Before Kaden was born I thought I needed a fancy baby food maker to make homemade baby food, which seemed like it would be a fun & more nutritious, plus budget-friendly option as opposed to buying jarred baby food. Well here is a secret I learned: all you need to make baby food is a knife & a fork. And it’s super easy. And fun. Not to mention healthy 🙂

Here is a sampling of what Kaden, at 15 months old, eats.

Fruit:

• Apple (little bits that he can pick up & feed himself, which he thinks is super fun.)
• Avocado
• Banana (mashed, little pieces, or bites right from the peel – even more fun.)
• Blueberries
• Cantalope
• Kiwi
• Peach (mashed or pieces)
• Plum (apple style)
• Watermelon

Vegetables:

• Broccoli (little pieces of the “tree” tops)
• Green beans
• Kale (lightly steamed, cut in bits)
• Peas (steamed & mashed)
• Spinach (lightly sautéed in olive oil & cut up)
• Sweet potato (cooked & mashed)
• Squash  (cooked & mashed)

Naturally fermented foods (great for the healthy bacteria that help with digestion):

• Bubbie’s pickles (cut in little bits)
• Eden Organic sauerkraut

We’ve been waiting a little longer on grains & proteins, just because they can be harder to digest. Just this past month we’ve added:

• Eggs (scrambled)
• Salmon
• Tilapia
• Almond butter

Kaden enjoys continuing to breastfeed on demand, which is great insurance that he’s getting all the nutrition he needs to grow & thrive, plus continue to build a strong immune system.

So far Kaden loves everything we’ve fed him. I’m thrilled that not only is he getting such great nutrition, but his taste buds are getting used to real, natural, & wholesome foods, which many experts believe may shape his taste buds to prefer those flavors for the rest of his life. And the added benefit of making the food myself is I know exactly where it came from, & it’s extremely fresh.

P.S. There is no reason a baby has to eat rice cereal. None.