Breastmilk Smoothies +6M

Today I want to share with you some summer breastmilk smoothies ideas that do not require any cooking so that you can preserve all the breast milk nutritional content…and you can also prepare in no time 🙂

Can I use breastmilk or baby formula in my baby food? Very good and very common question!

It’s now very well known that breastmilk is a complete, healthy and nutritious baby’s first food and should be the exclusive source of nutrition for an infant from birth to 6 months and the main source of nutrition from 6 to 12 months.

Some moms are lucky enough to have an over production of breast milk and they might wonder if they can even prepare some baby food for their little ones with breastmilk. Yes, it’s possible and it will make the baby food even more nutritious.

The smoothies don’t have any added sugars and are appropriate for babies starting from 6 months of age. According to a study (Egyption Journal of Hospital Medicine publication), human milk has considerably more sugar, and less protein, than cow’s milk so it’s a perfect sweetener for our smoothies.

So, if you have extra breast milk in the fridge or freezer that you don’t want to get spoilt or if your baby doesn’t want the bottle or to breastfeed anymore and you still have a good breastmilk supply, you might be interested in these recipes 🙂

Also, the recipes work great with baby formula too!! Just keep in mind that the taste of baby formula is sweeter than breastmilk.

Just few reminders when dealing with breastmilk:

1. If the breastmilk was frozen and than thawed, you cannot refreeze again the baby food made with breastmilk, it is considered a double freezing.
2. How to thaw breastmilk. Place it in the refrigerator the night before. If you don’t have time, place it in a bowl of warm water.
3. How long does it last? 6 months in the freezer OR 6 days in the refrigerator (it’s like cow’s milk) OR 6 hours at room temperature.
4. Can I heat it? yes, but don’t go over 106F degrees or you will destroy all the nutrients.

The first smoothie combo is creamy, nutty with no acidity at all. The almond butter provides a nice amount of protein.

1/4 ripen banana

1 tsp almond butter

1 Tbsp oats cereal or oatmeal

2 Tbsp finely grated zucchini

1/4 cup breastmilk or baby formula

The zucchini is raw, simply finely grated, not even squeezed.

I used almond butter as I really like the delicate nutty flavor, less intense than peanut butter, but you can use any nut butter of your choice.

The procedure is exactly the same for all the smoothies and very simple. Mix all the ingredients with the exception of breastmilk in a bowl and reduce them to a creamy paste with a fork or small whisk.

In a baby cup add only the quantity you think your baby will eat and at that point only add the needed breastmilk to thin the smoothie. Breastmilk is like gold, you really do not want to waste not even a single drop.

What if you still have leftovers? If they are “contaminated” (that means that you used the same food to feed your baby and mix the leftovers and your baby’s saliva ended up in the mix) unfortunately there is nothing to do. You will need to throw them away. If the leftovers didn’t have any contact with your baby’s saliva you can store them in the refrigerator in an air tight container for 2 days.

The second baby smoothie combination has a fruity background flavor. The avocado brings in a nice amount of Omega 3 fatty acids (brain fuel!).

1 small peach, 2 Tbsp minced

1 Tbsp finely grated carrot

1 Tbsp spinach, steamed and minced

1 Tbsp avocado in cubes

Avocados are a great addition and they really make the smoothie a complete meal for your little one.

I didn’t peel the peach, only finely minced it. A lot of the vitamins are in the skin.

The carrot has simply been peeled and finely grated, not cooked.

The third mix uses dates as natural sweetener. The apricot flavor wins and the kale brings in more fibers.

1 Tbsp almond meal

2 or 3 dates, soaked in water, pitted and peeled

1 medium ripen apricot

1 Tbsp kale, steamed and minced

Always check how sweet is the fruit that you add to your baby food, simply eating a tiny part. As you can imagine every fruit has a lightly different sweetness pending how much sun it received and when it was picked from the tree.

Last but not least a combo that uses frozen riced cauliflower. One of my favorites.

4 cherries, pitted and minced

1 tsp coconut flakes

2 or 3 dates, soaked, pitted and peeled

2 Tbsp frozen riced cauliflower

The cauliflower brings both creaminess and body to the smoothie. Dates and coconut will give sweetness and cherries the main flavor.

The suggested quantities are for a baby, but of course you can double them if serving to a toddler. And if your older kids love smoothies, simply double the quantities, substitute the breastmilk with the milk of your choice and use a blender to create your smoothie!