Fruit + Veggie Baby Food Prep with Recipes

So I’ll be honest with you guys, I love love LOVE cooking for my kids…I’d almost say more than I do for myself. They have squeals of joy when we eat their favorite foods, make anything that looks fun on a plate or is made in a special way; they get so excited to eat and it completely melts my food-loving heart! For the twins, baby food making is super fun and SUPER easy with the Babycook by BÉABA. I’ve used this with all four of my kids and I’m seriously their number-one fan for a few different reasons…

(btw if you’re only here for the food, scroll down for recipes!)

1. It’s so easy to use! No crazy instructions or special tricks to make great food. Just chop your foods, place in the steam basket, add water, and turn on the machine. When the timer beeps, food is cooked and you can blend it right in the same pitcher. Literally – foolproof.
2. Cleanup is super quick. The machine pretty much takes care of itself and the cooking pitcher can just be rinsed and put in the dishwasher (it does have a removable blade and washer to keep the blade in place btw). With 3 total parts, I’ll usually just wash the pitcher by hand and let it dry on my bottle rack…takes all of 2 minutes to knock out.
3. Cook time is short. You can steam your food in about 10 minutes or so then it just takes another few minutes to pulse or blend it into the consistency you want and pour into storage containers. Waaaay easier than steaming something in a pot, using a strainer, maybe hand-mashing or using a blender/mixer…seriously, it’s a no-brainer if you ask me.
4. It’s worth the investment. So the price tag is $149 but purchasing from buybuyBaby with a coupon or checking other retailers for sales and promotions, you’re not spending much to make fresh, yummy food for your little one(s) over months…maybe years! I used mine a ton during the first year but then still made purees for DIY food pouches when my boys were 1-2 years old. WORTH IT!

Remember that cooking your own baby food locks in all the nutrients and leaves out all the preservatives and additives…why not, right? I have BÉABA’S original model but they have other colors, sizes, etc. if you’re looking for something specific. The Babycook also makes an awesome baby shower gift because of course, all babies need to eat! So there you have it – my shameless plug for an amazing baby food machine that (seriously) won’t let you down.

Now, onto the recipes!

Any of these are perfect for babies 4-6 months old (and up). As they get past 6 months of age (or become more experienced eaters) you can try a more chunky consistency if the time is right; be sure to talk with your ped about what’s best for your little one when introducing new foods! I also prefer to buy fresh produce but if something isn’t in season I’m not beyond buying frozen because I feel like it’s the next best thing. I’d never give my kids something that I wouldn’t eat myself so when I’m making my baby food I totally taste as I go but that’s just my two cents. 🙂

Holler if you have questions or drop your own yummy food combos in the comments. Happy cooking, friends!

FRUITS

Apples: peel, then rough chop / 3 small apples will fit in the Babycook basket

Mangoes: I usually buy these frozen, they come pre-cut / half of a 16 oz bag will fit in the Babycook basket

Peaches: peel, then rough chop / 4 small peaches will fit in the Babycook basket

Pears: peel, then rough chop / 4 small pears will fit in the Babycook basket

VEGGIES

Carrots: peel, then rough chop / 6 medium carrots will fit in the Babycook basket

Green Beans: I usually buy these frozen to save time/ half of a 16 oz bag will fit in the Babycook basket

Peas: I usually buy these frozen / half of a 16 oz bag will fit in the Babycook basket

Squash: peel, then rough chop / half of a medium butternut squash fill fit in the Babycook basket (you can also split/roast your squash in the oven, then use the Babycook for blending it down, too)

Sweet Potatoes: same as squash – peel, then rough chop (or use the roasting method) / 2 small sweet potatoes will fit in the Babycook basket

OTHER FOODS + PREP / STORAGE NOTES

Ripe bananas and avocados can be pulsed down in the Babycook or mashed by hand; aka they don’t need to be cooked! I use them for a lot of my meals so to make something sweet + savory all in one.

For all of my purees, I like to cook everything as a single ingredient. I keep them all in bowls until I’m ready for mixing and storage. Just like If you can picture it: my counter laid out with all my bowls of pureed foods. From there, I’ll use a mixing bowl to take a few scoops of one thing (we’ll say apples) and then mix it with a few scoops of another (maybe sweet potatoes). If it’s not the right consistency I’ll add in something thinner or thicker if I want to, then fill up my OXO Tot freezer trays or cubes for storage. I also have these silicone molds by BÉABA (all options BPA-free, of course). I’ll also usually freeze everything but make at least a few fresh cubes to keep in the fridge for eating soon.

The other option for prep is to think about your flavor combination before you prep your foods and steam things together at the same time. There’s really no wrong way to do it! So, if you wanted to make apples and mangoes, you’d chop a few of each and load those into the Babycook basket together. After their cooked, you’ll blend them down together and know that you have a large batch of apple + mango puree ready for storage.

For reheating (although in a pinch, the twins will eat cold pureed fruit), you can put a refrigerated cube in the microwave to warm it up to room temp or more. With frozen pieces, I’ll either put them in the fridge the night before or just defrost using my microwave when it’s time to eat.

PSA for storage: a good rule of thumb for baby food storage is 3 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. The Babycook also comes with a cookbook and some fast tips for prep and storage, too!

FLAVOR COMBOS

You can definitely do the main ingredient (listed first) plus one or several others in the list…totally the fun part of baby food making IMO!

Apples + mangoes / peaches / pears / carrots / green beans / peas / squash / sweet potatoes

Avocados + apples / bananas / pears

Bananas + apples / mangoes / peaches / squash / sweet potatoes

Mangoes + apples / bananas / pears / carrots

Peaches + apples / bananas / pears / carrots

Pears + apples / mangoes / peaches / carrots / green beans / peas / squash

Carrots + apples / mangoes / peaches / pears / green beans / peas

Green Beans + apples / pears / carrots

Peas + apples / carrots

Squash + apples / bananas / pears

Sweet Potatoes + apples / bananas / pears