Find quick, nutritious, and easy to make baby food purees with this Stage 1 baby food list. It’s a quick-reference guide to starting solids with nutrient-dense foods that are also yummy!

Stage 1 Baby Food List Grid of images

It can be really easy to make homemade baby food recipes when you realize how simple it is to turn whole ingredients into simple Stage 1 purees.

Quick Look: Stage 1 Baby Food List

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0-10 minutes
  • Total Time: 5-15 minutes
  • Servings: 2-8
  • Flavor Profile: Fresh fruits, veggies, legumes, and more with optional spices
  • Difficulty: Easy; perfect for everyday baby meals
  • Why to Make: These are some of the best Stage 1 baby food recipes to make at home.

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When my kids started solids, I used a combination approach that relied on simple baby-led weaning foods and baby food purees. To me, this is the easiest way to go since it gives you all of the options. But even if you focus just on purees, the ones here are some of our favorites.

Find single ingredient baby foods made from fruits, veggies, proteins, and more to make it easier to feed baby nutritious, affordable meals at home.

(You may also like my tips on Baby Food Storage and Baby Food Combinations.)

apple-puree-in-teal-bowl-with-spoon

Apple Puree

This Apple Puree is a smaller batch and a simplified version of my Crock Pot Applesauce and is smoother. It’s a great Stage 1 baby food, though you can gradually blend it a little less smooth to make it Stage 2 and beyond.

Best Apple Puree (with Flavor Combinations + Storage Tips))
There’s no one right serving size for every child, so start with a smaller amount and offer more as indicated by baby. When they turn their head or close their mouth, end the meal—it’s usually pretty obvious when they want to be done!
Best Apple Puree (with Flavor Combinations + Storage Tips))
apple-puree-on-baby-spoon

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avocado puree in white bowl

Avocado Puree

Learn how to make SO EASY avocado puree for your baby—and the best way to prevent it from browning so you can store leftovers for later.

Easy Avocado Puree
This easy baby food is rich in healthy fats, super smooth, and has a mellow flavor. This is a great puree to make when you're eating something like tacos so you can have some, too!
Easy Avocado Puree
avocado puree in white bowl
banana-puree-in-white-bowl

Banana Puree

This is a great puree to start with and make often as your baby explores solid foods!

Banana Puree Baby Food
Use a ripe banana with at least some brown spots for the best flavor in this puree.
Banana Puree Baby Food
banana puree baby food
mashed bean puree in blue bowl

Bean Puree

This no-cook baby food protein is full of plant-based goodness AND can be ready in 5 minutes. 

Easy Bean Puree
You can make this recipe with almost any bean, such as garbanzo beans, white beans, and black beans.
Easy Bean Puree
mashed bean puree in blue bowl
beets baby food in various containers with spoons and lids

Beet Puree

Beets are one of our favorite baby food options since they have a unique earthy flavor, and they are easy to prepare and serve.

Favorite Beets Baby Food
Transform fresh beets into a delicious baby food with this easy method. This works as a baby-led weaning food or as a puree, and it's easy to make ahead and freeze for future weeks.
Favorite Beets Baby Food
beets baby food in various containers with spoons and lids
broccoli puree on spoon.

Broccoli Puree

I love a veggie that’s easy to prepare, and broccoli is so versatile- no matter how you start feeding your baby. 

Best Broccoli for Babies (Puree and BLW-Style)
Learn how to make nutritious Broccoli Puree and a super easy method for baby led weaning style broccoli. Both start with the same technique, so you can do either (or both!).
Best Broccoli for Babies (Puree and BLW-Style)
broccoli-puree-in-white-bowl-with-baby-spoon
Butternut squash baby food in three glass jars.

Butternut Squash Puree

Butternut Squash Puree is a great early baby food puree that I like to continue serving to my toddlers since it’s packed with nutrition and has a mild flavor that kids tend to enjoy. 

Butternut Squash Baby Food Puree
You can make this puree to feed to a baby or toddler, or as a simple side dish for the whole family to share.
Butternut Squash Baby Food Puree
Butternut squash baby food in three glass jars.
carrot-baby-food-puree-in-bowls

Carrot Puree

This is a nutritious food that’s rich in vitamin A that can be offered from 4-6 months of age and up—or the age at which your pediatrician clears your kiddo to start solids.

