Real Food for Baby {Pureed Soups!}

I've mentioned before my daughter's issues with food... at 14 months she was still mainly on a liquids only diet, and even now, at nearly 18 months, we struggle to eat solids each day.

Some days she'll have a meal or two of her pureed baby foods. And sometimes she won't touch them for a week. I know that she is healthy and growing, but I can't help still feeling concerned about nutritional deficiencies.

The one food guarantee I have with S is that if mommy is eating it, she wants it. This would be amazing, if she had a few more teeth, and not such an easy gag reflex. I always let her try what I'm eating, but when it gets stuck towards the back of her tongue and she can't spit it out, it ends in projectile vomit. Not this mommy's favorite thing.

My solution?

It is winter time anyway, the perfect time of year for homemade soups! I've been making at least one large batch of pureed soups each week, to have for at least one dinner, and plenty of lunch leftovers. If mom eats it, its good enough for her, and sure enough, S has been sucking down these soups! Happy mom, happy baby. It's a win-win!

Some of the soups I've tried include:

Mixed Vegetable. I found this scrumptious recipe in Mirelle Guillano's book, French Women For All Seasons (the counterpart to French Women Don't Get Fat). I highly recommend her books! They have much practical sense, and many delicious recipes! This particular soup includes chicken stock, onions, leeks, potatoes, spinach, zucchini, and carrots. 

Cheesiest Potato. This recipe is a family favorite! Even though it is a bit spicy (due to cayenne pepper), S seems to love it. It makes great leftovers, and freezes exceptionally well. I try to make a double batch and throw half into a ziploc, then the freezer for an easy meal later.

This week, I plan on making:

Creamy Carrot. Another recipe from French Women for All Seasons, it consists mainly of carrots, with a few potatoes thrown in to thicken it, and a bit of cream to make it A-MAZING. So far S has turned her nose up at carrots in baby food form- I'm hoping this soup will be my secret weapon for teaching her to love them! We'll see :).

We also eat homemade yogurt every day- this is super nutritious, and it always makes me feel good when she eats a large helping of pro-biotic packed goodness. Homemade yogurt is very tart. Sometimes I mix pureed fruit in with it, but I've been shocked that she loves it plain too. I also find it is a great food to hide unwanted veggies in. For example, S hates sweet potatoes (weird- I thought every baby loved them???). I add them to yogurt, and she gobbles them down.

I don't think I've mentioned it, but after many different yogurt recipes of trial and error, I've finally found my favorite! It uses the crock pot, but because it is heated on the stove top first (ok, admittedly more work than other crock pot recipes), it always turns out beautifully thick. So thankful to Keeper of the Home for this wonderful recipe! You will have to give it a try :).

That's how I get my tricky baby to eat. Have you had food issues with your babes? What secrets did you use to combat their picky tastes? I would love to know!