Making your own fresh, unprocessed baby food is as easy as “setting it and forgetting it” when you enlist your multi-cooker or slow cooker

Here, Jenna Helwig, author of Real Baby Food and Baby-Led Feeding and the food editor at Parents magazine, shares 100 recipes to nurture your baby’s development and cultivate wholesome family mealtimes. Best of all, making baby food in a multi-cooker or slow cooker gives you the gift new parents need most—time: You simply put the food in the pot, set the time, and walk away. Here are some of the great reasons to make your own baby food using a multi-cooker:

•You’re in control: You’re not limited by the varieties on supermarket shelves and can customize foods for your baby.
•It’s easy and convenient: Most recipes require just one pot, and the machine does all the work for you. Many of these recipes are ready in 30 minutes or less.
•The timing is flexible: Many of the recipes can be made fast or slow using either a pressure or slow cooker—flexibility that’s priceless when you’re juggling irregular schedules.
•It’s economical: Making your own is much less expensive than buying the same amount of jarred baby food.
•It saves time: Make and store big batches, and you’ll have dinner at the ready for weeks.

From starter foods to family meals, recipes include DIY staples like yogurt; single-ingredient fruit and veggie purées; finger foods like Purple Sweet Potato Patties, Blueberry Banana Bread, and Chicken Nuggets; and toddler-friendly meals like Cauliflower Mac ’n’ Cheese, Meatballs, and Savory Steel-Cut Oats. All recipes are vetted by a registered dietitian and include nutritional information to help ensure healthy mealtimes.