A friend of mine told me about her cousin, Kristy, who gives her daughter many home grown foods. I got in touch with her and asked is she would mind sharing her experience, not only for my sake, but for my blog readers. Below is her story!

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Inspired by my newborn daughter, Katelynn, I planted a garden based on first foods for babies. My intention was for her to experience local and organic food for her first tastes of solid food. I loved watching her culinary world burst wide open as each new item came in season. As the sweet peas, green beans, zucchini, squash, carrots and sweet potatoes ripened in the garden, I excitedly prepared them for Katelynn in the hopes that she would enjoy them as much as I do.Although the carrots and sweet potatoes have not come in yet, I am shocked at how well this is working and how simple it is.

How to prepare vegetables:

Generally, I roast (results in sweeter veggies) or steam the veggies. Puree them with purified water (although you can use milk or formula) and put in ice cube trays (each cube equals about 1oz) to freeze. After they are frozen, I put them in a labeled ziplock bag in the freezer where they can stay for up to 6 months. I add no salt or sugar and make large “batches” to freeze for a week or more. When I serve the cube of frozen veggies, I then take it out of the freezer ahead of time and let it come to room temperature. You can heat it if you prefer serving it warm.

We started with sweet peas, which I steamed, pureed with water and served. She made the most terrible face (she is a very honest critic) and I began to experiment with ways to improve the taste and keep the nutrients high. As green beans came in, I mixed green beans, peas and mint. She became a big fan of carrots and ginger. Other combinations that worked well are zucchini, potatoes and parmesan (inspired by Tyler Florence), pasta primavera with fresh herbs (minus tomatoes, garlic and salt) and butternut squash, brown rice and nutmeg.

How to prepare fruit:

Although not grown in my garden, I frequent local farms to find fresh produce for Katelynn’s fruit options. It is so simple to peel a peach, throw in some blueberries and water, blend and serve for breakfast. Another breakfast option is banana ... When Katelynn hears the blender in the morning, she now knows that food is coming her way and I know that what she is eating is healthy, local and made with love!

Making your own baby food does take additional time and planning, but for me the result of knowing my daughter is putting the best “fuel” in her little body and learning to enjoy healthy food is well worth it.