I’m ecstatic that I’m Always in the Kitchen was named a 2023 Featured Publication by this past week! Greetings to all my new readers! I hope you find this little space on the internet to be supporting and find a sense of community with us. Welcome!
And welcome to the wonderful world of purees! Pat yourself on the back, you made it here. Treat yourself to some coffee from your favorite cafe. You deserve it.
This is a huge milestone. I want it to be exciting, colorful, and flavorful. I want this for you and your baby.
When it comes time to prepare homemade purees, I want it to be quick and easy so you’re not spending hours in the kitchen or racking your brain at the grocery store. I’m always in the kitchen, but you don’t have to be. (See what I did there?)
I don’t know about you but when I typically think of purees I think of boring, sad, lifeless mush sitting on the counter. Perhaps flies are swarming around the rim?
Kidding.
I think of one-ingredient blends that are totally watered down.
I don’t want that for you. I don’t want that for your baby.
JUSTICE FOR BABY’S TASTE BUDS!
Let’s make purees sensational. Let’s make them flamboyant. But since we’re not Michelin chefs and still catching up on sleep, let’s do it with little time and effort.
Ok, you may be speculating, “Why all the fuss? Babies won’t know the difference.”
But here’s the thing - they will. Lest we forget, babies have taste buds too.
RESPECT FOR THE TASTE BUDS!
My rationale for striking against boring purees stems from the philosophy that the more variety you introduce to your baby, the better. Early introduction of varied flavors, colors, and nutrients can help diversify a baby's palate. We want to expand baby's flavor repertoire, add new aromas and spices to their little flavor reservoir.
Why?
Because we are preparing them for toddlerhood.
When babies initially start solids they’re usually happy little campers, eager for most foods and flavors. As they age and approach their first birthday, they may become a little pickier and introducing new foods can become more challenging. There are a lot of developmental reasons for this (a different discussion) but my point is that we want to introduce variety early so that when pickiness inevitably ensues, at least they have their food reservoir that’s both vast and diverse.
I’m not saying your baby is doomed if they lack a diversified stockpile. You are not a bad parent. No guilt allowed here. However, I’m inviting you to consider an alternative approach and make a change. There is always room for change.
Also, it will make your life easier in the long run.
Something else to consider is how often you want to introduce a new food. Many parents follow a ‘3 day rule’ and introduce new foods every 3 days. Many health professionals are moving away from this approach because it’s considered unnecessary unless it’s an allergen. Plus this “rule” will delay the introduction of foods. It will take your baby a very long time to eat all the wonderful foods of the world! Besides, there is SO much evidence supporting variety from the start. This “rule” is not only monotonous but your baby may show disinterest in eating because they are food-fatigued. (I despise rules.)
“What about offering vegetables before fruits? Should I be worried about the sugar content?”
I’m so glad you asked 😂
It’s a common misconception that vegetables should be introduced before fruit because heavens forbid we give our child naturally-occurring sugar.
JUSTICE FOR FRUIT!
Babies are usually sweet-inclined because breastmilk and formula are sweet - it's already a familiar and safe flavor. Savory or earthy flavors are unfamiliar and new. New things can be overwhelming for our little ones. It takes time and repeated exposures for them to warm up to new flavors!
Additionally, fruits have the SAME vitamins and minerals as vegetables. They have fiber and antioxidants, just like vegetables. Sure, fruit has higher sugar content but its natural sugar NOT added or processed sugar.
Fruit will not ruin your baby’s taste buds.
JUSTICE FOR FRUIT!
“Ok, now that you’ve made a case for fruit, how do we dazzle our babies with these so-called ‘exciting’ purees?”
You guys are asking such great questions! 😆
Think about eating the rainbow
Think about cycling the food groups
Think about adding spices, fresh herbs, and fat
Rainbow talk 🌈 🌈
I want you to think about cycling through the colors of the rainbow. At each meal, offer different colored foods. Different colors offer different important nutrients.
Some examples:
RED: strawberries, raspberries, red bell pepper, beets, tomatoes
ORANGE: sweet potato, carrots, peach, pumpkin
YELLOW: yellow bell pepper, mango, banana, chickpeas
GREEN: leafy greens, broccoli, avocado, kiwi
BLUE: blueberries (guys, what else?!)