Easy Carrot Baby Food (Puree and BLW-Syle)
Turn fresh carrots into a simple, nourishing baby food for baby with this easy method to make Carrot Puree. Read the Notes for additional flavor options and storage information.
Easy Carrot Baby Food (Puree and BLW-Syle)
carrot-baby-food-puree-in-bowls
Cauliflower baby food in bowl with spoon.

Cauliflower Puree

You can use fresh or frozen cauliflower, so you can make this recipe with what you have or prefer to buy. And this can be stored in the fridge or freezer, so you can be sure to use up what you prepare.

Cauliflower Baby Food (Puree and BLW-Style)
Learn how to make nutritious Cauliflower Baby Food as a super easy puree and a baby led weaning style option. Both start with the same technique, so you can do either—or both!
Cauliflower Baby Food (Puree and BLW-Style)
Cauliflower baby food in bowl and on kids plate.

Mango Puree

Learn the easiest way to transform fresh or frozen mango into a smooth homemade baby food with this easy Mango Puree.

5-Minute Mango Puree
You can use either fresh or frozen mango for this recipe. It can be served by itself or mixed together with another puree, plain yogurt, oatmeal, or cottage cheese. (It also works as an adult food drizzled over fish tacos or stirred into a drink.)
5-Minute Mango Puree
mango puree in bowls on counter.
pea-puree-on-teal-spoon

Pea Puree

This super simple Pea Puree for baby is so fresh and delicious. It’s an easy baby food or side dish that you can add flavor to as desired. 

Easiest Pea Puree
The serving size for baby food can vary widely based on the age and appetite of the baby, so follow baby’s cues for being done—they will close their mouth and/or turn their head or start to fuss. End the meal when you see those things happen.
Easiest Pea Puree
pea-puree-on-teal-spoon
pear-puree-in-white-bowl

Pear Puree

This Pear Puree recipe is so easy and so delicious that every time I made it for my third kiddo, his older sisters wanted some, too!

Easy Pear Puree (Plus Easy Storage Tips)
Use ripe pears—they should give just a little to the touch and smell like a pear—for the best flavor in this puree. Some babies may want a few spoonfuls, some a bowlful. Follow baby's cues to determine the right amount for them.
Easy Pear Puree (Plus Easy Storage Tips)
pear-puree-in-white-bowl
strawberry puree in white bowl with berries.

Strawberry Puree

For this Strawberry Puree, you don’t even need to cook the berries, which makes this a super quick and easy baby food to make at home.

Fresh Strawberry Puree
This simple puree is no-cook, so be sure to start with great-tasting berries. It's a perfect fruit puree for a baby, or a delicious way to add flavor to yogurt and oatmeal for all members of the family. (It's also great with ice cream and waffles!)
Fresh Strawberry Puree
strawberry puree in white bowl with berries.
sweet-potato-baby-food-three-ways

Sweet Potato Puree

Sweet potato is a perfect baby food. It’s nutritious, naturally flavorful, and cooks up nicely and softly. 

Favorite Sweet Potato Baby Food
You can serve this as wedges, a thick mash, or a thinner puree to your baby or toddler. (Adults will love the wedges, too!)
Favorite Sweet Potato Baby Food
sweet-potato-baby-food-three-ways
zucchini-baby-food-puree-and-blw-zucchini-on-plate

Zucchini Puree

This easy method takes about 15 minutes start to finish, freezes well, and can be combined with other baby foods if you want to add other nutrients and flavors.

Favorite Zucchini Baby Food
Learn the easiest way to make flavorful Zucchini Baby Food—with options for baby-led weaning zucchini and also zucchini puree—with one simple method. Plus: Find storage and serving tips.
Favorite Zucchini Baby Food
zucchini-baby-food-puree-and-blw-zucchini-on-plate

Best Tips for Success

  • Store all recipes on this Stage 1 baby food list in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for longer.
  • Add herbs, spices, or fats such as olive oil, butter, coconut oil, or avocado oil to any of these recipes to enhance the flavor in the fruits and vegetables. You can also add a little formula or breast milk.
  • Let baby explore textures while knowing that traditional Stage 1 baby food is a very thin consistency.
  • Look for signs that baby is finished with their meal, such as turning their head away.
  • My baby food chart is a follow up to this Stage 1 baby food list, with more options for future stages. And then check out my finger foods for baby.
  • Try my Baby Rice Cereal, Baby Oatmeal (made with whole grain oats), Quinoa Baby Food, and Chicken Puree.
  • Let baby feed themselves with a baby spoon to let them have more control over their meal.
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends introducing potential food allergens early to help reduce the risk of food allergies; talk to your pediatrician.

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