led weaning – 6+ months 
• Also great for the finger food stage – 9+ months
• Full of essential nutrients for baby
• Different ways for baby to eat 
• Easy to make – minimal prep work required

Health Benefits of Bread

Bread gets a bad rap but, depending on the type, it can be full of healthy nutrients.

• Bread is full of carbohydrates necessary for energy and fueling the body.
• If it’s whole grain bread, it will have fiber for a healthy digestive system.
• Whole grain bread will also have other nutrients, too, like B vitamins and iron. Enriched bread has these nutrients added back to it, but usually not in the amount found in whole grain bread.

Frequently Asked Questions

Best Bread Brands for Babies

What to Look For

The best bread for your baby may depend on a few factors – your family’s preferences, any food allergies, cost, etc. However, there are a few factors that are helpful to keep in mind when choosing bread for baby.

• Low in sodium: Look for those with 100 milligrams or less per serving.
• No added sugars: Look for breads with no added sugars in their ingredient list or at least no more than 2 grams of sugar per slice. And don’t forget – no honey for babies under 1 year of age, so skip any breads with honey as an ingredient.
• Made with whole grains or sprouted grains: These options will offer more nutrients and fiber compared to traditional white bread.

Best Brands

The best bread brands for baby-led weaning include types of breads that are a little crustier or sturdier and can hold their ground when being picked up by little fingers (when toasted and cut into strips). Here are several of our favorite brands for reference.

• Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Bread
• Simple Truth Organic Sprouted Grain and Legume Bread
• Dave’s Killer Bread 100% Whole Wheat
• Whole Foods Organic Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
• New Grains Gluten Free Artisan Sourdough Bread
• Silver Hills brand

Tip on Bread: Avoid breads that contain honey if serving to babies under 1 year old due to the risk of infant botulism.

Toast Ideas for Baby

Besides being a perfect finger food for baby, spreading different foods onto toast is a wonderful way to introduce your baby to a variety of tastes and textures. Here’s several of our favorites!

• Thinly spread peanut butter or nut butter
• Mashed banana and cinnamon
• Thinly spread hummus
• Cooked and mashed beans or lentils, with a little cumin and garlic seasoning
• Mashed avocado
• Mashed hard-boiled egg yolk mixed with plain yogurt
• Thin layer of ricotta cheese with raspberry puree
• Any savory or sweet fruit or veggie puree, such as butternut squash or apple

How to Serve Bread for Baby-Led Weaning

Bread can be a choking hazard for your baby, regardless of whether you are doing baby-led weaning starting at 6 months or during the finger foods stage at 9 months, so it is important to prepare and serve it properly.

Toasted, large strips or crusts of bread (6 – 9 months): Offering baby larger strips of toasted, thick crusty bread actually minimizes choking risks compared to thinner slices of soft, untoasted bread. A good rule of thumb for size of bread is about the width of two adult fingers placed together. You can serve toasted bread plain or spread a very thin layer of puree on it, such as yogurt, hummus or mashed avocado.

Toasted, cut in small strips or bite sized pieces (9 -12 months): Baby starts to develop their pincer grasp around this age, so serving bite sized pieces or thinner strips of toast will help them practice.

Toasted, cut in halves or quarters (12 – 18+ months): This is a great age to start introducing a wider variety of breads, as well as offering halves or quarters to practice biting, tearing, and chewing. Continue to experiment with a variety of spreads or topping options on bread to expose your toddler to a variety of textures and tastes. As your toddler nears 18 – 24 months they may be ready to try sandwiches, but keep in mind that sandwiches at this age will need to be kept smaller (or thin) to fit into little mouths!

How Much Bread Can Baby Have in a Day?

The amount of bread eaten will vary slightly depending on your child’s age, their appetite, and specific nutritional needs. The take-home message is that bread and other grains are just one food in your baby’s diet and shouldn’t replace other healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and protein.

6-12 Months

At this age, exploration and tasting a variety of breads is the goarl. There is no set recommendations.

