3 Simple Homemade First Foods For Baby

Danielle Walker is the author of New York Times best-selling cookbooks Against All Grain and Meals Made Simple.

After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease when she was 22 years old, Danielle realized that she needed to make dietary changes to end her suffering. She removed grains, lactose and legumes from her diet, and started her blog Against All Grain to help others suffering from similar ailments continue to enjoy food.

I had so much fun introducing solids to my son. With my oldest, I relied on processed baby foods, but the second time around I really wanted to make my own food utilizing foods that we already had in the house and he would grow up eating.

It may sound surprising, but his first food was egg yolks. While egg whites can be a high allergen food, egg yolks alone are rich in choline, cholesterol and other brain-benefitting nutrients. I started feeding egg yolks blended with breast milk to my little guy at 6 months. I also cooked a little chicken liver in bone broth for extra iron and blended it in from time to time for an added source of iron. Now that he is older, I soft boil or pan fry an egg yolk and break it up into small pieces for him to feed himself.

After the yolks, we started introducing fruit and vegetable purees. Avocado, apple and carrot were his favorites off the bat. I prefer to steam the fruits and vegetables for purees to maintain as much of the nutrients as possible. Since babies’ digestive systems are not fully developed until about 1 year, I add a little healthy fat such as ghee or coconut oil to my veggie purees to aid in digestion. Plus, he loves the taste!

Apple Puree

You’ll need:
2 apples, peeled, cored, and cubed

Place the prepared apples in a steamer basket in a pot filled with 2 inches of water making sure the water is not touching the basket.

Cover, place pot over medium-low heat, and steam until tender approximately 12-15 minutes.

Place the apples in a blender and puree until smooth.

Carrot Puree

You’ll need:
3 medium carrots, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons ghee, melted

Place the prepared carrots in a steamer basket in a pot filled with 2 inches of water making sure the water is not touching the basket.

Cover, place pot over medium-low heat, and steam until tender approximately 12-15 minutes.

Place the carrots, water, and ghee in a blender and puree until smooth. Add more water if necessary until you have reached your desired consistency.

Egg Yolk Puree

You’ll need:
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 to 1 1/2 ounces milk of choice (thinned to desired consistency)

Place 6 cups of water in a pot over high heat. Once the water is boiling, gently place the eggs in the pot. Reduce the temperature to medium heat so the water is at a gentle boil. Cook the eggs for 8 minutes to achieve a soft-boiled egg.

Remove the eggs and place them in a bowl filled with cold water for 5 minutes. Peel the shell off and discard the whites or save them for another use.

Place the yolks and milk of choice into a blender and puree until smooth.