Sweet E started solids at 5 months and 1 week old. She started with plain old baby oatmeal cereal. She loved it!!! I decided to prepare all of her fruits and veggies myself rather than purchase the little jars of food. I am really loving it. I have several reasons for home-making the food, but really, I don't think I have anything against those little jars. That's not true really, the thought of tons of little tiny jars cluttering up my somewhat organized pantry makes me a bit uneasy. But as far as the food in them, I am sure it's just fine. But when I make my own purees for her, as easy as it is, I get the same feelings as I do when I prepare a meal for my husband and I. I love to cook and I cook with love. And all that goes into the food and makes it taste better and be better for my family. It's something active I can do for my little one that shows how much I love her and how much I want the best for her. And it's so fun and easy!
For those who are thinking about making their own food, go for it! You don't need any baby food specific items, just a steamer, processor, and containers. Even if you are not so adept in the kitchen, this is an easy way to get familiar with different fruits and vegetables and how they cook and how to prepare them simply.
This is after an HEB trip. I buy lots to stock up on, then cook and freeze. Here we have a butternut squash, a sweet potato, green beans (steam in the bag!), Anjou pears, Gala apples, organic frozen peaches and organic frozen mangoes. I also got the barley so she could try a new grain but it upsets her tummy, so we've stopped it. We still haven't started the peaches or mangos. They will be great new fruits for spring!
Peeled pears and apples getting ready to be chopped and baked!
First solid foods. I like starting with the baby cereal (we used oatmeal) because the texture and thickness can easily be changed. Some babies like to start with a very thin puree closer to milk, some want something chunkier. She's pretty middle of the road.
She liked it! And really likes to try to feed herself with the spoon! I would let her but very little actually gets in her mouth and she tends to choke herself with the spoon!
This is acorn squash. She loves it. It was the first time I have ever handled one and I discovered I also loved it. I chunked some up for dinner that night. Steamed with salt and pepper. Delicious!
These are green beans. She likes them the least but she still eats them. They have a slightly different texture, I believe due to their skins. I use frozen which have a softer skin since they are pre-blanched. However, if the skins still are too prominent in your puree or too tough, you can always strain them.
And a bit off topic: Here she is learning to use a sippy cup. This is a very slow process, but since she's only six months, I'm in no hurry. Mostly it's just for fun!
