AVOCADO AND CARROT PURÉE RECIPE
03 Aug
Features, Recipes

Homemade Puree for Baby

Why Choose Homemade Purees?

Homemade baby purees offer several advantages over store-bought options. Here’s why they’re a fantastic choice:

Quality Control: When you make your own baby food, you have complete control over the ingredients, ensuring that your baby gets the freshest and healthiest options.

Variety: Homemade purees allow you to introduce a wide variety of flavors and textures to your baby’s palate, helping them develop a taste for diverse foods.

Cost-Effective: Making baby food at home can be more budget-friendly in the long run, especially when you buy ingredients in bulk and freeze portions.

Reduced Preservatives: Homemade purees typically contain fewer additives and preservatives than store-bought alternatives.

The Efficient Way: Homemade Baby Purees

Now, let’s dive into the steps for making efficient and nutritious homemade baby purees:

Ingredients:

  • Fresh fruits or vegetables (e.g., carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, apples, pears)
  • Water or breast milk for thinning, if needed

Equipment:

Steps:

Prepare Your Ingredients: Wash and peel (if necessary) the fruits or vegetables. Cut them into small, uniform pieces for even cooking.

Steam or Microwave: Steam the fruits or vegetables until they’re soft and easily mashable. Alternatively, you can microwave them with a small amount of water. Steaming is preferred because it retains more nutrients.

Blend: Transfer the cooked ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until you achieve the desired consistency. You can adjust the thickness by adding breast milk or water if needed.

Cool: Allow the puree to cool to room temperature.

Portion and Freeze: The magic touch for efficiency lies in freezing the purees. Use ice cube trays or baby food storage trays to portion out the puree. Once frozen, pop the cubes out and store them in a labeled freezer bag. This method ensures easy access to small, single-serving portions whenever you need them.

Why Use a Puree Tray for Freezing and Storing?

Puree trays are a game-changer for busy parents. Here’s why they’re an excellent addition to your baby food-making arsenal:

Convenient Portions: Each cube typically holds around 2.5 ounces of puree, making it a perfect serving size for your baby.

Less Waste: With individual portions, you can defrost only what you need, reducing waste.

Organization: The trays come with lids, so you can stack and store them neatly in your freezer, keeping your purees fresh and preventing freezer burn.

Easy Removal: The flexibility of silicone trays makes it a breeze to pop out the frozen cubes.

Making homemade baby purees is not only efficient but also a labor of love. It ensures your baby gets the best start in their culinary journey while saving you time and money. Plus, those adorable baby food mustaches are an added bonus! 🍎🥕🍐

So, roll up your sleeves, stock up on fresh produce, and get ready to create delicious and nutritious homemade purees for your little one. Your baby’s taste buds and your wallet will thank you!

01 Oct
Feeding, Weaning Zone

All The Vitamin C Your Baby Needs

One of the first lessons every new parent learns is how to make sure their infant is well fed and adequately nourished throughout the early stages of their life.
Vitamin C plays an important role and is essential for optimal health across the life cycle.

What is vitamin C?

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble nutrient that plays a critical role in a variety of your baby’s most vital physical functions.
It is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system, enhancing iron absorption, and producing collagen, the most abundant protein in the human body.
Vitamin C is unique to many other nutrients because it also functions as an
antioxidant. Antioxidants help protect cells from free radical damage. Vitamin C is considered an essential nutrient, which means your baby’s body can’t produce it by itself. Therefore, it must be obtained from the foods they consume each day.
This nutrient can be found in breast milk, infant formula, and a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin C requirements for infants

Though essential throughout every stage of life, infants need less vitamin C than adults.
The dietary guidelines recommends that babies receive the following amount of vitamin C each day:

  • 0–6 months of age: 40 milligrams (mg)
  • 6–12 months: 50 mg

Women who are breastfeeding have increased vitamin C requirements because they’re supplying the baby with vitamin C through their breastmilk. When you’re breastfeeding, try to consume 120 mg of vitamin C per day. This is about 60% more than the amount required for women who aren’t breastfeeding.
Infant formulas also contain vitamin C. Thus, if your baby is formula fed, they’ll be able to meet their vitamin C needs.

Most babies shouldn’t take vitamin C supplements

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), infant formula, breast milk, and food should be the only sources of vitamin C your baby consumes.
Supplementing with vitamin C is unnecessary for most healthy babies and could increase their risk of developing symptoms associated with vitamin C toxicity.

