So, apprently there is this whole thing called “baby led weaning,” where rather than introduce pureed foods, you let baby just start eating appropriate sized/cooked finger foods.

We did this.

On accident.

We did do pureed foods for a few weeks, but then it was so easy to just him some dried blueberries to snack on while I made Lexie’s lunch.  Blueberries became avocado, and that led to other soft foods.  

Within a few weeks, Max was refusing the spoon.  Refusing as in, if it isn’t warm, smooshy avocado, or warm, runny egg yolk, he isn’t eating it from a spoon.

He spits it out and tried to pick it up with his fingers, and when he cannot, he gets furious!  Which in turn leads to me giving him finger foods instead ….

1.  I clean and peel the fruits and veggies (so far we have had: sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, sweet peas, lima beans, cauliflower, apples, pears, but the possibilities are endless, really).

2.  I place a steamer basket like this one inside a pot:


3.  Fill the pot with water until it sits just below the bottom of the steamer basket, place your food inside, cover it, and let them steam for about 10-20 minutes.  Potatoes and carrots take longer than say, apples or peas.  I usually do 20 mins for carrots and potatoes (that are chopped in big chunks).

4.  After they are cooked through and soft enough for baby, I take the basket out and let them cool a bit.

5.  Then I put them on a cookie sheet lined with butcher or freezer paper.  Pop it in the freezer so they can freeze through.  After they’re frozen I put them in labeled bags.

That’s it!  Fresh finger foods for baby and toddlers, ready at a moments notice.

I’ve also done chicken breasts, but I didn’t steam them. I sautee them in a pan with coconut oil, garlic, onion, paprika, salt, pepper, and parsley.  After the chicken was thoroughly cooked, I did the same as with the veggies for freezing

Now I have lots of healthy veggies and meats for Mister (and Lexie, too!) at lunch, snack, and dinner when he can’t have what we are eating.

A few tips: I rough chop the veggies, and slice the fruit into wedges.  Don’t cut them up into bite size pieces for the steaming process because A)they will become mush, and B) when you pull some out of the freezer for meals, you can cut them into smaller pieces for baby at meal time after they thaw.

But what if my baby likes pureed baby foods, and can’t eat finger foods yet?
Then you do steps 1-4, just like I did.  But instead of freezing them whole, place them in a food processor or blender with some breastmilk, formula, or filtered water, and puree away!  When it is the consistency your baby likes, poor into ice cube trays, cover with plastic wrap or foil, and freeze! Then, pop the frozen cubes into labeled bags!  Very easy.

I still give Max egg yolk and avocado from a spoon, just to keep him eating something off a spoon.  Egg yolks (preferably free range, organic) are the most nutrient dense food a baby can have, and it is most like mother’s breastmilk than any other food.  It’s very easy to make egg yolks for baby, and SO good for them:

Place eggs (as many as you’d like, I do 3-4 at a time) in a pot
Fill the pot with water until it just covers the eggs
Bring to a boil, boil for 3.5 minutes
When you crack the eggs, the egg whites should be cooked (or mostly) and the egg yolk will be nice and warm, but runny.
Crack the eggs into a bowl for baby, spoon feed baby the egg yolks

I use the left over cooked egg whites in chicken and tuna salad. J.Tom will also eat them with sal and pepper with his lunch.  **Do not feed your baby egg whites, it is considered an allergen for after their first year.  Talk to your doctor before giving egg whites to baby.  I have given Max egg yolk that had a little egg white get in it, and he was fine, but do what you and your doctor are comfortable with**

For avocado, I just smash a ripe avocado up with a fork, add a little of his formula, warm it for 10 seconds, and then mix it together with the fork.  It makes a nice, warm, creamy food for baby full of healthy fats.  He also eats them with his fingers cut into bite size pieces.

The wonderful thing about making your baby & young children’s food at home, is it doesn’t take long at all, and it’s so much more nutritious!  Baby food from jars is cooked at such high temps, there is very little, if any nutrients left in it.  High temps like that may kill the bacteria in a huge facility, but it also kills the nutrients.

You can season the foods just like your baby/toddler likes.  Max loves seasonings already, at only 9 months.  I can add a little cinnamon to his carrots and sweet potatoes, salt and pepper to green beans, and mix fruits together like apples and pears for a sweet fruit treat.

Frozen finger foods can be used for teething also- you can get one of these super awesome feeders: