| Making your own baby food is simple, | | | | any allergic reactions occur. |
| convenient, and can save you money. | | | | Honey Alert: Do not feed honey in any |
| Nutritionally, it's hard to beat the | | | | form to infants under 1 year of age. |
| wholesomeness of foods right from your | | | | Serious food poisoning (infant botulism) |
| kitchen. You can feed baby some of your | | | | may result. |
| family's regular foods knowing that they | | | | RECIPES |
| are free from the additives and fillers | | | | Here are some simple baby food recipes |
| found in some store-bought baby foods. | | | | to get you started. |
| Family foods, if prepared with salt, | | | | COOKED LEAFY GREENS |
| spices, sugar, or fat, are not suitable | | | | (Makes 10 food cubes) |
| for infants. You will need to prepare | | | | Many of the most nutritious veggies, |
| foods separately, or remove the baby's | | | | especially the green leafy ones, are not |
| portion before salt, sugar, or other | | | | available in commercial baby foods. It's |
| seasonings are added. | | | | easy to make your own. |
| Making your own baby food doesn't | | | | 1 pound fresh greens (kale, collards, |
| require a lot of expensive equipment. At | | | | etc.) |
| a minimum, all you need to get started | | | | 1 Tablespoon water |
| is a clean pot to cook in and equipment | | | | 3 Tablespoons fruit juice |
| to get the foods to the right | | | | Wash leaves thoroughly. Steam most |
| consistency. | | | | greens 5-15 minutes, leaving the lid off |
| EQUIPMENT FOR PUREEING BABY FOODS | | | | for the first few minutes. Puree in |
| Some foods, such as bananas and other | | | | blender with the waterand juice. |
| ripe fruits, require only a fork for | | | | Total Calories Per Cube: 17 |
| mashing. A potato masher also works well | | | | BASIC VEGETABLE RECIPE |
| to puree cooked apples, winter squash, | | | | (Makes 8 food cubes) |
| potatoes, or carrots. Be sure to remove | | | | Do not add salt, sugar, or fat. |
| lumps, pieces of skin, strings, orseeds | | | | 1 cup cooked fresh or frozen vegetables |
| before feeding to baby. | | | | without salt (use potatoes,green beans, |
| A fine mesh sieve or strainer may be | | | | peas, carrots, yellow squash) |
| used to strain cooked foods. | | | | 4-8 Tablespoons cooking liquid, formula, |
| Most foods can be pureed with a blender. | | | | or water |
| Be sure to remove tough peels and seeds | | | | Press vegetable chunks through a sieve |
| from vegetables and fruits before | | | | or baby food mill, thinningwith cooking |
| blending or they will be ground into the | | | | liquid or formula to eating consistency. |
| food. Use a blender to grind a handful | | | | Or, pureevegetables and liquid in |
| of uncooked brown rice, cook well until | | | | blender until smooth. Serve or freeze. |
| soft and smooth, and you have a | | | | Note: After trying single foods, good |
| nutritious, inexpensive cereal for baby. | | | | combinations are potatoesand carrots or |
| For agood source of protein, nut butters | | | | carrots and peas. |
| (like peanut butter) can be made in a | | | | Total Calories Per Serving: varies |
| blender from whole nuts. Thin with water | | | | FRESH FRUIT |
| or formula into a consistency suitable | | | | (Makes 4 food cubes) |
| for older babies. | | | | Try different varieties of fruit in this |
| Raw or cooked foods can handily be | | | | recipe. |
| prepared in a small, hand-operated baby | | | | 3/4 cup ripe fruit (uncooked peaches, |
| food mill. Peels and seeds are strained | | | | nectarines, bananas, pears,apricots, |
| out of the food, and its small size is | | | | apples) |
| perfect for taking to the table or | | | | 1 teaspoon unsweetened fruit juice |
| restaurant. | | | | 1 teaspoon lemon-flavored water (1 |
| Some foods are ready to serve baby right | | | | teaspoon lemon juice to 1 cupwater to |
| from the grocery store. Try canned | | | | prevent darkening) |
| pumpkin, unsweetened applesauce, instant | | | | Remove skin and seeds from fruit. Puree |
| mashed potatoes, Cream of Wheat or rice | | | | ingredients in baby food mill or blender |
| cereal for quick, ready-to-eat additions | | | | until smooth. Serve or freeze. |
| to meals. | | | | Total Calories Per Serving: varies |
| PREVENT FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS | | | | SOYBEAN PUREE |
| Cleanliness is a priority when making | | | | (Makes 2-1/2 cups or 12 food cubes) |
| foods for baby. Bacteria can easily | | | | Serve this nutritious dish to your baby. |
| upset a baby's digestive system; so | | | | 1 cup dry soybeans |
| anything that touches the food -- your | | | | 3 cups water |
| hands and all equipment -- must be | | | | 3/4 cup unsalted tomato juice for |
| absolutely clean. The same rule applies | | | | thinning |
| when storing, heating, and serving baby | | | | Rinse and soak the soybeans overnight in |
