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