In today's fast moving lifestyle, it's really hard to keep up with the pressures of everyday life and have to worry about making your own baby food. Most parents end up buying it at the store.
Making your own baby food is definitely not hard, in fact it's actually super easy. It may take a little extra effort but in the end you'll end up with a more fresh and nutritious food that your baby will be sure to enjoy.
The benefits will also make you wonder why everyone isn't making their own baby food:
Know exactly what's going into your baby's body.
Freshest food possible.
Taste the real flavors of the food.
Saves you money.
The ingredients are common everyday items that can be found in your grocery store such as apples, bananas, pears, carrots and sweet potatoes. Wait a minimum of 3 days before introducing new types of food in case your baby is allergic. This goes for any type of baby food, including ones purchased from the store.
Step 1: Peel
This step is pretty straight forward. Peel the skin off your fruits and vegetables. There are times however that you may be able to skip this step or decide that you'd like to skip this step. Obviously, no peeling is needed on things like bananas and green peas.
On certain items you can choose to leave the skin on. The skin is packed with nutrients and vitamins, but there are some things to note. If there are any pesticide residues, it will be found on the skin. Be sure to wash your ingredients thoroughly, even if it's organic and may not have pesticides. Also the skin may unset your baby's tummy so be mindful during and after you feed them.
Step 2: Chop
Chop up your ingredients into 1/2 inch squares. It doesn't have to be exact. Just make sure that they're small enough to cook through and blend well.
Step 3: Steam
Steaming is the best way to make baby food. It is fast and it retains most of the nutrients from the ingredients. You can also bake or boil your ingredients. If you decide to boil your ingredients, just be mindful that some nutrients may be transferred to the water. Steam the fruits and vegetables until soft and fork tender (usually about 10-15 minutes).
Step 4: Blend
Blend the ingredients into a fine puree. If your baby is just starting solids, add some breast milk or formula to get a thinner consistency. If you boiled your food, you can add some of the water.
Step 5: Store
You can store the food in ice cube trays but I usually like to put them in separate 2 ounce containers. Leave in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Making your own baby food is definitely not hard, in fact it's actually super easy. It may take a little extra effort but in the end you'll end up with a more fresh and nutritious food that your baby will be sure to enjoy.
The benefits will also make you wonder why everyone isn't making their own baby food:
Know exactly what's going into your baby's body.
Freshest food possible.
Taste the real flavors of the food.
Saves you money.
The ingredients are common everyday items that can be found in your grocery store such as apples, bananas, pears, carrots and sweet potatoes. Wait a minimum of 3 days before introducing new types of food in case your baby is allergic. This goes for any type of baby food, including ones purchased from the store.
Step 1: Peel
This step is pretty straight forward. Peel the skin off your fruits and vegetables. There are times however that you may be able to skip this step or decide that you'd like to skip this step. Obviously, no peeling is needed on things like bananas and green peas.
On certain items you can choose to leave the skin on. The skin is packed with nutrients and vitamins, but there are some things to note. If there are any pesticide residues, it will be found on the skin. Be sure to wash your ingredients thoroughly, even if it's organic and may not have pesticides. Also the skin may unset your baby's tummy so be mindful during and after you feed them.
Step 2: Chop
Chop up your ingredients into 1/2 inch squares. It doesn't have to be exact. Just make sure that they're small enough to cook through and blend well.
Step 3: Steam
Steaming is the best way to make baby food. It is fast and it retains most of the nutrients from the ingredients. You can also bake or boil your ingredients. If you decide to boil your ingredients, just be mindful that some nutrients may be transferred to the water. Steam the fruits and vegetables until soft and fork tender (usually about 10-15 minutes).
Step 4: Blend
Blend the ingredients into a fine puree. If your baby is just starting solids, add some breast milk or formula to get a thinner consistency. If you boiled your food, you can add some of the water.
Step 5: Store
You can store the food in ice cube trays but I usually like to put them in separate 2 ounce containers. Leave in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
