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Homemade Baby Food
by Dawn Lloyd
Making your own baby food gives you the distinct advantage
of 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.
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- Steam or boil
your baby's favorite 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.
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- Puree 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.
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- Spoon 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.
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- You can make
weeks worth of meals at a time!
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A few suggested fruits and veggies to begin with:
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- Potatoes (mash
with water, formula, or breast milk)
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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-flavored yogurt with
their favorite fruits.
Freeze baby's favorite 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 puree dishes that you fix
for the rest of the family such as:
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- well cooked
chicken and ham
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- 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.
Dawn Lloyd is the owner/editor of BabyUniversity.com
and MyBabyShops.com.
She and her husband live in North Carolina with their two
children, Jessica, 4 years and Cody, 5 months.
More
Recipes
For more homemade baby food recipes, try these books:
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Homemade Baby Food
Making your own baby food gives you the distinct advantage of 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.
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Baby Wipes Recipe
(fun thing to have
for a baby shower) |
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Make a corsage for the mommy-to-be to wear at the
baby shower or make a bouquet of flowers for the nursery.
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