PURPLE: blackberries, purple sweet potato, plum
WHITE: Cauliflower, white bean, chicken
Food Groups 🍎 🥦🍗
Similar to cycling colors, I want you to rotate food groups. If you offer apple and avocado for breakfast, provide broccoli and chicken for dinner. In one day you have already offered all food groups.
GIMME SOME SPICE, GIMME SOME HERBS, GIMME SOME FAT 🥑 🧈 🧄
Incorporating spices and fresh herbs will add nuanced layers to the flavor profile, while fat will add body and a creamy texture.
Here are some examples:
Spices:
Cinnamon
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Turmeric (watch out for stains)
Cumin
Curry powder (salt-free)
Dried parsley
Dried oregano
Dried thyme
Dried dill
Dried rosemary
Paprika
Nutmeg
Vanilla paste
Fresh herbs:
Parsley
Cilantro
Thyme
Dill
Rosemary
Basil
Mint
Fat:
Avocado oil
Extra virgin olive oil
Coconut oil
Avocado
Butter
Nut butter
Seed butter
Tahini
Ghee
Let’s bring it home -
Instead of boring, old, lifeless pureed peas, consider: peas + fresh dill + garlic powder + olive oil
Instead of dreary, bland pureed butternut squash, consider: butternut squash + nut butter + cinnamon
Instead of unimaginative pureed beans, consider: white bean + avocado + fresh cilantro
You get the gist.
How to Prepare and Store:
I like to roast up a bunch of fruits and vegetables with oil and spices and cook them until they’re soft. Once cooled, I’ll add the fruits/vegetables to a food processor and blend. If I’m adding fresh herbs, I add them to the food processor at the end.
Steaming also works. I bought a steamer basket a few years ago and never looked back. My favorite foods to steam are broccoli and cauliflower.
For proteins like beef or chicken, stick 'em in the crock pot with oil and spices and let them cook on low for hours. The result is a super moist and yummy piece of protein that’s easy to blend.
Lastly, I like to utilize frozen produce for convenience and pre-washed and pre-cut produce to save time. I store leftover purees in silicone ice cube trays (with tops) and freeze for later use.
Easy, simple.
Let’s bring it home again -
Purees that will WOW your babe and shock your in-laws:
Butternut squash + olive oil + cinnamon
Peas + fresh dill + garlic powder + avocado oil
Banana + nut butter/seed butter
Chicken + carrot + turmeric
White bean + avocado + fresh cilantro
Pear + coconut oil + nutmeg
Lentils + avocado oil + cumin
Cauliflower + tahini + garlic powder
Broccoli + ghee + onion powder
Zucchini + tomato + fresh basil + olive oil
Oats + raspberry + vanilla pasta + nut/seed butter
Plain full-fat Greek yogurt + apple + cinnamon
Ok, we’re home but we’re in bed scrolling Netflix -
An alternative narrative - if you’re cooking for your family and don’t want to make separate food (purees) for the baby - I see you.
Think about the foods you make for your family or older kids. Most of them can be incorporated into purees. If you are making soup or stew, it can be pureed. If you are making meatballs or shepherd's pie, it can be pureed. But, consider salting your food after setting some aside for the baby. It’s best practice to avoid salt since babies have immature kidneys, which may make it difficult to filter out excess sodium.
Here are some staples I make in my home that can be incorporated into puree form:
Split pea soup
Lentil soup
Zucchini leek soup
Chicken soup
Chili
Meatballs
Braised chicken in tomatoes
Chia pudding
Omega blueberry crisp (omit maple syrup)
Scrambled eggs
So, what are our thoughts? Are we rooting for more interesting purees?
The puree stage certainly doesn’t have to be boring. It can be all sorts of color and combinations of beauty. Consider it.
Warmly,
Dahlia
Interested in starting solids with baby-led weaning (BLW)? Look out for an issue dedicated to BLW very soon!
Wow what great ideas!
These are brilliant! I did some fun combos for my twins nine years ago, but I've gotten boring as my kids' palates have gotten excruciatingly boring and the baby is suffering the boring purée syndrome. Thanks for the ideas! (Maybe my older kids will benefit too!)