The big moment has finally arrived: Sometime around the 6-month mark, your baby is likely ready to start solids, and you’re probably excited about the possibility of serving her some of the same foods that the rest of the family is eating — albeit, in baby-safe portions and consistencies.
While store-bought, jarred foods are a great (and convenient) option, it can be fun to make your own baby food. Here are some delicious ideas to put on the menu.
How do you know if your baby is ready for solid foods?
Babies are usually ready to start solids between the ages of 4 to 6 months of age — though many experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend waiting until 6 months.
Ask your child's pediatrician if your baby is ready for solid fare. A few signs that your child may be ready for her next big meal milestone include:
- Good head control. Little ones who can hold their heads up while sitting in a high chair are likely ready to try solids.
- An interest in eating. Your baby may open her mouth when you hold food near her or show an eagerness to sample what you’re eating.
- Ability to move food to the back of throat. If your baby seems to be pushing food back out of her mouth with her tongue, she may not be ready to swallow solids yet.
Some parents opt to introduce solids in purée form, while others follow a baby-led weaning approach. With baby-led weaning, babies who are at least 6 months old are introduced to solids through soft, gummable finger foods instead of purées or mashed-up foods.
The recipes below follow a traditional schedule — purées first, followed by soft, bite-sized finger foods once baby has improved her pincer grasp — but if you'd prefer to try baby-led weaning, these delicious meal ideas can help you get started.
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How do you make your own baby food?
Making baby food at home, with some of the foods that are already in your pantry or fridge, may save you money in the long run. It’s also a good way to introduce your baby to ingredients your family loves that may not be easily found in store-bought baby food.
You don’t need fancy utensils to make your own baby food (although, they can certainly come in handy). Here are some tools that may be helpful to have in your kitchen:
- A blender: Blend fruits and vegetables into purées.
- A sieve or strainer: Press soft fruits and vegetables through the mesh to strain them into a thin consistency.
- Food grinder: A food grinder can be used not only to grind up cooked fruits and vegetables, but also soft meats.
- A fork, spoon or potato masher: Use them to mash already-soft foods like bananas or avocados.
Best homemade baby food recipes
Your little one will be starting out slow — if you're introducing solids in the form of purées, that will mean purées with a very thin consistency or soft foods mixed with breast milk or formula — but over the next few months, her feeding skills will take off.
For all of the recipes below, make sure that your child has already been introduced to each ingredient separately before you serve them as part of a bigger dish. This is especially important when introducing common allergens like peanut butter, wheat and dairy.
Homemade baby food purée recipes for 6-month-olds
If your baby is starting out on purées (as opposed to a baby-led weaning approach), these recipes can help introduce your little one to the wonderful world of solid food.
Try to introduce one “single-ingredient” food every three to five days, just to make sure your little one doesn’t have an allergic reaction to a new food.
Oatmeal cereal
Cereal is a common first-food staple (though you can start with any type of food), but this homemade, oatmeal version kicks up the notch by using fiber-rich oatmeal instead of rice.
Ingredients:
- Oatmeal
- Boiling water
- Breast milk or formula (optional)
Instructions:
- Finely grind oatmeal in a blender or spice grinder.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the oatmeal powder over 1 cup of boiling water, and whisk until thick and creamy.
- If you like, mix in breast milk or formula for added nutrition.
- Store the oatmeal powder in an airtight container until you're ready to use again.
Carrot purée
This brightly-colored veggie is a staple in many children’s diets — but don’t be afraid to add a little spice, such as thyme, to make the meal more interesting.
Ingredients:
- Carrots
- Thyme
- Breast milk or formula (optional)
Instructions:
- Cut the carrots into chunks and add to a slow cooker; cook until tender.
- Set some apart to serve at the adult dinner table.
- Purée the rest for your baby until smooth, using breast milk or formula to thin out the mixture, if needed.
- Add a pinch of thyme for flavor.
Butternut squash and sweet potato purée
These vibrantly hued veggies deliver a burst of flavor and a boost of vitamin A.
Ingredients:
- Butternut squash
- Sweet potatoes
- Cinnamon
Instructions:
- Cut the vegetables into chunks and roast in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Set some apart to serve as a side dish at the adult dinner table.
- Purée the rest for your baby until smooth.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon to tantalize your tot’s tiny taste buds
Mango banana purée
You can’t beat this beautifully bright, no-cook concoction for a fast, fresh snack that’s packed vitamin A, C and B6 as well as fiber and potassium. Bonus: Bananas and mangoes also make a great base for a grown-up smoothie — just add plain yogurt and ice and blend away.
Ingredients:
- Ripe mangoes
- Ripe bananas
Instructions:
Place chunks of ripe mangoes and bananas in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Pear applesauce
There’s a reason why little mouths open wide for applesauce — it’s sweet! The fact that it’s full of vitamin C and fiber is an extra bonus. Just add a soft, ripe pear to the recipe to give it a nutrient boost and a little zest.
Ingredients:
- Ripe pear
- Ripe apple
- Cinnamon
Instructions:
- Steam peeled apple chunks until soft.
- Purée the apple with peeled pear chunks until smooth.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.
Homemade baby food recipes for 7- to 9-month-olds
Your little one may be more skilled at maneuvering food into her mouth at this age — so give her plenty of practice by serving up soft, mashable bites of solids that she can feed herself, and gradually offer purées or mashed-up foods with a chunkier texture.
