Make Your Own Baby Food
Table of Contents
2
Foreward
2
Introduction
3
Ready, Steady, Go! : Starting Baby on Solids
5
What to Feed Your Baby and When
12
Making Baby Food at Home
15
Baby Food Recipes
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Foreward
In pre-industrial societies, infant feeding choices were few. Breastfeeding was the norm, and
babies and children ate versions of what adults ate. Lack of food for the whole group was the
most serious area of concern. With the twentieth century’s development of technology
capable of mass-producing formula and commercial baby food, infant feeding has become
more complex. Parents must now choose whether to breastfeed or not, buy baby food or make
it at home. Something else changes too. In a highly mobile society, in which people live and
have children miles away from the extended family, new parents lack the mentoring role of
relatives to help make decisions, and provide the historic continuity of how children were
raised.
Though making baby food at home has tremendous benefits, commercial baby food has great
appeal. The baby food industry spends millions of dollars advertising their product. Many see it
as a symbol of progress. In a recent University of Toronto sociology course, students
commented that making baby food would look to their parents and grandparents to be a sign
of poverty and inability to afford the benefits of North American life. Though the majority had
eaten homemade baby food when they were little, they now wanted to buy the commercial
variety.
Convinced of its benefits, government and public health literature promote home-made baby
food, outlining the sequence in which to introduce solids. Yet there is often a gap between
health promotion and changed behavior. Responding to this dilemma, FoodShare Toronto
developed its Baby Food Basics program, which encourages learning through participatory
support groups and provides new parents with an opportunity to learn how easy baby food
making can be.
-
Debbie Field, Executive Director of FoodShare Toronto
Introduction
We believe that the hands-on approach taken in these workshops is the best demonstration of
the benefits of homemade baby food. If you live in Metro Toronto, you may be able to take
advantage of one of our peer-led sessions, but for those who are outside the city or prefer
written materials, we have developed this on-line guide.
You, Your Baby and Food! or Why it’s Important to Develop a Positive Feeding
Relationship with Your Baby
As a parent, you can learn the cues your baby is giving you—if she is hungry or not, if she
accepts or rejects a particular food you are offering, or how she responds to a new food. The
parent is responsible for what and the child is responsible for how much. Ellyn Satter, the "baby
nutrition guru" (who is also a registered dietician, therapist and mother) calls this the "division
of responsibility" between parent and child. The parent’s job is done when the food has been
prepared and presented or fed to the child in an appropriate way. Whether or not or how
much the child eats is up to the child. But children are also very sensitive to the feelings of
their parents and can sense stress and anxiety that can affect their own attitudes about food
and eating.
A positive feeding relationship between parent and child stems from the principles of ‘trust’
and ‘control.’ Parents should trust their child’s internal cues, which guide whether or how
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much she will eat. The parent can also balance this trust with an element of control in what,
when and where the child will be fed. Parents are responsible for choosing the appropriate
food based on knowledge of nutrition and on a child’s ability to eat and digest food at different
stages of their development. Tricking and forcing babies to eat foods they do not like, or do
not want to eat at the time and place that you want to feed them, is not the best strategy.
In making your own baby food, you will be able to provide an appropriately textured food for
your child at every stage of their development. While both homemade and commercial baby
foods are considered to be nutritionally acceptable options, the homemade varieties often fit
better with a family’s food culture. Although some recipes are included in the toolkit
vegetables, fruits and protein foods prepared for family meals can easily become "baby food".
By giving you some simple steps to follow, you will be able to provide your child with fresh and
nutritious food in a safe and affordable way.
Politics of Baby Food
By the time infants in the United States reach 12 months of age, each of them has consumed,
smeared around or spit out an average of 600 jars of commercial baby food. A Western
European baby has consumed around 240 jars, whereas an Eastern European baby has eaten a
total of 12 jars. In North America the cost to feed a baby from store-bought baby food averages
$6000.00 a year. These numbers bring to light problems in our food system - of increasing
commercial pressures from the large food companies, because they can profit, on how we feed
our families. When parents come to believe that bottled baby foods are better, they become
dependent on providing only these types of food for their baby.
