As a mother, you always try to make the best decisions for you and your family. When I found out I was pregnant with my first child, I envisioned myself in the kitchen making all of her food when she got old enough to eat. While it hasn’t been exactly easy, I still love to whip up snacks for both my girls every day. Here are some good first healthy baby foods, typically around the age of 9+ months, depending when you decide to feed your baby finger foods. These were my girls’ favorite healthy baby food choices!

Healthy Baby Food

Shredded cheese: Simple, doesn’t cost a lot, get a lot for your buck, and kids love cheese!

Bananas: Cut up into small pieces.

Scrambled eggs: Ask your pediatrician first if your child is younger than 1 year old because there is a risk of an egg allergy.

Star shaped noodles: You can add butter or a TINY bit of pasta sauce for flavor (if you don’t want to have to give a bath afterward).

Carrots: Steamed until soft and cut up; I also added some brown sugar and butter for flavor.

You can serve basically any type of vegetable. Just make sure to cook it until it’s very soft and don’t forget to season it so the little ones will find it more palatable.

If you want to incorporate meats, you can try shredded chicken or beef. Ground turkey crumbles work well, too.

These are all options of good first foods for babies. Try some, or try all of them. An excellent website I got a lot of ideas from is Wholesome Baby Food.

As you know, babies grow bigger and become toddlers and preschoolers. My girls are in this age range at the moment. Olivia is my oldest and she tends to be quite picky. So, I try to serve her favorites on a daily basis so I know she’s eating healthy foods. Alex is my two-year-old and she’ll pretty much try anything once, although big sister tends to say she doesn’t like something first and little sister follows!

Here are some good, healthy baby food choices for toddlers and preschoolers.

 

Turkey dogs: PLEASE make sure to cut these up into moon shapes if you’re going to serve them.

Sliced cheese with crackers: I use block cheese (usually sharp cheddar) and whole grain crackers.

Any fruit: Cut up into smaller pieces. Favorites include strawberries, cantaloupe, grapes, apple slices, pineapple, and plums.

Little sandwiches: These are usually PB&J, but my oldest likes turkey breast and cheese. I cut the crusts off and use cookie cutters for fun shapes!

Ants on a log: These are celery stalks filled with peanut butter and topped with raisins. Who doesn’t like these? They’re simple to make and my kids love them!

Mini banana muffins: I make these when I buy too many bananas, which is often. The recipe is below:

• 2 cups whole wheat white flour (or you can use all purpose flour)

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup water

• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature

• 2 cups mashed bananas

• 30 mini cupcake liners or cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine water and butter. Add flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir in banana.

3. Fill each mini muffin cup about 3/4 full.

4. Bake 15 minutes.

5. Let cool and enjoy!

Other good snacks include:

Yogurt: We’re fans of Stoneyfield.

Cottage cheese

Carrots with ranch dressing

Cereal with milk: Yes, I know it’s a breakfast food, but my kids eat cereal any time of day. Their new favorite is Marshmallow Oaties. You can buy it at Whole Foods.

Smoothies: Our new favorite is a PB&J smoothie. It’s amazing! The recipe is below:

• ⅓ cup milk

• ⅓ cup juice (Any kind will do. I’ve even used coconut water)

• 2 bananas

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter

• handful of cut up strawberries

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to blender.

2. Throw in 5-6 ice cubes.

4. Blend until smooth.

3. Enjoy!

Honestly, the possibilities for healthy foods for toddlers and preschoolers are endless. So, don’t be afraid to let them try something new. Who knows? They may love it.

Any other suggestions for healthy baby food? Let me know!

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Category: Recipes

Tags: Amy