Life with children means a life of constant change. Just when you get in a really great routine or when you are super comfortable with the way things are, our children experience change: they are growing constantly, suddenly needing less sleep, catching a cold, becoming mobile, etc. The amount of change and growth that happens in their first 12-or-so months is just incredible! Part of being a parent means accepting and nurturing that change, even if it means inconvenience for us, at times.

Today I’ve partnered with SpoonfulOne to recognize one of the biggest changes for parents and babies… transitioning from exclusive nursing/bottle feeding to the introduction of solid foods. You have to plan ahead and pack food when you leave the house. You worry. There are so many questions and concerns for a parent: When should I introduce solids? Should it be baby-led weaning? Can I make my own baby food? What about food allergies?

SpoonfulOne is a daily food mix-in that gently introduces your child’s immune system to all the common foods that could potentially become allergens (like peanut, egg, milk, tree nuts, soy, wheat, etc.). I love this idea of gradually training your child’s immune system by simply adding this powder to your child’s solid foods! And it’s super convenient and wholesome. There are no preservatives, artificial sweeteners or flavors, or dyes, and it’s packaged in pre-measured single-serve packets! You can just grab a handful and keep them in your diaper bag, which makes SpoonfulOne an easy and complete way to include allergenic foods into your everyday feeding routine! Win-win in my book! Since 77% of people with a food allergy are allergic to something other than peanut, it’s important to introduce diverse foods early and regularly, which can reduce the risk of food allergies. The Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology recommends that all the potentially allergenic foods are introduced when the your baby is ready for solids, usually between 4-6 months. Including these food allergens early and consistently makes sense in today’s world where there is such an abundance of food-related allergies. You can learn more about how to gently introduce common food allergens to your child’s immune system with SpoonfulOne here.

Weaning looked a little bit different for Zoe and Naomi, but the process went smoothly for both of them! Zoe was exclusively breastfed until she was about 9 months old, and Naomi was breastfed (and supplemented with formula) until she was about 8 months old. For each, we introduced homemade baby foods like pureed fruits and vegetables, oatmeal, avocado, banana, etc. (and I included a favorite homemade baby food recipe below!).

We also introduced diary, wheat, meat, and other foods. By 12 months, both girls were completely weaned and eating a homemade baby food diet. We’d always wait a few days between introducing new food items, carefully watching for allergic reactions. And thankfully we don’t have any known allergies. But now we plan to gently introduce a wide variety of foods to our baby boy early and often with SpoonfulOne!

Here’s one of our favorite baby food “recipes” (more like combinations), and don’t forget to check out SpoonfulOne here.

Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple Oatmeal
makes about 1 pureed cup of each vegetable

3 Apples
4-6 Carrots
2 Sweet potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and roughly chop fruits and vegetables. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet (without mixing together), and roast for about 35 minutes, stirring about halfway through. You want them to be very soft. Remove from oven and purée each fruit/vegetable separately, using blender or small food processor. Add about 2 tbsp water to thin out as necessary.

Make your desired amount of cooked oatmeal according to your preference or package instructions. We like to add about 1 tbsp of each (apple, carrot, and sweet potato) to about 1 cup cooked oatmeal. And for baby boy, he’ll get a sprinkle of SpoonfulOne. You can freeze any leftover fruit or vegetable purée; simply place it in ice cube trays in the freezer and when completely frozen, pop out and store in freezer in zip lock bags.

This roasting method works with any fruit or vegetable that needs to be cooked before puréeing (we also love turnips, broccoli, and cauliflower).

Sponsor Note: Although this post was sponsored by SpoonfulOne, all content, words, and ideas are my own. Thanks for supporting the partnerships that help keep this blog running.

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