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Preparing baby food such as simple purees from fruits and vegetables doesn’t take long at all. It’s also less expensive than store bought foods. With a few simple tips and precautions, you can serve your baby safe and healthy foods right from home. You can also prepare small amounts of food in advance to have on hand whenever your baby’s hungry.
Preparing Homemade Baby Food
- Wash the fruit or vegetable well and cut it into even-sized pieces.
- Steam or boil the fruit/veggie until it’s very soft. Try using as little water as possible (to preserve the nutrients in the food).
- Allow the food to cool down a bit.
- Puree the food (use a food processor, a hand blender or hand mill)
- Add breast milk, baby formula or cooled and boiled water to the mixture to thin the consistency. Mix again.
- Place the food in a strainer and press it through the mesh with a spoon or fork.
- Test the temperature of the food on your fingertip or arm before serving it to your baby.
Your baby is most likely eating very small portions of solid foods, and so there may very well be some leftovers after each meal. Aside from this, you may wish to puree larger amounts of fruit or veggies per session for future meals. To do so:
- Spoon the puree into a sterilized* ice-cube tray
- Cover the tray with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer
- When frozen, remove the food cubes and place them in a sealed plastic bag
- Only put one type of food in each bag, and label the bags accordingly
- Use these frozen cubes withing 1-3 months of freezing
*You can sterilize an ice-cube tray by putting it in boiling water for 5-10 minutes, or simply running it through the dishwasher.
Defrost the food cubes on a bowl or plate in the refrigerator, and heat when required. Avoid using the microwave because it will destroy the nutrients in the food. Discard any heated food that is left over after mealtime.
Make sure to wash your hands well before you feed your baby, and always keep kitchen equipment and work spaces spotless. Also, don’t attempt to save any leftovers from the bowl or jar (of baby food) you had been feeding your baby out of, as it has been contaminated by the bacteria and enzymes from your baby’s saliva. It’s best to remove the necessary amount of food from the container with a clean spoon beforehand.
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