Making Baby Food: Easier & Healthier Than You Think

Lilian Presti

It's not necessary to add anything to enhance the flavor when you use fresh, natural ingredients to make your baby food.

Many parents are beginning to make their own baby food in an effort to start their babies off on the right, and healthy, foot. Contrary to popular belief, making your own baby food can be easier than you think.

REASONS FOR MAKING YOUR OWN BABY FOOD

You control what's in the food.

Many parents are concerned about the health effects from the abundance of additives, preservatives and pesticides included in prepared foods today. When you make your baby food from scratch, you know exactly what is contained in the food. You decide what you want to add or, even more importantly, what you want to exclude from your child's food.

Ingredients are fresher.

When you purchase jarred baby foods, the ingredients are not fresh. The jars were most likely filled months before purchase and, of course, the nutritional value of these foods is compromised. The fresher a food is, the more nutrients it has intact. Thus, in order to ensure your baby is getting the most from his or her foods, using and eating the freshest ingredients is always preferable.

Taste is better.

Homemade foods have a superior taste, which is often connected to the ingredient freshness. It is not necessary to add anything to enhance the flavor when you use fresh, natural ingredients to make your baby food.

It's cheaper.

You will save money by making your baby's food because you won't be paying for the extra packaging, advertising, and profits a company needs to make.

It's green.

Making your own baby food may help you reduce garbage because it eliminates waste from the packaging that baby food is sold in.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN MAKING BABY FOOD

Keep it clean:

Practice good hygiene and wash your hands and all equipment thoroughly before starting.

Use organic ingredients whenever possible:

By using organic foods you can avoid the harmful effects that occur from ingesting pesticides, waxes, and food coloring. Combinations of these substances are found on many conventional produce items that parents might normally use to make baby food.

Make larger quantities:

To save precious time as a new parent, try making larger batches of food and then refrigerate or freeze the extra portions. Making extra food allows you to spend less time in the kitchen and more time playing with your little one.

Keep it simple mom:

Parents often think they need to make fancy meals for their babies when in reality, they don't. Babies are quite impressed with one-ingredient meals in the beginning, so keep your meals simple. Once your child is past 8 or 9 months, you can start playing with combinations.

Many parents worry that foods they are making will be too bland for their babies. Consequently, some parents feel the urge to add either salt or sugar to baby's food. However, parents should keep in mind that a baby's taste buds are just awakening at this stage in their development. They do not need anything more than the natural flavor which emerges from these foods.

STORING BABY FOOD

Label foods.

Homemade baby foods can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours and frozen for up to 2 months, maximum. It is a wise idea to add labels to all containers when freezing foods. List the food type and the date it was made. This helps ensure you don't pass your "best before" date. Always let frozen foods thaw in the refrigerator.

Be container conscious.

Many parents are now aware of the dangers related to the presence of bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles due to recent media exposure. However, BPA is also present in many other plastic objects, including storage containers. Choose your containers wisely by avoiding those that contain BPA and PVC (polyvinyl chloride).

Even though making all your own baby food may not be possible, or even desirable, making some of your food can guarantee many safe and nutritious meals. By following some good tips, such as keeping meals simple and making larger batches, you promote your child's health without sacrificing too much quality time.

Whether you decide to make your own baby food or not, remember your tiny loved one is developing, so organic is always better.

HEALTH & WELLNESS ...

Making Baby Food: Easier & Healthier Than You Think