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