Historically, baby food lives somewhere along the culinary spectrum between mush and gruel. Bland, boring and tasteless varieties of porridge, fortified cereal, and rice goo are generally what’s pushed on young mothers as the quick solution for satisfying, semi-solid meals.

Truthfully, while raising my eldest daughter, Natasha, I struggled with what to spoon up for my growing baby. I had a lot of my Australian Friends recommending that we feed her the same tastes my husband and I were eating – just pureed in a blender. At the time, this notion seemed too radical for me (Thai curry in a food processer for my baby? I didn’t think so) but when my second daughter, Chloe, arrived we were a little more adventurous in what we served. Looking back, I wonder if Chloe’s exposure to a wider variety of foods primed her taste buds for a more diverse palate, as Natasha still struggles with new flavors today.

While we should always be mindful of potential allergies – and a pediatrician’s recommendations – I applaud recipes that incorporate unconventionally nutritious ingredients like Anni Daulter’s “Green Baby” blend from her new book, Organically Raised. Sure a jar of food is fast, but the effects of fresh, flavorful foods for your baby are worth it!

- Tracey Frost Rensky, CEO and Co-founder, Citibabes

People always ask me for the quickest recipes and the fastest cooking solutions for their families because our lives are busy.  I get that, but plain and simple, it does take time to cook for your baby!

I know it’s hard to make the time, but I also know that the investment you make now is critical to the overall nutritional development of your child. Although it does take some time to prepare fresh food, the truth is that simple, tasty recipes can be turned out pretty quick.  Just like you and me, babies care about taste and want the same things what we want – the good stuff!  This desire is more than just a want; it’s also critical to the development of your child.  When you start children out with seasonal foods that you hand-prepare with love, you not only give them what their bodies need at the right time of year, but you feed their souls as well.

So, instead of buying a jar of baby food pears for example, peel one; cut it and throw in the steamer for about 5 minutes, hit puree on your blender and -  ta-dah! – you have fresh baby food!  Sure, this may not be as easy as just opening a jar, but the effects are lasting. 

This country has the highest obesity rates in the world and it’s because we start off our children with processed foods and the snowball continues from there. Nutrition is the key to healthy children and we need to start from the very beginning.  So although it does take some time to prepare, making the effort is well worth the end results!

Try this recipe from my new book, Organically Raised!

baby story’s “green baby” green beans, broccoli, kale, and banana blend

This is a super-power-packed nutritional dynamite of a dish! Kale is full of vitamins K, A, and C. Combine this with broccoli, green beans, and the sweet taste of banana, and you have an instant winner!

Makes 6 servings

• 1 cup fresh green beans
• 1 cup fresh broccoli florets (6 to 8 ounces)
• 1 cup green kale leaves (6 to 8 ounces)
• 3 ripe medium bananas

1. Wash the beans and cut off the ends. Cut the beans into pieces about 1 inch in length. Steam the green beans for 20 minutes, or until tender.

2. Wash and cut the broccoli in pieces 1 to 2 inches in length. Steam for 10 minutes.

3. Wash the kale, cut off the stems, and wilt the leaves in a steamer for 5 to 7 minutes. Reserve the liquid from the steamer.

4. Peel the bananas and slice into 1-inch pieces.

5. Put the beans in a food processor with 1?4 cup of the reserved liquid and puree until smooth. Add more of the reserved liquid as needed to reach the desired consistency. A runny consistency is fine at this point.

6. Add the broccoli to the green bean puree. Continue to process the mixture until smooth, adding more liquid to keep the mixture from becoming too thick.

7. Add the kale leaves to the puree and continue to process, adding more liquid as needed.

8. Add the banana pieces and continue to process, adding more liquid as needed until you reach the desired consistency for your baby.

Note: This is a great recipe to spoon over orzo for more texture. Or serve it with any other small pasta that your baby enjoys.

By Anni Daulter, author of Organically Raised: Conscious Cooking for Babies & Toddlers

 

Join Anni at Books of Wonder in New York City on Thursday, July 15th from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. There will be a great organic giveaway, food & wine, a Q & A session, and of course, autographed copies of Organically Raised: Conscious Cooking for Babies & Toddlers, a cookbook with a conscience that shows families how easy it is to make safe, wholesome food at home and create lasting family mealtime rituals! For more information, please visit Books of Wonder.