12-24 months

At this age, toddlers may consume about 2-3 slices of bread OR about 1-1/5 cups of cooked grains or pasta daily.

24-36 Months

Toddlers might eat 3-5-ounce servings daily, which equates to about 3-5 slices of bread OR about 1.5-2.5 cups of cooked grains or pasta daily.

Storage

Store bread at room temperature, in a cool part of your kitchen away from any heat sources. If you won’t consume bread within 1-2 weeks, slice it and store in a freezer-safe bag or container in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Print

Bread for Baby:

In this guide, learn how to serve bread to baby. You’ll learn about the nutritional benefits, FAQs, helpful tools and expert feeding tips. 6+ months!

Course baby food

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1 serving

Author Michele Olivier

Ingredients

• 1 piece bread (see best brands above)
• 1-2 tbsp toppings (see below)

Instructions

• Lightly toast bread.
• If using, smear on toppings.
• Cut into age-appropriate size pieces.
  

Notes

Age: 6+ months

Storage: toast is best eaten right away

Toast Toppings:

• Thinly spread peanut butter or nut butter
• Mashed banana and cinnamon
• Thinly spread hummus
• Cooked and mashed beans or lentils, with a little cumin and garlic seasoning
• Mashed avocado
• Mashed hard-boiled egg yolk mixed with plain yogurt
• Thin layer of ricotta cheese with raspberry puree
• Any savory or sweet fruit or veggie puree, such as butternut squash or apple

The post Bread for Baby (plus Best Toast Options) appeared first on Baby Foode.

In this guide, learn how to serve plums for your baby, for baby led weaning or making purees. They contain potassium and fiber and are a great first food for babies 6 months and up. Serve them as a baby food puree, as a solid for the finger food stage or for baby-led weaning.

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Plum Baby Food

Ever feel like you get in a fruit ‘rut’ when it comes to feeding your baby or toddler? I tend to find myself falling into a similar pattern of bananas, blueberries, avocado, etc…and then I remember all the other great fruits out there. Including plums!

Plums contain vitamins A, C and K to support a healthy, developing immune system. They also contain plentiful antioxidants and fiber, helping with digestion and relieving constipation.

If you’re wondering how to serve plums for baby-led weaning, we’ve got you covered. In this guide, we’ll cover all the information you need in order to safely serve plums to your baby. Learn about the nutritional benefits, FAQs, helpful tools, and expert feeding tips.

First time making homemade baby food? Then, I would suggest that you start by reading my very in-depth Guide on how to Make Homemade Baby Food – which goes over all the important information such as the best cooking tools to have on hand, safe storage, how to know when baby is ready for solids, how to introduce purees, the best first foods for baby, and more! If you are doing Baby-Led Weaning, then be sure to check out my Complete Guide to Baby-Led Weaning – which covers what exactly is baby-led weaning, to every parent’s concern of baby-led weaning and choking, this guide goes over it all. I will also share how to know when baby is ready for BLW, the top 10 best first foods, a helpful sample blw feeding schedule, helpful tools to have on hand, and much much more!

Want more information? Then make sure to check out my best-selling cookbook for even more information and recipes!

Reasons to Love Plums for Babies

• delicious baby food purees – 6+ months
• great for baby-led weaning – 6+ months 
• also great for the finger food stage – 9+ months
• full of essential nutrients for baby
• easy stage one and combination puree
• different ways for baby to eat – spoon-fed or self-feed 
• easy to make

Benefits of Plums

Plums should not be forgotten about, as they contain many vitamins and minerals and benefits for babies and toddlers!

• They are one of the “P” fruits which can help alleviate constipation, which is common when starting solids.
• They are high in vitamin C, important for immune health and for iron absorption.
• They are a good source of vitamin K, which helps with bone development and blood clotting for when baby gets a boo-boo.

