If making your own baby food is something you have considered, you are not alone! There are so many benefits to preparing food for your baby at home. You can save money, use fresh, wholesome ingredients and allow your baby to eat a greater variety of food. Well, we’re here to offer you some friendly advice to help you prepare the best and healthiest food for your little one!
Here are a few tips we have put together for you!:
- Start with fresh, unsalted fruits and veggies. (Organic is great as well!)
- Don’t add spices, butter, margarine or sweeteners. (Honey and corn syrup in particular are definite no-nos! They are unnecessary and can contain a bacteria that leads to infant botulism. Steer clear of these for at least the first year.)
- Cook vegetables in as little water as possible to preserve nutrients. Steaming is great as well.
- Make sure your work area and tools are extremely clean.
- Mash fruits and veggies with a fork, use a blender or a specialized baby food mill.
- Once you are finished, serve the food immediately or put into refrigerator or freezer. (Leaving baby food at room temperature increases the risk of contamination.)
- Freezing food in individual portions can make meal time easy! You can use a covered storage tray or baby cubes. When your little one is hungry, just grab a serving and reheat.
- You may want to wait until your baby is seven months old to introduce veggies such as carrots and cabbage that contain nitrates. Some great foods to try are: peas, green and yellow beans, sweet potatoes, zucchini, apples, pears, bananas, peaches, plums and avacadoes.
*Green Tip – making your own baby food saves tons of packaging! No more empty baby food jars everywhere!
Have you made your own baby food? We’d love to hear about your experiences! Do you have tips that can be passed on to help new moms and dads?
Happy Cooking!
Tori at Stylin’ Mama, Baby & Tot