Making baby food at home can not only challenge the pressures imposed upon us by
commercial baby food producers, it can also empower parents to feed their families in ways
that are culturally and economically appropriate to fit their needs.
Take The Taste Test
A key part of our Baby Food Basics workshop is a tasting of homemade baby foods and
comparing them to commercial baby foods. The pictures below, showing both types, give
some idea of the differences. But you really need to taste them to make up your mind.
The easiest taste test requires an investment of about 5 minutes: buy a jar of baby food made
from bananas. Put a dollop of the store-bought banana baby food on a plate. Next take a ripe
banana, mash it in a bowl with a fork and put a dollop of that beside the commercial food.
Compare home-made and jarred baby foods:
What is the difference in colour? Smell? Which looks more appealing? Why? Now time for the
taste test—taste and compare them: Is one sweeter than the other? Which one has a nicer
banana flavour? Which one do you prefer?
Ready, Steady, Go! : Starting Baby on Solids
Newborn babies are usually fed only breast milk or formula until they are at least 4 months of
age. These are easiest to digest and provide all the essential nutrients for proper growth and
development. The Joint Working Group of the Canadian Paediatric Society, Dieticians of
Canada and Health Canada recommends that complementary foods (to breast milk or formula)
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should be introduced at 4 to 6 months of age to meet the infant’s increasing nutritional
requirements and developmental needs. It is during this time that infants should be able to
adapt to different foods, food textures, colours, and ways of feeding.
The ability to manipulate, chew and swallow different textured foods is an important learned
developmental skill. For this reason, being able to vary the consistency of your baby food, from
puréed and later to mashed with some more solid pieces, is important in the development of
your child’s eating skills. Most often in Canada, babies are first introduced to iron-fortified
cereal, then to vegetables, fruits, and finally meats and alternatives.
How do you know if your baby is ready to eat solid foods? By observing your child’s early
physical development, you will know when to begin introducing solids to your baby’s diet,
usually at 4 to 6 months of age.
Your baby is ready to eat solid foods when:
• Your baby can sit up with support or propped up; Your baby can hold up her own head,
which means the food can travel down her throat without any problems;
• If breast-fed, your baby needs more than 8 to 10 feedings in 24 hours, empties both breasts
at each feeding, and always seems hungry;
• If bottle-fed, your baby drinks at least 1.2 L (40 ounces) per day, empties all bottles, and still
seems hungry;
• Your baby has control of her head and neck muscles so that she can lean her head forward to
tell you to continue feeding, and pull back or turn her head to tell you to stop feeding;
• Your baby can close her mouth around a spoon when offered food on a spoon.
A few things to consider when introducing new foods to your child are:
• Introduce new foods one at a time, several days apart. This way, if your baby has a REACTION,
you will know which food caused it.
• Seat your baby in a high chair for meals.
• Wait for your baby to pay attention to each spoonful before you feed her.
• Give your baby a very little amount of food at first: begin with 1 teaspoon and start with just
one solid feed during the day, preferably at lunchtime.
• Listen to when he shows signs of being full. Perhaps try one more time just to make sure but
then finish feeding right away so as not to build up feelings of frustration.
• In the beginning, serve solid foods after breast milk/formula so that solid foods do not stop
your baby from drinking breast milk/formula. You should not reduce the milk intake as it is
till the most important factor for your baby’s growth and development. Once all of the
GRAINS have been introduced...
• Introduce new foods in the morning or at lunchtime when the baby is less likely to be fussy.
• Do not force your baby to eat a new food if it is refused. Try again later.
• Use a small and shallow plastic spoon so that your baby can take the food with her lips
(babies are not able to lick food off a spoon with their tongues).
• Serve foods in small unbreakable bowls and drinks in plastic cups with lids.
• Do not add butter, margarine, salt, spices, herbs, sugar, and molasses for the first year of life,
as these seasonings are difficult to digest.
