Homemade Baby Food: Avocado Puree

Gavin turned 5 months old on the 6th!

It's crazy how time has flown since his birth... but in one more month he will be eating FOOD! I am quite excited to puree up some deliciousness for him and David is very excited about feeding him for the first time!

A My sister has 2 young children and makes her baby food from scratch. Her daughter’s first and favorite baby food was avocados. Avocados make great baby food due to their creamy texture and high nutrient content. Stephanie has shared with me her recipe and process for making avocado baby food.

Jenni and Joshua : : 2010

She selected three avocados from the grocery store that were dark green in color with a bumpy texture. They were firm but yielded when pushed.

Since avocados are served fresh, there is no need to cook them for your baby.
Peel the avocado and slice it into small chunks, discarding the pit.

Place the avocado chunks into a mini-prep, or food processor, and puree until smooth. If the consistency of the puree is too thick, try adding one tablespoon of water, at a time, to achieve the desired consistency.

Spoon the puree into ice cube trays and cover with aluminum foil to freeze.

After freezing for a few hours, remove the avocado cubes and store in a freezer-safe bag labeled with the date.

STEPHANIE’S AVOCADO BABY FOOD

Ingredients
3 avocados yield 12 ice cube sized servings
water

Directions
Peel the avocado and slice it into small chunks, discarding the pit. Place the avocado chunks into a food processor and puree until smooth. If the consistency of the puree is too thick for your baby to eat, try adding one tablespoon of water, at a time, to achieve the desired consistency. Spoon the puree into ice cube trays and cover with aluminum foil to freeze. After freezing for a few hours, remove the avocado ‘ice cubes’ and store in a freezer-safe bag labeled with the date.

Tips
If you are on a tight budget select fruits and vegetables that are in season because they tend to be fresher and priced lower than alternatives.

Keep in mind, fruits do not need to be cooked before pureeing for baby, but most vegetables need to be cooked. My sister chooses to steam the vegetables, allow them to cool, and then puree them in a food processor.

If you do not have a food processor, consider purchasing a mini-prep; they cost about $30. Another alternative to a food processor is a high-quality blender.

Another cost savings tip is to use ice cube trays, instead of a pricier mold, to freeze pureed food. Depending on the baby’s appetite you can choose the number of cubes to defrost. Also, ice cube trays are a great option for freezing many types of leftovers. I freeze left-over wine in ice cube trays to use at a later date while cooking.

If you are choosing to make homemade baby food, consider setting aside an afternoon to make a large quantity of many types of food. You can freeze all of the food to have on hand when needed. Stephanie dedicates an afternoon to making food that will last for a month's worth of meals.

This post was originally published in 2010 on my Flour Girl blog.