My daughter is still a fan of homemade baby food once or twice a day. I like that I can ensure she gets all the nutrients that she needs for her growing body by offering her a mixture of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Making homemade baby food is also incredibly easy. I make up big batches and freeze the baby food in cubes. One of the baby foods that I made at the end of the summer was a delicious and nutritious mixture of beets and beet greens from my garden with carrots from the local farmers market.

Beets are very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Although fairly high in sugar, beets are also high in vitamin C, iron, magnesium, dietary fiber, folic acid, potassium, and manganese. Beet greens are also low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Although fairly high in sodium, beet greens are also a good source of protein, folate, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, and zinc and a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese. Carrots are very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Although a large portion of the calories come from sugars, the sweet orange vegetable is also a good source of thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, and manganese and a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium.

 

To make the beets, beet green, and carrot baby food, I started by picking some fresh beets from my garden. You can also buy beets with the greens intact from your local grocery store. I also had some carrots on hand that my husband had picked up from a local farmers market, but you can buy fresh carrots at almost any grocery store as well.

 

I washed and chopped the vegetables into smaller pieces and placed the small pieces in a microwave-safe glass bowl. I then added a little water to the bowl for cooking. I next cooked the vegetables in the microwave for about ten minutes. The vegetables are ready when slightly softened. After letting the cooked vegetables cool for a little bit, I transferred the mixture into my baby food processor. Because my daughter can chew, I made the mixture pretty thick and textured. For younger babies, added more water for a thinner puree.

 

Once mashed, I transferred the baby food into some freezer safe bowls. For bigger batches, I freeze the baby food in ice cube trays and then store the frozen baby food cubes in freezer bags for easier storage. As my daughter needs food, I simple pop a few cubes into the fridge to  thaw. Easy peasy, healthy, and delicious!

Do your kids like beets and carrots? Do you make your own baby food?

Image Credits

Beets and Carrots © 2013 Heather Johnson
Beet Greens in Bowl © 2013 Heather Johnson
Beet Greens and Sliced Beets in Bowl © 2013 Heather Johnson
Beet Greens, Beets, and Carrots in Bowl © 2013 Heather Johnson
Cooked Beet Greens, Beets, and Carrots © 2013 Heather Johnson
Beets, Beet Greens, and Carrots Baby Food 1 © 2013 Heather Johnson
Beets, Beet Greens, and Carrots Baby Food 2 © 2013 Heather Johnson