Posted by Michelle Rittler October 26, 2017

How to Make Banana Purée for Babies {and Some Thoughts about Motherhood}

When introducing fresh fruit into your baby's diet, bananas are a great choice for a first fruit. because they're rich in potassium, and their natural sweetness is especially pleasing to the young palate.

How to Make Banana Purée for Babies | Taste As You Go

This post contains affiliate product links. Clicking on the links may result in my being paid a commission based on product sales. Regardless of commission, all opinions expressed in this post are my own. For more information, please review our site policies.
I've been trying to write this blog post for a long time. Not so much the part about turning fresh bananas into homemade baby food. That part writes itself. I'm talking about the narrative... the part that makes it personal... the part that gives this website a pulse.

Writer's block crippled me every time I tried to find a starting point. This type of thing tends to happen when I want to share something I've been keeping close to my chest. I want to tell my story, but I am so fearful of the judgment that may result. I just have to have faith that what I have to say will resonate with people in a positive way more than a negative one.

Ever since my son was born, people have asked me how I'm handling life as a working mother of two. Most of the time, I say "I'm okay" or "I'm tired" because those answers are, on the surface, true. I never know how much someone actually wants to hear, so I try and keep my responses short.

But the truth is, I'm struggling.

I've accepted that I'm in the phase of motherhood that generally requires me to give more than I receive. But it feels as if I'm falling short in just about every area of my life... and I agonize over these perceived shortcomings.

Even though we have a somewhat predictable routine, balance is non-existent. Time passes at warp speed once we get home. As soon as I'm through the door, I'm in the kitchen making dinner. As soon as we're done eating, we're transitioning to bedtime. As soon as the kids are down, I'm staging for the next day -- laying out clothes, packing lunches, repacking school bags.

Then begins the nightly internal debate over which to-do list I should focus on. Do I clean up a little? Do I write a blog post? Do I try and get some of the work I brought home done? Do I give in and go to sleep?

All the while I'm holding back how upset I am that I didn't have more time with the kids. I didn't read books with our sweet girl (this one is a new favorite) or help her build a castle out of magnetic tiles. I didn't set Jonathan up for tummy time or have time to cuddle him before nursing.

I know this feeling is not uncommon. I know I'm not the first parent to feel pulled in too many different directions all at once. But being a mother is something I've wanted for a long time. I'm here and now there are forces beyond my control that are preventing me from being the kind of mother I want to be.

And, honestly? It's breaking my heart.

I can't even say that I'm doing my best. Not with any confidence, that is. I'm doing what I can to get through the day and move on to the next. Because, maybe, that'll be the day when I figure out how to be the version of myself that I can be happy with.

Do you guys have any advice or words of encouragement? Please share in the comments.

And, if you've made it this far, then keep reading to find out how I turn fresh bananas into homemade baby food.

How To: Use Banana Purée

What if you make and/or freeze a batch of pear purée and your baby decides he/she doesn't like it anymore? If you're left with a whole lot of pear purée in your freezer, here are some ways to use it up:

Banana Bread Pancakes

Banana Pudding Cheesecake

Moist and Chewy Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Need more homemade baby food recipes? Try these:

Baby Applesauce

Butternut Squash Purée

Pea Purée