| Benefits of Making your Own Homemade Baby | | | | jarswith lids serve the same purpose and stack |
| Food | | | | easily. Label and datethe packages rotate them |
| Making your own homemade baby food will | | | | putting the most recently frozen foodsbehind the |
| ensure that what your childis eating is fresh, | | | | previously frozen ones. Frozen baby foods can be |
| nutritious and free of additives. By making | | | | storedfor up to two months. |
| yourown baby food, you'll be saving money. Also, | | | | 5. When you take frozen foods out for baby, |
| you will have totalcontrol over what is put into | | | | warm the food in a cupplaced in a saucepan of |
| your baby's food. You can thereforetake the | | | | boiling water with a lid on. If you use amicrowave |
| extra steps to ensure that only high quality foods | | | | to thaw or warm baby food, be sure to stir the |
| areselected and used. You will be able to feed | | | | food wellto avoid hot pockets. |
| your baby according tohis or her needs because | | | | 6. Cereals are typically the first foods given to a |
| you will know what foods are best suitedfor your | | | | baby becausethey contain lots of iron. You can |
| baby from experience. | | | | prepare your own, by runningoatmeal through |
| Making your own baby food also ensures that | | | | your blender. Fruits are generally given next. |
| your baby is exposed toa greater variety of | | | | Except for raw, mashed banana, you will need to |
| tastes and textures. This will help your babywhen | | | | cook all otherfruits till they are soft. |
| making the transition to table foods and also help | | | | 7. Try making your own apple sauce and pear |
| him or herdevelop healthy eating habits. See for a | | | | sauce; don't add anysugar, as these fruits are |
| collection of articles on babies andtoddlers. | | | | sweet enough on their own. You can alsopeel |
| Baby Food Preparation Tips | | | | peaches, plums and apricots and boil or steam |
| 1. As babies are susceptible to digestive upsets, | | | | them. |
| always work withclean hands and use clean | | | | 8. Buy and use organic fruits and vegetables. Use |
| cooking utensils, preparation surfaces,pots and | | | | fresh and organicvegetables whenever possible in |
| pans etc., when making home made baby food. | | | | order to provide the best nutritionand flavor for |
| Prepare foodsimmediately upon removing them | | | | your baby. Your baby deserves pesticide-free |
| from the refrigerator and freezeimmediately after | | | | foods. |
| cooking any foods you want to store. | | | | Frozen vegetables are better to use than canned. |
| 2. Steaming vegetables is the best method of | | | | 9. Yogurt, mashed cottage cheese, mashed |
| preparation. Thissoftens them, makes them easier | | | | pumpkin, baked potato,avocado and tofu (oriental |
| to chew, and preserves more of thevitamins and | | | | soy bean curd) are all popular withbabies. One |
| minerals than boiling. A steamer basket is cheap | | | | good idea is to blend together cottage cheese, |
| and bycooking fruits and vegetables in it, you'll be | | | | bananaand fresh orange juice - delicious! |
| sure of keeping thenutrients in the food, instead | | | | 10. Meats should be added slowly. They can be |
| of in the cooking water. | | | | boiled or broiled,then put in the blender with a little |
| 3. To puree your foods, you can use a fork, a | | | | milk and perhaps banana orcream of rice to get |
| food mill or blender. | | | | the right consistency. Chicken is generallythe first |
| A blender quickly purees almost anything into the | | | | meat baby is introduced to and usually goes down |
| finestconsistency. When your baby first starts on | | | | fairlywell. |
| solids, you'll bepureeing things to a very fine | | | | 11. There is no rush to start your baby on solid |
| consistency and, as baby gets alittle older, you will | | | | foods. Milk is hismost important food. Your |
| make foods a little coarser. You may wish tobuy | | | | doctor's recommendations and your ownintuition |
| a food mill which comes in large and small sizes. It | | | | will help you to know when to begin introducing |
| is veryhandy and inexpensive. The food mill | | | | solids toyour baby's diet. Introducing solids |
| strains most cooked foods to avery smooth | | | | prepares the baby for thetransition to adult food |
| consistency, although meats can be a problem as | | | | and offers further vitamins and minerals asthe |
| theywill have a coarser texture. Remember all the | | | | baby grows. Always remember to be patient with |
| tools you need to makebaby food are probably | | | | your baby andallow at least a few days between |
| already in your kitchen. | | | | newly added foods to make sure thebaby doesn't |
| 4. You can prepare large amounts of foods at | | | | suffer any reactions. |
| once and freeze them. | | | | Copyright © 2005, Bridget Mwape writes for |
| Take your prepared foods and plop by spoonfuls | | | | the Baby Shop UK: which features baby |
| onto a baking sheet. | | | | informationincluding articles and discounts on baby |
| Freeze the plops right away and then take them | | | | products, gifts and advicefrom other parents. This |
| off the sheet whenthey are frozen and put them | | | | article may be republished as long as allthe above |
| into plastic bags. You can also freezethe food in | | | | links are active and clickable and this author box |
| plastic "pop out" ice cube trays. Small tupperware | | | | (byline) is not edited. |