How to Make Your Own Baby Food - Tips, Advice and Recipes

The baby food wars have been fought for several decades now. When my son was an infant, 20-something years ago, my friends thought I was insane for making his baby food. I started making his food because it saved money, was easy and traditional, and made me feel a little closer my baby - but as I learned more about nutrition, I realized that was I was feeding my baby was healthier. And I didn't worry about the scares regarding glass in baby food, or chemicals in baby food, or various recalls of baby food.

For anyone who thinks making baby food is difficult - put your mind at ease. Nothing could be easier. Baby food is simply softer - mashed or pureed - versions of regular foods. A soft, mashed banana is baby food. A mashed egg yolk with a few drops of breast milk or formula is baby food. You do not need fancy equipment or jars (although they can be nice) - a fork, a potato masher, or a hand-turned food-mill all work beautifully. However, there are a few rules. The first set of rules are basic, Cooking 101 cleanliness rules. These are rules we should all be following when preparing food for ourselves and our families - and not just for baby. But they are far more important when cooking for baby!

Cleanliness Rules

1. All cooking utensils, containers, spoons, mashers, etc must be clean - wash in HOT soapy water, rinse well in HOT water, and allow to air dry in a clean rack.
2. Your hands should be clean before preparing any food - this includes under your nails.
3. Your cooking space and prep space should be clean - countertops, cutting boards, stovetops, microwave - whatever you will be using should be clean.
4. The containers you will be using for your baby food should be clean - wash in HOT soapy water, rinse in HOT water, and allow to air dry on a clean rack.

Now that your space is ready, you can start making baby food. There are many debates about what is and is not the best food for your baby. I can only advise that you consult with your own pediatrician about any concerns you might have - and spend some time reading up on the current nutritional advice. Also, buy the very best produce you can afford - it makes a difference - but if you cannot afford organic for everything than try to avoid the foods most likely to be sprayed.

Personally, I feel the best first foods (for babies 6-8 months old, who are just starting on solids) are mashed banana, mashed sweet potato, mashed egg yolk (being careful regarding possible sensitivity - and avoiding egg white), and mashed avocado. These foods are all highly nutritious and can be easily mashed - and can be mixed with expressed breast milk, formula, or filtered water to make a smoother puree. And remember, at this stage baby is getting most of her nutrition and calories from breast milk or formula - servings of baby foods should be limited to 1-2 tablespoons per day.

For slightly older babies (8-12 months old, who have teeth and can "self-feed" a little) I like to offer tiny, diced pieces of banana or steamed carrots or roasted/steamed sweet potato. This is the stage where I feel more comfortable introducing grains, such as oatmeal and rice. For this age of baby, I also often start using small amounts of homemade chicken stock or broth to both flavor the vegetables, and they are now more of a "sturdy mash" than "puree" in texture. (NOTE: Commercial stocks and broths often contain sodium and other "no-no" items - so I do not recommend them for baby.)


How to Make Vegetable Purees

Vegetable Purees are an easy and nutritious first food for baby. Common first vegetables are avocado, sweet potato, butternut and other winter squash, and peas. Do not start any vegetable or fruit/vegetable combinations until baby has had each food "solo" for at least one week without reaction.

1. Carefully wash vegetables, allow to air dry.
2. Peel, remove ends, hard pieces, and any seeds.
3. Cut the vegetables into small pieces.
   
4. Steam until soft (but not completely mushy) in a small amount of water, allow to cool, and then mash or puree. NOTE: Peas can be tricky because of their skins - a blender or food mill usually gets a smoother texture - or you can push your puree through a sieve.
   
5. Test texture, and add small amount of expressed breast milk, formula, or filtered water if the puree needs to be thinned.
6. Place 2-4 Tablespoon servings of the puree into your container of choice. I used ice-cube trays to freeze batches of baby food, and once frozen the foods were stored in labeled and dated freezer containers.
7. NOTE: Fresh baby food should be stored in the refrigerator and used with 24 hours. Frozen baby food should be stored no more than 1 month in the freezer before using.
8. Gently warm baby food to room temperature before serving.
9. NOTE: IF you use a microwave to warm or defrost baby food, you MUST STIR WELL and test the temperature carefully to avoid burning baby!

How to Make Fruit Purees

Fruit purees are an easy treat for baby. Common first fruits are bananas, mangoes, apples, prunes, and peaches. I have found that babies tend to be sensitive to berries - so be careful when starting any berry purees, and do not start any fruit combinations until baby has had each fruit "solo" for at least one week without reaction.

