Learning to Make Your Own Baby Food
Though there are many different types of baby food available on the market, it is always safer to make your own baby food. Making baby food at home is better for your baby because you get to control the ingredients of the food, and you get to make sure that your baby is getting a wide variety of nutrients and different types of food.
When making your own baby food, it is important to buy good ingredients. Babies usually start by eating pureed fruit and vegetables. In this case, try to buy fruit and vegetables once or twice a week to keep them as fresh as possible. To prepare your fruit and vegetables, dice them into small pieces and remove seeds or hard bits that may be a choking hazard to your child. You can steam or boil your fruit and vegetables, but steaming is preferred because it keeps more nutrients.
After an initial diet of fruit and vegetables, your baby should be ready to eat a bit of meat. This is an excellent source of protein. Prior to this, your baby should have been eating a protein substitute like beans. When choosing meat, remember to choose the most tender cuts and to remove any fat before cooking. After cooking, remove the bones. You can grill or fry your meats, though grilling is healthier. Make sure there are no pink bits. Your baby can't eat medium rare meat. Also, do not serve chicken just yet.
As your baby gets older, they will be ready for fish and seafood. This is usually reserved as one of the last things you feed your baby. Like fruit and vegetables, try to serve your baby fresh fish. Have your grocer remove all skin, scales, and bones. Like meat, you can grill your fish or steam them like vegetables. The best way to cook it for your baby, however is to bake it because this will help you make sure it stays soft enough for your baby to chew. You know it's cooked when it's firm and flakey.
Keep in mind that you cannot add any salt or sugar to your baby's food. The natural salt and sweetness of the food is enough for your baby. Extra salt can damage your baby's developing kidneys. Sugar, on the other hand, can cause tooth decay. Most babies gravitate towards sweeter food and if you give in to this, your baby may not want to eat anything else. Opt for fruits that are naturally sweet, instead.
After cooking your baby's food, you have to puree it till it's smooth. You can puree it with a food processor or a blender. You can slowly increase the texture as they get older. Instead of pureeing it, you can try mashing it with a fork. Afterwards, let the food cool to a comfortable temperature for your baby. Never serve your baby freshly cooked or hot food.
This means you will have to start cooking your baby's food earlier than you intend to feed them. Remember to prepare your baby's food with very clean equipment. If your baby is younger than six months old, the equipment needs to be sterilized.
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