Simple Baby Food Recipes for the First Year

Feeding your baby during the first year can feel both exciting and overwhelming. Many parents wonder what foods to offer, when to start solids, and how to support healthy growth while navigating new textures and flavors.

While breast milk or formula continues to provide most of your baby’s nutrition during the first year, introducing simple complementary foods helps build healthy eating habits. This guide walks through what to feed your baby at each stage of the first year, along with easy, age-appropriate recipes to help you feel confident along the way.

Written by an Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Visiting Professor of Psychology at Princeton University, and author of Why Diets Fail, What to Eat When You’re Pregnant, and What to Feed Your Baby and Toddler, this guide shares evidence-based nutrition guidance for the first year of feeding.

Feeding & Nutrition From Birth to 6 Months

Once you welcome your little one into the world, it is time to start feeding and nourishing them with breast milk or formula. Breast milk or formula is the primary source of calories and nutrition during your baby’s first year. Unless the doctor advises otherwise, feeding your infant exclusively with breast milk or formula is best. This ensures that they get the adequate nutrients they need to continue growing!

Within the first few days of your child’s life, they must be fed very often—their stomach is so small! At this time, your baby will likely eat as often as every 1-3 hours.¹ If you use formula, you can start by offering your baby 1-2 ounces of formula every 2-3 hours.¹

As your baby grows, so does their stomach! This means that during the first few weeks and months of your infant’s life, they will start drinking more at each feeding. Most babies will need to be fed every 2-4 hours.¹ Generally, your baby will breastfeed about 8-12 times daily.¹

Tips for Making Baby Food at Home

Making baby food at home does not have to be complicated or time-consuming. With a few basic tools and simple planning, you can prepare nourishing foods that fit easily into your routine.

Basic Equipment You’ll Need

You do not need specialized tools to get started. Many families already have everything required to make baby food at home.

• Fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables
• Blender or food processor
• Rice cooker, vegetable steamer, or saucepan
• BPA-free ice cube trays
• Food storage containers or freezer bags

Planning and Preparing Ingredients

Buying fruits and vegetables in season and in bulk can make preparation easier. Frozen vegetables are also a convenient option and can be just as nutritious as fresh when cooked properly.

Some foods tend to purée especially well and produce a smooth texture, including:

• Carrots
• Spinach
• Bananas
• Raspberries
• Oats

As you prepare foods, you’ll quickly learn which textures and flavors your baby prefers.

Cooking and Blending Tips

Cooking foods until very soft helps create a smooth purée that is appropriate for early eaters. Larger vegetables such as squash or pumpkin may need longer cooking times, while softer fruits can often be blended with minimal preparation.

Blend foods with small amounts of water, breast milk, or formula to reach a consistency appropriate for your baby’s developmental stage. Thinner textures work best when first introducing solids, with thicker textures added gradually.

Storing and Serving Homemade Baby Food

Once blended, baby food can be portioned into ice cube trays and frozen until solid. After freezing, transfer portions to labeled storage containers or freezer bags.

When ready to serve, thaw food thoroughly and stir well before offering it to your baby. Always test temperature and texture before feeding.

What to Feed at 6 Months

Around six months, most babies begin exploring solids while still getting most of their nutrition from breast milk or formula.

Around six months old, babies can look at themselves in the mirror, recognize and respond to others’ emotions, and turn towards a voice they hear. When introducing solids, you must be mindful of the texture and thickness of the food. The baby has only been consuming liquids up to this point, so start with a liquid-like consistency. Thicker textures can come gradually, but stick to thin liquids for now.

Focus on Iron

The nutrient to focus on this month is iron. Although breast milk provides the baby with some iron, it is not quite enough to keep up with the demands of your rapidly growing infant. A great option to get your infant adequate iron is puréed, fortified cereals. You might also consider trying peas, peaches, or beans (if they are puréed and thinned out). Additional foods to try this month are barley cereal (puréed), oatmeal (puréed), or puréed dark leafy green vegetables.

Baby Oatmeal Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 2/3 cup water

Directions:

1. Place the oats in a blender and blend to a fine powder.
2. Boil the water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
3. Whisk in the oatmeal powder and lower the heat.
4. Stir occasionally until all water is absorbed and the oats have thickened.
5. Cool to room temperature and serve.

What to Feed at 7 Months

During a baby’s seventh month, they may engage in hiding games, such as “finding” objects that have been covered up. At this point, your baby can likely sit up by himself without assistance.

Focus on Carbohydrates

The nutrient to focus on during month 7 is carbohydrates. As previously alluded to, the baby’s activity is constantly increasing, and sufficient carbohydrates are needed to keep up! The right amount of carbohydrates allows your baby to have enough energy. Some high-carbohydrate sources are puréed brown rice, puréed oatmeal (unsweetened), puréed sweet potatoes, and puréed fruits (ripe bananas, pears, and apples). Additional foods to try during this month are chickpeas (puréed), whole-grain baby cereal, or steamed and puréed peas.

Apple Pear Purée Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds pears
• 1 ½ pounds apples

Directions:

1. Peel and core the pears and apples, and cut them into 1-inch chunks.
2. Boil an inch of water in a pan fitted with a steamer.
3. Place the 1-inch chunks in the steamer and steam until the fruit is very soft (6-8 minutes).
4. Let the fruit cool.
5. Blend the fruit and purée until smooth; adding minimal water may be necessary.

