| Making your own homemade baby food will | | | | into plastic bags. You can also freeze |
| ensure that what your child is eating is | | | | the food in plastic "pop out" ice cube |
| fresh, nutritious and free of additives. | | | | trays. |
| By making your own baby food, you'll be | | | | Small Tupperware jars with lids serve |
| saving money. Also, you will have total | | | | the same purpose and stack easily. Label |
| control over what is put into your | | | | and date the packages and rotate them, |
| baby's food. You can therefore take the | | | | putting the most recently frozen foods |
| extra steps to ensure that only high | | | | behind the previously frozen ones. |
| quality foods are selected and used. You | | | | Frozen baby foods can be stored for up |
| will be able to feed your baby according | | | | to two months. |
| to his or her needs because you will | | | | When you take frozen foods out for baby, |
| know what foods are best suited for your | | | | warm the food in a cup placed in a sauce |
| baby from experience. | | | | pan of boiling water with a lid on. If |
| Making your own baby food also ensures | | | | you use a microwave to thaw or warm baby |
| that your baby is exposed to a greater | | | | food, be sure to stir the food well to |
| variety of tastes and textures. This | | | | avoid hot pockets. |
| will help your baby when making the | | | | What should you make? |
| transition to table foods and also help | | | | Cereals are typically the first foods |
| him or her develop healthy eating | | | | given to a baby because they contain |
| habits. | | | | lots of iron. You can prepare your own |
| The ABCs of making baby food | | | | by running oatmeal through your blender. |
| Because babies are susceptible to | | | | Fruits are generally given next. Except |
| digestive upsets, always work with clean | | | | for raw, mashed banana, you will need to |
| hands and use clean cooking utensils, | | | | cook all other fruits till they are |
| preparation surfaces, pots and pans, | | | | soft. |
| etc., when making home made baby food. | | | | Try making your own apple sauce and pear |
| Prepare foods immediately upon removing | | | | sauce; don't add any sugar, since these |
| them from the refrigerator and freeze | | | | fruits are sweet enough on their own. |
| immediately after cooking any foods you | | | | You can also peel peaches, plums and |
| want to store. | | | | apricots and boil or steam them. |
| Steaming vegetables is the best method | | | | Buy and use organic fruits and |
| of preparation. This softens them, makes | | | | vegetables. Use fresh and organic |
| them easier to chew and preserves more | | | | vegetables whenever possible in order to |
| of the vitamins and minerals than | | | | provide the best nutrition and flavor |
| boiling. A steamer basket is cheap and | | | | for your baby. Your baby deserves |
| by cooking fruits and vegetables in it, | | | | pesticide-free foods. Frozen vegetables |
| you'll be sure of keeping the nutrients | | | | are better to use than canned. |
| in the food instead of in the cooking | | | | Yogurt, mashed cottage cheese, mashed |
| water. | | | | pumpkin, baked potato, avocado and tofu |
| To puree your foods, you can use a fork, | | | | (oriental soy bean curd) are all popular |
| a food mill or blender. A blender | | | | with babies. One good idea is to blend |
| quickly purees almost anything into the | | | | together cottage cheese, banana and |
| finest consistency. When your baby first | | | | fresh orange juice — delicious! |
| starts on solids, you'll be pureeing | | | | Meats should be added slowly. They can |
| things to a very fine consistency; as | | | | be boiled or broiled, then put in the |
| baby gets a little older, you will make | | | | blender with a little milk and perhaps |
| foods a little coarser. | | | | banana or cream of rice to get the right |
| You may wish to buy a food mill, which | | | | consistency. Chicken is generally the |
| comes in large and small sizes. It is | | | | first meat baby is introduced to and |
| very handy and inexpensive. The food | | | | usually goes down fairly well. |
| mill strains most cooked foods to a very | | | | There is no rush to start your baby on |
| smooth consistency, although meats can | | | | solid foods. Milk is his most important |
| be a problem because they have a coarser | | | | food. Your doctor's recommendations and |
| texture. Remember all the tools you need | | | | your own intuition will help you to know |
| to make baby food are probably already | | | | when to begin introducing solids to your |
| in your kitchen. | | | | baby's diet. Introducing solids prepares |
| Prepare ahead of time | | | | the baby for the transition to adult |
| You can prepare large amounts of foods | | | | food and offers further vitamins and |
| at once and freeze them. Take your | | | | minerals as the baby grows. Always |
| prepared foods and plop by spoonfuls | | | | remember to be patient with your baby |
| onto a baking sheet. Freeze the plops | | | | and allow at least a few days between |
| right away and then take them off the | | | | newly added foods to make sure the baby |
| sheet when they are frozen and put them | | | | doesn't suffer any reactions. |