Recipes For Baby Food

Raising a child is one of the most rewarding things anyone can do. It is also among the most stressful, particularly when it comes to feeding them. When should you start weaning them? What foods shouldn’t they eat? How much fruit and veg should they be having? With these month-by-month recipes for baby food I have put together for you, feeding time will be a little more fun!

Recipes For Baby Food: 6 Months

Simple veggies like broccoli, peas, and carrots are among the most ideal foods you should start feeding your baby at this age. Introduce these veggies one at a time and once they are comfortable, you can start throwing in some fruit and other vegetables into the mix. At 6 months old, you needn’t worry about them having breakfast, lunch, and dinner, food just once or twice a day should suffice. This is also the age when they can start having finger foods such as soft carrot sticks and steamed broccoli. Once they’re confident eating these, try introducing sweet potato wedges, start with the below purées first though! The Department of Health recommends weaning at around 6 months but it’s best to make sure they are ready first.

Purées

These are super helpful when it comes to helping your baby start swallowing solid foods. They are easy to prepare and can be stored easily too. There’s no need to add any salt or sugar, these recipes are great as they are. Broccoli and carrot purées are very similar to make so I’ve listed them together. Once they’ve moved past these basic vegetables, you can turn almost any fruit or veg into a purée using the same method.

Broccoli Purée or Carrot Purée

Ingredients

• 100g broccoli florets or 1 medium carrot

• 30-45ml of baby's usual milk or cooled boiled water

Method

• Wash the broccoli/carrot (peeled and chopped first) thoroughly and steam for 8-10 minutes or until soft

• Let them cool slightly and then add 2-3 tablespoons of milk or water

• Blend with a food processor or hand blender until completely smooth, adding more liquid if necessary

Apple Purée

Ingredients

• 1 medium eating apple (soft apples will cook more quickly than crisp ones)

• 4 tbsp water

• 60-75ml of your baby’s usual milk, or cooled, boiled water

Method

• Peel the apple, core, and cut into bitesize chunks

• Cook in a saucepan with 5 tablespoons of water until bubbling. Stir, reduce heat, and cover.

• Stir a few times, for 10−15 mins

• Once the apple is soft, remove it from the heat and cool slightly, then add 4−5 tbsp of the water or milk

• Blend with a food processor or hand blender until smooth, adding extra mill/water as needed

Recipes For Baby Food: 7 Months

At 7 months old, your baby should be used to purées and finger foods meaning you can introduce slightly more complex recipes to them. Here are a few easy-to-cook recipes for baby food.

Apple and Cinnamon Porridge (8 portions)

Ingredients:

• 15g fine porridge oats

• 1 whole apple, peeled, cored, and chopped

• 4 tbsp water

• 1 tbsp cinnamon

• 150ml milk

Method:

• Cook the apple in a saucepan with the water for 5 minutes or until soft

• In the meantime, place the milk and the porridge oats in a small saucepan. Bring them to a boil and simmer, stirring a few times for around 3-4 minutes

• Mash or puree the cooked apple and add to the porridge with the cinnamon. Stir and serve.

Cheesy Cod with Sweet Potato (8 portions)

Ingredients

• 225g sweet potato, peeled and cut into bitesize chunks

• 75g Cod fillet

• 30ml milk

• 50g grated cheese

• 1 knob butter

Method

• Steam the sweet potato, bringing it to a boil, and leave for 10 minutes until soft

• In the meantime, place the cod in the microwave, add the milk, and put butter on top and cover. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes until cooked. You can also poach the cod in a pan with the butter and milk for around 7 minutes

• Mix together the fish (including the milk it’s cooked in), sweet potato, and the cheese. Purée until smooth.

Recipes For Baby Food: 8 Months

Here are 2 super easy recipes for baby food for babies aged 8 months.

