When both my kiddos started eating solid foods, I introduced a variety of fruits and vegetables through homemade baby food. I particularly enjoyed cooking up fun food combos. One mixture that I created was acorn squash and banana. Acorn squash is very low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. The vegetable is also a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B6, folate, and magnesium and a very good source of vitamin C, thiamin, potassium, and manganese. Bananas are very low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Although high in natural sugar, the fruit is also a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and manganese and a very good source of vitamin B6.
To make my homemade baby food, I started with a few raw bananas, an acorn squash, and some fluoride-free baby water. I then peeled and cut the bananas into smaller pieces. I also peeled, seeded, and chopped the acorn squash. I then combined the fruit and vegetable pieces in a glass bowl with some water and cooked the mixture to tenderness in my microwave. (You can also use the stove, but I prefer the ease and speed of the microwave.)
After allowing the cooked squash and bananas to cool slightly, I spooned equal parts of the foods into my Baby Bullet with some additional water. I then blended the mixture, creating a thin puree for my younger infants and a thicker mash for my older toddlers. After pureeing the mixture, I spooned the baby food into ice cube trays for easier freezing. After the mixture froze, I moved the frozen cubes into freezer safe baggies for easier storage. As my kiddos needed baby food, I simply thawed a few cubes of frozen bananas and acorn squash in the refrigerator or microwave.
Does your baby like bananas and acorn squash? Do you make your own baby food? For another fun food combo, try apples and squash.
Image Credits
Baby Food Recipes: Acorn Squash and Banana © 2014 Heather Johnson
Acorn Squash and Bananas © 2014 Heather Johnson
Uncooked Banana Pieces © 2014 Heather Johnson
Cooking the Bananas and Squash © 2014 Heather Johnson
Cooked Bananas and Acorn Squash © 2014 Heather Johnson
Homemade Acorn Squash and Banana Baby Food in Silicone Ice Cube Tray © 2015 Heather Johnson