I was bored with store bought baby foods the week my son started eating them and I think he was too. I purchased organic baby foods which I think made the options even more limited. A friend told me she got a great book on how to make homemade baby food. I went to the bookstore that day and picked up a copy of SuperFoods for Babies and Children by Annabel Karmel. I tried my first recipe that day and I was hooked. I had no idea you could feed a baby avocado!

In fact, the reason I love the book and making homemade baby food is the variety of food I can now feed my baby. I am not limited to what can be packaged and stored on a shelf for months on end. The book has recipes for pretty much everything you can find in your grocer’s produce section, as well as how to introduce baby to meats and finger foods. The book continues to provide recipes for children that are suitable for the whole family. A few of the recipes are also available on the Annabel Karmel website.

I was worried that making the food would be difficult, but the book is chalk full of easy recipes. My favorite no-cook recipe is the Avocado and Banana puree. This week I am going to try a Zuchinni puree mixed with carrot, which can be made in the microwave. The equipment required is minimal too. I still have not purchased a food mill, so there are some recipes I cannot make (those including peas, apricots, or potatos). But I have a had a lot of success with a good blender and a mini food processor.

The book provides all the instructions necessary to make recipes in bulk and freeze them in baby size portions. I am still trying to find the time to take a day to make a bunch of the recipes and stock my freezer. Luckily for me, it is easy to make the recipes one at a time when you need them, too.

If you are looking for an alternative to the boring store bought baby foods, try making your own. Follow this link to purchase Annabel Karmel’s book through Amazon: