Cooking Baby Food 101

Recently, it was revealed that the four major baby food manufactures were knowingly producing foods with levels of toxic heavy metals. This meant that parents around the country were giving their children food containing lead, mercury, and even arsenic.

The only way to truly know what ingredients you are feeding your child is by making them the food themselves. Not only will cooking baby food give you peace of mind, but it’s also not as hard as you may think.

Keep reading to discover how you can easily start cooking baby food.

Choose and Prepare the Ingredients

Babies are more susceptible to foodborne illnesses than adults, so you want to make sure you’re carefully choosing and preparing the ingredients.

Start by choosing only natural ingredients. You can opt to feed your baby vegetables, fruits, grains and cereals, and even some meats.

But, instead of justing handing your six-month-old baby a banana, each ingredient needs properly prepared.

Vegetables should be cooked first by steaming, baking, or roasting. Soft fruits must be peeled and mashed while harder fruits should be baked or steamed to soften them.

For grains and cereals, make sure to grind them up into a fine powder before cooking in water. Meats should be cooked before blending.

It’s important to avoid any additional ingredients, such as flavor additives or seasonings. Keep your foods simple so you can avoid an unhealthy diet or dental issues like pulling baby teeth.

Blend the Puree

All baby food should be blended into a smooth puree after preparing the ingredients. When you first start giving your baby food, make the puree as smooth and thin as possible. After a few weeks or months, you can gradually increase the thickness and add in some texture.

Use a blender, food processor, or a baby food grinder to create the puree. First add in an all-natural ingredient, such as a mashed banana. Then add in a liquid, breast milk, formula, or water, until you get the desired thickness.

You can search online for baby food recipes to find fun ingredient combinations so you can introduce new flavors to your baby.

Safely Store Your Creations

Many parents opt to make large batches of baby food at once to save time and effort. This is a great solution, but you need to make sure you are safely storing the homemade baby food.

This food should not remain at room temperature for more than an hour. Purees made out of fruit can last up to two days in the fridge, while veggie and meat purees should only be refrigerated for one day.

Most purees will safely last for one month in the freezer. Store your baby food in ice cube trays or small storage containers to make it easier to thaw.

Make sure to label each container with the date that the food was made so you can ensure it’s still fresh.

Cooking Baby Food Is Safe and Easy

After reading this article, you’re ready to start cooking baby food and providing a healthy diet for your loved one.

Start with the freshest ingredients and make sure you are preparing them safely. Then, use a kitchen appliance to blend the ingredients into a smooth puree. Make sure you follow proper storage suggestions so you can make large batches at once.

Wondering when it’s time to start adding solids into your baby’s diet? Be sure to browse the rest of this site for more great advice.