homemade baby food: the basics

P 200.00 for a jar of Gerber (banana flavor) or spend about P 30.00 to P 40.00 for one kilo of banana? 


Preparing homemade baby food has got to be one of the easiest things I have ever done for my little ones. Plus, I'm not a good cook, so seeing my youngest son enjoy every meal I prepare for him makes me feel like a chef (in his eyes, at least).  And what's so great about making your own baby food is knowing what's in it. It's my babies' first solid food, I wouldn't want to feed them something diluted, sugary and starchy. My little ones' first foods were potato, sweet potato, carrots, squash and banana. Rich in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium... sounds comforting rather than Tapioca a.k.a. baby food thickener.

When buying and preparing baby food...

• Make sure you pick non-allergenic, easily digestible foods and easy to mash.
• Offer one food at a time and keep in mind  that new foods should be introduced three days apart to monitor any allergic reaction.
• When introducing new foods, I mix them in with familiar ones, which is either breast milk or Cerelac. Gradually decrease the amount of the familiar flavor, until no longer needed. My little ones have come to love the taste of carrot with no added sweetness of Cerelac or banana. 
• No need to add sugar, why would you get them hooked on sugar? Don't add salt either, but you may add a pinch of herbs or spices if you think your baby's food is too bland. 

That's all I could think of right now, it is pretty late.

Anyway, let's get started!

 

PEEL and SLICE into small pieces

BOIL

and MASH

Pretty easy, huh? Of course, doing this every meal time can be quite time consuming, so what I do is let the mashed veggies cool off, store and freeze. It's very important that you store and freeze your homemade baby food properly in order to retain its quality and nutrients. Pureed vegetables and fruits should not be stored in the refrigerator for more than 48 hours. I made that mistake today and wasted away 2 jars of pureed squash and sweet potatoes. In the freezer, frozen baby food can be stored for a maximum of 3 months.

I use breast milk trays (by Sensible Lines). Just pop one out and thaw.

An ounce of squash, carrot and banana

It's fulfilling to see my second child go from consuming 1 stick (ounce) per meal to 2 ounces, and now half a jar of  pureed food!

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