• Do not use honey or corn syrup for the first year of your baby’s life. Even pasteurised honey
can have bacteria, which can make a baby very sick.
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Food for your Baby’s First Year - A General Infant Feeding Guide
Age (months)
Food
Texture
0-4
Breast milk, Infant Formula
Liquid
4-6 add
Baby Cereal (iron fortified)
Strained (thick, soup-like)
6-8 add
Cooked vegetables
Cooked or soft fruits
Strained or mashed
8-10 add
Meat and alternates (hard-cooked egg yolk, soft tofu, wellcooked beans, MILK PRODUCTS such as plain yoghurtminimum 3.8% M.F. or cheese)
Mashed or finely minced
10-12 add
Regular table food (no seasoning to very little)
Cooked and soft finger foods
MILK - WHOLE OR HOMO
Chopped, pieces
12 add
Whole egg
Chopped (finely)
What to Feed Your Baby and When
Your baby will learn to enjoy a number of different foods. Serve a variety of foods from the four
food groups to ensure that your baby’s diet is nutritionally complete. These groups include
grains, vegetables and fruits, meats and alternatives, and MILK PRODUCTS. The different food
groups should be introduced at different intervals of the baby’s development over the first
year. Read the 3 charts below and follow the links for more detailed information. Plus info on
FAQ about FEEDING A VEGETARIAN BABY, JUICES, and VITAMINS.
GRAINS (starting at 4-6 months)
Start with commercially prepared infant cereals because they contain the type of IRON best
suited for your baby
Early (4 –6 months)
Late (6 months-1 year)
Single grain infant cereals: Rice, barley, oatmeal
Mixed grain infant cereals only after all single grain
have been tried
Iron-fortified commercial cereals are best (contain
best type of iron suited for your baby)
Fingers of plain dry toast as teeth begin to appear
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VEGETABLES (starting at 6 months)
Introduce vegetables before fruits as babies tend to prefer the sweet taste of fruits and may
then reject vegetables if they are introduced afterwards
Early (6-8 months)
Sweet potato
Carrot
Peas
Squash
Potato
Late (8 months-1 year)
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Brussel sprouts
CORN
Later (1 year on)
SPINACH
Tomato (may cause ALLERGIES)
FRUITS (starting at 7 months)
When introducing fruits, it is best to feed your baby cooked purées of fruits such as apples and
pears
Early (7 months-1 year)
Late (1 year and on)
BANANAS
ORANGES
Apple Sauce
Kiwi
Pear
GRAPEFRUITS
Cantaloupe
Strawberries (may cause ALLERGIES)
Honeydew melon
BERRIES
Papaya
Mango
Avocado
Peaches
MEATS AND ALTERNATIVES (starting at 8 months)
Good sources of protein, iron and fibre
Early (8 months-1 year)
Late (1 year and on)
CHICKEN
EGG WHITE (may cause ALLERGIES)
Lamb
Liver
Beef
Veal
EGG YOLK
LENTILS
Tofu
BEANS: chick peas, white, kidney, soy, lima
Grains: (4-6 months)
• Start with commercially prepared infant cereals because they contain the type of iron best
suited for your baby. While these cereals are refined, they are also enriched with essential
vitamins and minerals such as iron and free of salt and sugar. For these reasons, it is better to
buy iron-enriched infant cereals rather than making your own or using adult-type cereals.
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• Start with single grain infant cereals beginning with rice, then barley, then oatmeal so you
can watch for signs of ALLERGIES. Use mixed cereals only after your baby has tried all the
single cereal grains.
• Add fingers of plain dry toast, bagels or bread crusts as your baby’s teeth begin to show to
help your baby get used to chewing.
• Cereal should be fed after breast milk/formula for the first few months so as not to replace
them. Breast milk/formula remains the primary source of nutrients even after the
introduction of solids. At 9-12 months of age, cereal can be given before breast
milk/formula.
• The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends that iron-fortified baby cereal should be fed
until 18-24 months.
