When we were in California we made a guest post for the online kids store Alex and Alexa. They asked us to make a post on Elsa’s favorite dinner. We are not sure if we did it because they offered to send her some cool and expensive baby clothes or because we had in fact already talked about making a vegetarian baby food post for a long time. Probably both reasons. You can read the whole post on the Alex and Alexa blog. Or a shorter version of it just by scrolling down.
Vegetarian baby food doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult. Just keep in mind to add different kinds of protein, such as beans, lentils, seeds, quinoa or eggs. Different kinds of fat such as avocado, coconut or good quality oils (flaxseed, olive, almond, sunflower, hemp). Vitamins and minerals from different kinds of fruit and vegetables.
The easiest way is to cook a lot of everything one or two days a week, store it in big jars that you keep in the fridge or freezer, and when it’s time for dinner all you need to do is to take a spoonful from each jar, heat and serve! Don’t be afraid to use mild spices and fresh herbs, babies love that.
We have put together a few of Elsa’s favorites. She actually eats everything that we put in front of her (including the napkins), but these things make her extra giddy.
Her absolute favorite food is – believe it or not – Sprouts! They are easy for her to grab, put in her mouth and to play with. Even though most of them ends up on the floor they can keep her occupied during a whole meal. Which gives us time to feed her these other dishes (and to eat ourselves). If we don’t give her sprouts we make sure that she always has something to hold on to and play with while she eats, like this cucumber ring. Use the cucumber ring instead of teething biscuits, homeopath say cucumber has amazing ability to act as a pain reliever, so cool!
Aubergine & Sweet Potato Mash
1 aubergine
1 sweet potato
3 tbsp olive oil
Cut the vegetables in small peaces, boil them in water for 20 minutes.
Puree in a food processor or mash with a fork. Add the olive oil and stir around.
Beans & Herbs
1 can beans
5 leaves of fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, basil…)
3 tbsp olive oil
Cook any kind of beans according to the package or use canned beans (as we usually do).
Puree beans and herbs in a food processor or mash with a fork. Add olive oil and stir around.
Lemon Quinoa
Cook quinoa according to the package. Mix it with oil and juice from lemon or orange.
Dessert
We want to keep her off ice cream and cookies as long as we can. Right now she is more than happy with a scoop of cinnamon applesauce, a coconut avocado mash and a slice of grapefruit to chew on.
Cinnamon Apple Sauce
1 bag of apples
cinnamon
Cut the apples in small pieces and boil them in water on low heat until they soften, it will take about 20 minutes. Drain them from the remaining water and set to cool off for a couple of minutes. Drizzle with cinnamon and mash with a fork or a blender.
Coconut Avocado
1 avocado
2 tbsp shredded coconut
1 tbsp flaxseed oil
Mix avocado, coconut and oil in a blender or with a fork.
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26 Comments
You are one of my very favorite blogs… It’s always such a pleasure when to see what you’ve created.
gorgeous! i don’t have any children yet, but i admire and agree with your approach. Elsa will grow up to be one beautiful & healthy girl!
You both are so creative! The cucumber ring is adorable.
Thank you Nicole! I am just happy that I actually got a shot of her holding the cucumber ring. It’s never easy taking pictures of her, since she is always moving around and waving her arms. ;)
/David
Amazing!!! I am lucky that I have two kids who eat similar stuff and actually ask for it. Now I only wonder what avocado and coconut together would taste like. You think moms would like it too :-)?
Hi Anja! I can at least tell you one daddy that loves the coconut avocado. I actually “help” Elsa to eat most of the dishes her mummy makes for her.
/David
Love the idea of coconut avocado! What a colorful meal, and how wonderful to see your Elsa eating great food. Thanks!
Great Ideas, witch I will try when i get me own someday
Kids love colors so those colorfull meals look fantastic for them :)
Love your blog and you pictures
have a great time :)
Wow! I wish I ate that when I was a baby! I love how colourful everything is. I’ve never seen such attractive looking baby food!
What a beautiful baby girl! My fellow likes to eat similarly, but I’ve been running out of fresh ideas. These will all go over very well!
What beautiful foods for such a lovely young lady! I love your approach to feeding her – the simplicity is what makes it so nice. Who needs expensive specialty foods?
What a great idea for a kids meal! I can eat that all day long myself :-)
I know what a challenge it is to come up with interesting food ideas for the li’l ones but that is one good looking meal!
I came across your site awhile ago and just revisted it with a new found sense of desire to eat healthy. Hopefully I haven’t missed the opportunity to have my 3-year old daughter eat healthy but with her food allergies it’s difficult to find alternatives. I’m excited to head home and try some of your recipes!
I think it’s great that you make meals for Elsa, too many parents buy all baby food when it’s actually not that difficult to make your own! I wish you all the best for the new year and I hope your travels are going well! xx
YUMMY! Elsa eats so well; better than some adults I know, as she should : )
I love your blog.
Happy New Year!
Oh my! I would buy a baby food cook book from you two in a second!
Elsa is just so adorable.
Happy New Year!
Haha :) Thank you, what a compliment!
Happy New Year to you too.
/Luise
elsa är världens lyckligast lottade bebis som får äta så god o fin mat! :)
Kiwi banana was a great one… such a vibrant green and a lil more manageable texture. I also experimented for how to make spinach in a decent texture. Potato turned into paste, same with rice.. But spinach apple sauce was a HUGE winner with both of my boys. great texture and kind of sweet.
perfect meal, perfectly combined!
xo
Det ser utroligt lækkert ud! Det håber jeg, at jeg kan prøve en dag, selvom jeg dog ikke er en baby! :-) Elsa er så sød og køn!
Venlig hilsen
Dagmar
Hvor er du sød Dagmar! Prøv den, den er også en voksen favorit ;-)
how old is she? My little girl is a little over 6 months and I’m thinking she would like a few of these recipes!
Hi Camellia! She was 8 months when we wrote this post, but she is already 2 years now. Time flies…
Hej!
En fråga. Det är ju salt i bönor på burk. Räcker det att skölja bönorna i vatten? Tänkte laga till min pojke på 9 månader. Hälsningar Carin
Hej Carin, ja det räcker att skölja i vatten, men det bästa är att blötlägga och koka bönorna själv.
Hoppas din pojke tycker om maten:-)
Mvh
Luise