Possible side effects associated with overconsumption of vitamin C include kidney stones, nausea, and diarrhea.
The U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) only advises that vitamins and mineral supplements be given to infants 6 months of age or older.
Supplementing at 6 months is recommended for infants who aren’t breastfeeding and consume less than 16 ounces (500 mL) of formula per day.
If taking a supplement is deemed necessary, the dosage should be determined by your baby’s healthcare provider.

15 Aug
Moobi Tales

Moobi Tales ~ Episode 3

As every one knows, Karin doesn’t like to stress… so the market is really not one of her favorite places to go. But when she’s excited about something, the means don’t matter. She managed to wiggle her way through the small market, exhausted as usual and wondering what in the world influenced her to go to the market. She finally got to where her car was parked, got in and slammed the door… She couldn’t wait to relax from all that walking. She needed an energy boost to begin this journey and what better choice than the one she made? She picked up her phone and dialed her darling husband to rant about how stressed she was, so he could indulge her and then calm her down… typical.

Hello love, Tega’s voice was the right amount of energy she needed. Oko mi! She winced… I’m so tired. I came to the market to get some bananas and other fruits.

Sorry my love, Tega did calm her down… “but why did you go to the market to get fruits thought?”

Okay so I’ve decided to start weaning Tutu and my first pick is Banana Puree, Karin smiled and cluttered on..

My sister told me about this “Moobi site” where I can get information to help me with weaning her and I’m not so worried anymore. I even ordered for some of their products. Their Sippy cups are so cute, I don’t even have to worry about Tutu’s clothes when I’m feeding her because the bib is amazing like that. I couldn’t wait till she starts self feeding so I already bought some of their suction plates and bowls for when she starts, I don’t have to worry about messy feeding because she won’t be able to move the plates. Isn’t that just perfect? They’re just too peppy to ignore.

Hello! are you there?

“I can hear you my love, I’m really just glad you found a way out… and I’m wondering why you didn’t go to the mall instead of the market… you can get all the fruits there, or you could have called me to get them on my way home.” Tega teased her.

Uhmm.. the market is closer? Karin laughed… but that makes sense because moobi products are actually available in Ebeano Supermarkets and I could have gotten everything there. I guess I’ll just wait for the delivery man to get here.

Okay love, I need to finish something up and I’ll be home soon… do take care! Tega hung up and Karin, feeling a lot more relieved, began her journey back home.

She just couldn’t wait to start her weaning journey with Moobi.

08 Aug
4-6 months (Stage 1), Feeding, Recipes, Weaning Zone

Butternut Squash and Pear Puree

Butternut squash offers a good supply of vitamin A, potassium and fiber; making it a wonderful and nutritious food to include in baby’s new diet. Pears are rich in essential antioxidants, plant compounds, and dietary fiber. They are fat free and cholesterol free. Pears could help weight loss and reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Butternut Squash and Pear are a good and healthy combination for your baby’s first foods.

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash (about 450g)
1 ripe, juicy pear

Instructions:
  • Peel the butternut squash, cut into two halves, remove the seeds and chop into pieces.
  • Steam for about 10-12 minutes.
  • Peel, core and chop the pear
  • Add it to the steaming butternut squash and continue to cook until the butternut squash is tender.
  • Puree in a blender.
  • Add water or baby milk for desired consistency.
Please Note
  • Store your pureed butternut squash and peer in an airtight plastic and freeze. We recommend using Moobi Food Pot or Moobi Freezer Tray, for best results.
  • Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
  • In the absence of a blender, Moobi Food Masher can be used to mash the steamed Butternut squash and pear.
Potty Training
31 Jul
Resources

Potty Training

Potty training is the process of training a toddler or infant, to use the toilet for urination and defecation. Potty training for most children begins when they’re eighteen to twenty-four (18-24) months old, and may go on for some children until they’re about five to six (5-6) years old.

Potty training is different for boys as they have to learn how to urinate differently. It’s sometimes best to let them master urination while sitting down, before moving to standing up, after bowel training is complete.

How to begin potty training

There are different ways to begin potty training, but most importantly, a routine needs to be established. You can have your child sit on the potty after waking with a dry diaper, or 45 minutes to an hour (45 mins- 1 hr)after drinking lots of liquid.

Another way to potty train is to have your child sit on the toilet or potty chair without a diaper for a few minutes at two hours interval, also as first thing in the morning and immediately after naps.