What to Feed at 8 Months

At this point in the infant’s development, he is constantly on the move and reaching for whatever he can touch. Your baby’s vision has also become more developed, allowing them to focus on tasks more easily.

Focus on Vitamin A

When your baby is eight months old, the nutrient to focus on is vitamin A, which is essential for your baby’s developing eyesight. Vitamin A is essential for cell growth, immunity, and fighting infections. A great source of vitamin A is puréed carrots! You might also want to try sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, apricots, or black-eyed peas—make sure they’re all puréed, though!

Mango Banana Purée Recipe

Ingredients:

• ½ ripe mango
• ½ ripe banana

Directions:

1. Peel, pit, and cube the mango.
2. Peel and slice the banana.
3. Place the cut-up mango and banana into a blender and blend until smooth—adding minimal water may be necessary.

What to Feed at 9 Months

By nine months, you might notice your baby showing a wide range of emotions. It is also possible that your child can handle food more efficiently at this time.

Focus on Fat

The nutrient to focus on for month nine is fat. Fat is needed to fuel the baby’s growing brain. You may be familiar with the fact that babies need omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) for proper brain development, which is accurate. Some foods to introduce this month are avocados, peanut butter swirled in with puréed fruit, and peaches & cream yogurt.

Peaches and Cream Yogurt Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe peach, halved and peeled
• ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• A few drops of alcohol-free vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

1. Boil an inch of water in a pan fitted with a steamer.
2. Place the peach in the steamer, cover it, and steam until soft (4-6 minutes).
3. Let the peach cool.
4. Remove the peach skins with a sharp paring knife.
5. Mash the peach with a fork to the right consistency for your baby.
6. Scoop the yogurt into a bowl and stir in the vanilla (optional).
7. Top the yogurt mixture with the mashed-up peach.

What to Feed at 10 Months

Your baby is probably very active by ten months old — crawling around the house and pulling himself up on things. During this time, your child is also developing teeth! We want to make sure these teeth come in correctly and remain healthy.

Related: Baby Milestones Month by Month: Your Baby’s First Year Guide

Focus on Vitamin C

The nutrient to focus on for month 10 is vitamin C. As previously mentioned, your baby is developing teeth during this time, and vitamin C plays a significant role in their growth and development. Vitamin C works to maintain healthy gums and strong teeth. This month, you may consider introducing finely chopped cantaloupe, strawberries, and tomatoes.

Zoodles with Creamy Pesto Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, peeled
• sea salt
• 3 pounds zucchini
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Blend the basil, ¼ cup of olive oil, lemon juice, water, garlic, and a pinch of salt to create your pesto sauce.
2. Rinse and dry the zucchini and trim both ends.
3. Cut the zucchini into noodles using a spiralizer.
4. Chop the pile of zucchini noodles a few times to shorten the strands.
5. In a large, nonstick frying pan, warm up 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high heat.
6. Add the zucchini noodles and sprinkle them lightly with salt.
7. Cook, stirring often, until the noodles are bright green and softened (5-6 minutes).
8. Gently toss the noodles with the pesto sauce.
9. Top with Parmesan cheese.

What to Feed at 11 Months

During this time, your baby is likely exploring walking for the first time. Your baby also begins to show his personality and can express interest in certain toys.

Focus on B12

The nutrient to focus on when your baby is eleven months old is vitamin B12. It is common for babies who don’t receive enough vitamin B12 to develop a deficiency, so adequate amounts are vital during this time. Vitamin B12 is most abundant in animal sources, so you may want to make some recipes for your baby that include canned tuna, an egg scrambled with Swiss cheese, or even fortified cereal. If your baby doesn’t like fish or is tired of eggs, fortified cereals can be a great alternative.

Edamame Avocado Purée Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen, shelled, unsalted edamame
• ½ ripe avocado

Directions:

1. Bring an inch of water to a boil in a pan fitted with a steamer.
2. Place the edamame in the steamer, cover, and steam until the beans are soft (8-10 minutes).
3. Transfer the edamame to a blender and blend with a few tablespoons of water.
4. Add the avocado and process until smooth.

What to Feed at 12 Months

Your baby is now one year old! You’ve made it through the first year of nurturing and loving your baby! Most one-year-olds can stand by themselves and are beginning to talk.

Focus on Zinc

The nutrient of focus on when your baby is twelve months old is zinc. Until now, breast milk has provided your baby with enough zinc, but now your baby must get zinc from other foods. Some foods to introduce to your child during this time are shredded dark chicken meat, puréed Swiss chard, or wheat germ mixed with yogurt.

Curried Cauliflower Potato Mash

Ingredients:

• ¾ pound of cauliflower florets cut into ½-inch chunks
• ½ pound Yukon gold or other thin-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
• ¼ teaspoon mild curry powder

Directions:

1. Bring several inches of water to a boil in a pan fitted with a steamer.
2. Place the cauliflower and potatoes in the steamer, cover, and steam until tender (7-9 minutes).
3. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl, add the curry powder, and mash until smooth.

You now have a strong foundation of simple, age-appropriate recipes to offer throughout your baby’s first year. As your baby grows, each new food helps build confidence, curiosity, and independence at the table. Follow your baby’s cues, keep meals relaxed, and enjoy these early feeding moments. They pass quickly, and every bite helps shape lifelong eating habits.