Homemade baby food broccoli, zucchini, squash, black beans and yogurt are 5 easy, wholesome foods you can make for your baby in just 20 minutes!
(UPDATE: You can watch my daughter and I make these foods on our Facebook Live video here. 💕)
Hello to all my lovely baby mamas!
(I know, I know, you may not feel very lovely most days, what with the constant bodily fluids all over you. Hang in there. This too shall pass.)
But in the meantime, a hungry baby is no laughing matter so let’s get right to it!
Today we are introducing baby to broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, black beans and yogurt. And we’re back again with another lightening-fast round of baby food making. Five foods, under 20 minutes. 🙌
Just like my homemade baby food peas, green beans, applesauce, butternut squash and oatmeal and my homemade baby food quinoa, peaches, avocado, pumpkin and cottage cheese – I’m all about making the most of your time!
So, you ready?
How to make homemade baby food broccoli, zucchini, squash, black beans and yogurt:
Step 1: First, get your broccoli going. Steam your broccoli florets using a steamer basket over a pot with a small amount of water. It should take 8-10 minutes to get them nice and tender. Then puree, cool slightly and serve.
As you’ll see on my list of favorite baby food combinations, broccoli apparently pairs well with pineapple. Don’t ask me, ask the little mouths that gobble it up.
Step 2: Next up is zucchini and yellow squash. I think I introduced these separately, but then quickly always made them together. Once I got past the initial baby food stage, I would sauté some sliced zucchini and yellow squash with a small bit of diced onion in olive oil, sprinkle with thyme, cook until tender and then puree. Delicious! (And when they’re ready, skip the puree and serve these as finger foods.)
For the first time around, just dice these up, steam in a steamer basket in a pot with a little bit of water – about 5-7 minutes — and then puree. You can also do them in a large pan with a bit of water, like I did here, so you can steam the broccoli while you cook these at the same time. Let’s maximize our stove usage!
Either way, zucchini and squash have a high water content, so the puree may be pretty watery. You can mix this with brown rice or quinoa or couscous or another grain that your baby has had.
Step 3: Black beans were such a hit with my kiddos! In fact, with M, if there was a food she didn’t seem to like, I would just add pureed black beans to it and she’d gobble it up. No baby food going to waste around here. 🙌
You really just open the can, rinse and drain the beans very well and puree them up. You’ll need to add some water to get the puree going.
This method works for all the other beans you’ll want to expose your baby to – cannellini beans, pinto beans, great Northern beans, kidney beans, even black-eyed peas. Just rinse well, drain, puree and serve.
And once you’re slowly moving into finger foods, save out a half of a cup of the beans before you puree and plop them right onto the high chair tray. Both of my kids still love eating beans and it’s such a good protein and fiber boost. 👌
Step 4: I started both of my kids with Greek yogurt. It’s thicker, yes, but it’s also got tons more protein and no added sugar. (Go for the plain stuff. Here’s how to flavor it up with some fruits mixes for yogurt (plus spinach or kale) later on when they’re ready.)
As to serving… um, just open the container. 😂 It’s that easy.
One more note: In the beginning, make sure to get the full-fat Greek yogurt. Cabot makes a 10% fat Greek yogurt. See if you can find that. Otherwise, there should be 6% or at least 2%. You don’t want to go fat-free for babies. They need that fat to nourish their growing brains and bodies.
And we’re DONE!
You just made tons of great homemade baby food! If you’ve got more than your baby will eat in the next few days, just pack some of it away in the freezer. (I use baby ice cube trays or small containers to portion it out and freeze it, then pop them in a labeled freezer bag.)
If you’re wondering, what’s a serving size for a baby? I always went with about 2-4 tablespoons per serving per food, depending on the baby’s age, between about 6 and 12 months. I had hearty eaters and would offer 2-3 foods in those portion sizes at each meal.
I hope this was helpful! And be sure to check out my other beginner baby foods and batch cooking ideas.
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. Here’s a helpful run-down of my other rounds of baby food making:
Homemade baby food round 1: peas, green beans, applesauce, butternut squash, oatmeal
Homemade baby food round 2: sweet potato, brown rice, chicken, pears, banana
Homemade baby food round 3: quinoa, peaches, avocado, pumpkin, cottage cheese
Homemade baby food round 5: asparagus, barley, edamame, blueberries, mango
Homemade baby food round 6: apricots, prunes, egg yolks, chick peas, blackberries
Homemade baby food broccoli, zucchini, squash, black beans and yogurt are 5 easy, wholesome foods you can make for your baby in just 20 minutes! The zucchini and squash purees will be watery. They are great to mix with brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, couscous or another starchy grain that your baby has had. The method for black beans would work with most any other canned bean as well. I have always used and highly recommend a hand-held immersion blender for making homemade baby food. Homemade baby food can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or packed up in the freezer (I use ice cube trays and small containers like these and these) for 3-5 months.Homemade baby food: Broccoli, zucchini, squash, black beans and yogurt
Ingredients
Instructions
For the broccoli
For the zucchini and squash
For the black beans
For the Greek yogurt
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 25
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
As you know, I’m not a human baby mama. 😉 But, I’ve passed your last two baby food posts along to my friend who’s pregnant and she was so excited. Obviously I’ll be passing on this one as well! Hope you had a great spring break!! Cheers, lovely!
Kathryn says
Aww yay, thanks friend! XO
Luci's Morsels says
Homemade baby food never looked so easy, and it’s always nice knowing exactly what goes into it. I’m surprised to hear that broccoli and pineapple apparently go so well together, maybe the babies know something we don’t!
Luci’s Morsels | fashion. food. frivolity.
Kathryn says
Agreed about being able to control the ingredients! And on the surprise and strange combo – both my kids loved it! Go figure!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
I am a momma to a fur baby, but I am totally loving this. If I were a momma to human babies, then this would be happening for sure! Love how I know exactly what’s in there, how easy it is and how healthy. Plus, how cool is it to make something like this for your baby?! Pinning this one cause I’m sure there’s a lot of people who would absolutely love to do this for their baby! Hope you have a great week! xo
Kathryn says
Aww, thanks so much Dawn! I hope it is helpful! Have a wonderful week! XO