How to get your toddler to tell you they have to use the potty

  • Make a connection between the urge to urinate or defecate and using the toilet. Consistently use words that remind them about using the potty. You can use babyish terms like pee or poo, until your baby is older… but what’s more important is to stay consistent in the usage of bathroom talk.
  • Commend your baby when they get it right. Apparently, adults are not the only one who love praises. Praising your children when they use the potty right makes them want to do it again. Let them know that you’re proud of them. you can introduce incentives- i.e, by putting a stickers on the calendar or singing a happy song whenever they use the potty. The idea is to encourage your child to understand the need for them to use the potty.
  • It is important to be patient while potty training. Children learn to use the potty differently; it takes longer for some children. Do not nag in the process, you could diminish your child’s confidence. Don’t scold or punish him/her, try to stay calm. Take deep breaths, do not overreact, to avoid resistance. You can give it a break when it gets overwhelming, and then try it again after a few days or weeks.
  • In your bid to cut down your toddlers chances of having an accident, do not deny them liquid; it is an unhealthy and ineffective approach. The better tactic is actually to give your child more liquid, to increase potty training opportunities.
  • Do not compare your child to other children who are doing better at potty training, it affects their self esteem. It’s okay to get support from family and friends when you get overwhelmed, but do not make your child uncomfortable with hanging around their children, because he/she doesn’t feel like they’re doing as good as the other children.

With babies, nothing is really that simple, but with consistency and patience, you can get your baby fully potty trained.

What is baby acne?
17 Jul
4-6 months (Stage 1), Resources, Weaning Zone

IS Baby Acne Normal?

What is baby acne?

Baby acne is a common, usually temporary skin condition that develops on a baby’s face or body two to four (2-4) weeks after birth . It results in tiny red or white bumps or pimples, on the baby’s face (nose, forehead, cheeks) and upper back or neck. In almost all cases, the acne resolves on its own without treatment. Like acne in adults, baby acne usually appears as red or white bumps or pimples. White pustules or whiteheads may also develop, and reddish skin may surround the bumps.

Baby acne- also known as neonatal acne, occurs in about 20 percent of newborns. Baby acne is different from infantile acne in that open comedones, or blackheads, don’t usually appear in baby acne. In rare cases, it can leave scars without treatment.

What causes baby acne?

It’s not clear why baby acne Occurs, although, some researchers believe it’s caused by maternal or infant hormones.

What are the symptoms of baby acne?

  • Babies can develop acne anywhere on their face, but it’s most common on their cheeks. Some babies may also have acne on their upper back or neck.
  • Acne may become more pronounced if your baby is fussy or crying. Rough fabrics can irritate the acne, as can vomit or saliva that stays on the face.
  • Baby acne may occasionally be present at birth. But, in most cases it develops within two to four weeks after birth. And it may last for a few days or weeks, though some cases may last for several months.

How is baby acne treated?

Baby acne usually disappears without treatment.

Some babies have acne that lingers for months instead of weeks. To treat this stubborn form of baby acne, your baby’s pediatrician may prescribe a medicated cream or ointment that helps clear up the acne.

Don’t use OTC acne treatments, face washes, or lotions. Your baby’s skin is very sensitive at this young age. You might make the acne worse or cause additional skin irritation by using something that’s too strong.

Home treatments that help baby acne

While you wait for your baby’s acne to clear, there are things you can do to help keep the skin as healthy as possible.

1. Keep your baby’s face clean

Wash your baby’s face daily with warm water. Bath time is a great time to do this. You don’t even need to use anything but water, but if you want to, look for a mild soap or soap-free cleanser. Don’t hesitate to ask the pediatrician for recommendations. Don’t scrub hard or pinch the irritated areas.

2. Avoid harsh products

Products with retinoids, which are related to vitamin A, or erythromycin, are commonly used for adult acne. However, they aren’t usually recommended for babies.

Don’t use any scented soaps, bubble bath, or other types of soaps that contain excessive chemicals. Fragrance-free products are least likely to irritate your baby’s skin.

3. Skip the lotions

Lotions and creams may aggravate your baby’s skin and make the acne worse. Avoid lotions or oily face products.

4. Don’t scrub

Scrubbing the skin with a towel can further aggravate the skin. Instead, gently sweep a washcloth over the face in circular motions.

Once the cleanser is washed off, use a towel to pat your baby’s face dry.

5. Don’t squeeze

Avoid pinching or squeezing the acne. This will irritate your baby’s skin and may worsen the problem.

6. Be patient

Baby acne is typically harmless. It is not itchy or painful for your baby. It should quickly resolve on its own.

When should you see a doctor about baby acne?

  • There’s no treatment for baby acne, but you should still consult the pediatrician if you’re worried about it.
  • See a doctor right away if your baby’s acne results in blackheads, pus-filled bumps, or inflammation. Pain or discomfort should also prompt a visit to the doctor.
  • If your baby’s acne doesn’t clear up after several months of home treatment, see your baby’s doctor.

