How to make baby food
If your baby is about to start eating solid food, you might want to
consider making your own baby food. It may sound intimidating, but making your
own baby food is no more difficult than making your own. If you're already
cooking dinner for the whole family, it's even easier.
When should you start solids?
Before you start preparing baby food, make sure your baby is ready. The
American Academy of Pediatrics recommends only breastfeeding your baby for the
first 6 months. Your child may be ready to switch to solid foods if:
- They doubled their birth weight.
- They open their mouth when they see food and show interest in your food.
- They hold their heads with good control.
- They can move food from the spoon to the back of the throat. This may take a few attempts, but if your child is constantly pushing food out of his mouth, he may not be ready yet.
Prepare your own baby food
Don't expect to have a freezer full of homemade food. At first, the
child will eat very little. During the first year, the main source of nutrition
will be breast milk or formula.
Especially in the beginning, your child will only eat 1-2 teaspoons of
food. Most of them will end up on the face and in the bib. The first feeds get
your baby used to eating solid foods and getting to know a variety of flavors
and textures.
First foods. When giving food to
a baby, dilute it with water, breast milk, or formula until a smooth
consistency is obtained. If your child spit it out, you can try diluting it a
little more.
Your baby's first solid food is up to you, but start with one food and
wait 3-5 days before introducing a new one. This way, if your child has a bad
reaction or an allergy, you will know what caused it.
Some great first products include:
- mashed ripe bananas
- mashed ripe avocado
- mashed boiled sweet potatoes
- meat puree
- mashed soft beans
- steamed pear puree
- steamed pea puree
- boiled pumpkin puree
Once your baby is 9 months old, you can switch from pureed foods to soft
foods, although some harder foods still need to be ground. At this point, you
can just make sure the vegetables are cooked and cut them into half-inch
pieces. You can also give your baby small pieces of berries.
As long as your child responds well to certain foods, you can start
giving him mixed purees and soft foods. Here are some good mixes for this age:
- mango and yogurt
- peaches and blueberries
- spinach and sweet potatoes
- beans and beets
- cauliflower and chicken
- apples and carrots
- bananas and peas
By the time your baby is 12 months old, they will be a true nutrition
pro. Keep making sure their food is soft and easy to chew on their gums. But
you can start feeding them the same things you feed the rest of your family, as
long as the pieces are small enough not to pose a choking hazard.
Cooking instructions. Keep the following
things in mind when preparing meals for your child:
- Do not add salt or sugar.
- Do not give honey to a child under one year old.
- Do not give cow's milk to a child under one year old.
- Give your child a variety of foods.
- Don't give them fruit juice.
Foods to avoid. Some foods may be
dangerous for very young children. Children under 4 should avoid:
- Whole grapes and cherry tomatoes
- Candy, including gumdrops and jelly beans
- Hot dogs, unless they are cut into small pieces
- Nuts and seeds
- Sticky foods such as peanut butter, unless thinly spread on bread.
- Large chunks of meat or cheese
- Pieces of raw, hard fruits and vegetables such as apples, carrots and celery
Safety considerations for
homemade baby food
Follow all food safety guidelines when preparing your own baby food,
including:
- Wash your hands and all utensils and utensils with hot soapy water.
- Peel and remove skins and seeds from fruits and vegetables.
- Remove all bones, skin, connective tissue, fat and cartilage from the meat.
- Cook food in as little water as possible to preserve nutrients.
- Refrigerate food immediately after cooking.
- To freeze, pour the puree into an ice cube tray. Once frozen, take out and store in a freezer bag.
- Defrost baby food in the refrigerator or microwave on defrost mode.
- Avoid foods high in nitrates, including carrots, beets, squash, spinach, and green beans, to children under 6 months of age.