Secret Veggie Pasta Sauce (8 portions)

Ingredients

• 1 whole red pepper

• 2 whole carrot

• 1 glug olive oil (for frying)

• 1 pinch black pepper

• 1 pinch dried basil or oregano (to season)

• 800g tinned, chopped tomato

• 1 whole leek

• 1 whole medium courgette

Method

• Begin by chopping up the carrots and the courgette. Boil or steam until tender - this will take about 6 minutes

• Finely slice the leek and dice the red pepper and then fry in olive oil until soft

• You then need to add the carrots, courgette, and chopped tomatoes to the pan. Allow them to simmer for 10 minutes until they are well cooked

• Season with black pepper and a pinch of dried basil or oregano. Serve with small pasta shapes of your choice

Tomato and Beef Risotto (4 portions)

Ingredients

• 125g risotto (arborio) rice

• 1 400g can tomatoes

• 1 tbsp tomato puree

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 125g beef steak, diced

• 12 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

• 500ml very low salt vegetable stock

• 1tsp parsley, chopped

• 1tsp oregano

• 1 clove garlic, crushed

Method

• Place the olive oil in a pan and heat. Cook the steak until brown then set aside. Fry the onion and garlic in the remaining olive oil until soft and translucent

• You then need to add the sun-dried tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, and tomato puree and stir for a few minutes until well combined. Add the rice and stir in well to coat thoroughly in oil. Turn up the heat and begin to gradually introduce the stock, making sure it is all well-absorbed by the rice. Keep stirring, and continue to add stock until the rice is tender before simmering for 15 minutes. Add the cooked beef and herbs. Mash to required consistency

Recipes For Baby Food: 9 Months

These recipes for baby food are sure to go down a treat with your little one. They are loaded with vegetables as well and the best part is, they won’t even realize they’re eating them! Bon appetit!

Vegetarian Lentil Cottage Pie (6 portions)

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 whole medium onion, finely chopped

• 150g carrot, finely chopped, 150g courgette, finely chopped, 1 clove garlic, crushed, 400g tinned chopped tomato, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 40g frozen peas, 1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped, 300ml very low salt vegetable stock, 250g green or brown lentil, rinsed and drained, 750g potato, peeled and chopped

• 30g unsalted butter, 100ml milk, 75g cheddar cheese, grated

Method:

• Start by preheating your oven to 200°C/ fan 180°C/ gas mark 6. In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onion for 1 to 2 minutes and then throw in the carrot, courgette and garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, peas, thyme, stock, and lentils. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. You then need to simmer gently for around 40 minutes or until the lentils are nice and soft. Feel free to top up with water if the mixture dries out. Transfer to a large casserole dish. In the meantime, cook the potatoes in boiling water until they are soft. Drain and mash, then stir in the butter, milk, and cheese

• Spread over the lentil mixture and run a fork over the top of the mash to make little ridges. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbling and golden!

Recipes For Baby Food: 10 Months

At this age, your little one should start showing some taste preferences (in other words, they start to become more picky)! You can start introducing them to three small meals a day. You must encourage them to tell you when they become full so they don’t overeat. Make sure they are still getting around 500ml of their usual milk every day.

Tortilla Spanish Omelette

Ingredients

• 1 whole onion

• 275g potato, preferably Desirée or similar

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 5 whole large egg

Method

• Put 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the pan on the hob and leave on a medium heat. You then need to peel the onion and chop it in two, then cut these halves into thin slices and place them in the pan. Next, peel the potatoes and cut them into thin round slices. Then dry them in a clean tea towel and add them to the pan. Mix the onion and potatoes in the olive oil to make sure they are thoroughly coated. Turn the heat right down, put a lid on the pan and cook them gently for about 20 minutes, or until soft. Next up, you need to break the eggs into a bowl and lightly whisk them using a fork.  When the onions and potatoes are cooked, you then pour on the egg mixture and add the remainder of the olive oil.  Make sure to keep the heat low and leave the omelet to cook gently for around 20 minutes.  When there is no liquid egg left on the top, it’s ready to cook on the other side. The easiest way to do this is by turning it out upside down onto a plate, and then sliding it back into the frying pan. Cut into thin wedges or finger-food-sized cubes before serving.

