Little Pearl - How To Make Homemade Baby Food: Recipes For Naturally Healthy Babies

Babies have limited capacity to eat therefore it is crucial that their foods are as nutrient dense as possible. Dr. Nazanin Zand, head of baby food research at the University of Greenwich

Giving your baby his first meal is an exciting milestone you will never forget as a parent. The priceless expressions and adorably messy faces make many parents anxious to begin adding baby food to their babys diet a diet that has been solely breast milk or formula for the past several months. And although the more diverse diet is fun for everyone, it soon becomes apparent that new food means new questions and concerns, all of which can be overwhelming for parents who are concerned with only giving the very best to their precious bundle of joy.

Many parents find short-term relief by opting to buy store-bought jars of baby food because it appears to be the simplest answer to the question, What should I feed my baby? Prepared, packaged, and clearly labeled, jarred baby food is appealing on the surface, but dig a little deeper and you will most likely find a whole new world of concerns.

• Additives and Preservatives: A thorough reading of the ingredients will sometimes reveal additives and preservatives, many of which are not recommended for consumption by both babies and adults. However, generally speaking baby food companies such as Gerber or Earths Best Organics have removed any such ingredients from their foods, making their ingredient list as simple as organic peas and water.
• Expense: One of the biggest concerns with store bought baby food is how quickly the cost adds up every month, especially as your baby grows and starts to eat more food. According to a comparison done on Mint.com, purchasing organic baby food from the store is nearly 45% more expensive than making your own at home.
• Packaging: All of the glass from store bought baby jars adds up and contributes to the worlds waste. If you are vigilant about recycling glass in your household this might not be as big of a concern, but for many parents the addition of making a trip to the recycling center can be hard to find time for, which means that all of those jars can unfortunately end up in the trash.
• High Temperature Cooking: Jarred baby food bought at stores has to be cooked at incredibly high temperatures in order to destroy potentially harmful bacteria that can grow during storage. Doing this means that the food, although safe, loses the majority of its vitamins and nutrients, not to mention taste.

And while making your own baby food alleviates the aforementioned problems, many parents are concerned about how time consuming it will be to make purees. Rest assured, making your own is no more difficult than preparing a snack for yourself or an older child. And if you plan ahead and make batches of homemade food in advance, your frozen or refrigerated cubes will be just as convenient as store bought jars, and much more delicious and nutritious too.

If you are still not convinced that homemade baby purees are something you should be doing, here is a brief list of the top reasons parents cite for making their own baby food:

• Know The Ingredients: Not only does making your own baby food allow you to know exactly what goes in the purees, you will also be in control of the quality. Just as you like to pick the best looking fruits and veggies at the store for yourself and the rest of your family, you will get to do the same for your baby. Plus, if you enjoy eating homegrown or local produce, this is the best way to make those foods available for your baby as well.
• Introduce Unique Flavors: Its important for your child, even at a young age, to get accustomed to a variety of flavors, tastes, and textures. Making your own food puts you in control, allowing you to offer your baby local or seemingly exotic foods that arent readily available as prepackaged jars, like cantaloupe, avocado, and watermelon.
• Make Everyone Food Conscientious: Preparing healthy, organic, and whole foods for your baby helps everyone in the family realize the importance of eating food that is nutritious and healthy. Searching for the best produce and ingredients for baby food will encourage you to pick up some extra for yourself and the rest of the family as well.
• Less Expensive: Making homemade baby food is normally less expensive than buying jars. For families who eat well on a regular basis, many of these foods are already in their refrigerator all they have to do is mash, blend, or puree them up!