Best Baby Food Recipes 4 to 6 Months

six easy and tasty baby food combination recipes: Sweetness White potato Apple, Asparagus Apple, Blueberry Banana Quinoa Flax, Peach Pear, Avocado Peach Pineapple Kale and Pineapple Mango.

Earlier this week I shared a recipe for carrot babe food, which is a great first food for babies. Today I'1000 sharing 6 infant food combinations that work for babies who are a piffling older, effectually 6-viii months. The combos I'm sharing are mostly fruit and vegetables, simply there is one combo with quinoa and flaxseed as well. All of these combos have been taste-tested and approved by Olivia. She gobbled upwardly each of them!

Baby not ready for phase 2? I've got a collection of ten babe food purees for stage one eaters!

Stack of 6 glass baby food jars filled with homemade different baby foods.

The recipes I'1000 sharing here are just to requite you some ideas of how to make dissimilar infant nutrient combos, but in that location are so many other combos you lot can brand – the options are countless and it's fun to go creative!

Just last week I fabricated a new combo inspired by carrot cake with steamed carrots, pineapple, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. I've also been making Olivia peanut butter banana oatmeal (with quick oats) and chia pudding fabricated with breast milk. She loves both!

I oasis't introduced Olivia to meat, but we've given her eggs and I'chiliad hoping to accept her try meat before long. I'll probable offset with salmon since it'south packed with so many nutrients. Fingers crossed she likes information technology!

How to Make a Fruit or Veggie Puree

Alight, and then permit's encompass the basics showtime… how to make a basic babe food puree with fruit or veggies. Information technology's actually really easy. That said, if you're brand new to making baby food purees it might exist helpful to review my homemade carrot puree or sweet spud puree recipe. Here's the basic process:

Prep: wash the fruit/veggies with h2o. Pare and chop into smaller pieces. Some fruits and veggies don't demand to be peeled because one time they're cooked the peel will come correct off.
Cook: cook the fruit/veggies past steaming, humid or roasting. You'll know information technology's done when the veggies are soft and tender. I similar to use a fork to exam this. If information technology goes in really hands, I know it'south done. Permit absurd and peel (if you waited to peel).
Blend: place cooked fruit/veggies into a blender or nutrient processor and blend until smooth (or the consistency yous want), adding liquid (water, chest milk or formula) as needed.

Asparagus spears in a steamer basket in a pot.

Do You Need to Steam Fruits and Veggies for Babe?

It'south recommended that virtually fruits and veggies are steamed (or cooked) earlier serving until baby reaches around 8 months of age. Some foods crave cooking (like apples and sweet potatoes), just and so they're soft plenty to puree. For softer foods (like a ripe peach or blueberries) steaming/cooking is optional, but helpful for babies 6-eight months of historic period because cooking makes the food easier to digest and baby will able to absorb more nutrients from the food. As you'll see in my recipes below, I like to use a steamer basket to steam most of my fruit and veggies before pureeing.

Bananas and Avocado

Bananas and avocado are the exception and they are great options to accept on hand considering you lot can easily simply mash, thin with liquid (if needed) and serve.

Two side by side photos. The first is of banana chunks in a bowl. The second is of mashed banana in a bowl.

Side by side photos. The first is of a bowl of avocado chunks. The second photo is of mashed avocado.

How to Make Baby Nutrient Combinations

For all of these combination recipes, I steamed each fruit/veggie separately and then fabricated the combos using the measurements I share in the recipes. I did it this style considering I was batching all of these combos at once and I'm only able to fit so much in ane pot, simply besides because the steam fourth dimension varies for most fruits and veggies (come across below). Of form, you will find some recipes (on other sites) that involve cooking the items that are combined all together, but I found it easier only to steam all of my ingredients separately, measure and then alloy them together. Do what feels easiest for you lot!

How to Blend Baby Food

Once your fruit/veggies are cooked, it'due south fourth dimension to alloy. For this you lot can use a blender, food processor or fifty-fifty an immersion blender. I've been using my Vitamix and Dearest information technology for making baby food because it's really powerful and makes the blends so smooth and creamy. Some foods don't need to be blended for babies who are okay with a more than chunky texture. You tin can simply mash them well with a fork.

Overhead photo of a blender with kale, pineapple and mango.

Peeling the Fruit and Veggies

I highly recommend peeling your fruits and veggies considering peeling results in smoother purees and makes the food easier for baby to digest. Some foods, similar carrots, should exist peeled before cooking, but other foods like sweet murphy, apples, peaches and pears tend to have skin that peels right off after steaming. Ultimately information technology's upwardly to you whether y'all desire to peel the fruit/veggies before or after steaming. Test information technology both ways and decide which option is easier for you. I'thou team peel after steaming!

1 avocado
1 bunch of kale
1 sweet murphy
1 bunch asparagus
1 banana
ii apples
2 pears
4 peaches
one pint blueberries
1 pineapple
1 mango
quinoa
ground flax

Steaming Time For the Fruits and Veggies

As I mentioned above, it'south recommended that most fruits and veggies (fifty-fifty soft ones) are steamed (or cooked) earlier serving babies who are half dozen-eight months. If your babe is older you tin experiment with using fresh blueberries, peaches, pears, pineapple and mango that hasn't been steamed, so long every bit the fruit is ripe and soft. I really used fresh blueberries when making the blueberry banana quinoa flax combo.

Sugariness potato: 12-fifteen minutes
Apple: x-12 minutes
Asparagus: 7-13 minutes
Blueberries: five-10 minutes
Peach: ii-4 minutes
Pear: 10-12 minutes
Pineapple: 5-ten minutes
Mango: five-10 minutes

Frozen fruit and veggies also work for these recipes. You lot'll likely just need to steam them a bit longer.

