We all know that healthy eating is important for your baby because it gives him or her the best start possible. Homemade baby food is not only good but really tasty too. You may have a lot of questions about baby’s feeding for example you may wonder what food can you give at the beginning and when to introduce solids to baby’s diet. We created this website for you and your little one. Here you can find information about baby nutrition according to the age.

Consult with your doctor before introducing solid foods to your baby’s diet. It is recommended by pediatricians that an infant start on solids after 6 months.

Most babies at this age start with oatmeal cereals and rice because they are the least of allergic grains. Instead of cereals you can offer your baby banana or avocado. Remember that you can give your baby raw fruits only after 8 months! Banana and avocado don’t need to be cooked. Vegetables have to be served cooked until 12 months. No meat at the age of 6 months. It can be introduced only after 12 months. Keep in mind that you can’t give your baby low fat milk products! You can give your baby only whole milk products. Don’t give your baby honey at this age.

At this stage your baby can eat:

• Fruits: apples, bananas, avocado, pears
• Vegetables: green beans, acorn/butternut squash, sweet potatoes
• Cereals: oat, rice, barley
• Dairy: No
• Protein: No

Baby food recipe (Age 4-6 months)

Avocado, banana puree. (yogurt can be added)

Avocado and bananas are great first food for your baby.

You will need:

1 or half banana

1 or half sliced avocado

If you baby is over 6 months you can add some natural yogurt

You do not have to cook avocado and banana. Peel avocado, cut "meat" and mash it with a fork. Next peel banana and mash it. Place fruits into food processor. You can add some yogurt. Puree until you get proper texture of food.

Your baby is growing. Give him the most nutritious food. You can for example make your own fruit combos. But you have to be careful when you introduce new food to your baby. Wait at least for days before adding new meal to his menu. After 8 month you can try to give raw fruits. Try to cook fruits soft. Vegetable combinations are great idea. After 8 months your baby can eat small chunks. Try out baby finger foods after 8 months. You can give your baby tofu finger cubes. Your baby can have some plain whole milk at the age of 8. You can add some yogurt to baby’s favorite fruit puree.

At this stage your baby can eat:

• Fruits: pumpkin, mango, plums, prunes, peaches, avocados, nectarines, apricots
• Vegetables: zucchini, yellow squash, peas, carrots, parsnips( from 8 moths)
• Cereals: oat, rice, barley
• Dairy: yogurt, whole fat milk
• Protein: if your baby is 8 months: turkey, chicken tofu
  

Delicious Baby food recipe (Age 6-8 months)

Mango and apricot puree

You will need:

2 apricots

1 ripe mango

First of all peel mango. Next cut it into cubes. Chop apricots. Put everything in a pan and cook gently for 5 to 10 minutes until apricots get soft. Than puree it.

At this age your baby may be more interested in exploring surrounding world than in eating food. He or she may also become a picky eater. But don’t worry about this too much. You can try to bring on some spices after 8 months (cinnamon). You can add baby finger foods and more texture meals. Mix grains you have already tried out. You can use pasta as a finger food. Make fruit combinations with fruits your baby already know and with some new ones, with papaya for example. Vegetables soft cooked are good for babies. For better taste you can add some grated cheese or mix vegetables with some meat. While giving cheeses, remember that it better to avoid soft cheeses such as brie. Yogurts are good for baby now.

Your baby can eat:

• Fruits: papaya, grapes, figs, kiwi, cherries, dates, melons, blueberries
• Vegetables: peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, eggplant, parsnips, white potatoes, leeks, broccoli, onion, cauliflower
• Cereals: oat, rice, barley, flax, wheat germ, pasta, millet, plain cheerio’s, graham crackers without honey, multi- grain crackers, bread, pasta,
• Dairy: cottage cheese, cream cheese, light cheddars, Colby
• Proteins: beans, lentils, legumes, lean beef, natural ham, egg yolks pork
  

Baby food recipe (Age 8-10 months)

Blueberry, banana yogurt.

You will need:

1 or half mashed banana

1 cup plain yogurt

1 or more tablespoon of wheat germ

½ cup blueberry puree (recipe is given below)

When you make blueberry puree mix it with yogurt, mashed banana and wheat germ. You can chunk banana instead of mashing it.

How to make blueberry puree:

Take about ½ cup frozen blueberries and put them in to the microwave for about 20 seconds until you see the juice starts to run.

Your baby continues to grow and it is a good opportunity to expand his palate with new tastes. Go get some spices and come up with new ideas of fruit or vegetables combinations. At this age you can offer your baby delicious pasta salads with veggies and cheeses. You can introduce tomato and other acidic foods. Citrus fruits are tasty, you can slowly include them into baby’s menu. At the age of 12 months you can make a change from breast milk or formula to whole milk. In order to make change more easy, you can try to mix breast milk and whole milk and give your baby to try. Give your baby white fleshed fish to taste. You can serve it with some steamed vegetables or some rice.

Your baby can eat:

• Fruits: citrus, berries, grapes, kiwis, melons, …
• Vegetables: spinach, corn, artichokes, tomatoes, beets, eggplant, parsnips, ….
• Cereals: pasta, bagels, wheat germ, wheat cereals
• Dairy: whole milk, yogurts, cheddar, gouda, muenster, jack, cottage cheese, monterey
  

Delicious Baby food recipe (Age 10-12 months)

Banana Pancakes

You will need:

1 or 2 ripe bananas (not overly ripe or mushy bananas)

Pancake Batter

How to prepare?

