While commercial baby foods are safe, parents should wonder how long those baby food jars have been sitting on the grocery store shelf, how they were stored, and were they exposed to extreme temperatures that might affect the quality of the food? Making home made baby food eliminates these uncertainties about the food you feed your baby. By making your own meals, you’re guaranteeing freshness and safety. In this article, we’ll show you how to prepare food that is healthy, safe and delicious for your tiny tot.
If you decide to make baby food that includes meats, you have to take special care with preparation and cooking. First of all, wash your hands and all cooking utensils, including counters and cutting boards, with antibacterial soap. Wooden cutting boards are preferable since they hide fewer bacteria in cracks and scratches. Consider using plastic gloves when handling meats. If you are going to be moving from preparing meats to preparing another food item, always wash your hands prior to handling the other food. This is especially important when handling poultry and eggs. If you’ve been using a knife to slice meat, don’t use it on another food without washing it thoroughly with soap. A rinse with hot water isn’t enough! Make sure the meat is thoroughly cooked to kill bacteria.
With regard to healthy recipes for your baby, always shop for fresh produce and meat instead of using canned foods. Many canned meats and vegetables contain lots of added salt, sugar, preservatives and fat. Fresh is always best, and there are some foods that are particularly good for babies. Bananas, always a favorite when introducing solid foods, are packed with protein, calcium, iron, potassium and several vitamins that babies need. Pears and plums are also a good choice. Beef, pork and chicken are excellent sources of protein, calcium, essential fatty acids and important vitamins. Vegetables provide helpful fiber, minerals and nutritional vitamins into your kid’s diet without adding any cholesterol.
Whenever feeding solid foods to your baby, it’s necessary to get rid of anything that could trigger choking. This is why peeling skins, and pitting or removing seeds is important prior to cooking. Some of the most common choking hazards include raisins, grapes, nuts, popcorn, hot dogs, peanut butter, raw carrots, raw peas, raw apples and corn kernels. As well, honey can harbor spores of Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism. An adult’s intestinal tract can prevent the growth of these spores, but in a very child the spores can grow and produce lifestyle threatening toxins.
If you’re making baby food for the first time, then look for simple baby food recipes as you experiment. Applesauce is a great first food for baby and it’s very simple and inexpensive to make. Wash and core 4 pounds of apples with the skins on and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Make sure that you remove all the seeds and any pieces that may present a choking hazard. Simmer the apples, covered, in a large saucepan with 1/3 cup water until tender. Once the apples are soft, blend with a hand blender or food processor until the apples are smooth. As you prepare the applesauce for storage in bowls or ice cube trays, pour the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any lumps or seeds. With very little effort, you can make fresh, nutritious meals that your baby will enjoy.