How to Pick Plums

Choosing plums at their peak ripeness will make them even more enjoyable. Here are some pointers to look for when picking plums:

• Overall appearance: Plums should be plump, without any shriveled skin, mushy spots or cuts. Different varieties of plums ripen to different colors, so this isn’t always the most efficient way of checking for ripeness.
• Weight: Hold the plum in the palm of your hand. A ripe plum should feel heavy for its size and yield to gentle pressure.
• Smell: A ripe plum emits a fresh, fruity, and sweet aroma, while an unripe plum does not.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tools Needed

These tools will make it a lot easier for you to serve plums to your baby. For more of my favorite kitchen tools, make sure to check out my shop.

• High chair
• Suction bowl or baby bowl
• Baby spoon
• Bib with catch pocket
• Sleeved bib
• Blender or food processor
• Steamer insert with lid
• Freezer tray
• Storage containers for fridge
• Stasher bag
• Reusable pouches
• Easy to hold fork and spoon
• GOOtensils

Plum Baby Puree

Making plum puree is easy! If your plums are super ripe and juicy you and just pit them before placing them into a food processor or blender on high. If your plums are not super ripe then you will want to gently simmer them.

1. Pit and roughly chop the plums.
2. Place the plums and a pinch of cinnamon into a medium saucepan.
3. Heat on medium-low for 10 minutes, or until the plums are tender.
4. Transfer to a blender and puree for 1-2 minutes or until super smooth.
5. Serve to baby or store for another meal.

Tip: Plum puree is great for adding to yogurt, ricotta cheese, oatmeal, or mixing with other purees.

Plums for Baby-Led Weaning

Plums are a great food for your baby to self-feed, whether for baby-led weaning, which happens around 6 months of age, or during the finger foods stage at 9 months.

Halved, ripe (6-9 months): Cut soft, ripe plums in half and remove the pit. Baby will be able to pick up this larger piece easily. You can also leave the skin on (it’s edible).

Halved, sliced, or diced (9-12+ months): Serving smaller slices or bite sized pieces of plums will allow your baby to practice using their pincer grasp, which is developing at this age. You can serve plums with the skin on or if peeled, roll them in finely crushed nuts, shredded coconut or hemp seeds to help baby with grasping it.

Halved or whole (18-24 months): Depending on your toddler’s skill level, you can try offering either halved plums (pit removed) or a whole plum (with pit) so they can practice taking appropriately sized bites, chewing and swallowing. You can peel the skin or keep it on, but just know that it’s typical for toddlers to spit out the skin as they’re learning to eat. If offering a whole plum, it’s best to model eating one yourself, so that you can show them how to practice eating around this part.

Storage Instructions

Plum Puree

Refrigerator

You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

Freezer

This puree can be frozen for up to 4 months.

• Spoon puree into a freezer storage container – do not overfill. 
• Place the lid on the storage container or cover it with a piece of saran wrap and label it with the date and recipe name. 
• Place the tray into the freezer and let freeze completely – preferably overnight. 
• Pop out the baby food cubes and place them in a zip-lock baggie or stasher bag – don’t forget to re-label the baggie or stasher bag for future reference.

Baby-Led Weaning

You can store cut plums in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Combination Purees

While Plum Baby Food is great by itself, it’s also super easy to mix and match with other nutrient-dense baby food purees. Give these fun flavor combos a try!

• Apples
• Peach
• Chicken
• Pears
• Softened Tofu
• Strawberry
• Carrots
• Yogurt
• Sweet Potato

More Plum Recipes

Plum, Blueberry + Spinach with Cilantro Baby Food Puree

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A delicious homemade baby food puree that your baby won't even notice the spinach!

Get the recipe

Stone Fruit Perfection Baby Food Puree

No ratings yet

This puree is made with peaches, nectarines and plums and finished off with a pinch of fresh thyme – the taste of summer made easy for baby to eat!

Get the recipe

Print

Plum Baby Food: Puree & Baby-Led Weaning

In this guide, we’ll cover all the information you need in order to safely serve plums to your baby. Learn about the nutritional benefits, FAQs, helpful tools, and expert feeding tips.

