This post was updated on January 3, 2024.
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This recipe is for quinoa baby cereal, which is high in protein, fiber and antioxidants. It’s a great first food for your 4 month+ baby.
Quinoa baby cereal is so good for your baby because it is packed with protein! It’s easy to make and is great as one of your baby’s first foods.
Can I add herbs and spices to baby’s first foods?
Seasoning baby food with herbs and spices from the beginning is so important! It introduces your baby’s palate to a variety of flavors and promotes adventurous eating in the future.
With both my son and daughter, I added herbs and spices to their food from their first bite and I had no problems.
The reason foods are first introduced to babies one at a time is to be able to easily identify if your baby has food allergies and what specifically he is reacting to. Allergic reactions to herbs and spices are rare, so it’s generally safe to add them to baby’s first foods.
If you are not comfortable with this, you can introduce the main ingredient first, in this case quinoa. Once you know there is no reaction to that (wait a few days to see if you notice any symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea or rash) you can begin to pair the quinoa with an herb or spice.
How long will homemade baby food last?
Fresh, homemade baby food will last in the refrigerator for 3 days. Once the 3 days have passed, the remaining food should be disposed of for safety reasons.
If you make this or any other baby food recipes in bulk, it can be stored it the freezer for up to 3 months. Click here for more information, tips and tricks on storing homemade baby food.
By the way, these baby food freezer storage trays are PERFECT for freezing baby food. They come with snug fit lids that prevent spills and freezer burns, and they stack so easily.
How do you make homemade quinoa baby cereal?
Quinoa baby cereal is very simple to make and just takes a few minutes: you just cook the quinoa in a pot, then throw it in a blender. Can it get any easier?
You will need:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of quinoa
- 2 cups of water for cooking
- 1/4 cup water, baby formula or breast milk (plus more if needed)
- 1 pinch of various spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc. (optional)
Equipment:
Step 1
Put the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it thoroughly with cold water. It will remove the outer coating that gives quinoa a bitter taste. Although most packaged quinoa comes pre-rinsed, it doesn’t hurt to do this quick step.
Step 2
Put the rinsed quinoa in a pot with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Stir occasionally so the quinoa doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Take the pot off the heat and cover it. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
Step 3
Put the cooked quinoa, along with 1/4 cup of water, into a blender and blend until smooth. Add additional water, breast milk or formula to reach your desired consistency.
Step 4
Mix spices of your choice into the quinoa baby cereal. I would suggest dividing the batch up and trying a couple of different spices such as cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and pumpkin spice.
Note: Keep in mind that a blender will give you a smoother puree than a food processor.
If you’re looking for a super smooth puree, you will need a high-powered blender.
Although I am using a high-powered blender to showcase this recipe, I made a lot of baby food for my kids in a food processor. I liked to give my babies lots of different textures because I didn’t want them to get accustomed to super smooth purees all the time.
In fact, this KitchenAid food processor is what I used. I LOVE it because it is very compact (I have a small kitchen) but it’s still powerful.
But, the tool you choose to puree your baby food in is totally up to you! It’s just a matter of personal preference.
Try these yummy stage 2 baby cereals!
Mango + Coconut Rice Baby Cereal
Cinnamon + Raisin Rice Baby Cereal
Peach + Coconut Quinoa Baby Cereal
Peanut Butter + Banana Oatmeal Baby Cereal
Blueberry + Almond Butter Oatmeal Baby Cereal
Quinoa Baby Cereal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup quinoa any type (white, red or mixed)
- 2 cups water for cooking
- 1/4 cup water, breast milk or baby formula plus more, if needed
- 1 pinch various spices cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc. (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa thoroughly with cold water, then strain.
- Put the rinsed quinoa in a pot with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Stir occasionally so the quinoa doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Take the pot off the heat and cover it. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Put the cooked quinoa, along with 1/4 cup of water, into a Baby Bullet, food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Add additional water, breast milk or formula to reach your desired consistency.
- Divide the batch into separate portions and mix different spices into each portion. (optional)
Video
Notes
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