Making your own baby food saves money. On top of that, there is no question about what is in the baby food when the parent makes it himself. Here are some tips for making your own baby food.
1. Select fresh fruits and vegetables. Some good fruits to start with are apples, pears and bananas, and some good vegetables are carrots, peas and green beans.
2. Wash the fruit or vegetables thoroughly to remove any pesticides. Better yet, start with organic produce, and wash to remove any dirt or contaminants.
3. Peel and steam the fruit or vegetables until soft. It is not necessary to cook bananas.
4. Puree the fruit or vegetable in a blender until the fruit or vegetable is the desired consistency. Baby food prepared for babies who do not yet have teeth should be completely smooth.
You may need to add some water to the blender in order for the fruit or vegetable to blend properly and to be thin enough.
5. Pour or spoon the blended baby food into ice cube trays and cover with plastic wrap. Place into the freezer.
6. Once the baby food is frozen, remove the cubes from the ice cube tray and place the cubes of frozen baby food into zippered plastic bags or plastic containers. Store the baby food in the freezer until time to serve the baby food.
7. When you are ready to feed the baby, remove the number of cubes of baby food you think your baby will need. (The frozen cubes of baby food are ideal because as your baby grows, you simple use more cubes of food at a time, but a single cube is great to start with.)
8. Microwave the baby food until it thaws and is at a comfortable temperature. In most cases, this should take less than 30 seconds. Be sure to check the food’s temperature, so you don’t inadvertently feed the baby food that is too hot.
If you do not have a microwave, you can simply remove the food earlier and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator. It is also safe to allow the food to thaw outside of the refrigerator if you are going to serve the food within the next hour.
Here are some additional things to keep in mind when making your own baby food:
1. Although fresh fruits and vegetables are ideal, you may also use canned or frozen fruits or vegetables when making your own baby food. If using canned or frozen fruit and vegetables, be sure to purchase ones that do not have any additives.
2. Introduce only one new food to your baby at a time. Feed your baby the same food for at least a few days so you can detect any type of food allergies. Down the road, once you are sure the baby is not allergic to any of the foods, you may mix various fruits or vegetables together.
3. If you have already started your baby on rice or some other cereal, initially mix in the fruit or vegetable with the cereal, rather than giving it to the baby straight. The cereal tones down the taste of the new food which may help the baby to be more open to the new taste.
Preparing your own baby food is really easy and will save you a lot of money and provide you with peace of mind since you can hand pick the ingredients. Additionally, since homemade baby food can be frozen, you only need to make baby food once a week or even once a month, which makes preparing your own baby food convenient as well.