6 Easy Baby Food Combinations

Here are six different baby food combinations. I've listed them in lodge of the level of complexity from the least circuitous (peach pear) to most complex (blueberry banana quinoa and flax).

Peach Pear

Ingredients: ii steamed and peeled pears and 3 steamed and peeled peaches + h2o or chest milk to thin (if needed)

Asparagus Apple

Ingredients: 1 bunch of steamed asparagus, i steamed and peeled apple + water or breast milk to thin

Sweet Potato Apple tree Cinnamon

Ingredients: 1 steamed and peeled sweet potato, 1 steamed and peeled apple, compression of cinnamon + water or breast milk to thin

Sweet potato apple baby food in a 4 oz baby food jar.

Avocado Peach Pineapple Kale

Ingredients: 1 avocado, 1 steamed and peeled peach, 1/two cup steamed pineapple and ane/2 cup of steamed kale + h2o or breast milk to thin (if needed)

Pineapple Mango

Ingredients: 1 cup steamed pineapple + 1 cup steamed mango + h2o or chest milk to sparse (if needed)

Blueberry Banana Quinoa Flax

Ingredients: i pint steamed blueberries, one/2 cup cooked quinoa, i ripe assistant, 2 Tablespoons of ground flaxseed + water or breast milk to thin (if needed)

How to Shop Bootleg Baby Food

Once you have the baby food blended to the consistency you want, permit the mixture cool and and so transfer into BPA-costless storage containers or into an ice cube tray. I've been using silicone water ice cube trays and these 4 oz glass storage containers. The ice cube trays are great for younger babies who aren't eating equally much volume because yous tin defrost ane cube at a time. While the four oz jars are great for older babies who are eating more than 1 oz at a time.

Overhead photo of 6 baby food glass jars with 6 different kind of baby food with labels of what kind of food is inside.

We had the water ice cube trays on hand, and I just recently bought the WeeSprout glass storage containers that are specifically for baby nutrient. I similar that they accept measurements on the side of the jars and that they're glass instead of plastic (no worry about BPA). They are besides freezer, dish-washer and microwave-safe. Plus they come with colorful lids that you lot can write on with a dry out eraser marker to note the item and date.

2 silicone ice cube trays with homemade colorful baby food.

When using the ice cube trays, I like to let the food freeze overnight (or until solid) and then transfer the cubes to a freezer handbag so I tin can free up the ice cube tray for more nutrient prep. I used plastic freezer numberless for these photos but accept since purchased reusable Stasher bags to use. They're freezer safe and not-toxic and a healthier option for the environment.

6 Freezer bags with colorful cubes of frozen baby food.

The babe nutrient combos will go on in the fridge for 2-3 days and in the freezer for up to iii months.

Tin can You lot Freeze Infant Food Made with Frozen Fruit or Veggies?

Yes, you can freeze baby nutrient that has been fabricated with frozen fruit or veggies as long as y'all have cooked the frozen foods first. You shouldn't let frozen foods thaw (without cooking), puree and re-freeze.

Tin can You Freeze Baby Food Made with Chest Milk or Formula?

Freezing baby food that has been mixed with fresh chest milk is totally fine, however you lot should non freeze baby food that has been mixed with previously frozen breast milk. Frozen and thawed breast milk should never be re-frozen.

Virtually formula companies don't recommend freezing formula, merely from what I've read it'south okay to freeze bootleg baby food that has been mixed with formula to thin.

Another option is to freeze the baby nutrient purees without calculation whatsoever liquid. With this method you lot tin thaw the baby food puree in the fridge overnight and then thin the food to the desired texture with chest milk or formula right before serving.

This postal service all nigh freezing baby food has a ton of groovy insight and tips.

6 baby food jars with hand written labels.

Don't Forget to Label

I highly recommend labeling whatever baby food you lot brand before storing information technology! It's astonishing how chop-chop you forget what twenty-four hours you prepped the nutrient once it goes into the fridge or freezer. #mombrain

Frozen blueberry baby food cube in a water bath to thaw with pink baby spoon.

How to Reheat or Thaw Frozen Baby Food

To thaw frozen baby food, I recommend taking the jar out of the freezer the nighttime earlier y'all desire to employ information technology and then it can defrost in the refrigerator overnight. If y'all need to use it correct away, you tin can thaw information technology using a water bath. Some people will recommend microwaving the frozen puree using the defrost setting, simply I adopt these ii methods:

Defrost in the refrigerator: Place frozen puree cubes into a jar or baby's serving dish, cover, and place in the refrigerator overnight. If you lot stored the puree in a jar or storage container, merely place the jar the fridge.
H2o bath: Place frozen pureed cubes in a small container and set in some other larger container with warm water. Replace the water as needed. One time defrosted, portion the food into individual bowls, embrace, and air-condition until serving.

Exist certain to use any of the defrosted food inside 48 hours of being defrosted and do non re-freeze.

More Recipes for Babies and Toddlers

10 Baby Food Purees (Stage ane)
Infant Pancakes
How to Make Oatmeal For Babies
Carrot Baby Food
Peach Baby Food
Babe (+ Toddler) French Toast
Applesauce
Infant Yogurt Melts
Butternut Squash Puree
Sweet Potato Puree

6 Baby Food Combinations

6 like shooting fish in a barrel and tasty baby food combo recipes: Sweet Potato Apple, Asparagus Apple, Huckleberry Banana Quinoa Flax, Peach Pear, Avocado Peach Pineapple Kale and Pineapple Mango.

Overhead photo of glass baby food jars filled with 6 different types of homemade baby food.

Prep Fourth dimension 10 minutes

Melt Time xx minutes

Full Time thirty minutes

Servings 6