If you want to be in complete control of what your baby eats, making baby food instead of buying it is an excellent choice. Food that comes in a jar or pouch is often highly processed and combined with sodium and sugars, plus it's more expensive. When you make baby food at home, you can choose your baby's favorite fruits, vegetables and meats, steam and puree them using a food processor, and freeze them in convenient portions. If nothing but the most nutritious, delicious food will do for your baby, nothing beats making it yourself.
Steps
Picking Out Ingredients
- Use fresh produce at peak ripeness. Produce is at its most nutritious and flavorful when it's perfectly ripe. Since you won't be adding sugar and salt to the food, it's important to choose ripe produce - otherwise, it will taste bland. Look for produce that is brightly colored and ripe without being too soft or bruised.[1] Follow individual guides for each type of fruit and vegetable to determine when specific items are ripe.
- Farmer's markets are great places to find fresh produce at its peak, since they tend to stock only fruits and vegetables that are in season.
- You can use frozen or canned fruits and vegetables, but it's better to use fresh whenever possible. Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables often have additives to help preserve them. Read the label carefully if you decide to buy frozen or canned vegetables.
- Choose organic produce when possible. Many fresh fruits and vegetables are treated with pesticides and other chemicals before they are harvested. If possible, shop in the organic section of your supermarket so you can be sure the food you make for your baby is chemical-free.
- Some fruits and vegetables are more apt to become contaminated by fruits and vegetables than others. For example, apples are treated with more pesticides than any other produce, so you may want to go out of your way to buy organic apples.[2] Avocados, on the other hand, aren't treated with as many pesticides.
- Know which foods your baby can eat. Some babies are ready to start eating solid food as early as 4 months old, while others aren't quite ready that early. Talk to your pediatrician about starting your child on solid foods. When your baby is ready, the transition should be slow; introduce just a few foods at once.
- Babies transitioning from a diet of breast milk or formula-only can have pureed fruits and vegetables, like banana, squash, sweet potatoes, and applies.[3]
- Babies who have eaten some solid foods and are between the ages of 4 and 8 months can have pureed or strained vegetables and fruits, meats, legumes, and cereals.[4]
- Talk to your doctor about when to introduce mashed foods and finger foods to your baby's diet. It's important to do so only after the baby has developed certain skills.[5]
- Know which foods babies shouldn't consume. Babies under one year of age should not be fed certain foods, since they can cause allergies and other illnesses. Never feed a baby these types of foods until after he or she has reached one year of age:[6]
- Dairy products made from unpasteurized milk
- Honey
- Outdated canned food
- Home-canned food
- Food from dented cans
Preparing Baby Food
- Wash and peel the produce. Use a scrubber to scrub the skin of the vegetables and fruits, especially if it isn't organic. Make sure to wash off any dirt or grit. If the vegetable or fruit has a peel, use a peeler to remove it, since tough skins are difficult for a baby to eat.
- Chop the produce into 1-inch pieces. Since you're going to steam the produce, you'll need to chop it into equal-sized pieces so that it will steam efficiently and evenly. Chop squash, sweet potatoes, applies, or whatever type of produce you have using a sharp knife.
- Bananas and other very soft foods don't need to be steamed before you puree them.
- Be sure to use clean cutting boards and knives. If you're processing more than one kind of food, wash the cutting board and knife with hot, soapy water in between foods.
- Steam the food. Place the food pieces in a steamer basket. Add a few inches of water to a large stockpot. Cover the pot and place it on the stove over medium high heat. Remove the pot from heat once the food pieces are soft, after 5 - 10 minutes.
- Use a clean fork to test the food pieces to see if they are soft.
- Steam the food to a softer texture than you'd normally do for yourself, since it should be completely smooth once you puree it.
- Only use water to steam the produce; don't add butter, salt, sugar, or any other ingredients unless you're sure your baby can digest them.
- Puree the food in a food processor. Place the soft food pieces in a food processor and process them until completely smooth. If you don't have a food processor, you can use blender, food grinder, or a potato masher.
- Be sure no chunks of food remain if your baby is under 6 months old. Older babies may be ready for mashed, rather than pureed, food. Clear this with your doctor before deciding how much to process the food.
- Cook meat to the correct internal temperature before pureeing. If you're preparing meat, chicken or fish for an older baby, be sure to cook it to the correct internal temperature to kill bacteria. Use a meat thermometer to be sure. Meat should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, chicken should reach 165 degrees F, and fish should reach 145 degrees F.
- Cooked meat may be pureed just like any other food. You can mix it with tomatoes or another savory produce item.
- Strain the baby food through a fine mesh strainer to eliminate any solids. This final step will ensure the texture of the food is appropriate for your baby's system.
Storing and Reheating Baby Food
- Store the baby food in clean glass jars. Portion it into jars with tight-sealing lids to ensure the food stays fresh and doesn't get contaminated. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before using (1 day for meat and fish).[7]
- If you're storing food in the freezer, be sure to use freezer-safe containers. Baby food may be kept in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- Always label the food with the type of food and the date you processed it.
- Reheat frozen baby food thoroughly. It should be completely reheated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Don't defrost baby food at room temperature. This may allow bacteria to grow. It's safer to actually heat the food before serving.
Tips
- Fruits puree and blend much smoother and easier If they have been warmed even a little bit before blended. Consider putting the fruit in a microwave or oven for a very small amount of time before blending.
- Baby food freezes nicely. Spoon pureed baby food into ice-cube trays that have been sprayed with a non-stick spray and freeze. Once solid remove and wrap individually in plastic wrap and place into freezer bags. Unwrap and microwave (gently) as needed.
Warnings
- (Caution: if food is too hot or too much is placed in the appliance pressure from the heat will build, blowing the top off the appliance causing burns and a horrible mess, never leave the appliance unattended).
