How To Make Baby Food

Finally, your baby has reached six months and you are haunted with the question, “how to make baby food?” Now that you have become a parent, your baby is an equal part of the household. Hence, taking care of its growing health should be the most important concern for you. Rather than picking up the readymade and pre-cooked baby foods that are largely available in the market, it is best to serve your little one homemade food that is not only easy to make, but also healthy and delicious. Homemade food provides all the natural and nourishing nutrients required for a growing baby. Step ahead and feed your baby with a healthy and nutritious meal. Simply follow the tips stated below for preparing baby food at home.

Homemade Baby Food

Select the fruits that you wish to feed your baby with. Good fruit choices include apples, pears, bananas, peaches, apricots, plums, prunes, papayas, mangoes and avocados. Avoid strawberries, raspberries and pineapple due to fiber or seed content.
As for vegetables, you can start off with peas, green and yellow beans, sweet potatoes, parsnips, white potatoes, asparagus, zucchini and pumpkin. Vegetables like spinach, cabbage, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, squash and carrots can be delayed till your baby turns seven months.
Wash fruits and veggies thoroughly under running tap water to make sure that they are free from any traces of dirt and pesticides.
Make sure that the kitchen is spanking clean before you proceed towards the cooking process. Sterilize all the utensils to be used for cooking and wash your hands with soap and lukewarm water.
In case you plan to feed your baby with frozen or canned fruits and vegetables, ensure that you pick the no-salt versions.
Since the food has to be soft, you can either boil or steam the fruits and vegetables. Thereafter, cool the cooked food while reserving some of the liquid.
Fruits, such as melons, plums, bananas and mangoes do not require steaming or boiling. Hence, peel such fruits and directly puree them to a smooth consistency.
Foods that are cooked should be processed to a smooth paste-like consistency. Add some of the reserved liquid in case the mixture is too thick or you want to achieve a more liquid-like mixture. Alternatively, breast milk, water left from steaming, formula milk, cow’s milk, yogurt, broth and apple juice can also be added to thin the food.
In case you want to thicken the food, use any one of these: wheat germ, whole-grain cereal, cottage cheese, farmer cheese, cooked egg yolks, yogurt, or mashed white or sweet potato.
Shellfish is a big ‘NO’ for babies. However, fin fish varieties, such as cod, flounder, haddock and salmon can be given to them. However, make sure that you remove the gristle, skin and all bones before further cooking.
While preparing meat, chop off all the minutest fatty areas to ensure that the meat is free from pesticides. For the best bet, buy antibiotic-free organic meats only.
Avoid using salt, pepper, sugar, condiments and lubricants, such as oil, butter and lard while making baby food.
Do not feed any leftover and refrigerated food to your baby. Always prefer cooking fresh food and feeding it to your baby right away. If you have to freeze the food for later use, store in clean glass containers and reheat at a minimum temperature of 165 °F.

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