Baby Food

I am the very blessed mother of not quite 5 month old twins. My son has acid reflux and spits up a lot of what he eats, so we decided to start feeding them baby food on the earlier side to try and fatten him up a little. :) My daughter is doing just fine, but you can't very well leave her out, now can you? I had decided a while ago that I was going to make my own baby food. It's less expensive, it's fresher, it's healthier, and experience has shown that homemade baby food tends to create less picky eaters. Having been a picky eater myself, I know the trouble that caused my own mother. Always wanting to cook out of Bon Apetite, but stuck with Kraft Shells and Cheese.

This post is dedicated to some very basic, preliminary baby food suggestions. If you plan to make your own, you will need a few supplies. A food processor or mixer is a must. I recommend the food processor as it is much easier to puree, but a mixer will work if that's what you have. Having a way to steam your veggies and fruit is optimal as steaming keeps more of the nutrients in the food. If you don't have a double boiler with a steam option, you can always buy frozen veggies like SteamFresh. These come in packages you pop in the microwave and it steams itself. Healthy and fast! Can't beat it. Make sure you buy the frozen veggies when they are on sale and you have a coupon. Keep a lookout for my grocery deals lists, these will tell you when they are available. If you can't steam, boiling and baking will work. Just be aware that baking will take longer, but it's a great way to keep nutrients in things like sweet potatoes. Finally, you will need containers for storing your frozen baby food. I spoon mine into ice cube trays, freeze, and then put them into plastic freezer baggies. Label them with the date and content. Carrots and sweet potatoes look a lot alike pureed!

Now that you have your supplies, all you need is the food. Avoid canned foods. They have less nutrients and more additives that babies (and adults) just don't need. Buy frozen or fresh whenever you can. If buying frozen, use coupons! If buying fresh, know what's on sale before going to the store. Refer to my weekly grocery lists! For instance, sweet potatoes might be discounted one week, so that's the week to buy them and stock up your freezer with baby food. Each week, something will be on sale. But how do you know what you buy? The great thing about making your own food is that you aren't limited to the varieties that are pre-made. Here is a list of yummy things to feed your child as he/she is first beginning to eat. More recipes will be posted later.

Vegetables:
Peas
Green Beans
Carrots
Sweet Potato
Parsnip
Butternut Squash
Broccoli (one of the gassier veggies. Avoid if your baby has a problem with this.)
Cauliflower
Corn
Leek
Potato
Zucchini
Spinach
Rutabaga
Tomato (finely chop, melt pat of unsalted butter and saute, then puree.)
Pumpkin
Beets
Cabbage
Cucumber
Turnips

Fruits(some children have allergies to berries, so you may want to hold off on those.):
Apples
Pears
Apricot (make sure dried apricots aren't treated with sulfur dioxide to preserve color. Can cause asthma attack in susceptible babies.)
Peach
Nectarine
Mango
Strawberries
Cantaloupe (most nutritious variety of melon)
Blueberry
Cherries
Kiwi
Figs
Watermelon
Prunes
Raspberries
Cranberry
Rhubarb

No Cooking Involved(Just mash and serve. Add a little of your baby's milk or water to get the right consistency.):
Avocado
Banana
Papaya

Begin by giving less sweet vegetables to your baby. Otherwise you run the risk of having your child reject less sweet foods once he/she has experienced the good life! Cook these as directed above, puree, and add enough water (you can use the water you used to cook the food) to get the desired consistency. If you choose to add your baby's milk, instead of water, don't add this until you serve the food. Serve food at room temperature or luke warm. Remember, only serve on food at a time. Try it 3 to 5 times to make sure your child does not have an allergy to that food, and to allow the child time to appreciate the food. Babies often make faces that look as if they aren't enjoying a food, but it may simply be that the taste is unfamiliar. Even if your baby seems to reject the food, keep trying! Eventually they may develop a taste for it.

Enjoy the feast! (Make sure to taste test yourself, because it's yummy stuff!)