Vegetables: (6-8 months)
• All vegetables should be cooked and then mashed using a fork, a spoon and a sieve, baby
food grinder, food chopper, food blender or processor to help in digestion and to avoid
choking. Read more about HOW TO MAKE BABY FOOD
• Introduce vegetables one at a time, 4-5 days apart in small amounts (about 1 teaspoon)
starting with a very soft, runny purée and gradually increase the texture.
• It is best to start by feeding your baby root vegetables, particularly carrots, as they are
naturally sweet and potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash as these are mild tasting. A few
tips...
• Since CORN is high in fibre, it should only be introduced once the baby is at least 8-10
months old as it is hard on an infant’s system.
• There are special concerns when introducing vegetables that contain NITRATES (which
could impair the baby’s oxygen circulation). Nitrate-containing vegetables such as spinach,
cabbage, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, rhubarb, and radishes should not be
introduced before 6 months of age. Other vegetables like squash and carrots contain lower
levels of nitrates and are usually okay.
Some other vegetable tips:
• Do not give nitrate-containing vegetables, especially spinach, to infants prone to diarrhea
for the first year of their life.
• Use fresh water for puréeing vegetables and discard cooking water from nitrate-containing
vegetables.
• Store nitrate-containing fresh vegetables, especially spinach, for a minimum length of time.
Fruits: (6-8 months)
• Introduce fruits about 2 weeks after vegetables and offer new fruits one at a time 4-5 days
apart.
• When introducing fruits, it is best to feed your baby cooked purées of fruits such as apples
and pears. Ripe mashed BANANAS are the only fruit that can be eaten raw at this stage.
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• Try to avoid feeding your baby dried fruits at this stage. While they are nutritious, they tend
to have laxative effects. CITRUS and BERRY FRUITS should not be fed in any quantity until
your baby is at least one year of age.
• Try to feed your baby ripe, fresh fruits. If you are using canned fruit, it is best to use ones
packed in water or the fruit’s own juices (avoid canned fruits packed in syrup, as they are
extremely high in sugar).
• Canned fruits or juices should be stored in plastic or glass containers once opened.
Meats and Alternatives: (7-9 months)
• Meats and alternatives such as red meat, fish, poultry, cooked egg yolk, legumes and tofu can
be introduced to your baby during the 7-9 month period.
• CHICKEN, turkey and fish should be the first meats you introduce to your baby. Babies tend
to like the mild taste of chicken, it blends well with many vegetables and can have a smooth
texture when it is puréed.
• Once your baby has developed a few teeth, you can feed her small pieces of chicken, which
are easier to chew and softer than chunks of red meat.
• Use cooking stock (such as chicken or vegetable broth) to keep the meats you serve your
baby soft and moist. She will find them easier to chew and swallow.
• Start with purées and then move to ground meats by mixing small amounts of cooked
ground meat with the purée.
• Egg yolk can be introduced after 6 months of age, however egg whites are not usually
recommended until infants are at least 1 year of age because they may cause ALLERGIES.
• Introduce fish after your baby is 8 months of age and start with white fish before introducing
more oily varieties (at 10-12 months).
• Avoid feeding your baby processed meats such as ham or sausage since they contain salt and
nitrites.
Legumes (beans, peas, lentils)
• Legumes are a very important meat alternative especially if the baby is eating VEGETARIAN,
as they are good sources of protein, iron and fibre.
• Legumes should be offered in very small servings to avoid causing too much gas and should
be well cooked to make them easier to digest.
• When cooking legumes, discard the cooking liquid, mash them well, and then press through
a sieve using a spoon or purée them.
Milk Products: (9-12 months)
• Milk and dairy products such as cottage cheese, other cheeses and yogurt can be introduced
to your baby at around 9-12 months of age. These foods add calcium, riboflavin, vitamin A
and protein to your baby’s diet.
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• Serve yogurt plain or with mixed puréed fruit but avoid commercial yogurt with the fruit
already added, as they tend to contain a large amount of added sugar. Likewise, serve
puréed cottage cheese plain or with puréed fruit.
