The One With Baby Food

So...I'm kind of obsessed with baby food. I love trying to give my babies a wide variety of foods. It is adorable when you see the look on their face when they love the food. It's hilarious seeing the look on their face when they hate the food.

I think the source of my baby food obsession came from working with Emily. For a few months, Emily couldn't eat solid food, even though Charlotte was able.  Emily turned bright red, choked, gasped for air, and threw up every time. Even with just thicker purees and dissolvable puffs there would be a choking fit. Her physical therapist recommended her to see an occupational therapist, to make sure the anatomy of her mouth was correct and functioning properly. The therapist discovered that Emily was barely able to move her tongue, and therefore, she couldn't manipulate the food in her mouth to eat. Long story.
(With continued therapy she gained the strength to move her mouth correctly and she is all better now!)

Anyways, during the months of Emily's choking fiascos I was trying so hard to find food that she could actually eat and not choke and die on. Each time I found a new food, I was thrilled. Hence, the baby food addiction.

I recently have been taking pics of my baby food plates to show some fun ideas for those of you looking to spice up your menu. I'm a visual person, so this helps me remember better than a list. Oh, and yes, I'm obsessed with Skip Hop plates and bowls.

Breakfast Ideas:

                                         

Bananas*, Waffles with jelly, Yo Baby Yogurt

*banana tip my twin mom friend told me: Roll the bananas in Cheerio dust so for a better grip!                         

Egg Muffin (recipe in a previous post), Yogurt, Buttered Toast, Grapes (in mesh teethers)

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (adult), peaches

Lunch/Dinner Ideas:

     

Peas (frozen steam bag), Northern beans (no shell to choke on) Cheese Ravioli, cut up (Annie's Organic) 

Colby Jack cheese, Veggie Burger Pieces (yay protein and secret veggies!), Watermelon, Graham Sticks

Turkey (shaved thin at the deli), cheddar cheese, applesauce

Drained Chicken Noodle Soup (natural, low sodium!, cut up chicken chunks VERY small), Pear Chunks 

Adult Casserole (this had brown rice, cheese, black beans, corn, and zucchini), mandarin oranges, blueberry apple sauce

Chicken (shredded thin at deli), grapes (cut very small, seedless), canned green beans (steamed/fresh are too firm), mashed potatoes 

Those are just some ideas of foods my girls like. If you think those are mega portions, don't judge. Remember, those are for 2 babies. And they are chubby. I'm usually not a fan of canned food, but when looking for canned veggies I always hunt for low sodium. As for fruit, I look for ones canned in 100% juice or water, rather than syrup. I'm so excited, because I haven't bought jarred baby food for the girls in probably about 2 months! Freeeeedom!

If you have other finger food ideas, please leave tips in the comments section! I would love to have an awesome, giant, collaborative list here! :)