| foods, too. | | | | the refrigerator. |
| Always wash your hands and equipment | | | | Simmer beans in 3 cups water for about 2 |
| with hot, soapy water, rinse, and let | | | | hours. Puree with anyequipment, adding |
| air dry. | | | | tomato juice to thin. |
| COOKING METHODS | | | | Total Calories Per Cube: 34 |
| Steaming is one of the best cooking | | | | FRESH ORANGE SHERBET |
| methods to preserve vitamins and | | | | (Makes 1-2 cups) |
| minerals in foods. Place the food in a | | | | Babies will love this dish. |
| steam basket, sieve, or colander above | | | | 1 sweet orange, peeled, sectioned, and |
| boiling water and cook in the rising | | | | seeds removed |
| steam. | | | | 1 cup fruit juice |
| Microwave cooking is another way to | | | | In a blender, liquefy the fruit. Add the |
| prepare foods, especially | | | | juice and blend. Pourinto loaf pan, |
| vegetables,which cook quickly in very | | | | cover, and freeze until fairly firm, |
| little water. | | | | about 1 hour. |
| Boiling or simmering fruits and | | | | Pour back into blender, and blend at low |
| vegetables is an acceptable cooking | | | | speed until smooth. Return to pan and |
| method but will result in loss of some | | | | freeze until firm. |
| nutrients in the cooking water. Be sure | | | | Total Calories Per 2 Tablespoons: 7 |
| to use only a small amount of water and | | | | HOMEMADE FRUITY GEL |
| save the cooking liquid to thin the | | | | (Serves 4) |
| pureed food to eating consistency. | | | | This recipe uses fruit juice instead of |
| Since babies do not have a preference | | | | sugar to add sweetness. |
| for salty or sweet, you should not add | | | | Agar, the thickener, is derived from |
| salt or sugar to their food. It's a good | | | | seaweed. It is available innatural food |
| idea to keep your child from developing | | | | stores and food co-ops. |
| an early taste for such additions. | | | | 1/2 cup cool water |
| Studies suggest that feeding babies too | | | | 1 Tablespoon agar flakes |
| much sodium may trigger high blood | | | | 1-1/2 cups fruit juice |
| pressure later in life in those | | | | 1 cup pureed fruit |
| individuals who are likely to develop | | | | Place water in small saucepan. Sprinkle |
| high blood pressure. | | | | in agar and stir to dissolve. |
| SERVING AND STORING BABY FOODS | | | | Add juice and heat for 1 minute, |
| Pureed foods spoil more easily than | | | | stirring well. Pour into 4 small cups. |
| other foods; so baby's food must be used | | | | Place in refrigerator. After 1/2 hour, |
| immediately or frozen for future use. If | | | | stir in pureed fruit. |
| you store food in the refrigerator, keep | | | | Total Calories Per Serving: varies |
| it in there only 2 to 3 days. If you | | | | SWEDISH HARD BREAD |
| don't use it by then, it should be | | | | (Makes 20) |
| discarded. Remember: refrigeration does | | | | Unlike store-bought varieties, this |
| not killbacteria; it only slows down | | | | homemade version of "hardtack" crumbles |
| their growth. | | | | and melts in baby's mouth and is great |
| Large batches of pureed foods can easily | | | | for teething. |
| be frozen in ready-to-use serving sizes. | | | | 1 cup all-purpose flour |
| One such method is to pour pureed food | | | | 1 cup rye graham flour |
| into plastic ice-cube trays, cover with | | | | 2 Tablespoons sugar or other sweetener |
| waxed paper, and freeze. When frozen, | | | | 1/2 teaspoon baking soda |
| transfer to freezer bags. Another method | | | | 1/2 teaspoon baking powder |
| is to "plop" drops of pureed food on a | | | | 8 ounces commercial corn muffin mix |
| cookie sheet, freeze, and then transfer | | | | 3 Tablespoons margarine |
| to freezer bags. These frozen portions | | | | 3/4 cup soy milk |
| will keep about one month. | | | | Mix dry ingredients. Cut in margarine. |
| Thaw cubes in the refrigerator, in a | | | | Add soy milk. Mix well. |
| double boiler, in the microwave (at low | | | | Roll thin, cut into shapes and bake |
| setting), or in the plastic bag under | | | | 10-15 minutes at 350 degreesuntil brown. |
| cold water. Do not thaw at room | | | | Total Calories Per Cracker: 116 |
| temperature. | | | | CARROT/APPLE MIX |
| WHAT TO SERVE | | | | (Serves 2) |
| Fresh and frozen fruit juice, fruits and | | | | This is a delicious dish. |
| vegetables without added sugar or salt. | | | | 1/2 medium apple, cored and peeled 1/2 |
| Home-canned and frozen fruits and | | | | carrot, washed and peeled |
| vegetables without sugar, salt, or | | | | 2 Tablespoons fruit juice |
| seasonings. | | | | 1 teaspoon lemon juice |
| Whole-grain cereals such as rice, oats, | | | | Puree all ingredients in blender. Or, |
| barley, corn, and other grains. | | | | grate apples and carrot andmix with |
| As with any new food, wait 5-7 days | | | | juice before serving. |
| before adding another new food to see if | | | | |