Feeding and freezing purees
When you first started feeding your baby, you probably hesitated between BLW and pureed foods. But did you know that you don't have to choose one or the other? BLW had become very popular, but the truth is that each method has its benefits and drawbacks, and it really depends on the family when it comes to what works best for their lifestyle.
In our home, combination feeding has worked best, which means we do both baby-led weaning and purees. This is particularly handy now, in the winter, when I cook soups for the whole family once a week and freeze Lia's portions.
When feeding her purees, we make sure to follow a baby-led approach. This means that we let her lead the way and set the pace by paying attention to (and respecting!) her fullness cues. Once she starts turning her face from the spoon, it means she's full so we stop. Sometimes this happens when we're almost done with the meal, sometimes she's only 3 spoons in.
Respecting these cues is SO important, because it encourages a healthy appetite control - something we've often lost touch with by the time we reach adulthood. Another aspect of baby-led feeding purees is embracing the chaos (easier said than done). Let your baby enjoy the food, which also means touching it and well, making a mess. Allow her to explore her food by adding a small spoonful of puree on her tray for her to test and taste it before you begin feeding her, and again if you change flavors. This will give her a chance to become familiar with what she's consuming, and also builds trust.
So you want to give purees a try, but doesn't know how to store it? Here are some tips for cooking and freezing purees:
The components of a healthy puree are: vegetables/fruits + meat/fish/legumes + healthy fat + optional flavors/seasoning
Once cooked, let the food cool in room temperature for up to two hours before pureeing and freezing (pureeing foods while they’re heavily steaming may cause them to become more watery).
Puree can be frozen in ice cube trays to make single serving cubes, and non-toxic silicon is ideal. I LOVE this one from Beaba, which has been truly life-changing for us (not sponsored, just really happy with it). I recommend getting the XL (150ml) since baby will be eating larger portions soon enough. And yes, it fits in the freezer compartment of a mini fridge (small European apartments, am I right?)
Don't use a microwave to thaw. Either move the single portion to the fridge in advance, or thaw it directly in a pot. You can use filtered water, breast milk/formula, caffeine-free herbal tea or bone broth to thin it, if needed.
Pro-tip: Prepare and freeze 2 different kinds of soups once a week, so you can feed them to baby alternatively throughout the week in order to diversify their diet and make sure they're consuming different nutrients.
Which method works best for your family?