Getting Started
Solids Starter Kit Recipe Guide
27 baby puree recipes to get you started making healthy, home-made baby food
Introduction
Is your baby ready to start solids?
Between 5-6 months is a good time to introduce solid foods to your baby. Essential nutrients can be derived from solid foods that your baby needs at this time of their development. The following questions will help you assess the readiness of your baby:
- Does your baby have good control over its head and neck?
- Can your baby move its tongue from the back to the front of its mouth?
- Is your child reaching for food, or following your food with interest during your meals?
- Does your child seem dissatisfied with only milk and/or do they want more feeds?
If you are unsure if your baby is ready for solid foods or if you have any concerns about introducing any new food to your baby, consult your local Plunket nurse or family doctor.
Time to Begin...
3 easy steps to starting solids!
- Rice cereal fortified with iron will not usually produce an allergic reaction and is an ideal first food for most babies. A baby’s iron that they were born with starts to run low at around 6 months of age. Be sure to choose organic, wholegrain baby rice cereal.
- Introduce pureed foods with a fairly liquid consistency 1 food at a time and continue with that same food for 3-4 days. This will help to determine any allergies or intolerances your baby may have to the foods you are introducing.
- Once your baby has been introduced to a variety of fruits and vegetables, you can combine your cubes together to make an exciting meal for your baby.
At mumi&bubi, we believe that good
nutrition and healthy eating habits
begin when your baby starts solids.Offering healthy, home-made baby food introduces your baby to “real food” tastes and textures right from the start and allows you to be in control of your baby’s nutrition. When you make it yourself, you know exactly what goes into your baby’s food: nothing more and nothing less than the simple, wholesome goodness that is home-made baby food.
How Much Should My Baby Eat?
This has to be the most frequently asked question we receive from new parents! All babies are different and the quantity of food that they eat will vary greatly from one baby to another. Your baby will begin their journey into solids with a teaspoon sized portion - or less - for their first time, and gradually increase their portions. Each baby has its own way of telling you that they want more (for example, an open mouth to invite more food), or that they are finished (pehaps a closed mouth or they turn their head away). You will quickly learn your baby's signals for more please!, or thank you mummy I'm finished :)
Tools Required to Make Baby Food
Making your own baby food is simple and very easy to do. You don’t need any special equipment: a pot for steaming and a good quality hand-held stick blender, upright blender or food processor are all you need to get started making smooth baby purees.
Tray Preparation
Wash your mumi&bubi baby food freezing
trays and lids in hot, soapy water, rinse well
and air dry before and after each use. Trays are
also top shelf dishwasher safe.Baby Food Cube Storage
Frozen baby food cubes can be stored right in your mumi&bubi freezing trays for up to 2 weeks. Frozen cubes can be selected and used directly from the trays as needed. For longer-term storage, freeze baby food overnight then remove all the cubes and transfer to a freezer bag the next day for up to 2 months. This will allow you to use the trays again to make more healthy baby food.
Serving Baby Food
To serve, choose frozen baby food cubes, thaw and heat. Be sure to stir thoroughly and always check the temperature before serving.
Recipe Serving Size
The recipes let you know the quantities to buy so there is no food wastage. The amounts given are to fill 7 cubes, or one row of the tray. To make big batches and fill the whole tray, simply multiply the quantity x3. Making big batches really saves you time in the long run. This will give you a really good supply of that food to have handy in your freezer. A whole tray, or 21 cubes, is about a 1-month supply when your baby has 1 or 2 cubes of that food every other day or so.
How to Remove the Cubes
Your mumi&bubi freezing trays and lids are premium storage trays. They are not your typical ice cube trays - although they make great ice! - so please do not twist the trays.
Most fruit cubes should slide out easily, due to their natural sugar content. By pressing on one side of the actual cube with your finger or a spoon, it will slide out the other side.
Some veggies, meat and meals for older babies may need a bit more help if they seem stuck. With the lid in place, simply run a gentle stream of warm water over the back of the cubes that you wish to remove and they should slide out easily.
Please note: Anytime you take a storage container full of food from the freezer and it is twisted or dropped, it might break, so please keep this in mind. With a little care, your Solids Starter Kit™ will see you through baby food and beyond.
See each recipe page for instructions
Sweet potato, Courgettes & Carrot
Lentils, Broccoli and Cauliflower
Nectarine, Lychees and Kiwi Fruit
Minced Beef or Lamb, Butternut Pumpkin & Green Beans
Peach, Watermelon and Rockmelon
Minced Chicken, Mushrooms and Pumpkin
Peas, Butter Beans and Spinach
You can also download the free E-Recipe book below: