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