Making Baby Food From Grapes

As summer approaches making baby food from grapes is a good idea. It is a very cooling fruit that is full of immune system boosters and antioxidants. The darker the color of the grapes are the better they are thought to be for you. Grapes contain a lot of vitamin A, most of the Bs, Vitamin C, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Calcium, Sodium, Iron, Zinc and Copper.

When buying grapes for your baby try to buy the organic types as other kinds might be highly contaminated with pesticides. Choose grapes without soft spots or cuts and try to avoid grapes that are imported from Latin and South America as they are more likely to be tainted with pesticides. Wash the grapes well, especially if they are coated with a bit of a dusty looking substance. Be sure that you do not blend any mould into your purees by inspecting each grape to make sure it is not overripe or fermented. Fizzy grapes can cause upset stomach in a baby.

Until your baby is about two years old it is best to peel them and mash them up. They are a choking hazard. The simplest way to make grape baby food is to simply take a cup of grapes and pure them. You do not want to overdo it as it is easy to simply reduce it to grape juice if you blend them too hard. Adding a bit of yogurt can help thicken the mixture.

A nutritious savory baby food recipe using grapes is –
• 1 12 oz. package couscous
• 1 3/4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock/broth
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3/4 cup finely mashed up grapes
• 1/2 cup finely diced cooked chicken

Cook the cous cous according to the package directions and then pour into bowl. Add oil and lemon juice. Add the grape mash and the chicken and stir together. If the baby is under a year be sure to puree it before serving.

If you do not have cous cous you can also use any kind of rice or even quinoa. Just make sure that if the baby is under a year to blend the mixture very well. If this tastes bland you can try adding a bit of cheddar cheese or a touch of soy sauce to the mixture as well.

Other foods that go great this a pureed grape mash are blueberries, avocado, peaches, pears, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potato, chicken and yogurt.

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Making Baby Food From Avocados

Avocadoes make fantastic baby food because they are so naturally creamy. As an added bonus they have a very high nutrient content and are full of good fats and omega 6 oils that help your baby develop a healthy brain. Avocadoes contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C , all the B vitamins, Potassium, Magnesium Calcium, Iron and Zinc.

Babies as your as four months old can eat avocado easily. Furthermore they mix really nicely when mashed or pureed with peaches, pears, bananas, applesauce and yogurt. They are also a very filling food that makes a good fresh snack.
When shopping for them look for ones with dark green skin that are firm yet yielding when gently pressed with the fingers. When sliced in half the flesh should be green with a halo of yellow around the pit.

It is very easy to make baby food out of avocadoes. You can just mash raw slices with a fork and its ready. You can also add a bit of lemon or a bit of water to alter the taste or texture. A touch of salt or garlic salt can also turn a very plain tasting puree into one that is quite tasty.
If baby gets bored peel and mash a banana and mash it up with the avocado until you get the texture you desire. Peaches, pumpkin puree also taste fantastic with pumpkin puree. A touch of Cool Whip or whipping cream makes for a tasty, fluffy dessert.

Babies that are beyond eight months old can tolerate Baby Guacamole. You can make this out of 1 ripe avocado, a bit of wheat germ or crushed cheerios and a pinch of garlic powder, pepper and basil. For even more taste interest ad a little bit of plain yogurt and/or cream cheese to the mixture. You can feed this to your baby straight or give him or her crashers or toast to dip into the mixture.

Another savory option is to grind up some chicken or canned tuna with a bit of yogurt or mayonnaise, some parsley and onion and salt and pepper to make a nice smooth salad. It also mixes very nicely with mashed cooked zucchini and yellow squash.

A lovely nutritious dessert for baby is called Avocado Mango Mousse. Simply take 1 cup peeled and cubed mango and 1 ripe avocado and mash with vanilla yogurt, apple and pear juice. Whisk these ingredients together until a creamy mousse like pudding is created.

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