As mothers, it is extremely important to ensure that our little ones are receiving very nutrient-dense foods. Introducing solids can be a very exciting time, but it can also be a bit confusing. When is the right time to introduce solids? What foods should I introduce first? Do I use packaged baby food or do I make my own? The following are 13 baby purees that will boost their brain development.

When to introduce solids into your baby’s diet

According to Health Canada , solids can be introduced between 4 and 6 months. Before that, a child should be exclusively breastfed or formula fed. Remember whatever option you choose, a fed baby is the best, so if your little one is about the age to introduce solids, how do you know if your child is ready?

Here are some signs to look for:

  • The baby has good head control.
  • Can sit and lean forward without support
  • He can turn his head to let you know that they are full
  • You have lost your tongue thrust reflex and do not automatically push out solids with your tongue

Now that your little one is ready, you are surely thinking of all the delicious foods that you can introduce to your child. So what to start with first?

The first solid food for babies

At one time, rice cereal was a common first food, but as time has passed and more research has been done, rice cereal shouldn’t be the first food you introduce.

White rice is a refined carbohydrate, a highly processed and nutritionally deprived group of foods that has no nutritional value for babies. Feeding babies cereal has been associated with an increased risk of type 1 diabetes.

According to the Weston A. Price Foundation , egg yolk should be your baby’s first solid food. Free-range chicken egg yolks will contain the special long-chain fatty acids necessary for optimal development of your child’s brain and nervous system.

But wait with the egg whites as they can cause an allergic reaction. It’s best to avoid egg whites until your child is at least 1 year old.

How to prepare eggs for babies

A simple way to prepare an egg yolk:

1 organic free-range egg

  • Boil the egg for 3.5 minutes.
  • Peel the shell and egg white from the cooked yolk
  • Discard the shell and egg white
  • Crush the yolk and it is ready to eat.
  • * The egg yolk should be soft and warm, not hot.

After 3-5 days, if you don’t see a negative reaction to the yolks, you can now introduce another new food. You may be wondering why wait 3-5 days before introducing a new food, and the reasoning behind this is to help control any food intolerances, allergies, or digestive problems.

How to introduce solids: fruits and vegetables

We usually start giving our babies something sweet, but kids will always go for a treat before offering them something else, right? Can we help plant that preference early in the solids introduction? Most of the time, as parents, we go for a sweet vegetable or fruit when we introduce a first meal.

No matter what, a child will always like sweet foods, but if you introduce sweet foods first, they can get very picky and they won’t want to try anything different.

What vegetables come first?

So instead of offering you sweet vegetables and fruits, we can start with green and sour foods. There’s a lot to choose from, for example, just steamed and mashed kale may surprise you how quickly they can take it.

From there, you can slowly introduce other greens like chard and spinach until you reach sweeter greens like broccoli and peas. Once you get to the sweeter veggies, you can start to introduce other veggies and fruits.

One thing to remember: if they don’t like a food on the first try, it doesn’t mean they will never like that food. Sometimes it can take up to 14 tries before a child likes that food, so wait a bit and try again.

By starting with sour vegetables, we plant a healthy relationship with all vegetables and fruits; you’re not going to turn your nose when you see veggies on your plate and eat a bowl of broccoli over anything else. Introducing foods in this type of order can help prevent a picky child.

13 homemade baby purees for optimal brain development

Once your child has tried most of the foods separately and knows which foods he can safely eat without negative effects, you can start making fun mixes of different foods.

Here are some very healthy and great homemade baby puree recipes for optimal brain development.

Banana and blueberry puree

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup of ripe banana
  • 2/3 cup fresh blueberries
  • 2/3 cup cooked quinoa
  • 2 tablespoons of water

Instruction:

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor or blender.

Quinoa and vegetable puree

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of peeled and diced raw vegetables (carrots, peas, sweet potatoes)
  • 1 cup of cooked quinoa
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup of water

Instruction:

  1. Steam vegetables for 15-20 minutes (until vegetables are tender).
  2. Allow the vegetables to cool.
  3. Puree all ingredients in food processor or blender.
  4. Add water as needed to get desired consistency.

Energetic green puree

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of broccoli
  • 1/2 cup frozen or fresh peas
  • 1-2 tablespoons of water

Instruction:

  1. Steam the broccoli, peas, and spinach for 15-20 minutes (until the broccoli and peas are tender).
  2. Allow the vegetables to cool.
  3. Puree all ingredients in food processor or blender.
  4. Add water as needed to get the desired consistency.

Fruit puree and quinoa

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of washed, pitted and peeled fruit (apple, strawberries, blueberries, bananas)
  • 1 cup of cooked quinoa
  • ½ cup of water

Instruction:

  1. Steam the fruit for 10 minutes (do not steam the bananas)
  2. Allow the fruit to cool.
  3. Puree all ingredients in food processor or blender.
  4. Add water as needed to get desired consistency.

Sweet Potato and Banana Puree

Ingredients:

  • 1 sweet potato / sweet potato / sweet potato – peeled
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1/4 cup of water

Instruction:

  • Cut the sweet potato into large pieces and steam for 20-30 minutes (until the sweet potato is tender)
  • Let the sweet potato cool.
  • Puree all ingredients in food processor or blender.
  • Add water as needed to get the desired consistency.

Pumpkin butter and pear puree

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of butter squash, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 cup of pears, cut and peeled
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup of water

Instruction:

  • Steam the squash and pears for 15-25 minutes (until tender)
  • Let cool.
  • Puree all ingredients in food processor or blender.
  • Add water as needed to get the desired consistency.

Pea and carrot puree

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
  • 1 cup carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1/4 cup of water

Instruction:

  • Steam the carrots and peas for 15-20 minutes.
  • Puree all ingredients in food processor or blender.
  • Add water as needed to get the desired consistency.

Avocado and banana puree

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 ripe avocado
  • 1 ripe banana

Instruction:

  1. Mash the avocado and banana in a bowl or puree in a blender.
  2. Add water as needed to get the desired consistency.

* Banana and avocado may turn a little brown, but it will still taste the same and is good to eat. Do not freeze this mixture, store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Beet and blueberry puree

Ingredients:

  1. 2 medium beets, peeled and chopped
  2. ½ cup frozen or fresh blueberries

Instruction:

  1. Place the beets and blueberries in a pot with enough water to cover the beets and blueberries and cook over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes or until the beets are tender.
  2. Drain the water but set some of the water aside. Place the blueberries and beets in the food processor or blender and puree them.
  3. Use water that you separated to dilute the mixture to the desired consistency.

Banana, pear and peach puree

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe pear, peeled and sliced
  • 1 durazno
  • 1 ripe banana

Instruction:

  1. Mark an X on the side of the peach and place the X side down in a saucepan of water (note that the water should not reach more than half of the peach)
  2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes (it should be soft)
  3. Remove from the water and let cool.
  4. Peel off the skin and remove the seed.
  5. Steam the pear for 15 minutes and let it cool
  6. Place all the ingredients in the food processor or blender and puree.
  7. Add a little water if you need a thinner consistency.

Broccoli, carrot and quinoa puree

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of broccoli
  • 1 cup carrots, peeled
  • 1 cup of cooked quinoa
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup of water

Instruction:

  1. Steam broccoli and carrots for 15-20 minutes (vegetables should be tender)
  2. Let the vegetables cool
  3. Puree all ingredients in food processor or blender.
  4. Add water as needed to get the desired consistency.

Chicken, carrot and pea puree

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cooked chicken breast
  • 1/2 cup peas
  • 1/2 cup carrots
  • 1/4 –1/3 cup of water

Instruction:

  1. Steam the carrots and peas for 15 minutes and let them cool.
  2. Puree all ingredients in food processor or blender.
  3. Add water as needed to get the desired consistency.

Lentil and sweet potato puree

Ingredients:

  1. 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
  2. 1 cup of cooked lentils
  3. 1/4 – 1/3 cup of water

Instruction:

  1. Steam the sweet potato for 20-30 minutes and let it cool.
  2. Puree all ingredients in food processor or blender.
  3. Add water as needed to get the desired consistency.

* All purees, unless otherwise noted, can be frozen in ice cube trays for individual servings and then placed in freezer bags in the freezer for up to 2 months. To use, let it thaw for a few hours in the fridge then preferably heat on the stove, not in the microwave.

By Dr. Eric Jackson

Dr. Eric Jackson provides primary Internal Medicine care for men and women and treats patients with bone and mineral diseases, diabetes, heart conditions, and other chronic illnesses. He is a Washington University Bone Health Program physician and is a certified Bone Densitometrist. Dr. Avery is consistently recognized in "The Best Doctors in America" list.

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