For fresh fruits and vegetables,
peel, remove seeds, and chop the entire vegetable or fruit into small cubes (or
use part of it for your meal). Add water to cover plus one to two inches. Boil
until tender.
For frozen vegetables or fruit,
add 1/2 cup of frozen to saucepan. Add enough water to barely cover the
vegetables or fruits. Microwave or boil until tender.
After cooking, strain and conserve
cooking liquid. Puree a little at a time in a blender, adding water as needed.
Puree should not be too watery or too thick or your baby will not eat it. Pour
the puree into ice cube molds and freeze. When completely frozen, transfer the
individual cubes to zip-lock sandwich bags and label with a sharpie marker.
Chicken, Beef or Fish Puree
Boil boneless chicken breasts
until tender. Stew beef can be cooked in a little oil over medium-high heat to
seal in meat juices, then add water to cover plus one inch and simmer until
meat is tender. Stir occasionally and add water if needed. Poach mild tasting
fish such as flounder by barely covering the fish with water in a saucepan and
heat until boiling. Immediately remove from heat, cover and let sit 5 minutes.
Puree chicken, beef, and fish in a
blender. You will need to add a larger amount of water to meat than you did for
fruits and vegetables in order to make a puree or lightly shredded mixture. Let
cool, then pour into ice cube molds and freeze. When completely frozen,
transfer the individual cubes to zip-lock sandwich bags and label with a
sharpie marker.
Fruit Parfait (8 months and
older)
Peaches or other fruit
Whole milk vanilla yogurt (substitute
expressed breast milk or formula prior to one year of age if you feel more
comfortable)
Rice cereal
Defrost 2 cubes of peaches or
other fruit. Add 1 tablespoon of yogurt and 2 tablespoons of rice cereal to
thicken. Your baby will love it!
Baby Beef Stew (10 to 12 months)
Beef
Potatoes
Carrots
Green beans or peas
Alphabet pasta or elbows
Cook pasta as directed on the box.
Defrost one cube of each ingredient. Mix together and heat in microwave. Stir
and serve.