controlling what goes into your baby¡¯s sensitive tummy. You determine
how much, if any, sugar and spices your baby gets. Even when found on
sale for as low as 50 cents per jar, producing your own is a much less
expensive alternative to ready made.
Making baby food is actually very simple with a few simple tools: a
blender, food processor, baby food grinder or similar machine, a steamer
or boiling pot, ice cube trays, and a few minutes of your time.
As with jarred baby food, begin slowly, introducing only one new fruit or
vegetable per week. Be sure to watch for any signs of an allergic
reaction. Start with the least acidic of the fruits, such as apples, pears,
and bananas.
If you would like to prepare your own baby food, follow these basic tips:
Fruits and Vegetables
->Wash fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly to remove any chemical
residue.
->Steam or boil your baby¡¯s favourite fresh or frozen fruits and
vegetables until mushy.
->Use fresh fruits and veggies for the most nutritional value, frozen
next, and canned as a last option.
->If you use canned veggies, be sure to use the "No Salt" versions.
->Use little or no spice.
->Pur¨¦e the fruits or vegetables very well for smaller infants, or leave a
bit coarser for older ones.
->For variety, mix two fruits together.
->If these are the first foods you are feeding your infant, you may even
want to strain the pureed fruit. You can purchase an inexpensive baby
food maker that does this for you.
->Spoon pur¨¦ed food into ice-cube trays and cover with plastic wrap.
Freeze. At meal time, simply pop out a few cubes of food and allow to
thaw to room temperature or defrost in the microwave for a few
seconds. You can make weeks worth of meals at a time!
A few suggested fruits and veggies to begin with:
->Apples
->Bananas
->Pears
->Peaches
->Plums
->Potatoes (mash with water, formula or breast milk)
->Peas
->Carrots
->Sweet Potatoes
->Butternut Squash
Desserts/Treats
->Make your own Ambrosia by mixing a few fruits together, such as
strawberries and bananas. Be creative! However, only use fruits which
baby has already tried and shown no allergic reaction towards.
->For older babies, mix plain or vanilla-flavoured yogurt with their
favourite fruits.
->Freeze baby¡¯s favourite juice in ice cube trays. Mush up and let baby
eat with a spoon for a frozen treat! This one is great for those terrible
teething days.
Meals
As baby gets older, you can also pur¨¦e dishes that you fix for the rest of
the family such as: macaroni and cheese, spaghetti well cooked, chicken
and ham. Freeze in ice cube trays similar to the fruits and vegetables.
Be sure when thawing meat dishes that you allow them to thaw in the
refrigerator or defrost in the microwave to prevent the risk of E-coli
bacteria forming.