Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Inspiration

4 best baby-food cookbooks under $20 for when your baby starts eating solids

Jennifer Passmore
By

When it comes to what we feed our babies, it is a deeply personal decision right from the beginning. Our little ones start out either drinking milk or formula, both of which are wonderful sources of nutrients for them. Then, before you know it, your baby is ready to eat solid foods. However, you may not want to buy baby food at the grocery store when you can make it yourself for much cheaper, plus you get more that way! It is surprisingly easy to create delicious foods for your baby in your home.

If you are not sure where to start, a great place to get recipes for baby food is in a cookbook. Here we have chosen the four best baby-food cookbooks and baby-food recipe books to help you create yummy meals for your little one!

Recommended Videos

The Super Easy Baby Food Cookbook: Healthy Homemade Recipes for Every Age & Stage

Boasting over 150 recipes, this cookbook is a great place to start if you have committed to making your own baby food. Written by a certified health coach and mom, this cookbook features make-ahead recipes, tips about textures, and five-ingredient meals. It is a totally creative cookbook offering up tasty dishes for your little one to enjoy! If you are ready to create your own nutritious baby food, this book makes it not only easy but super easy. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Little Foodie: Baby Food Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste

This baby-food cookbook shows that you are never too young to be a foodie! In this cookbook, you will find great recipes from first purees that your baby will find delectable, all the way up until it’s time to give your toddler finger foods. The recipes are easy to follow, so you can be sure to create a tasty variety of meals for your little ones that will have them wanting more! It also features a great FAQ section for when it comes to giving your baby yummy foods that can be quickly and easily made at home.

Fast & Fresh Baby Food Cookbook: 120 Ridiculously Simple and Naturally Wholesome Baby Food Recipes

There is nothing better than when it comes to creating your very own baby food using your own hands. There is just that something special about it. This cookbook features all kinds of up-to-date information on what foods you should be feeding to your baby and when to do it, and instructions that are ridiculously easy to follow! Within 30 minutes or less, your baby can have a wholesome and delicious meal.

Make-Ahead Baby Food Cookbook: Meal Plans and Recipes for Every Stage

When it comes time to introducing solids to your wee one, the Make-Ahead Baby Food Cookbook is perfect to have on hand. Within this book, you will find recipes that span from your child drinking milk all the way up to solids for toddlers. It even helps to show you how to meal plan when it comes to setting one up for your baby.

If you’re planning on making your baby’s food, any of the books listed above are the perfect place to start.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jennifer Passmore
Jennifer Passmore
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jennifer has written two books on how to deal with living with chronic illness using the power of positivity. She has written…
7 avocado-based baby food combinations your baby will love
These simple avocado baby food recipes are lip-smacking good
Baby in highchair eating avocado puree

Avocado baby food offers a nutritious first step in solid foods for babies. To begin with, avocados contain 20 vitamins and minerals, including folate, potassium, iron, zinc, and vitamins A, C, E, and K, plus several variants of vitamin B. In addition, avocados are packed with protein, fiber, and healthy fats without no cholesterol or sodium. Avocados are very low in saturated fat, too. Babies need omega-3 fatty acids to promote brain and eye development, and avocados are one of the fattiest plant foods that are a great source of oleic acid, an important omega-3 that's also found in olive oil.
Conveniently, avocados are also soft and easy for babies to gum and swallow. They're simple for busy parents and caregivers to mash with a fork or puree in a food processor. Plus, avocados are easy to combine with other healthy foods for simple baby foods. So, which avocado baby foods should you make at home? Here are seven simple recipe ideas for your little one to enjoy that are a snap to make.

Easy, fun-flavored yummy avocado/fruit puree
For a quick avocado baby food meal, puree avocado in a food processor or small blender with a sweet fruit, and your baby will gobble it up. Here are some fruits that make a tasty combination with avocado:

Read more
Is your toddler playing with food something you need to put a stop to?
Find out if it's beneficial to let your toddler play with food
A young girl holding peppers up to her eyes

Toddlers do all kinds of things that make parents question their sanity. One fun thing that toddlers do is play with the food you prepared for them. But is it a normal toddler learning experience or something else? If your toddler plays with food, the question is -- should you let them?

The answer is yes -- for the most part. While you may think it’s bad manners or that it encourages your child to misbehave, your toddler playing with food has many benefits for them. As long as you keep it within reason, it’s just fine to embrace the mess. Here are some reasons why you should let children play with food and a few tips on how to set boundaries.

Read more
When can babies eat spinach? Don’t feed it to them too early
Know how to make spinach baby food safely and when to introduce it to your little one
A highchair set up with a baby toy, sippy cup, and green baby food.

We all want to see our kids eat more green food. That starts when they start eating solid foods as an infant. If you’re hoping your baby will be “strong to the finish,” just like Popeye by eating spinach regularly, then you may wonder when a suitable time would be to introduce that iron-rich food to your little one. This little green leaf's ability to pack on the nutrients makes it such a great food for parents to feed their tots.

But when are babies able to eat spinach safely? More importantly, how can you make spinach baby food that your child will actually eat? Whether or not they like it makes the difference between a lifelong love of the veggie or a world without it. Let's break down the when and how to get your nugget to enjoy this mineral-rich superfood.

Read more