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Viewing How to Make Your Own Baby Food - It is Easy and InexpensiveHow to Make Your Own Baby Food - It is Easy and Inexpensive
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Nutritionally, it's hard to beat the wholesomeness of foods right from your own kitchen. You can feed baby some of your family's regular foods - knowing that they are free from the additives and fillers found in some store-bought baby foods. By John Foley Making your own baby food is simple, convenient, and can save you money. Nutritionally, it's hard to beat the wholesomeness of foods right from your own kitchen. You can feed baby some of your family's regular foods - knowing that they are free from the additives and fillers found in some store-bought baby foods. Family foods, if prepared with salt, spices, sugar, or fat, are not suitable for infants. You will need to prepare foods separately, or remove the baby's portion before salt, sugar, or other seasonings are added. Making your own baby food doesn't require a lot of expensive equipment. As a minimum, all you need to get started is a clean pot to cook in and equipment to get the foods to the right consistency. Equipment for Pureeing Baby Foods Some foods, such as bananas and other ripe fruits, require only a fork for mashing. A potato masher also works well to puree cooked apples, winter squash, potatoes, or carrots. Be sure to remove lumps, pieces of skin, strings, or seeds before feeding to baby. A fine mesh sieve or strainer may be used to strain cooked foods. Most foods can be pureed with a blender. Be sure to remove tough peels and seeds from vegetables and fruits before blending, or they will be ground into the food. Use a blender to grind a handful of uncooked brown rice, then cook well until soft and smooth, and you have a nutritious, inexpensive cereal for baby. For a good source of protein, nut butters (like peanut butter) can be made in a blender from whole nuts. Thin the mixture with water or formula into a consistency suitable for older babies. Raw or cooked foods can be prepared easily in a small, hand-operated baby food mill. Peels and seeds are strained out of the food, and the small size of the food mill is perfect for taking to the table or restaurant. Some foods are ready to serve baby right from the grocery store. Try canned pumpkin, unsweetened applesauce, instant mashed potatoes, Cream of Wheat, or rice cereal for quick, ready-to-eat additions to meals. Prevent Food-Borne Illnesses Cleanliness is a priority when making foods for baby. Bacteria can easily upset a baby's digestive system; so anything that touches the food - your hands and all equipment - must be absolutely clean. The same rule applies when storing, heating, and serving baby foods. Always wash your hands and equipment with hot, soapy water, rinse, and let air dry. Cooking Methods Steaming is one of the best cooking methods for preserving vitamins and minerals in foods. Place the food in a steam basket, sieve, or colander above boiling water and cook in the rising steam. Microwave cooking is another way to prepare foods, especially vegetables - which cook quickly in very little water. Boiling or simmering fruits and vegetables is an acceptable cooking method, but will result in loss of some nutrients in the cooking water. Be sure to use only a small amount of water and save the cooking liquid to thin pureed food to eating consistency. Since babies do not have a preference for salty or sweet, you should not add salt or sugar to their food. It's a good idea to keep your child from developing an early taste for such additions. Studies suggest that feeding babies too much sodium may trigger high blood pressure later in life in genetically-susceptible individuals. Serving and Storing Baby Food Pureed foods spoil more easily than other foods; so baby's food must be used immediately or frozen for future use. If you store food in the refrigerator, keep it in there only 2 to 3 days. If you don't use it by then, it should be discarded. Remember: refrigeration does not kill bacteria; it only slows down their growth. Large batches of pureed foods can easily be frozen in ready-to-use serving sizes. One such method is to pour pureed food into plastic ice-cube