Making Your Own Baby Food  

When you have a baby, it’s not uncommon, and completely normal to feel like an amateur at many things.  One of these things for many parents is healthy food for their baby.  If you are concerned about the quality of the baby food offered these days, then learning how to make your own baby food can be added to the learning curve.  Here are a few simple instructions for creating your very own baby food line. 

Homemade baby food gives baby a preview of what table food will be like.  You are preparing the fruits and vegetables the same way that you do for yourself.  By creating your own baby food, you might just avoid the picky eater hurdle many parents face as their babies become toddlers.  

Go shopping for your equipment.  We all have pots and pans for cooking the baby foods, but you will need something to puree them.  A blender won’t provide as fine a puree as a food processor.  A food mill is another option that may be a better deal than the food processor.  Choose the one that’s right for your family’s budget. 

Make a list of what you want to introduce to baby first.  You can still buy the baby cereals from the store or grind up your own grains.  A word of advice; cooking the grains first, makes it easier to puree them before feeding to baby. 

Foods have to be thoroughly scrubbed and washed to remove dirt from the skin.  Keep everything you use to prepare baby’s food as clean as possible.  By paying careful attention to these steps you can keep bacteria from invading baby’s food.   

To avoid any type of illness from the foods you prepare, cook everything first.  Apples, peaches, pears, and other fruits need to be soft so that they blend better when pureed.  Also, don’t forget to remove all skin and seeds before cooking to avoid a choking hazard for baby. 

There are so many foods to choose from.  Even if you don’t like a particular food, give baby a chance to try it.  The pediatrician can give you a list of foods to avoid when baby is new to solid foods to help you avoid any possible allergies or other health concerns. 

Babies are little people.  Foods that give you gas or heartburn will probably do the same to them.  You may want to stay away from broccoli, greens, and cauliflower until later.  Your nose will thank you. 

Add as little liquid as possible during the cooking.  You will be adding baby milk to the food when you puree it so that the consistency is not too thick.  The whole process is trial and error so if the pureed baby food come out runny, add more vegetables or fruits.  Try not to use any seasonings or sugar in baby’s food.  The natural taste is better on their taste buds and their bodies.   

Freezing baby foods after they are prepared prevents spoiling.  Storing the baby food in the refrigerator can lead to food poisoning if left too long.  Protect your baby by only refrigerating what you will need right away and freezing the rest in freezer safe containers. 

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