You should also start adding more protein foods into her diet, which will be important once she’s weaned from breast milk or formula.
Banana oatmeal mash
Rich in nutrients like vitamin B, iron and fiber, it’s no wonder that oatmeal is a nutritional superstar.
Ingredients:
- Banana
- Oatmeal, already cooked
- Breast milk or formula (if desired)
Instructions:
- For a naturally sweet homemade oatmeal, add a few chunks of potassium-rich banana to already-cooked oatmeal.
- Mash and mix using a little breast milk or formula to thin as you go.
Baby beef stew
With ingredients like carrots, celery, potatoes, onions and meat, comforting beef stew is a satisfying grown-up meal that’ll also delight your little darling.
Ingredients:
Your favorite beef stew (just make sure baby has already been introduced to all of the ingredients separately)
Instructions:
- Start preparing your favorite stew.
- Before you spice it up too much, set aside a portion to purée.
- Blend the stew.
- Add a bit of water or broth as you blend if the mixture is too thick.
Avocado egg salad
There may only be three ingredients, but this avocado egg salad packs a major nutritional punch.
Ingredients:
- Egg
- 1/2 avocado
- Lemon juice
Instructions:
- Mash 1 hardboiled egg and 1/2 avocado with a fork.
- Add a splash of lemon juice and mix together.
- Serve on teething crackers or pieces of whole-grain toast.
Greek yogurt pancakes
Slice these healthy pancakes into bite-sized pieces for a breakfast (or lunch, or dinner) that your little one will love.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons water
Toast sticks
Toast sticks are like open-faced sandwiches, but for kids. The best part: You can switch up the toppings to keep things interesting!
Ingredients:
- 1 piece of whole-wheat bread
- 2 tablespoons cottage cheese
- 1 or 2 smashed raspberries
Instructions:
- Lightly toast the bread.
- Spread a layer of cottage cheese on the bread.
- Top with smashed raspberries.
- Cut the toast into strips or bite-sized pieces.
Homemade baby food recipes for 10- to 12-month-olds
Now that your baby is nearing her first birthday, she can start eating many of the same foods as the rest of the family is eating — albeit with a few modifications.
To avoid a choking hazard, make sure that the foods you’re offering her are soft, easy to mash and cut into small pieces. And to keep your baby’s meals as healthy as possible, avoid adding salt or sugar.
Ideally, your 10- to 12-month-old will be eating a grain or vegetable starch, a protein, and a fruit or vegetable at every meal. Here are a few meals that you can serve to your 10-to 12-month-old — along with everyone else in the family.
Omelet fingers
A protein-rich breakfast will get your little one off a great start in the morning.
Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1/8 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 red pepper, diced
Instructions:
- Sauté the diced peppers until soft (about 3 to 4 minutes).
- Crack the egg into a bowl and beat.
- Add the egg to the pan and cook until done (about 2 to 3 minutes)
- Cool, then cut into strips. (You can also cut them into small, bite-sized pieces.)
Broccoli and pasta
This take on mac n’ cheese will sneak some extra greens (and calcium) onto your child’s plate.
Ingredients:
- Macaroni pasta
- Broccoli
- Olive oil
Instructions:
- Cook the pasta until the consistency is soft and easy to chew.
- Cut a broccoli floret into small, bite-sized pieces.
- Combine pasta and broccoli with olive oil to taste.
Tortilla pizza
A tortilla makes a great (and low-carb) base for a pizza. Top it with plenty of veggies for a healthy meal.
Ingredients:
- 1 tortilla
- 1 tablespoon tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Mexican shredded cheese
- 1/2 bell pepper, diced
Instructions:
- Sauté the diced peppers until soft (about 3 to 4 minutes).
- While the peppers are cooking, add tomato sauce to the tortilla and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Add cooked peppers to the tortilla and bake in the oven at 375 degrees F until crispy (about 5 minutes).
- Let cool. Cut into strips or bite-sized pieces.
Chickpea stir-fry
Chickpeas are a vegetarian-friendly protein, and a stir-fry is sure to please the whole family.
Ingredients:
- Canned chickpeas
- Broccoli
- Bell peppers
- Olive oil
- Cooked rice
Instructions:
- Rinse off the chickpeas in water (which gets rid of some sodium).
- Dice bell peppers and chop the broccoli into small florets.
- Heat olive oil in a pan, and cook the chickpeas until slightly soft (about 5 to 7 minutes).
- Add the diced peppers and small broccoli florets until soft (about 3 to 4 minutes).
- Remove the stir fry from the pan; allow to cool.
- Smash the chickpeas until mushy. (Whole chickpeas are a choking hazard.)
- Serve over cooked rice.
Chicken with apples and rice
Packed with protein, chicken is a kid-friendly staple that will likely be a part of her diet for many years to come.
Ingredients:
- Chicken
- Apple
- Rice
- Spices, if desired
Instructions:
- Cut an apple into slices and layer them at the bottom of a slow cooker. Add the chicken and any desired spices (such as nutmeg or cinnamon).
- Add enough water so that it barely covers the food; cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Remove the food from the slow cooker; allow it to cool.
- Cut into small pieces and serve over cooked rice.
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