Vegetable and fruit purees for babies are a great first food and commonly used at the beginning of weaning. They are simple to prepare if making your own and usually parents find that babies happily take to them. If you are not sure about which route to take then check out my blog on baby led weaning vs purees: which should I choose for my baby? or whether you do a mix of both is entirely up to you!

This blog looks at the benefits of purees, how to make them, a round up of the easiest options and the pros and cons of shop bought baby purees.  

This blog post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through these links, which helps support my work. All views are my own and based on my professional experience as a registered nutritionist.

When can a baby start eating purees?

When they are ready to start weaning. It is recommended to wait until they are 6 months and are ready. The three signs to look for include, firstly when your baby can sit up unaided, they can swallow food and they have some hand- eye coordination so they can pick up food or a spoon and put it in their mouths.

Benefits of homemade vegetable and fruit purees for babies

Purees can be part of a varied weaning diet and you don’t have to exclusively do purees. Finger foods are great for self feeding and some babies take better to this. If you are planning to make your own purees then here are some benefits. 

• Control over ingredients, so you can ensure no added sugar or salt in them.
  
• Freshly prepared so less heat treatment
  
• Cost effective and freezer friendly, so you can easily pop individual portions out as you need them.
  
• Encourages exposure to a wide range of vegetables early on
  

How to make homemade purees

Here is a simple step by step process that works well for most fruits and vegetables so you can use this for the fruits and vegetables you choose. Very fibrous vegetables like green beans are going to be more difficult to puree. My top tip is to cook extra vegetables whilst making a family meal so you can easily put a portion aside for making into baby purees. 

There are a few foods that don’t need cooking first, you can simply mash them up really well. For example banana and avocado.

Here are the four steps to follow for those that need cooking:

1. Wash, peel (if needed), and chop into small pieces
2. Steam, roast, or boil until soft. 
3. Blend with water, breast milk, or formula
4. Adjust the texture depending on baby’s stage
   

The easiest vegetable purees for babies 

Here are some of the best vegetable and fruit purees for babies with my go to recipes. If you are new to weaning these are all generally well accepted by babies. 

• Carrot puree for babies – is naturally sweet and nutritious in vitamins A & C.
  
• Parsnip puree– a great vegetable with a sweet flavour. High in fibre, vitamin C and folate.
  
• Broccoli puree – excellent for iron and vitamin C exposure
• Avocado puree – no need to cook, just use a ripe avocado and mash up really well
  

Easy fruit purees

• Apple puree
  
• Pear puree
  
• Banana puree
  
• Mango puree
  
• Blueberry or strawberry puree (steamed first if needed)
  

After introducing these single flavours of vegetables and fruits you can pair them together to avoid a preference for sweet flavours. For example carrot and apple, broccoli and pear etc. Mixing flavours together is also good for variety and expanding their tastes early on. 

How should I store purees? 

Once your purees have cooled down, you can put them into storage. Depending on the portion sizes you want to store and where/how you use them may determine the best type of storage. 

Types of storage

• Reusable pouches – I love the Nom Nom reusable pouches with their colourful fun designs. They hold about 140ml, are cost effective, eco-friendly and easy to clean. You can get 10% off them here using the code N2NF10 

• Pots – I love the Babymoov babybols food storage. These are BPA free pots with colourful lids that can be stacked securely. 

• Trays – good for small portion sizes at the start of weaning. I love the BIBS freezer tray with a spillproof design and a silicone bottom so they are easy to push out when needed. 

Ensure they are covered, sealed and then they can then be stored in the fridge or freezer. They can be stored for up to 48 hrs in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. 

What about store bought purees and pouches?

Recent research of over 600 baby foods in pouches has shown that many of them failed to meet nutritional requirements for babies. Many were high in sugar and often lacked iron. The marketing and labelling of them was often very misleading too. You can read more detail in my blog: Are baby food pouches healthy? Nutritionists take.

However, shop bought vegetable and fruit purees can be useful for the convenience when travelling, on busy days when you don’t have time to prepare them or use them as an emergency backup. 

Important considerations and advice

If they are taken straight from the pouch then they can encourage sucking rather than eating. Also, it reduces the risk of tooth decay. Squeezing it onto a spoon first is better to encourage eating skills and oral development.

According to recent NHS guidance, pouches, jars, pots and trays should not be used as everyday meals, just occasionally. This is for many of the reasons above such as their lower nutritional value.

Tips for serving purees to babies

If you are starting out with weaning then I recommend offering vegetables first when possible so they get used to the bitter flavours. If they get rejected then don’t worry but keep it pressure free and offer another time. If you are wondering when and where to start check out how to start weaning and 100 first foods.

Final Thoughts

Purees are the first stage of feeding and can be done on their own or in combination with finger feeding. Introducing a variety of flavours and combinations after single flavours is important for the early introduction of solids. If you are struggling with feeding your baby and would like some support then book a free discovery call to find out more.