Potato Spinach Frittata (4-6 portions)

Ingredients

• 500g new potatoes, 100g young spinach, 15g unsalted butter

• 1 tbsp olive oil, 3 whole spring onions, chopped, half a garlic clove, crushed, 3 medium eggs, 1 tbsp whole milk, 50g cheddar cheese, grated

Method

• Start by simmering the potatoes in water for around 15 minutes, until nice and soft. Drain and cut into thick slices

• Next, you need to cook the spinach in a tiny amount of water for about 3-4 minutes or until the leaves start to wilt. Drain well and squeeze out the excess moisture. Start to heat the butter and olive oil in a large (non-stick) frying pan. Gently cook the spring onions and garlic for about 3 minutes and then add in the potatoes. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the spinach, stirring it through, and sprinkle the grated cheese on top. You then need to preheat the grill and beat the eggs and milk together, then pour into the frying pan. Cook on the hob over low heat until set, then brown and set the surface under the grill. Cool for a few minutes and then slice into wedges or squares.

Recipes For Baby Food: 11 Months

At this age, your baby is capable of eating almost all varieties of solid foods so you can start to be more adventurous if you wish. You should start to encourage your little one to cope with larger lumps and chewing chunky textures. Here are some delicious and super easy recipes for baby food for you to try, including something a little sweet!

Blueberry Yogurt

Ingredients

• 1 cup blueberries

• 1 cup plain yogurt

Method

• Put the blueberries and yogurt into a blender.

• Blend till the blueberries mix well with the yogurt.

• You can serve the yogurt as it is or with a cracker.

Mild Chicken Curry (2 portions)

Ingredients

• 2 whole chicken breast, 2 whole carrot

• 3 tbsp groundnut oil, (or similarly flavorless cooking oil such as sunflower), 200ml coconut milk

• 100ml water, 1 whole onion, 1 clove garlic

• 2 tbsp curry paste

• 50g long grain or Basmati rice

Method

• Begin by putting the onions in a non-stick frying pan with a healthy amount of groundnut oil (1-3 tbsp) and gently stir on medium heat. Chop up the chicken into small bitesize chunks and crush the clove of garlic (or chop finely with a knife)

• You then need to grate the carrots into a frying pan and add in the chicken and garlic. Add two tablespoons of curry paste (depending on how the label instructs) and heat for about 5 minutes. Mix in the coconut milk into an even yellow mixture

• Separately, bring the hot water to the boil in another saucepan and add the rice as the packet instructs. Add in some water to the curry mixture and leave to simmer for around 5 minutes on low heat. As the curry mixture starts to simmer, you then need to add 1-2 teaspoons of cornflour in order to thicken the sauce. Once cooked, drain the rice and spoon onto plates followed by the curry mixture. Enjoy!

Recipes For Baby Food: 12 Months

Your baby is officially a 1 year old, woo-hoo! Check out these easy, yummy, and nutrient rich recipes for baby food that they are sure to love!

Tex Mex Rice Cakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked brown rice

• ½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs

• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese

• ¾ cup corn kernels

• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• 2 large eggs

• 2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil for cooking

Method:

• Mix together the rice, bread crumbs, cheese, corn, cilantro and salt in a bowl

• In another bowl, you need to whisk the eggs and then add to the rice mixture and mix until well-combined

• Measure ¼ cup mixture at a time and shape into patties

• Next, heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet over medium heat and then add your delicious patties and cook for around 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown

Green Mac And Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 lb elbow macaroni, 3 cups whole milk

• 1 cup packed fresh spinach, 3 tbsp unsalted butter

• 3 tbsp flour, 4 cups grated white cheddar cheese

• 1 tsp salt, 2 cups chopped broccoli florets

• 1 cup peas

Method

• Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

• Then, cook the pasta for about 3 minutes (slightly less than the packet instructs) in salted water, until al dente. Set aside half a cup of the pasta water and strain

• In the meantime, put the milk and spinach in a blender on high speed until nice and smooth. In a large pot, melt the butter and then add the flour, whisking continuously over low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes to make a roux. Start to slowly whisk in the milk mixture and bring to boiling point

• You then need to turn down the heat and simmer, whisking every now and then until the sauce is gently bubbling and starting to thicken - this should take around 3-4 minutes

• Add the pasta water and cheese and whisk until they are all melted. Stir in the pasta, salt, broccoli, and peas.

• Transfer to a greased 13″ x 9″ baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the pasta is set!