Please Note;

Baby acne itself does not recur, but it would be good to note that if your child gets acne again before puberty, they should see their doctor as this could be a sign of an underlying problem.

Underlying conditions
  • Certain rare conditions may be causing the acne not to respond to home treatment. These conditions include tumors, the adrenal disorder congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), and other conditions related to the endocrine system.
  • If you have a baby girl who starts to show signs of hyperandrogenism, ask the doctor to check for underlying issues. Symptoms may include an overgrowth of facial hair or unusually oily skin.
TIME TO START WEANING
10 Jul
4-6 months (Stage 1), Weaning Zone

HOW YOU KNOW IT’S TIME TO START WEANING.

Starting too early or late have their side effect; therefore, It is very important to know the right time to start weaning. If your baby can coordinate their hands and eyes to guide objects to their mouth, they may be ready for solids.

As babies learns new skills like rolling over, sitting up and picking things, they’ll be using a lot more energy than usual; therefore, their appetite would start to grow. When they are ready to start weaning, your baby will show definite signs that they’re ready for more than milk. Babies grow differently, but knowing what to look out for makes it easier to provide the extra nourishment they need at the right time.

The Signs To Look Out For

  • Is your baby six (6) months old?
  • Coordinating hands, eyes and mouth – Can your baby grasp objects and put them in his/her mouth?
  • Is your baby able to swallow food? Babies who aren’t ready will push their food back out.
  • Can your baby sit up independently?
  • Does your baby actively watch you eat or try to take food from your plate?
  • Can your baby hold his/her head upright and move it from side to side?
  • Is your baby still hungry after breastfeeding?

If your baby is exhibits most or all of these signs, he/she is possibly ready to wean! wean!! wean!!!

Please note

  • Some signs may be mistaken for signs of weaning, like waking during the night or sucking fists, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are.
  • Increased appetite could either be a sign of weaning or a growth spurt. If your baby is experiencing growth spurts, extra breast milk or formula should meet their increased hunger as it will only be temporary and his/her appetite should return to normal quickly.
  • It is important not to confuse growth spurt with signs of weaning; as your baby’s digestive system might still not be ready to take in solids… If you feel your baby is ready to wean before six months, you should ask your doctor for some advice.

AVOCADO AND CARROT PURÉE RECIPE
10 Jul
4-6 months (Stage 1), Feeding, Recipes, Weaning Zone

AVOCADO AND CARROT PURÉE RECIPE

Avocado and carrot together make a lovely, creamy and sweet purée that babies love. This also makes a yummy sandwich spread for older babies and toddlers. This recipe is an excellent source of the essential fatty acids that your baby needs for healthy brain development and Vitamin C and A.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped.
  • 1/2 ripe avocado, scooped out of skin.

Instructions

  • Steam the carrot for about 20 minutes, until carrots are easily pierced with a fork.
  • Place the carrots and avocado in a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. You can also mash purée in Moobi Baby Food Masher.
  • Add breast milk, formula or a little of the cooking water, if necessary, to achieve desired consistency.
  • Store left over Purée in an air tight container and store in the freezer… we recommend storing in Moobi Food Pot or Moobi Freezer Tray for best storing results.
  • Thaw in the refrigerator over night.
Moobi Tales ~ Episode 2
26 Jun
4-6 months (Stage 1), Moobi Tales, Weaning Zone

Moobi Tales ~ Episode 2

As a mother, there’s that thing that “naturally” makes you want to stress when your baby is crying continuously… but sometimes, you get too exhausted to stress; just like Karin was. “Amira”!! she yelled to her nanny who responded immediately, as usual. “Why is Tutu crying again?” Madam, I think she’s hungry… Amira responded precisely. Oh no! Karin squealed. What’s the matter? Tega was curious, You don’t want to feed her? “Not so my love, my breasts hurt so much from feeding her and I just need a little break”. So she’ll wait for your break to be over before she eats or? Karin was about to respond when the doorbell interrupted.

I’ll get it, Tega said, picking up his suit case. “Just make sure my baby doesn’t die of hunger before I’m back” he gave her a kiss and left for work. She managed to drag herself out of bed and into the bathroom. She was about to start brushing her teeth when she heard voices from the living room. She quickly dropped her toothbrush and headed out, wondering who it could be. She felt relieved when she saw her sister… “Remi!!” she ran into her embrace and started ranting out her frustration before she even knew it. Wait! wait! wait! Remi had to cut her short, “I’m sorry you’re going through this, it’s a phase and it’ll pass before you even realize it. But I need your help please, I’m late to work and I need the kids to stay here for the day”.