Course baby food

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Michele Olivier

Equipment

• Blender
• NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensils
• Bumkins Sleeved Bib
• Freezer Tray

Ingredients

Plum Baby Food Puree

• 5 plums, pitted and roughly sliced
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp water

Plum for Baby-Led Weaning

• 1 ripe plum
• 1 pinch cinnamon

Instructions

Plum Baby Puree

• In a medium saucepan, place the plums, cinnamon, and water.
  
• Cook over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring often or until the plums are tender. Let cool slightly.
  
• Transfer the plums to a blender of food processor.
  
• Turn on the blender or food processor and puree for 1-2 minutes on medium. If the puree is too thick, add 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid at a time, until you achieve desired consistency.
  

Plums for Baby-Led Weaning

• Serve to your baby in an age-appropriate way – either cut in half off of the pit, slices, or chopped into smaller pieces. You can also puree or mash the plum and serve to your baby on a self-feeding spoon.
  

Notes

Age: 6+ months

Storage: you can store the plum puree in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. You can store the plum pieces in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. 

The post How to Serve Plums to Baby appeared first on Baby Foode.

In this guide, learn how to serve cherries for your baby, for baby-led weaning, or making purees. Cherries are a great source of fiber and antioxidants, making them a great first food for babies 6 months and up. Serve them as a baby food puree, as a solid for the finger food stage, or for baby-led weaning.

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Cherry Baby Food

Is there any other fruit that we look forward to quite like cherry season? Not in my house anyway. I absolutely love sweet, juicy cherries and I love that they’re a great first food for baby too.

Cherries are a good source of vitamin C, potassium, fiber, and antioxidants. But you might be wondering how to serve cherries for baby-led weaning. In this guide, we’ll cover all the information you need in order to safely serve cherries to baby. You’ll learn about the nutritional benefits, FAQs, helpful tools and expert feeding tips.

First time making homemade baby food? Then, I would suggest that you start by reading my very in-depth Guide on how to Make Homemade Baby Food – which goes over all the important information such as the best cooking tools to have on hand, safe storage, how to know when baby is ready for solids, how to introduce purees, the best first foods for baby, and more! If you are doing Baby-Led Weaning, then be sure to check out my Complete Guide to Baby-Led Weaning – which covers what exactly is baby-led weaning, to every parent’s concern of baby-led weaning and choking, this guide goes over it all. I will also share how to know when baby is ready for BLW, the top 10 best first foods, a helpful sample blw feeding schedule, helpful tools to have on hand, and much much more!

Want more information? Then make sure to check out my best-selling cookbook for even more information and recipes!

Reasons to Love Cherries for Babies

• delicious baby food purees – 6+ months
• great for baby-led weaning – 6+ months 
• also great for the finger food stage – 9+ months
• full of essential nutrients for baby
• easy stage one and combination puree
• different ways for baby to eat – spoon-fed or self-feed 
• easy to make

Benefits of Cherries

Sweet cherries have tons of nutrients (note we are talking about sweet cherries, not the bright red maraschino cherries often used in desserts). Their rich color indicates they contain loads of antioxidants called anthocyanins. Other benefits include:

• A good source of fiber for healthy digestion
• A good source of vitamin C for a healthy immune system and iron absorption
• The cherry on top? They are downright delicious!

How to Pick Cherries

Choosing cherries at their peak ripeness will make them even more enjoyable. Here are some pointers to look for when picking cherries:

• Stem and skin: similar to an avocado, the stem of a cherry indicates its ripeness. Look for green, unbroken stems and avoid anything that’s brittle or brown.
• Color: look for shiny, plump and bright colored cherries – anything from bright red to maroon. Avoid those that are wrinkled or discolored as they’ll be overripe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tools Needed

These tools will make it a lot easier for you to serve cherries to your baby. For more of my favorite kitchen tools, make sure to check out my shop.