Slice bananas thinly, coat with pancake batter. Lightly fry in pan until golden brown
Serve as baby finger foods for snack or at breakfast time.

Your baby can eat more and more different foods. Make meals healthy and delicious! Let your baby decide how much he wants to eat. Prepare meals and give snacks at regular time. Give your baby three regular meals and two or three nutritious snack. Show your baby that meals can be interesting and fun.

Give your baby both main meal and something sweet after. You can make for example nutritious pudding. Baby learns by observing you, so be role model. Show your baby that food is delicious by making positive comments about the food and show that you eat meals too. Taste changes with time, so it is important to keep on offering your baby new foods.

Offer your baby at every meal carbohydrates. These are cereals, rice, potatoes, bread, pancakes and many others. Give your baby a lot of fruit and vegetables. Your toddler will learn that they are part of normal meal. Give your baby high iron and protein food. Offer at one or two meals a day. These are meat, eggs, fish, pulses such as beans, nuts.

Give your baby soft chunks of meat. Remember that toddlers need less milk than babies. They shouldn’t been offer large bottles of milk. You can give not more than 12fl oz a day. After 12 months honey is ok.

Your baby can eat:

• Fruits: citrus, berries, grapes, strawberries, cherries, kiwis, melons, watermelons, pumpkin, mango, plums, prunes, peaches, avocados, nectarines…
• Vegetables: spinach, corn, artichokes, tomatoes, beets, eggplant, parsnips, peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, eggplant, white potatoes, leeks, broccoli, onion, cauliflower, cucumber
• Cereals: breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, couscous, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam, plantain, bread, crackers, scones and pancakes…
• Dairy: milk, yogurts, cheddar, gouda, muenster, jack, cottage cheese, monterey
• Proteins: meat, fish, eggs, nuts, kidney beans, chickpeas, hummus, lentils, dhal, good-quality sausages, meatballs and burgers (which have a high lean meat content and a low salt content)
  

At this age your toddler knows how to feed himself with fingers. Toddlers are now in a period of growth and need nutritious food. They have varied appetites. One day they eat more, the other less. By now they have developed strong food likes and dislikes. Toddlers don’t like new foods. To encourage your toddler to try new food, show him that you eat too. In order to teach your baby proper eating habits, do not let him eat all day. Serve regular meals and scheduled snacks. Let your toddler eat as little or as much of the meal. Do not punish or reward your child with food. Still don’t give your toddler food that cause choking and fizzy drinks. Serve small portions, usually 1/4 to 1/2 of the adult serving size.

Your baby can eat:

• Fruits: pitted prunes, raisins ,apples, bananas, peaches, strawberries, pears, cherries, grapes, apricots, plums, oranges, grapefruit…. - cooked, canned or fresh, cut up or sliced, fruit juices
• Vegetables: green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, yams, potatoes, peas artichokes, tomatoes, beets, eggplant, parsnips, peppers, mushrooms…. Vegetables can be diced, cooked or mashed, vegetable juices
• Cereals: rice, barley, wheat, oat, mixed cereals, sweet potatoes, yam, plantain, bread, crackers, scones and pancakes, cut-up bagels, pretzels, rice cakes…
• Dairy: natural hard cheese, soft pasteurized cheese, full-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, pudding, cheddar, gouda
• Proteins: eggs; cut-up or ground meat, poultry, boneless fish; tofu; beans; smooth peanut butter, lentils, dhal, good-quality sausages, meatballs and burgers
• Combo foods: macaroni and cheese, casseroles
  

At the age of two your baby’s growth rate is slowing down and so does his or her appetite. Don’t worry about this. Give your child attention, love, patience and encouragement. Remember to provide your baby with healthy balanced diet with appropriate combination of food. While cooking family meal, put aside some portions for your toddler and don’t put spices. Nutritious food is very important for your child because it provides energy for physical and mental activities. Make sure your child eat least food from the group of fats, oils and sugar group. Give some foods that your baby can hold or pick up because this method encourages self-feeding.

If your child picks out and eats only certain foods, mix favorite food with the food that baby doesn't like.

Your baby can eat:

• Fruits: pitted prunes, raisins ,apples, bananas, peaches, strawberries, pears, cherries, grapes, apricots, plums, oranges, grapefruit…. - cooked, canned or fresh, cut up or sliced, fruit juices
• Vegetables: green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, yams, potatoes, peas artichokes, tomatoes, beets, eggplant, parsnips, peppers, mushrooms…. Vegetables can be diced, cooked or mashed, vegetable juices…
• Cereals: rice, barley, wheat, oat, mixed cereals, sweet potatoes, yam, plantain, bread, crackers, scones and pancakes, cut-up bagels, pretzels, rice cakes…
• Dairy: low-fat milk, natural hard cheese, soft pasteurized cheese, pudding, cheddar, gouda diced or grated cheese; low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese…
• Protein: eggs; cut-up or ground meat, poultry, boneless fish; tofu; beans; smooth peanut butter, lentils, dhal, good-quality sausages, meatballs and burgers
• Combo foods: macaroni and cheese, casseroles
  

Some of the information was found on wholesomebabyfood.com