Baby Food Recipes with Blueberries
We all want our babies to grow up happy and healthy. There are lots of different vitamins, products, and parenting styles we use to make this happen, but a big focus is on what children are eating in those very early years of development.
Individuals look for three distinct qualities, which are taste, easy availability, and nutrition value when they are introducing solid food to their babies. These qualities are all available in blueberries.
In this article, we talk about introducing blueberries to your baby’s diet and we name 3 easy recipes for tasty homemade baby food.
The recipes in this article:
Recipe 1 – Blueberries, Banana, and Oatmeal
Recipe 2 – Blueberries, Strawberries, and Greek Yogurt
Recipe 3 – Blueberries, Avocado, and Spinach
Recipe 4 – Blueberries, rhubarb, and pear
Recipe 5 – Blueberries, and pineapple
You might also be interested in recipes with banana, strawberries or avocado.
When can a baby eat blueberries?
You can begin to feed your baby with blueberries at the age of 8 months. In addition, by any chance that your baby develops a taste for semi-solid and solid food at the age of six months, you can also introduce blueberries early enough. In this particular case, you should be very keen to identify any symptoms of allergic conditions. You should consider to feed your younger baby with blueberries as puree and try some finger food for the older baby.
Recipe 1: Blueberries, banana, and oatmeal (age 8 months+)
The perfect breakfast recipe for your baby.
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup blueberries
- 1 Banana
- ½ Cup oatmeal
- 1 Cup water
Instructions:
Step 1 – Cook the oatmeal with 1 cup of water until it turns soupy, then add it to a blender.
Step 2 – Peel the banana, chop it into pieces, and add them to the blender.
Step 3 – Last but not least, wash the blueberries and add them to the oatmeal and banana.
Step 4 – Blend until you reach the desired texture. You can always add a little breast milk or formula.
Recipe 2: Blueberries, strawberries and Greek yogurt (age 8 months+)
A sweet and tasty recipe that your baby will love!
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup blueberries
- 1 Cup strawberries
- 2 Tablespoons Greek yogurt
Instructions:
Step 1 – Wash the blueberries and strawberries and remove the strawberry’s green crown.
Step 2 – Add the berries to a blender and add the Greek yogurt.
Step 3 – Blend the ingredients into a smooth puree.
If you want to store en freeze this recipe, simply pour the mixture into small kitchen storage containers or an ice cube form.
Recipe 3: Blueberries, avocado and spinach (age 10-12 months+)
A healthy recipe for babies age 10-12 months and older. (Because of the spinach)
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup blueberries
- 1 Avocado
- 1 Handful spinach
Instructions:
Step 1 – Wash the blueberries and the spinach. You can use the spinach raw, or cook them shortly to make the spinach a little bit softer.
Step 2 – Put the blueberries and spinach in a blender.
Step 3 – Slice the avocado, remove the pit, scoop out the meat, and add it to the blender.
Step 4 – Blend until it becomes a nice puree. You can also add some breast milk or formula if you want.
Recipe 4: Rhubarb, blueberries, and pear
Fruity, tasty, and healthy!
Ingredients:
- 1 stalk of rhubarb
- 1 cup of blueberries
- 1 ripe and sweet pear
Instructions:
Step 1 – Clean the fresh rhubarb and remove the leaves.
Step 2 – Chop the stalks into 5 cm pieces.
Step 3 – Add the rhubarb to a saucepan and add sugar.
Step 4 – Add a little bit of water, just to fill it up.
Step 5 – Put it on the stove for about ten minutes and let it cook down, covered with a lid.
Step 6 – Rinse the blueberries.
Step 7 – Peel the pear and remove the core.
Step 8 – Cut the pear into pieces.
Step 9 – Put all the ingredients together and mix them into a puree, using a hand mixer. Or, when your baby is a bit older, mash them together using a fork.
Recipe 5: Pineapple and blueberries
Another fruity smoothie, packed with antioxidants.
Ingredients:
- 2 slices of fresh pineapple
- 1 cup of blueberries
Instructions:
Step 1 – Cut the pineapple into pieces.
Step 2 – Rinse the blueberries.
Step 3 – Add all the ingredients to a bowl and use a hand mixer to mix them into a smooth puree.
Feeding guide for blueberries
8 months | 9-10 months | 11-12 months | |
No. of tbs per portion | 1-2 | 2-3 | 2-3 |
No. of feedings per day | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Keep in mind that this feeding guide applies to blueberries. If you add other ingredients this feeding guide might not be applicable anymore, depending on the ingredient.
We recommend that you consult with your baby’s pediatrician on introducing solid foods as generalities may not apply to your infant.
Are these recipes freezable?
Storing and preserving chicken is an important topic to cover, especially as food poisoning is not fun at all. Most people find that they prefer to create large amounts of baby food, then pour small amounts of the mixture into ice cube trays before storing in the fridge. If it is kept in the freezer, it can be kept for up to one year! If you are choosing to store it in the fridge, it should be eaten within 72 hours.
Which kitchen tools to use
To prepare these baby food recipes, you will need the following kitchen tools:
- Blender or food processor
- Knife
- Tablespoon
- Vegetable peeler
- Cutting board
- Saucepan
- Food storage containers or an ice cube form
Nutritional benefits
Blueberries are a great source of both fiber and vitamins. Also, they have awesome taste. Blueberries are a great source of micronutrients such as zinc, magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin A, and vitamin B-complex. Blueberries have a complete package of superfood because it also contains nutrients such as phosphorus, calcium, and potassium. Blueberries are safe to feed your baby. In case your baby has some allergic conditions, it’s essential to consult your medical practitioner before introducing baby food recipes blueberries.
Health Benefits of Blueberries for Your Baby:
1. Controls Blood Pressure
Potassium in Blueberries helps in controlling and regulating your baby’s blood pressure. This nutrient makes blueberries play a vital role to control and regulate your baby’s blood pressure.
2. Helps in Bone Growth
As previously mentioned, blueberries contain magnesium, calcium, and vitamin K. The combination of the three is very crucial in bone development.
3. Cognitive Development
The different beneficial antioxidants and nutrients in blueberries help in keeping your baby’s nervous system healthy. Blueberries generally slow down mental weakening hence essential in cognitive development.
4. Helps in Relieving Eye Fatigue
Research indicates that fruits help in relieving eye fatigue. The blue pigment of a blueberry contains anthocyanin which helps in improving eyesight. In addition, blueberries contain hydrating minerals which are essential for your baby’s eye because they are good in healing, recovering, and relaxing of your baby’s eyes.
5. Controls Free Radicals
Blueberries are rich in antioxidants. The antioxidants help in preventing any buildups of s cell known as radical. This will, therefore, help in prevent age-related problems.
How to choose and store blueberries?
It’s important to purchase fresh and organically grown blueberries. These blueberries have a high nutritional value and the least side effects if given to babies. In selecting organic blueberries, consider an organically certified sticker outside the package. Fresh blueberries are dark blue and usually roll freely due to their firmness. To store your blueberries, you should wash them thoroughly with clean water and store them in the refrigerator at a temperature below 3 degrees Celsius.
Are Blueberries Allergic?
An extremely large number of berries are allergic although blueberries are non-allergic. This doesn’t mean that your baby will not be allergic to blueberries. This only happens if you introduce blueberries at an earlier age of fewer than eight months. Symptoms of blueberry allergy swollen eyes, skin rashes, upset stomach, and swollen lips.