How to Make Baby Food

How to Make Baby Food

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
     
     
     
     
     
3. 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]
     
     
     
     
     
4. 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

1. 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.
   
   
   
   
   
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
     
     
     
     
     
     
5. 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.
6. 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

1. 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.
2. 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).

How to Make Baby Food

How to Make Baby Food

Peer reviewers: Kathleen Savoie, Extension educator, and Jane Conroy, Extension educator

With a little planning, and a blender, a fork, a strainer, a food mill or a baby food grinder, you can make foods for your baby at home. Homemade infant food may help cut food costs, and provide baby with food as nutritious, if not more nutritious, than store-bought baby foods. Making your own baby food will also help baby get used to foods the family eats.

Pureed fruits and vegetables can be prepared from fresh-cooked fruits and vegetables. Use the cooked fruits and vegetables without added salt, sugar or fat. Puree means to put food through a sieve or grinder to make the food into a liquid-like, smooth texture. Some foods, like ripe bananas, can be mashed or pureed with a fork and won’t need to be precooked. It may be necessary to add some fluid (formula, breast milk, water or cooking water) to other pureed food to make it the right consistency for your baby.

Canned or frozen fruits and vegetables may also be pureed and used. When using commercially processed canned or frozen fruits and vegetables, check the ingredient label. Make sure you are not adding extra sugar, salt and fat to your baby’s diet. Other unnecessary additives may also be in canned or frozen foods.

Some commonly home-prepared fruits for babies are ripe mashed bananas, and pureed bananas and applesauce. Dried prunes that have been cooked and pureed are another food for baby. Fresh pears or peaches in season may also be soft-cooked and pureed. Fresh vegetables that can be home prepared and pureed include potato, winter squash, sweet potato, peas, asparagus, and green or wax beans.

Later, when baby is between 8 months through 11 months, table food can be added to her diet. By that time, your baby will be able to move her tongue from side to side, and will have begun to spoon feed herself with your help. She’ll also start chewing with her new teeth, and feed herself with her fingers. With your help, she will also drink from a cup.

At this stage, try feeding mashed or diced fruit, soft cooked or mashed vegetables; mashed, cooked egg yolk; strained meats or poultry; mashed, cooked dry beans and peas; cottage cheese or cheese cubes; sliced bread; crackers; and juice in a cup.

Tips for Making Homemade Baby Food

• Work under the most sanitary conditions possible.
• Wash your hands with hot water and soap, scrub, rinse and dry with clean towel before fixing your baby’s food, before feeding your baby, and after changing your baby’s diapers.
• Scrub all working surfaces with soap and hot water.
• Scrub all equipment with soap and hot water, and rinse well.
• Prepare fresh fruits or vegetables by scrubbing, paring or peeling, and removing seeds.
• Prepare meats by removing all bones, skin, connective tissue, gristle and fat.
• Cook foods, when necessary, boiling them in a small, covered saucepan with a small amount of water until tender. The amount of water is important — the less water used, the more nutrients stay in the food.
• Puree food using a blender, food processor, baby food grinder, spoon or fork. Grind up tough foods. Cut food into small pieces or thin slices. Take out seeds and pits from fruit.
• Test for smoothness by rubbing a small amount of food between your fingers. Add a liquid such as formula, water or fruit juice to achieve a desired consistency.
• If pureed food is not being used right away, refrigerate quickly.
• To freeze: pour cooled, pureed food into a paper cupcake liner or a section of a clean ice cube tray, and cover with foil. When frozen solid, store cubes in a freezer container in the freezer in a freezer bag or box.
• Reheat frozen cube in a heat-resistant container in a pan of hot water.
• When cooking foods for the family, remember to separate the baby’s portion before adding seasoning or spices. Babies need very little, if any, added salt or sugar.

Thawing and Warming Baby’s Food

Here are some suggestions on thawing and warming food for your baby. Frozen food can be thawed in the refrigerator or the microwave oven on the defrost setting. But remember, food that has been thawed should never be refrozen.

Stove Method: To warm food, place it directly in a saucepan and slowly warm over low heat, stirring often. Stir and test temperature of food before feeding it to your baby.

