Best and Worst Baby Foods

If you're going to make your own baby food (see previous post!), you have to know what you're getting into in advance. It can be a trial-and-error process, and unfortunately the "error" end of it can involve splattered, staining vegetables all over your kitchen floor (and sometimes on your baby or wayward pet). Here is a brief synopsis of my personal best and worst baby foods to make at home:

BEST
Bananas - No steaming or pureeing required! Just mash and serve.

Avocados - Slightly messier (Caution! Slippery!), but also just require a squashing before serving.

Peas - I personally go with the frozen kind, or pre-shelled peas. Steam 'em, chuck 'em in the processor, freeze. Done. Couldn't be simpler.

Sweet Potatoes - Throw a few in the oven, bake, then puree. Plus, a few potatoes make a ton of food.

Apples/Pears - You do have to take the time to peal them, but you just have to steam and puree. Plus they're really tasty if you happen to sample them.

WORST
Blueberries - Ugh! There are still stains on our counters from the stupid exploding little bombs. They form a sticky goop when defrosted, and to top it off, the first post-blueberry diaper is, well... I'll put it this way, don't dress your baby in white after feeding him blueberries.

Chicken - I wanted to introduce meat, so I went with chicken. Let me tell you, pureed chicken bears a strong resemblance to cat food, except even my cat didn't seem too keen on it. It's enough to consider vegetarianism for the kid.

Peaches - Until we learned the trick (drop in cold water after you steam them! Duh!), Ted and I had involved wrestling matches with scorching hot peaches, grill tools, and a melon baller, and the entire kitchen was covered in sticky pink goo that I'm still finding.

Bacon - Okay Ted, are you happy? I included bacon. No, I have not made the baby bacon. Jeez.....