• Avoid processed cheese products such as cheese slices and spreads as they contain
unnecessary added ingredients and preservatives.
• Babies who are not breast-fed should have iron-fortified formula until they are 10-12
months old. Avoid feeding your child cow’s milk until after her first birthday as it does not
have all the necessary nutrients required for her development and growth and should not
replace breast milk or iron-fortified formula.
Cow’s milk: (9 months)
Cow’s milk should not be introduced until your baby is at least 9 months of age and is eating an
adequate amount of solid food containing vitamin C Your baby should be eating between 1012 teaspoons of a variety of solids (150-180 ml per day). Some doctors even recommend
waiting until your baby is 12 months old before introducing cow’s milk. Earlier introduction is
not recommended because of milk’s:
• low fat content
• fairly high protein content (hard to digest, possibly causing an allergy, and may lead to iron
deficiency)
• high sodium and potassium (which cause an additional burden on the immature kidneys)
• low iron content
• low vitamin C content
Juices: (around 8 months)
Water or milk are the best drinks to offer your baby, but freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable
juices have good nutritional value and vitamin C. It is recommended that juices are best
introduced when the baby can drink from a cup (around 8 months of age). Avoid feeding your
child juice from a bottle as it has the potential to cause tooth decay. The Canadian Pediatric
Society recommends no more than 4 oz of diluted juice per day (2 oz of juice diluted with 2 oz
of water). Once a baby has consumed 4 oz of diluted juice in a day, water should be given if
your baby is still thirsty. Be aware that if your baby drinks large volumes of fruit juice it can:
• lower your baby’s breast milk/formula consumption
• decrease the intake of other nutrients from solids
• lead to chronic diarrhea
How to feed a vegetarian baby
Follow the general guidelines 'FOOD FOR YOUR BABY'S FIRST YEAR' to introduce your baby to
solid foods, starting with iron-fortified infant cereals, then vegetables, followed by fruits. Your
baby will be around 7-8 months of age once a variety of fruits and vegetables have been
introduced. At the 7-8 month stage, you can begin to feed your baby well-cooked tofu, dried
beans, peas and lentils as an alternative source of protein to meat. Grain-legume
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combinations that provide complementary proteins include:
• Rice and tofu
• Rice and red beans
• Bread and split pea soup
• Bean stew with millet
• Grain-nut combinations: toast with almond butter
To avoid "tummy aches," introduce beans, peas, and lentils in small amounts and not more than
every other day. Avoid peanut butter until your baby is at least 10-12 months old and use
smooth nut butters only. Since peanut butter’s consistency is "gummy," it should be served
thinly on crackers or hard crust to prevent choking. Avoid serving it on soft bread rolls or from
a spoon. Avoid feeding your baby whole nuts and seeds until they are at least 3 years old as
they are easy to choke on and difficult to digest. If you are allowing milk products and eggs,
you will have greater choices in what to feed your child. Remember that egg yolks can be
given after 8 months of age but not egg whites or whole eggs until your baby turns one. If you
are following a strict vegetarian diet for your baby, their diet should look something like this
at 12-24 months of age:
• 680g (24 oz) commercially prepared soy infant formula per day
• 4-6 tablespoons of iron-fortified cereal
• 1-2 slices of bread
• 1/3-1/2 cup of cooked, puréed vegetables
• 2-3 tablespoons peanut butter or tahini
• 4-5 child-size servings of fruits and vegetables
Strict vegetarian (or vegan) diets are not recommended for children in the first 2 years of life
as babies can be susceptible to malnutrition, severe rickets, osteoporosis, and vitamin B12
deficiency. Consult a dietician or doctor to ensure you are providing your child with enough
food and adequate vitamins and minerals to grow and develop in a healthy way.
