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5 Favorite Flavorful Purees

Updated: Jun 23, 2019







I really always thought that baby food was either simply bland or sweetened with fruit. But then I had Zoe and had way too much fun experimenting (after talking to my pediatrician about adding herbs and spices for flavor).

Why couldn't it be filled with flavor? Why not brighten those taste buds with everything our garden (or the food market!) has to offer?!

So here is my PSA to GO FOR IT. Add some cinnamon to your pureed apples ( I know have to make a huge batch of this weekly because Zoe also loves it. And guess what, you don't need the added sugar for it to be good!! Just include some berries to tart apples or some sweet frozen mangos. Seriously.

A dash of cumin to your avocados or a spring of cilantro steamed and pureed with your beans. There is no wrong way to do this but I usually will use flavor profiles that I cook or serve up regularly. This way when she starts eating table foods in the next few months she will adjust quickly to our family dinners. And only making one dinner is totally #winning

Here are 5 favorite purees that Ami (and Zoe!) gobbled up.

rosemary.carrots.quinoa


strawberry. apple. cinnamon.


peas. mint. butter.


beans. cilantro. quinoa.


brocoli. apple. rosemary.


Now remember that rules still apply, check out this post for tips on starting solids and ALWAYS consult with your pedi with questions on mixing purees. I have just found that putting in some flavor has made my Zoe an adventurous eater. (

There are also lots of mamas out there that make enough food for the month but I have found that it works for me to make her weekly purees.

Now tell me what are your favorite purees?

Want to see more posts like this?? Let me know!! And don't worry for all of you toddler mamas, I am planning on a post with lunch ideas for littles as a back to school theme next week. And don't forget to subscribe, so you don't miss a post.

xo

Natalie

( I make all of my baby food in this and have this high chair and this tray set but I would love to get another one of this )

8 Tips on Starting Solids

Updated: Jun 23, 2019



I should start this with I am not a pediatrician or doctor just a mama who has started this journey of baby food for the second time. I have learned a couple tricks along the way and am always looking to share what I know.

I will also say this is so much fun and less stressful the second time around. Balancing flavors and watching her just totally enjoy (and hate!!!) different foods is so much fun.

Zoe was a preemie, so we had early intervention involved in starting solids. It was much more stressful and like anything new a bit scary. Like is she going to choke, or have allergies ( I have so many family members with allergies and a pretty severe peanut allergy myself). This time around the same fears are there but it's just not as new and well I guess maybe I don't have as much time to fret about everything little thing.

We knew Ami was ready for food when she was so interested in what we were doing and eating than nursing. I found she started cluster feeding at night to make up for the missed meals during the day.








1 - Your baby is ready for solid food when: He/she has good head control and sits with some support. He/she looks interested in anything you eat. He/she can swallow a spoonful of pureed food without too much tongue thrusting.

(Trust your instinct because no one knows your baby best but always consult with your pedi)

2 - Give 1 meal of solids once per day. You can really start with any basic food, but we started with oatmeal cereal mixed with breast milk. Start with a new food every 3-4 days. Some examples of first foods after oatmeal cereal are: carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, peas, green beans, apples, bananas, peaches, pears and mushy avocado.

3 - Give your baby meals at a quiet time of day and not when he/she is frantically hungry. This will set you up for success! 4 - Rice cereal, applesauce and bananas may be constipating. You may need to use alternate foods to help with this (such as oatmeal, peaches/pears/prunes/plums). We introduced pureed prunes as one of the first foods, to balance out the belly.

5 - Babies need time to get used to new tastes. What he/she may not like one day, he/she might like another. After 5-10 tries, he/she may actually realize he/she does like it. Keep trying or combine flavors and don't be afraid of adding herbs or spices, I love including herbs from my garden into her meals. We have tried carrots and rosemary, navy beans and cilantro or her favorite peas mint and a little butter. I would try the food first for a couple days and then add one new ingredient at a time.

6 - Stop feeding when your baby turns his/her head away when offered the spoon, spits out the food or simply won't open their mouths for another bite.

7 - These first few months of solid are not suppose to take the place of breast milk or formula, so offer breast or bottle feeding after a solid meal but if they are a great eater (like Ms Ami!!) it is okay if your baby declines.

8 - Have benadryl on hand and know how much to give them. We had a really big scare with Zoe's peach allergy and the waiting time on knowing what to do almost caused me never to try solids again... JK but seriously, know what to do if there is a sever allergy is KEY to keeping your sanity.

(and remember feeding is a multi-sensory process so expect a mess, pull out the camera and have fun with it!)

Below are some products and books that have made our "and she eats" journey a little easier. Find my board on pinterest for lots of ideas!

I cannot say enough good things about the Cuisinart Baby machine, I got it from my bestie and seriously the best machine ever. you can steam and puree all int he same machine which means LESS STUFF TO WASH. I make a batch of veggies and another of fruit twice a week. Each batch is good for 3-4 days but you can also freeze some!

I am looking forward to making both her and Zoe some homemade pouches. :) I hope this is helpful for all of you amazing mamas requesting tips and recommendations on babyfood makers. Looking forward to sharing our favorite recipes (Another request I get daily.)

xo

Natalie

Potty Regression



 

Zoe has had such an incredible transition from baby of the house to big sister. The one thing we have had a tiny hiccup on lately has been potty accidents. She was completely potty trained at 21-22 months buttttttt lately we've had a few accidents a few times a week. So we've started a little potty boot camp. LOL JK but seriously back to the basics around here to get the little missy back to big girl status. Here are 5 tips we are concentrating on.

 

1. Back to basics. We have fallen out of our routine of asking if she needs to potty because she was wayyy past accidents and had let her tell us when she wanted to potty. But we are falling back to making her sit on the potty before and after meals/snacks, before leaving/arriving to a location.

2. Prizes. Some call them bribes, I call them prizes. stickers, gummies, extra stories at bedtime, extra stars on the behavior chart, playground trip or even a book she has been wanting.

3. Stay calm. Goodness I get frustrated when she has an accident when I JUST asked if she needed to go like seconds later... mama I had accident. But I have to constantly remind myself they will always win the power struggle so stay calm & do not punish. At first I thought a timeout would nip it in the bum but the more I read the more I am sure that she is just going through a big change and we should be kind to her reaction.

4. Remind. Remind. Remind. Remind them frequently that if they stay dry them get that prize.

5. Talk to your toddler. Seriously sounds silly but having that convo when everyone is calm and happy (and dry) really helps. We do the whole "you know how proud I am of you when you act like a big girl, sharing, no accidents, using our words. Let's make today (or this afternoon or tomorrow) a better day."

Am I missing anything ?

Well this mama wishes you luck and know you aren't alone!

xo

Natalie

First I have to say this is a sponsored post by Charmin, but I promise to keep only sharing collaborations and sponsored posts with brands that I love and either already use or have fallen in love with.

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