Put on your white hat and white apron. Make sure to powder your cheeks with a little flour to make sure everyone knows you are working hard in the kitchen. Now, relax and have some fun with making your masterpieces, and creating baby food recipes your baby loves.

Wait a minute, did we just say create baby food recipes? Yes, you need to stop making this so hard. If you are picturing needing a cookbook full of baby food recipes you are on the wrong track. Your baby just needs you to learn a few simple ideas, and then become creative in learning what they like.

The most important rule to start off with is never introduce new foods any closer than 4 days apart. You need to judge your baby’s reaction to new foods, to make sure they are not allergic. This simple rule is the hardest part of becoming a great baby food chef.

The next lesson, make sure you start your baby off with vegetables first, preferably green vegetables. Teaching your baby to eat peas, spinach, green beans, or other green vegetables comes first to make sure they do not become spoiled on fruits. Follow-up with yellow and orange vegetables, like squash, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes.

To prepare the foods is very easy. Just cook the vegetables thoroughly, and then you need to puree them into a very fine consistency. You can do this with a baby food grinder, your blender, or even a food processor. Baby food grinders are sometimes more efficient at getting the food to a thinner consistency. You can add a little water, breast milk, or formula if you want to thin the food further.

Since you are the chef, there is one big word of caution. Your recipes need to stay 100% natural. Your baby does not need salt, pepper, or other seasoning to start off with. They need simple cooked foods.

After getting your baby used to vegetables, which is going to take a few weeks, it is time to introduce fruits. Your job as chef just became easier. You can choose to cook the apples, pears, or other fruits if you wish, but you can also puree them raw. Either way is fine for your baby. They will be a little softer and smoother if cooked. Cooking helps to destroy some bacteria, so if you feel concerned, go ahead and cook. No sugar, cinnamon or other seasoning is needed. Once again, make sure to introduce only one new fruit every four days.

As you are beginning to see, being a great baby food chef does not require baby food recipes. As you get finished with introducing multiple foods you can start combining them to make unique flavors. Apples and sweet potatoes mixed are a delightful treat. Cooked carrots and pears are sweet and nutritious. Mango and squash are brightly orange and yummy for their tummy. Just have fun playing with combinations, and you will quickly discover your baby’s favorites. Being a baby food chef is simply a matter of having fun.