Food Allergies
• Infants have the greatest chance of developing sensitivities to food in the first year of life
because their intestinal system is immature. This means it is important to consider the
order in which you introduce new foods into your baby’s diet. This will help to reduce the
likelihood of allergic reactions. Signs of food allergies include nausea, diarrhea, asthma,
eczema, hayfever, rashes, and swelling of the eyes, lips and face. Almost 75% of all allergies
come from four types of food: eggs, milk, peanuts, and shellfish.
• By following these simple steps and by observing your child’s reactions to the foods you are
feeding, you can help reduce the risk of an allergic reaction to foods.
• Introduce single grain cereals in this order: iron-fortified infant rice cereal first, then barley,
and then oat cereals. Once all the single grains have been well accepted by your baby, you
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can start introducing mixed cereals.
• Introduce new foods one at a time, several days apart and in small amounts. If an allergic
reaction does occur, you will know exactly which food has caused it.
• If there is a history of food allergies in your family, do not offer these problematic foods in
the first 9-12 months.
• The most common allergenic foods in infancy are cow’s milk, soy protein, peanuts and nuts,
fish (especially shellfish), eggs, chocolates, tomatoes, citrus fruits, strawberries, and foods
containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, and oats).
• Delay introducing egg whites, fish, and nuts/peanut products until after your baby’s first
birthday.
Vitamins
Eating a variety of foods is the best way to ensure an adequate intake of nutrients. If your baby
is eating a variety of foods from all four food groups, growing and developing well, and is
healthy, she probably does not need any additional vitamin or mineral supplements. However,
if you are concerned that your baby is not eating enough or the "right" foods, consult a
dietician or doctor to address your concerns. In addition, if your baby is following a VEGAN
DIET, with no animal products at all, it is recommended that a vitamin supplement be taken at
least until the age of two. There are two types of vitamins—water-soluble (B complex and C
vitamins), which cannot be stored in the body thus must be taken daily and fat-soluble
(vitamins A, D, E and K).
Vitamin/mineral
Found in…
Carrots, dark green vegetables (i.e. broccoli), sweet
Essential for growth and for
Vitamin A
potatoes, oranges, squash, tomatoes, lentils, whole
healthy skin, teeth and vision
milk and eggs, oily fish and liver
Essential for growth, for nervous Meat and liver, fish, dairy products and eggs,
Vitamin B complex
system, and aid in digestion.
whole-grain cereals, dark green vegetables, yeast
(B6 & B12)
Help change food into energy. extract, nuts, legumes, and bananas
Helps maintain healthy tissue Broccoli, brussel sprouts, greens, bell peppers,
Vitamin C
growth and with absorption of potatoes, spinach, cauliflower, oranges and other
iron.
citrus fruits, blueberries, melons and tomatoes
Vitamin D
Good for…
The skin produces it when in the presence of
Essential for bone development
sunlight. (not contained in many foods) oily fish,
and works in conjunction with
liver, oils, eggs and dairy products
calcium
Liver and red meat, oily fish, egg yolks, dried fruit,
Carries oxygen in our bodies
whole-grain cereals, lentils and legumes, green
and is necessary for healthy
leafy vegetables.
blood and muscles
* After about 6 months of age, your baby will need extra iron as the absorption of iron in
breast milk will not be adequate to meet your baby’s needs at it grows.
Iron *
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Making Baby Food at Home
Making baby food at home using fresh and nutritious ingredients is incredibly simple. Here are
some easy steps to guide you in making home-made baby food. You will find the process
empowering and rewarding as you watch your child begin to eat solid foods. By making your
own baby food, you have control over the ingredients that go into your baby’s food as well as
the opportunity to incorporate your own culture’s foods in her meals.
You will need a few things to make your baby food, most of which will already be in your
kitchen such as MASHERS, GRATERS, STRAINERS, saucepans, measuring cups and spoons and ICE
CUBE TRAYS. We've provided info on COOKING baby foods, BABY FOOD RECIPE IDEAS,
STORAGE, REHEATING, and FOOD SANITATION.
Cooking baby foods
• Raw vegetables and fruits are difficult for young babies to digest, so you should cook most
vegetables and fruits until at least 6 months of age with the exception of bananas which can
be mashed up raw.