Microwave Method: Microwave ovens heat foods unevenly and cause hot spots. There may be hot spots even if the food feels cool to you. It is important to stir food well to prevent burns to you or your baby. Here are some other tips:

• Cover dish with a microwave-safe cover, not plastic wrap.
• Stir food and turn the dish often during the heating process.
• Allow food to sit for a few minutes; stir well and test temperature before feeding your baby.
• It is not recommended to heat pureed meats in the microwave. Hot spots in the meat could seriously burn your baby.
• For other foods, heat food in a microwave-safe dish or an opened baby-food jar.

---

Q: Should I avoid certain foods if I make my own baby food?

A: High-nitrate vegetables, such as beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, collard greens, lettuce, spinach and turnips, should not be fed to babies in large quantities. The naturally occurring nitrates in these vegetables can change to nitrites, which bind iron in the blood and make it difficult to carry oxygen. This can make it hard to breathe and cause the skin to become blue. Limit the serving size of these vegetables to one to two tablespoons per feeding.

---

Equipment Needed to Make Baby Food

Sieve/strainer: It should have a small mesh. You can press foods through it with the back of a spoon. It can be used for juices, soft fruits and vegetables, but not meats.

Spoon, forks and potato masher: Use these to mash soft foods, such as most canned fruits, egg yolks, bananas and potatoes, to the right consistency.

Food mills or grinders: You may already have a food mill in your canning supplies, but if you don’t, they are available in stores that sell kitchen supplies. The smaller size baby food mill is similar to the larger version. They can be purchased in the baby section of department stores. It can be used at home or when traveling. The larger mills and grinders are useful when preparing soft meats and both can be used for cooked fruits, vegetables and soft fresh fruits.

Blenders: Your blender can come in handy to prepare food for the baby. Food items cooked for the family can be blended smooth for baby or to freeze for later. Hand-held blenders are useful pieces of equipment that you may want to consider.

Plastic ice cube trays: Use trays for freezing extra food that you prepare. After the food is frozen, remove the cubes and store in a container designed for freezing.

---

Pureed Baby Food Recipes

Pureed Fruit Delight

1/2 cup freshly cooked (Try apples, pears, peaches or prunes)

Remove skin and seeds. Press through a sieve, or put ingredients in food mill or blender and puree until smooth. Serve or freeze. Freeze no longer than 1 month.

---

Bananas Plain and Simple

Ripe bananas may be pureed or mashed and fed to your baby directly.

---

Vegetable Medley

1/2 cup cooked fresh, frozen or low sodium canned vegetables (potato, sweet potato, green beans, peas, carrots, yellow squash), without salt added

Cook fresh vegetables or use frozen or canned vegetables without salt or seasoning. (Read labels for ingredients.) Press vegetable chunks through a sieve or baby food mill, or put in a blender. If necessary, thin puréed vegetables with a small amount of cooking liquid, expressed breast milk or formula to desired consistency. If not serving immediately, do not thin prior to serving. Freeze no longer than 1 month.

Note: After the individual vegetables have been fed several times, some good combinations are: potatoes and carrots, potatoes and green beans, carrots and peas.

---

Simple Puréed Meat or Poultry

(for babies over 8 months)

1/2 cup cooked meat (small pieces of lean chicken, beef, turkey or pork)

Cook lean meat (fat and skin removed) over low heat in a small amount of water. Puree meat until smooth. If serving, meat puree can be thinned by adding a small amount of water, reserved cooking broth, expressed breast milk, or infant formula. If freezing, do not add liquid. Freeze no longer than one month.

---

Your Choice Combo Dish

(for babies over 8 months)

1 cup cooked, cubed or diced meat (cut off fat)
1/2 cup cooked rice, potato, noodles or macaroni
2/3 cup cooked, diced vegetables

Combine and blend until smooth. Serve or freeze in serving-size containers. If frozen, use within 1 month.

Note: If you prepare combination dishes, use them only after you have fed the individual food several times.
By Nellie Hedstrom, Extension nutrition specialist.