1. Carefully wash fruit, allow to air dry.
2. Peel fruit, remove any pits or seeds.
3. Cut fruit into small pieces. Mash with a fork, potato masher, or food mill.
4. Harder fruits, such as apples, may need to be cooked first. Simply cut into small pieces, until soft (but not completely mushy) in a small amount of water, allow to cool, and then mash or puree.
   
5. Test texture, and add small amount of expressed breast milk, formula, or filtered water if the puree needs to be thinned.
6. Place 2-4 Tablespoon servings of the puree into your container of choice. I used ice-cube trays to freeze batches of baby food, and once frozen the foods were stored in labeled and dated freezer containers.
7. NOTE: Fresh baby food should be stored in the refrigerator and used with 24 hours. Frozen baby food should be stored no more than 1 month in the freezer before using.
8. Gently warm baby food to room temperature.
   
9. NOTE: IF you use a microwave to warm or defrost baby food, you MUST STIR WELL and test the temperature carefully to avoid burning baby!

How to Make Meat Purees

Meat purees are a bit trickier - a food-mill or food processor is very helpful. Chicken and fish are common "firsts" and both are easy to prepare. I like to introduce meats in combinations with rice and a vegetable, sort of a baby stew. In general, babies should not be eating meat until they are able to "chew" a bit - usually after 8-10 months of age. Speak with your pediatrician about best choices of fish, based on current knowledge of any contaminants, such as mercury - and avoid canned meats or fish for baby.

1. Carefully wash the chicken or fish. Remove any bones, skin, connective tissues - anything baby might choke on,
   
2. Cook thoroughly. I find steaming fish is best, and roasting or poaching chicken is best. Allow to cool once fully cooked (no rare meat for baby!)
   
3. Fish can generally be flaked and then mashed. Chicken should be cut into very small pieces and then run through a food mill or food processor with a small amount of liquid until smooth.
   
4. Place 2-4 Tablespoon servings of the puree into your container of choice. I used ice-cube trays to freeze batches of baby food, and once frozen the foods were stored in labeled and dated freezer containers.
5. NOTE: Fresh baby food should be stored in the refrigerator and used with 24 hours. Frozen baby food should be stored no more than 1 month in the freezer before using.
6. Gently warm baby food to room temperature.
   
7. NOTE: IF you use a microwave to warm or defrost baby food, you MUST STIR WELL and test the temperature carefully to avoid burning baby!

Here are a few favorite recipes to get you started - and then have fun researching more online, or making up your own using your family's favorites!

Roasted Sweet Potato for Beginners

2 Sweet Potatoes, scrubbed
Poke holes in the Sweet Potato with a fork. Roast the Sweet Potato on a lined cookie sheet in a 400F oven until tender (about 30-45 minutes). Allow to cool. Cut open and scrape the orange flesh into a bowl. Mash well. **Sweet Potatoes and Apples make a nice combo!

Apple Sauce for Beginners

2 large apples (Macintosh apples are nice because they get soft quickly)
Peel, core, and dice the apples. Place in a small saucepan with about 1 Tablespoon of water, Cook over low heat, stirring and "mashing" with a fork or the back of a spoon. Once the apple is mushy, stop cooking. Drain the liquid (and reserve it in case you need it for thinning) and allow the apples to cool completely. Test the texture, using the reserved cooking liquid to thin it, if needed. **Apples mix well with just about anything - other fruits, vegetables, grains, and even meats!

Eggy Mash

4 hard-boiled egg yolks
1/2 soft avocado
Mash both well together, adding liquid as necessary to make a smooth texture.

Chicken and Rice Baby Dinner

1 Tbs minced, cooked chicken
1/2 to 1 Tbs cooked rice
1 Tbs pureed vegetable of choice

Mash all three ingredients together, adding liquid as necessary to make a smooth texture.

Salmon and Rice Baby Dinner

1 Tbs minced, cooked salmon (or any other fish, as desired)
1/2 to 1 Tbs cooked rice
1 Tbs pureed vegetable of choice

Mash all three ingredients together, adding liquid as necessary to make a smooth texture.

NOTE: High-nitrate vegetables (beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, collard greens, lettuce, spinach, turnips, etc) should not be fed to babies in large quantities. Limit to 1-2 Tablespoons total per day.

I hope you enjoy making your own baby food as much as I did...and as much as I do for my new grandbaby! The times may have changes, but mashing basic foods never goes out of style!


(This originally appeared on Yahoo via the Yahoo Contributors network)