trays, cover with waxed paper, and freeze. When frozen, transfer to freezer bags. Another method is to 'plop' drops of pureed food onto a cookie sheet, freeze, and then transfer to freezer bags. These frozen portions will keep for about one month. Thaw cubes in the refrigerator, in a double boiler, in the microwave (at low setting), or in a plastic bag under cold water. Do not thaw at room temperature. What to Serve Your Baby As with any new food, wait 5-7 days before adding another new food to see if any allergic reactions occur. Honey Alert: Do not feed honey in any form to infants under 1 year of age. Serious food poisoning (infant botulism) may result. Recipes Here are some simple baby food recipes to get you started. (Makes 10 food cubes) Many of the most nutritious veggies, especially the green leafy ones, are not available in commercial baby foods. It's easy to make your own. 1 lb. fresh greens (kale, collards, etc.) 1 Tbsp. water 3 Tbsp. fruit juice Wash leaves thoroughly. Steam most greens 5-15 minutes, leaving the lid off for the first few minutes. Puree in blender with the water and juice. Total calories per cube: 17 (Makes 8 food cubes) Do not add salt, sugar, or fat. 1 c. cooked fresh or frozen vegetables without salt - potatoes, green beans, peas, carrots, yellow squash 4-8 Tbsp. cooking liquid, formula, or water Press vegetable chunks through a sieve or baby food mill, thinning with cooking liquid or formula to eating consistency; or puree vegetables and liquid in blender until smooth. Serve or freeze. Note: After trying single foods, good combinations are potatoes and carrots or carrots and peas. Total calories per serving: varies (Makes 4 food cubes) Try different varieties of fruit in this recipe. 3/4 c. ripe fruit - uncooked peaches, nectarines, bananas, pears, apricots, apples 1 tsp. unsweetened fruit juice 1 tsp. lemon-flavored water - 1 tsp. lemon juice to 1 c. water to prevent darkening Remove skin and seeds from fruit. Puree ingredients in baby food mill or blender until smooth. Serve or freeze. Total calories per serving: varies (Makes 2-1/2 c. or 12 food cubes) Serve this nutritious dish to your baby. 1 c. dry soybeans 3 c. water 3/4 c. unsalted tomato juice for thinning Rinse and soak the soybeans overnight in the refrigerator. Simmer beans in 3 c. water for about 2 hours. Puree with any equipment, adding tomato juice to thin. Total calories per cube: 34 (Makes 1-2 c.) Babies will love this dish. 1 sweet orange, peeled, sectioned, and seeds removed 1 c. fruit juice In a blender, liquefy the fruit. Add the juice and blend. Pour into loaf pan, cover, and freeze until fairly firm, about 1 hour. Pour back into blender, and blend at low speed until smooth. Return to pan and freeze until firm. Total calories per 2 Tbsp.: 7 (Serves 4) This recipe uses fruit juice instead of sugar to add sweetness. Agar, the thickener, is derived from seaweed. It is available in natural food stores and food co-ops. 1/2 c. cool water 1 Tbsp. agar flakes 1-1/2 c. fruit juice 1 c. pureed fruit Place water in small saucepan. Sprinkle in agar and stir to dissolve. Add juice and heat for 1 minute, stirring well. Pour into 4 small cups. Place in refrigerator. After 1/2 hour, stir in pureed fruit. Total calories per serving: varies (Makes 20) Unlike store-bought varieties, this homemade version of 'hard tack' crumbles and melts in baby's mouth and is great for teething. 1 c. all-purpose flour 1 c. rye graham flour 2 Tbsp. sugar or other sweetener 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 8 oz. commercial corn muffin mix 3 Tbsp. margarine 3/4 c. soy milk Mix dry ingredients. Cut in margarine. Add soy milk. Mix well. Roll thin, cut into shapes, and bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees until brown. Total calories per Cracker: 116 (Serves 2) This is a delicious dish. 1/2 med. apple, cored and peeled 1/2 carrot, washed and peeled 2 Tbsp. fruit juice 1 tsp. lemon juice Puree all ingredients in blender; or grate apples and carrot and mix with juice before serving. Total calories per serving: 35 About the Author: Article Written By J. Foley: travelguy.typepad.com/your_baby Article Source: 1st Rate Articles - http://1stRateArticles.com |
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