How to Make Your Own Baby Food

Commercially-prepared baby food is convenient, but it’s not as difficult as you might think to make your own baby food. Microwaves, food processors, and other timesaving devices have taken much of the work out of making homemade baby food. Best of all, homemade baby food is preservative free and only costs pennies to prepare.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Choose a recipe. There are many baby food recipes available online, but you can also simply make homemade versions of your child’s favorite commercially prepared baby foods. Unlike the meals you’re accustomed to eating, most baby food blends only have a few ingredients.
2. As with your own meals, how you prepare your baby’s food can affect its nutritional value. Tomatoes and other acidic foods shouldn’t be prepared in aluminum since the acid can cause small quantities of aluminum to dissolve and be absorbed into the food. Cooking in copper pots may destroy Vitamin C. Potatoes should be cooked in their skins to preserve all of their vitamins.
3. Until your baby has enough teeth for chewing, any food you prepare should be finely pureed and strained or sieved. Bananas can be mashed and thinned with liquid. Carrots can be microwaved with just a small amount of water and squeezed through a potato press or pureed with a food processor. This step may seem like an inconvenience, but it’s an important safety precaution.
4. When preparing your child’s meals, you do not need to add any additional salt, sugar, or other seasonings. While your baby’s food may seem bland to you, it’s just right for him. He won’t miss these added ingredients since he hasn’t had a chance to become accustomed to them.

Tips & Warnings

• If you’re normally pressed for time during the week, consider making large batches of homemade baby food on the weekends. Your baby’s food can be frozen in ice cube trays and used as needed. You can also invest in a pressure cooker and canning jars to can your own fruits and vegetables.
• Many parents who make their own baby food purchase organic fruits and vegetables for the project. It’s true that there are many benefits to an organic diet, but you don’t need to feel guilty if you can’t afford this extra expense. Homemade baby food is still nutritious even if it’s not made from entirely organic ingredients.