Blueberries

In the days when we used a lot of jarred purees, I noticed that Kyle liked the Apple and Blueberry combo (of course, he liked everything with apple) So once I started making some fresh foods at home for him, blueberries were one of the first ones I picked. The first time I made it, I used fresh blueberries, however each time after, I went with the frozen ones.

Boil blueberries in water for 15 minutes and then strain off water (but reserve for drinking blueberry juice or to dilute puree if needed) Dump the blueberries into a food processor and puree to the desired consistency. OR, leave them as they are; from my experience with the frozen blueberries from Trader Joe's, they have all been a small size and not a problem once Kyle had moved on to more texture in his foods.

Sample One-Day Menu for an Eight- to Twelve-Month-Old

Taken from the AAP "Caring for Your Baby and Young Child Birth to Age 5"

1 cup = 8 ounces [240 ml]
4 ounces = 120 ml
6 ounces = 180 ml

BREAKFAST
1/4-1/2 cup cereal or mashed egg yolk
1/4-1/2 cup fruit, diced
4-6 oz. formula/breastmilk

SNACK
4-6 oz. juice
1/4 cup diced cheese or cooked vegetables

LUNCH
1/4-1/2 cup yogurt or cottage cheese
1/4-1/2 cup yellow vegetables
4-6 oz. formula/breastmilk

SNACK
1 teething biscuit or cracker
1/4 cup diced cheese or meat

DINNER
1/4 cup diced poultry, meat, or tofu
1/4-1/2 cup green vegetables
1/4 cup noodles, pasta, rice, or potato
1/4 cup fruit
4-6 oz. formula/breastmilk

BEFORE BEDTIME
6-8 oz. formula/breastmilk or water (If formula or breastmilk, follow with water or brush teeth afterward.)

Notes from Fiona:
Interesting that this is from the AAP, because when we saw the MD for Kyle's 9-month check up and I mentioned his 3 meals a day, plus occasional snack, she said that he didn't really need to be getting 3 meals a day until he is a year old, but that instead, the solid foods now are more for practice and to get him accustomed to different textures. So, what our actual menu for a day is (now at 10-months)

Breakfast
Breastmilk (not sure how much he gets)
1/4 cup cereal + 2 oz. formula
2+ oz fruit

Lunch
Breastmilk or formula (~6 oz)
1/4 yogurt
2+ oz fruit
1/8 cup cereal + formula

Snack
Breastmilk or formula (~4-6 oz)
1-2 oz Diced cheese (not every day)
Veggie puffs, crackers, toast or pita bread (not every day)

Dinner (all finger foods)
Formula (I try to push 6 oz, but that doesn't always happen)
Veggie puffs, crackers, toast or pita bread
Green beans, peas or carrots (need to work on some more variety for finger foods here!)
Chicken, legumes or egg yolk
Diced cheese
Banana or Avocado (need to work on some more variety for finger foods here too!)