Making your own baby foods

This past weekend I had every intention of making my own baby food and learning to store it properly, actually I have had this intention for the past 5 weekends. My daughter has been eating pureed fruits and vegetables since she turned 6 months old. She is now 9 months and just moving on to pureed meats as well as more textured, chunky foods. I am not sure why I feel so guilty about the fact that I purchase commercially prepared baby food but regardless, I do. Maybe it’s the fact that I was not able to breast feed her as long as I would have liked to. Possibly it has something to do with the numerous people who constantly ask me if I make my own baby food, or the multitude of internet sites that preach the joys and benefits of preparing your infant’s pureed foods. Whatever the case may be, I have made the decision to purchase commercially prepared foods. The good news is that even though grocery stores are full of over processed, nutrient-depleted food products, the baby food isle is not one of them. However, I do agree that if you want to make your own baby food, I fully support your decision and in fact secretly envy you. From all my work to get prepared (even if I didn’t quite follow through), I thought I would share some information that I found on how to make, store, and have fun making your own baby foods.

How do I make homemade baby foods?

·         Do not add any salt, sugar, butter, margarine, gravy or seasoning.

·         Blend or grind foods to the texture that is appropriate for your baby’s development.

·         Puree foods – offer pureed foods to an infant just learning to eat solids. Puree soft fruits, vegetables or meats.

·         Mashed foods – offer soft, mashed foods with tiny lumps when your baby can chew from side-to-side (not just up and down). Try: cooked noodles; applesauce; mashed, cooked whole peas; and mashed potatoes.

·         Ground, finely chopped foods – offer ground, finely chopped foods to your baby when he is ready. When your child picks up foods in her fingers or palms, puts food in her mouth and chews, she is ready for finger foods. Try: ground meat; soft cooked vegetables; soft ripe fruit pieces; crackers; dry cereal; canned fruit.

·         Follow food safety guidelines very carefully as babies are just developing immune systems to fight off bacteria and germs. To keep baby's food safe, do NOT give:

§  uncooked luncheon meat,

§  uncooked hot dogs, or

§  uncooked tofu

Preparing Baby Food

Equipment Needed
A blender or food processor works best for making early foods smooth. As your baby moves on to more textured foods, a fork or food grinder is often all that is needed. Inexpensive baby food grinders are available in the baby departments of discount stores and on the Internet. Make sure all equipment and work surfaces are clean before you start.
Fruits
For soft ripe fruits such as bananas, peaches, pears and avocados, simply remove any seeds and peels; then purée, grind or mash.
For other fresh or frozen fruits:

• Wash, peel and cut into small pieces.
• Add 1 cup fruit to 1/4 cup boiling water in pan or microwave-safe container.
• Cover, reduce heat and cook slowly until tender.
• Next, purée, mash or grind the cooled fruit, adding water, juice, breast milk or formula for desired consistency.

Peeled and chopped canned fruits packed in fruit juice can be prepared without additional cooking.
Vegetables
Wash, peel and slice fresh vegetables or frozen vegetables without added seasonings. Boil or microwave vegetables in covered container with 1/2 to 1 inch of water until they are tender.
Purée, grind or mash with some of the cooking water.
Meats/Protein
Remove skin, bone, fat and gristle. Cut in 1/2-inch cubes and place in cooking pan. Add water just to cover and heat until boiling. Reduce heat and cook slowly until very tender. (High heat makes meat tough.)
Purée or grind, adding cooking liquid, breast milk, formula or water for desired consistency.
For cooked egg, cooked fish or cooked dry beans, purée, grind or mash finely with a fork. Add liquid for desired consistency if needed.

Storing Baby Food

Refrigeration
Store in tightly-covered containers and place in coldest part of the refrigerator for no more than 2 days. Meats, eggs, fish and chicken should be used within 1 day.
Freezing
Food Cube Method - Place puréed/mashed food into ice cube trays or paper cupcake liners.
"Plop" Method - "Plop" spoonfuls of puréed/mashed food onto a cookie sheet.
Cover food with plastic wrap or foil and freeze.
Once frozen, put food portions in labeled and dated freezer bags. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Before Mealtime, take out the food you want to serve. Thaw it in the refrigerator or in a microwave on defrost setting.
Reheating
Completely reheat refrigerated or frozen baby food to at least 165° before feeding. Allow food to cool to lukewarm. Stir the food and test its temperature to make sure it is not too hot before serving to baby. Throw out any uneaten leftover food in the baby's dish or the serving dish.

Sample Baby Food Recipes

Carrots and Apples

• 1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium apple, peeled, cored and cut in quarters
• 1/4 cup water

1 Combine carrots, apple and water in a baking dish or microwave-safe container.
2 Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 350°F or microwave for 8 minutes on high, until tender.
3 Purée or mash with a fork, adding cooking liquid for desired consistency.

Sweet Potato Chicken

• 1 small sweet potato
• 1/4 cup cooked chicken cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/2 cup breast milk, water or prepared formula

1 Wash and bake sweet potato in oven 50 minutes at 425° or microwave for 5 minutes on high heat until soft throughout.
2 Peel and combine with chicken, rice and liquid (breast milk, water or prepared formula).
3 Blend, mash or grind until as smooth as desired.
Babies like trying new combinations:

• Beef, peas, and potatoes
• Chicken, broccoli, and rice
• Beef, squash, and macaroni
• Apples and sweet potato
• Banana and avocado
• Beef and barley
• Sweet potato and papaya
• Carrots and potato
• Butternut squash and corn
• Chicken and rice

And Finally All babies are different and will not like/tolerate the same foods or food textures. Do Not Despair. You should be willing to experiment with baby solid food for your baby. Offer your baby different foods, use different ways of preparing those baby foods and be willing to have a huge store of patience.