Is your baby finally ready to start eating solid food? You have started checking out all the varieties in the stores, and the prices. You are wondering why the prices are so high when it is often the same foods you are preparing for everyone in your family.
You can choose to save money, and give your baby the highest quality by making homemade baby food.
For the first time, homemade baby food is going to take a little bit more of your time. You will need to learn to separate out the food for your baby before seasoning it for the entire family.
They do not need any added salt or another seasoning. Keep the vegetables and fruits as simple and natural as possible. Green beans, peas, cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables make great food for your baby.
What do I need to prepare solid food the first time?
The main piece of equipment you must have is a baby food grinder. You can choose a manual crank grinder or an electric grinder.
Since you are planning to do this for months, go ahead and get an electric baby food grinder. You will find it faster to use, and the cost difference is very small.
What can you grind in the baby food grinder to make your homemade baby food?
As we already mentioned, you can do a wide variety of vegetables. Fruits like pears, apples, bananas, mangos, and many other non-seedy fruits make great baby food. Your baby will love the fruits, and you may want to make sure to feed them their vegetables first.
Meats, pasta, and casseroles can all go through the baby food grinder to make great baby food.
By the time they are ready for these, they are normally past six months of age, and a little seasoning is not going to hurt. You probably will still want to avoid high amounts of salt and spicy foods.
How much extra time is making homemade baby food going to cost you?
A few minutes per day is all you will really need. You are already in the kitchen preparing food, just grab out the grinder, put in their portion, grind it into their bowl, and you are ready.
If you have more than one dish, rinse it out between items, and continue on. You can get this done while the food is still simmering before you serve it for everyone else.
If you compare the time you spend shopping for baby food, you might discover your time difference is virtually nothing. Your baby gets better food. You save money. You do not waste excess time. It can be a winning combination for most families.
Is homemade baby food for everyone?
Not at all, many parents prefer to have the pre-made baby food ready to feed at a moment’s notice. They want the convenience of grabbing a jar, throwing it in the diaper bag, and taking off.
Guess what? The best option is to do both. Use homemade baby food most of the time, but keep a few jars of prepared food on hand for those moments requiring you to rush. You, your baby, and your entire family will benefit.
Baby food recipes – What is the best baby food to make?
Put on your white hat and white apron. Make sure to powder your cheeks with a little flour to make sure everyone knows you are working hard in the kitchen. Now, relax and have some fun with making your masterpieces, and creating baby food recipes your baby loves.
Wait a minute, did we just say create baby food recipes? Yes, you need to stop making this so hard.
If you are picturing needing a cookbook full of baby food recipes, wondering what is the best food to make for the little one you are on the wrong track.
Your baby just needs you to learn a few simple ideas, and then become creative in learning what they like.
The most important rule to start off with is never introduce new foods any closer than 4 days apart.
You need to judge your baby’s reaction to new foods, to make sure they are not allergic. This simple rule is the hardest part of becoming a great baby food chef.
What homemade baby food should I introduce first?
Make sure you start your baby off with vegetables first, preferably green vegetables.
Teaching your baby to eat peas, spinach, green beans, or other green vegetables comes first to make sure they do not become spoiled on fruits. Follow-up with yellow and orange vegetables, like squash, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes.
To prepare the foods is very easy. Just cook the vegetables thoroughly, and then you need to puree them into a very fine consistency. You can do this with a baby food grinder, your blender, or even a food processor.
Baby food grinders are sometimes more efficient at getting the food to a thinner consistency. You can add a little water, breast milk, or formula if you want to thin the food further.
Since you are the chef, there is one big word of caution. Your recipes need to stay 100% natural. Your baby does not need salt, pepper, or other seasonings to start off with. They need simple cooked foods.
After getting your baby used to vegetables, which is going to take a few weeks, it is time to introduce fruits. Your job as a chef just became easier.
You can choose to cook the apples, pears, or other fruits if you wish, but you can also puree them raw. Either way is fine for your baby. They will be a little softer and smoother if cooked.
Cooking helps to destroy some bacteria, so if you feel concerned, go ahead and cook. No sugar, cinnamon, or other seasoning is needed. Once again, make sure to introduce only one new fruit every four days.
In closing
As you are beginning to see, making homemade baby food for the first time and being a great chef does not require baby food recipes.
As you get finished with introducing multiple foods you can start combining them to make unique flavors.
Apples and sweet potatoes mixed are a delightful treat. Cooked carrots and pears are sweet and nutritious. Mango and squash are bright orange and yummy for their tummy.
Just have fun playing with combinations, and you will quickly discover your baby’s favorites. Being a baby food chef and preparing delicious food for your baby at home is simply a matter of having fun.
Reference:
