Homemade Baby Food 101

First off, I know this post will not pertain to many of you, as you either don't have children, or they are all grown and out of the house....so bare with me. It's a Friday First here!

I received a new food processor from my in-laws this year, and my first thought was homemade baby food. Not because I'm a freak that will never feed my baby food out of the jar, but more because I enjoy it. I like making it, and in return I know he is getting healthy food in his tummy. I will be the first to tell you though....there will be times I use jarred food out of convenience, or just laziness, so please don't think I'm promoting making your own, or that it is better. To each is own!

After doing some research and reading my Top 100 Baby Purees book, this is what I've learned:

Stage 1: Foods that are highly pureed, thin, runny and low on the allergy scale (6-7 months)

• Avocados
• Carrots
• Sweet Potatoes
• Green Beans
• Pears
• Bananas
• Peaches
• Rice cereal (mixed with breast milk or formula)

These are just a few, but mainly the ones I've tried out so far. I will tell you little man does not like avocados so far (which saddens me a little)! But, remember don't give up. Give it a week or two and try, try again. It takes a little baby awhile to develop a taste for something, so my little guy could very well end up liking them later on.

Carrots - From boil, to puree, to dish!

Stage 2: Foods that are more thick and textured (8-10 months)

• Chopped up pieces of fruit (banana, apricot, pear, kiwi, etc.)
• Pastas and meats that are cooked and mashed up
• Chopped up pieces of veggies (carrots, green beans, peas, potatoes, broccoli, etc.)
• Yogurt and soft cheeses

Obviously, since little man is just 6 months old we haven't gotten to Stage 2 yet. But these foods should be introduced when your baby has a few teeth and can easily start mashing food up with their gums.

A few more tips:

• Cook veggies (if fresh, with a harder texture) in some boiling water to soften, put in food processor or blender with a little of the cooking water, this will help to get the mixture very smooth.
• When pureeing a big batch, freeze food in ice cube trays. When they are completely frozen, remove from trays and store in a freezer bag in the freezer. When needed pop out a couple cubes and let thaw.
• Many foods do not need to be cooked prior to blending - bananas, green beans, avocados, etc. These foods are already naturally soft.

Here's the thing - don't be afraid to try all foods for your baby, even if YOU don't like them. I think we often don't give our children certain foods because A) we didn't grow up eating them or B) we don't like them.

Trust me, the more you introduce your child, the less picky they will be. One of my pet peeves still today is when I hear a parent say, "Oh, don't eat that you won't like it", or "That will be too spicy for you". Let them try it for themselves! They could have a totally different palate than their parents.

Okay, enough of my soapbox....again, these are only my opinions, please don't feel offended in anyway, or feel that you NEED to make your own baby food. Like I said, each parent does it differently, and each kid seems to turn out just fine!

Happy pureeing!