I have been making baby food for as long as my son has been eating solids and yet still find that many mama’s are intimidated or in a rut of what to make. Maybe it’s because I love to be in the kitchen or I constantly have extra produce lying around that I’m able to whip things up with ease. Don’t get me wrong, food pouches have saved the day on multiple occasions but every time I feed one to my son, I can’t help but wonder how long ago they were made… Plus, I know there aren’t any healthy fats in those pouches that he gets from foods I make at home. We follow a nutrient dense diet in our home so I would be robbing my son of those essential fats he needs to grow and be satiating if I continue on with pre-prepared baby foods.
Today I didn’t have much time to create a masterpiece but I ended up with a beautiful puree none the less. I knew I had some leftover rainbow carrots and I always have certain frozen organic fruit in the freezer so I added a couple ingredients to the fresh spinach I picked up to create a nutrient dense little dish for him. The key is to saute the veggies in ghee, butter or coconut oil to add those fats that are missing from the food pouches and jars we buy from the market. Healthy fats are vital to our little ones, so whenever I whip up baby food, there is no doubt I’m adding in spoonfuls of full fat goodness. You can add healthy fats to your child’s meals by incorporating grass fed butter, ghee (clarified butter), coconut oil or olive oil. And don’t hold back! As long as these are quality ingredients, from he best sources, your child’s body (that is growing like a weed) will thank you.
White Carrots, Spinach & Blueberries
- 4 white carrots (sub regular orange carrots)
- 3 handfuls spinach
- 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tbsp ghee (ghee is clarified butter | sub grass fed butter or coconut oil)
- pinch of celtic salt (optional, but I add this to every puree I make to incorporate the much needed minerals into my son’s diet)
Melt ghee in a saute pan and add diced carrots. Let the carrots saute for a few minutes until golden on one side then stir to flip. Continue to saute for another few minutes as the carrots are golden on all sides and cooked down to a soft texture when punctured with a fork. Add spinach and blueberries on top of carrots and cover with a lid until spinach is wilted and berries are warmed through. *It’s important to cook berries for babies under 15 months, as there systems have a harder time breaking them down*
Once spinach is wilted and berries are heated through and soft, add them to a vitamix or food processor and blend to child’s liking. If your little one can handle chunkier foods, serve as is on a plate.
This recipe will make 4-5 servings off baby food. My son has a habit of eating quite a bit in one sitting so mine came out to 4 servings.
I store my purees in 4oz jelly jars, which can be topped near to the brim if your child eats closer to 5oz in a sitting. I use the plastic one piece lids that can also be found on Amazon here.
-Essentially a Mom
Essentially a Mom 