Making your own baby food
Posted on 23. Jan, 2011 by Robert Needlman MD in Infant, Preschooler, Stages of Childhood
This lets you control the ingredients and the preparation method, and save money. You can use fresh, organically grown foods. It’s easier than you might think.
You can make a large batch of any healthy food you choose, then puree it to a consistency that your baby currently likes. You can add moisture, if you like, with water, expressed breast milk, or formula. Freeze serving-size portions in ice cube trays or on cookie sheets and then stored in plastic freezer bags until they’re used. Foods for children under a year should not be seasoned.
You can reheat individual portions in the small compartments of a cheap egg-poaching pan, double-boiler, or microwave oven. Be sure to stir the food well and test the temperature — especially if it’s been heated in a microwave — before feeding it to your baby. Microwaves create hot-spots in food, so one spoonful can be cool, and the next one scalding.
Once your child begins eating table foods, you may want to cut down on the salt or sugar. The earliest experiences with food set a child’s idea of what tastes good, so it’s important to get your child started on healthy foods (this is another reason for avoiding processed foods, which are often very high in salt.) A small, handheld food grinder will come in handy for sharing grown-up food with your baby.