• High chair
• Suction bowl or baby bowl
• Baby spoon
• Bib with catch pocket
• Sleeved bib
• Blender or food processor
• Steamer insert with lid
• Freezer tray
• Storage containers for fridge
• Stasher bag
• Reusable pouches
• Easy to hold fork and spoon
• GOOtensils

Cherry Puree

Making cherry puree is very simple – just remove the pits and puree them until smooth. You can use fresh or frozen cherries. Cherry puree is great for adding to yogurt, applesauce, or other fruit purees.

Cherries for Baby-Led Weaning

Cherries are a great food for your baby to self-feed, whether for baby-led weaning, which happens around 6 months of age, or during the finger foods stage at 9 months.

Pitted and finely diced, mashed or pureed (6 – 9 months): pitted and finely diced or mashed cherries can be served on their own or mixed into yogurt, oatmeal, or with other purees. You can also serve cherry puree at this stage.

Pitted and quartered (9 – 18 months): At this age, baby is working on their pincer grasp, so serving pitted and quartered cherries will help them practice this. You can also continue to serve mashed cherries or mix them into other purees.

Pitted, halved or whole (18+ months, varies): Depending on your toddler’s skill level, you can try offering either halved cherries or whole (pit removed) to practice taking properly sized bites, chewing and swallowing. You’ll want to model how to take a bite off of the fruit, as opposed to placing the whole cherry in your mouth. As your child gets closer to 36 months, you might start to work on offering a cherry with the pit still intact, and model eating one yourself, so that you can show them how to practice eating around the pit and taking it out with your fingers.

Storage Instructions

Cherry Puree

Refrigerator

You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

Freezer

This puree can be frozen for up to 4 months.

• Spoon puree into a freezer storage container – do not overfill. 
• Place the lid on the storage container or cover it with a piece of saran wrap and label it with the date and recipe name. 
• Place the tray into the freezer and let freeze completely – preferably overnight. 
• Pop out the baby food cubes and place them in a zip-lock baggie or stasher bag – don’t forget to re-label the baggie or stasher bag for future reference.

Baby-Led Weaning

You can store cut cherries in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Combination Purees

While Cherry Baby Food is great by itself, it’s also super easy to mix and match with other nutrient-dense baby food purees. Give these fun flavor combos a try!

• Apples
• Quinoa Baby Cereal 
• Chicken
• Pears
• Softened Tofu
• Sweet Potato
• Mango
• Yogurt
• Carrot

More Cherry Recipes

Banana, Cherry + Beet Baby Food Puree

5 stars (9 ratings)

This intensely colored Banana, Cherry and Beet Baby Food Puree is full of fiber, potassium, antioxidants and a vast amount of other essential vitamins and minerals for baby.

Get the recipe

Cherry, Banana + Raspberry Baby Food Puree

5 stars (1 rating)

This puree is sweet and beyond easy to spoon into baby’s (or your mouth) and it is also full of potassium, fiber and antioxidants! A healthy dessert for baby!

Get the recipe

Cherry + Basil Baby Food Puree

5 stars (1 rating)

This Cherry + Basil Baby Food Puree is a fun way to introduce the taste of summer to baby. Filled with essential nutrients for growing baby – this puree will sure to be a hit!

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Mango, Apple + Dried Cherry Baby Food Puree

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Loaded with Vitamin A, C and B and a ton of carotenoids and calcium, this puree is a special treat with double dose of healthy nutrients.

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Roasted Carrot, Cherry + Millet Baby Food Puree

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This Roasted Carrot, Cherry + Millet Baby Food Puree is a rich and savory meal that can be served either smooth or chunky depending on your baby’s stage.

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Cherry, Mint + Yogurt Baby Food Puree

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Yogurt is paired with sweet cherries and refreshing mint for a addition worthy puree combination.

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Cherry Baby Food: Puree & Baby-Led Weaning

In this guide, learn how to serve cherries for your baby, for baby-led weaning, or making purees. Cherries are a great source of fiber and antioxidants, making them a great first food for babies 6 months and up. Serve them as a baby food puree, as a solid for the finger food stage, or for baby-led weaning.

Course baby food

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time