baby food

The babies are now eating three meals a day. So far Max is the bigger eater. He opens his mouth wide and is pretty much willing to try anything that we give him. I am amazed at how much he can eat in one sitting. Maya on the other had is kind of hit or miss, one day she will love something then the next she will turn up her nose and refuse to eat.

They also REALLY love being able to feed themselves. They will sometimes refuse to eat unless they can put the food in their mouths themselves.

I have been making most of our baby food. I'm not a health food purist, as this would be pretty hypocritical considering that given the option I would eat ice cream all three meals of the day (although I have been able to convince myself that ice cream converts directly to breast milk). I do like the idea that I know what goes into what my kids are eating. I also like the babies to be exposed to a variety of foods, in hopes that they won't be picky eaters. I also like the convenience of being able to make my own baby food out of food that we would eat ourselves. And finally I am cheap and I just can't seem to justify spending money on something that I could make myself for a lot less money. I've used the website Wholesome Baby Food as a resource for knowing when to introduce different foods.

Here are some examples of what the babies have been eating these days....

Our basic food staples:
* Pumpkin- right out of the can. It is packed with vitamin A and fiber. It is also cheap and very easy because it is already purred.
* Prunes- this is our number one food, due to the fact that Maya tends to get constipated very easily. I bought a huge bag of prunes while I was pregnant and hardly ate any of them. In the last two and a half months we have almost gone through the whole bag. We blend them with water in the baby food grinder and mix the sticky paste with water until it is palatable. The kids LOVE prunes.
* Avocado-mashed up right in the peel or cut up and served as slippery finger food
* Sweet potatoes-These I throw in the oven (not wrapped in foil) and make for dinner for us all. There are usually enough left over for the babies to eat for a couple of days.
* Peas- I've used frozen peas, steamed in the microwave and mashed.

All of the above mixed with:
* Whole milk plain yogurt
* Baby oatmeal (we don't make our own because baby cereal is fortified)

Finger foods:
* Baby Mum mums -these are great, they are easy to pick up and don't make much mess. They are sold at HEB (here in Texas) but you can also buy them on Amazon.
* Seaweed (nori)- (the type used for wrapping sushi) I read about this on the internet and tried it out. The babies love it and its good for them! It is especially useful when at keeping them occupied while I am cooking dinner or Lonnie and I are trying to eat without having little ones grab our plates.
* String cheese
* Grilled boneless tilapia
* Shredded chicken
* Blueberries
* Puffs- I avoided buying these because I thought they were a waste of money....but the kids love them and the keep them happy-money well spent.
* Soft fruit covered in baby cereal to make it easier to pick up

The babies have also tired and enjoyed:
* Cantaloupe
* Guava
* Mango
* Papaya
* Banana
* Apple sauce- I buy just the regular adult kind, but with now sugars or additives
* Clementine- Some sources say to avoid any type of citrus until 1 year old. The pediatrician we saw in CA said oranges and oj with pulp were good for constipation.
* Apricot
* Peaches
* Pears
* Green beans
* Carrots
* White potatoes
* Butternut squash
* Cottage cheese
* Rice cereal
* Barley cereal

Our next foods on the list to try are:
* Lentils
* Bell peppers
* Spinach

What do/did you feed your babies? What are your baby feeding tips and "secret weapons"?

Photos of Maya and Max eating nori (seaweed).