Karin’s face turned sour… “Remi please I have enough on my plate with Tutu, I can’t add two whole toddlers to it”. It’s just for the day, Amira can take care of them. You know I wouldn’t be asking if my nanny hadn’t quit, Remi pleaded. Amira can’t even stop Tutu from crying if I don’t breastfeed her, Karin retorted, my breasts hurt so badly but I still have to breastfeed her again, I’m really just tired Remi. Why do you have to breastfeed her? Remi asked, curious. What else would she eat if I don’t breastfeed her? Karin returned. Have you ever heard of puree? Remi laughed. She’s barely seven(7) months old Karin, I want to breastfeed her enough so she doesn’t lack any necessary nutrient. Now Remi laughed even harder, Karin, at six(6) months, your baby is old enough to start weaning… in fact, it is necessary, if you don’t want her to lack any nutrient. Really? I don’t even know how to go about it, Karin looked confused.

Don’t worry, it’s not that hard, Remi reassured her. I would love to give you all the details now, but I’m late for work… but you can visit Moobi’s website. I found out about them on my way here. Their blog has enough information to put you through. They’ll tell you how to know when your baby is ready for solids and all the products that you need to start. They also have simple puree recipes that you can start with. You can even find relatable stories to read when you’re bored. See, I just helped you, now you have to help me”. They both laughed as Remi said goodbye to the kids and stormed out, while Karin went on to do her research.

Sweet Potato Puree Recipe.
26 Jun
4-6 months (Stage 1), Feeding, Recipes, Weaning Zone

Sweet Potato Puree Recipe.

The nutritional value and delicious taste of sweet potatoes make them another wonderful choice for a first food for babies. Sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin A and Beta-carotene, as well as potassium. sweet potatoes also contain a good amount of Vitamin E, calcium and folate. The fiber and antioxidants in sweet potatoes help to promote gut health. They also; have Cancer-Fighting Properties, support healthy vision, enhance brain function and support the immune system. Sweet potato is a good first food, because it’s a single ingredient puree, which is a building block for all other ingredients; which means that you can do sweet potato and a more bitter ingredient that your babies might not like on their own- like spinach.

The best way to cook Sweet potatoes.

Baking sweet potatoes is the best way to cook them, especially for baby food. It brings out their natural sweetness and good flavor while retaining the most nutrients. You may also peel, dice and then steam or boil sweet potatoes if you prefer.

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 Sweet potato.
Baking Sweet Potatoes for Baby Food:
  • Wash and poke holes in sweet potato with fork.
  • Wrap sweet potatoes in tin foil (do not peel for baking/microwaving).
  • Place in a 400 degree oven and bake for 30-60 minutes or until soft
  • Remove the skin by slitting the sweet potato lengthwise.
  • When cooled, scoop out the “meat”.
  • Puree potatoes with a blender or mash, (we recommend using our Baby Food Masher).
  • Add baby’s milk, formula or water, for desired consistency.
Boiling/Steaming Sweet Potatoes for Baby Food:
  • Peel sweet potatoes and cut into small pieces.
  • Place the diced pieces into a pan with just enough water to slightly cover the potatoes.
  • “Steam” boil until tender, making sure to check on the water level.
  • Puree potatoes with a blender or mash, (we recommend using our Baby Food Masher).
  • Add baby’s milk, formula or left over water from steaming, for desired consistency.
Microwaving Sweet Potatoes: (we prefer to not use a microwave for cooking)
  • Wet Sweet Potatoes; (You can wrap sweet potatoes with microwave safe plastic wrap).
  • Poke holes in the wrap with a fork and microwave for 10 minutes or until done.
  • Remove skins by slitting the sweet potato lengthwise.
  • When cooled, scoop out the “meat”.
  • Puree potatoes with a blender or mash, (we recommend using our Baby Food Masher).
  • Add baby’s milk, formula or reserved water from steaming,as necessary, for desired consistency.

Sweet Potato Apple Mash 4-6 months +

  • Steam or bake apples and sweet potatoes together until tender.
  • Puree as needed, adding water, baby’s preferred milk or formula to thin if required.
  • You may also chop or dice for a finger food salad.
STORING
  • Put the potato puree in an air tight bowl (we suggest storing in our Moobi food pot or Moobi Freezer Tray) and into the freezer, to be frozen.
  • Sweet potato puree can be stored by freezing, for as long as two (2) months.
PLEASE NOTE:

Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A and Beta-carotene , which the body stores; therefore, excess consumption of sweet potatoes can make your skin and nails to appear a little orange.