45 Purees in 45 Minutes

Wouldn't it be great if you could spend just 45 minutes cooking and end up with 45 purees for your baby's first weaning days? Well we've got just the recipe(s) for you!

Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could use just 45 mins to make a few weeks of meals for your 6-month-old when starting solids? Introducing solid food is stressful enough and thinking you need to use a lot of your (already limited) time to prepare new meals every day sounds like adding a whole lot to an already full plate.

We were in the same boat as you and really wanted to see if there was a way to prepare nutritious and delicious meals in advance and just grab them from the freezer before serving.

The idea was to use as few ingredients as possible to prepare as many meals in a short amount of time. Oats, apple, sweet potato, and chicken were our top picks due to their high nutrient content, ease of availability and preparation.

We also wanted a variety of foods (from different foods groups) and ones that can easily be mixed and matched. So 4 foods prepared both on their own and combined provide 9 different meals with 5 servings of each:

1. Oatmeal
2. Apple
3. Sweet potato
4. Chicken
5. Apple + oatmeal
6. Apple + sweet potato
7. Apple + sweet potato + oatmeal
8. Sweet potato + oatmeal
9. Sweet potato + chicken

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45 Purees In 45 Minutes Ingredients

To make these 45 purees in 45 minutes you'll need the following ingredients.

Oats. For any baby meal or puree, I would always recommend choosing rolled oats. Organic ones if possible but if not regular rolled oats should do just fine.

Apples. Make sure to peel the apples before preparing so that you limit the possibility of pesticide residues. For a small baby (under 8 months of age) you will need to peel and cook the apple before serving. If possible, choose organic apples.

Sweet potato. Organic sweet potato would always be a better choice for a baby who has just started weaning. Nevertheless, you will still need to peel of the skin of the sweet potato and cook it as the baby cannot digest it.

Chicken. Organic or free-range are always a better choice than conventional because here you can be sure there are no added hormones or antibiotics.

45 Purees In 45 Minutes Nutritional Stuff

Oats. The high amount of fiber in oats is helpful as your baby's body is getting accustomed to new things and the digestive system adapts to solid foods. Fiber-dense foods will help with any early constipation or tummy aches.

Apples are also a great fiber source, as well as high in vitamin C. Vitamin C is a known antioxidant and helps boost the body's immune system.

Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin A and beta-carotene. They also contain significant amounts of anti-inflammatory nutrients as well as antioxidants and have a high mineral content (especially manganese and potassium).

Chicken is a great source of iron (especially the dark meat) which is crucial for weaning babies. Iron stores in baby's bodies start to deplete around 6 months of age so it is really important to include high iron foods in their diets.

How To Prepare 45 Purees In 45 Minutes

To prepare 45 Purees In 45 Minutes you'll need the following:

1. 2 cutting knives – 1 for meat, 1 for fruit and vegetables
2. 2 cutting boards – 1 for meat, 1 for everything else
3. Fruit and vegetable peeler – if you have one, if not use a small knife
4. 2 deep pots
5. 1 baking tray
6. Silicone tray(s) to freeze the purees – 2-2.5 ounce meals
7. 4 large mixing bowls and 2 small mixing bowls
8. Blender – you can use a handheld one or an awesome food processor

Since we plan to mix ingredients together and freeze everything, this is best prepared as purees, so not ideal for baby-led weaning.

Silicone trays are perfect for baby food and purees, with just the right portion sizes. You can freeze them overnight and then transfer them to ziplock bags if you want to re-use the trays. Just remember to make a note of what's in each bag and the date of preparation. They can be stored for at least 3 months but you'll probably have finished them long before that!

These have really been a lifesaver for me numerous times when I realized that I needed to prepare a meal for my son in a hurry. Ideally, you'd thaw the purees overnight in the fridge but if you forget (as we have many times) you can also do it quickly on the stove or in a bowl of warm water.

Once thawed you can even add water/breastmilk/formula if you want a runnier consistency.

45 Purees In 45 Minutes - Step By Step

Prepare the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C). Slice up the chicken. Peel and slice the apples. Peel and slice the sweet potato.

Cook/bake the ingredients. Put the oats and water into a pot and bring to boil, then simmer until the water has been absorbed. Put the apples in another pot, cover with water and bring to boil, then simmer for ~15 mins. Add the chicken and sweet potato to a baking tray and bake for 30 mins. Once finished, place each ingredient in a separate mixing bowl to cool

Make your single food purees. Blend each ingredient into a puree (add water if needed for desired consistency). Fill 5 sections of a silicone tray with 2 tablespoons each of puree (20 in total).

Mix your multiple food purees. Mix ¼ of the remaining sweet potato with all the remaining chicken and fill 5 sections of a silicone tray with 2 tablespoons each (25 in total). Mix ⅓ of the remaining sweet potato with ⅓ of the remaining oatmeal and ⅓ of the remaining apple and fill 5 sections of a silicone tray with 2 tablespoons each (30 in total). Mix ½ of the remaining sweet potato with ½ the remaining apple and fill 5 sections of a silicone tray with 2 tablespoons each (35 in total). Mix all the remaining sweet potato with ½ the remaining oatmeal and fill 5 sections of a silicone tray with 2 tablespoons each (40 in total). Mix all the remaining apple with all the remaining oatmeal and fill 5 sections of a silicone tray with 2 tablespoons each (that's 45!).

Freeze! Freeze everything and pop out each puree the night before serving.

Possible 45 Purees In 45 Minutes Variations

Mix your fruit. We choose apple as the fruit for these purees since it is available all year round, has a sweet yet subtle taste and is a really great first food for babies. But really you can use any fruit of choice. I would recommend going with a more creamy and sweet fruit such as pear or banana.

Mix your veggies. Same as with fruit, you can substitute the sweet potato with other veggies. Since it is supposed to pair with apples and oats, I would recommend going for a sweeter veggie like carrots or pumpkin.

Choose another type of meat. You don't have to go for chicken when choosing your meat type for these purees. Turkey or even red meat like lamb or beef can be a great choice for these purees.

More Purees?

Looking for more Baby Purees? Check these out:

• How To Make The Most Delicious Strawberry Baby Puree
• The Most Delicious Banana Baby Puree
• The Perfect First Mango Baby Puree
• Carrot puree recipe

Meal plans and baby food charts for for babies 6 months + are available in the baby food charts section such as Meal plan for 6 month old baby, 7 month old baby food chart, 8 month old baby food chart, 9 month old baby food chart, 10 month old baby food and diet chart or the 10 month old meal plan, 11 month old meal plan and 1 year old baby food chart.