• Use different methods of cooking such as baking, boiling, steaming, and stewing to add
variety. Avoid frying foods to minimize fat content.
• Steaming is the most effective way to retain nutrients that get lost from cooking fruits and
vegetables. Additionally, the water used for steaming can be added to your vegetables
when you mash or purée them. Do not save the cooking water from NITRATE-CONTAINING
VEGETABLES.
Equipment: What you’ll need and how to use it
Most items will already be in your kitchen and there is no need to spend a great deal of money
on equipment for baby food making as your child will only be eating puréed foods for a short
time. Here are some of the things you might find useful to help you make baby food. Any one
of these items below would work for making baby food and no one is better than the other—it
is up to you which you choose to use.
Equipment Description
Food mill/grinder
Masher and
sieve/strainer
Steamer
Fork
Key points
Inexpensive (Find out HOW
TO ORDER from FoodShare
for $17.00)
Best used for grinding fruits,
vegetables, meats (i.e.
chicken, liver)
How to use it
Put cooked food into mill and follow instructions
included with mill
Depending on what you are grinding, you may also
need to add liquid to keep the mixture moist (i.e.
water, cooking liquid, milk).
A fine meshed sieve or strainer is your best option
Low tech and can be found in Mash cooked foods with a fork or potato masher and
most kitchens
then press food through the sieve/strainer with a
Best used for fruits and
spoon
vegetables
Mix to your desired consistency with liquid such as
water, cooking liquid or milk.
Useful for cooking fruits and vegetables and
A colander and tightly fitting
preserves the vitamins found in these foods better
lid in a pot also does the trick
than simple boiling
With a fork and a bowl you
Excellent for mashing soft fruits and vegetables
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can mash away
Blender
Food processor
once you are past the purée stage
Follow the instructions in the operations manual.
These are excellent for
Excess blending can cause destruction of essential
preparing fruits and
nutrients and these machines tend to do their tasks
vegetables but they tend to in a few seconds.
shred most meat rather than Blend small quantities of food (no more than 175
purée into a smooth
ml—3/4 cup) and a small amount of liquid in a
consistency
blender to give a uniform product with minimal
blending.
Process all types of foods into
smooth purées, but your
baby will only need smooth Cut firm food such as meat into small pieces in
purées for a short time and order to decrease blending time.
will quickly progress to
Test for smoothness by running a small amount
between your fingers. If any large lumps remain
lumpier food.
process again until you get the desired consistency.
Large food processors
require that you make larger
quantities of food each time.
Storage
You can prepare more food than you actually need at one meal and store the rest in the
refrigerator or the freezer (N.B. avocado and banana cannot readily be frozen).
• Refrigeration
Home-made baby food should be stored in tightly covered containers and placed in the
coldest part of the refrigerator for no more than 3 days.
Remove only the portion to be served at each meal rather than feeding your baby directly
from the container.
Any food that has already been re-heated should not be refrigerated for another meal.
• Freezing—the food cube method
Once the purée has been prepared, let it cool and pour into ice cube trays. Each cube contains
60 g (2 oz) of food and is an appropriate serving size for your baby.
Cover the ice cube containers with plastic wrap and place the trays in the coldest part of the
freezer. It should take 3-6 hours to freeze the food.
Once the cubes are frozen, remove from trays and store in labelled and dated plastic freezer
bags taking care to let all the air out before sealing.
• Freezing—the "plop" method
Take the puréed foods and "plop" spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. The amount you plop
depends on how much your baby is eating at each meal. Freeze the plops in the coldest part of
the freezer.
Once the purées are frozen, store them in plastic freezer bags, which you have labelled and
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dated. Make sure all air is let out of the bag (you can use a straw) to prevent vitamin
destruction and freezer burn.
Freezer Storage Time for Homemade Purées
Food
Vegetables
Fruits
Meat and poultry, cooked
Fish, cooked
Vegetable and meat meal
Purees containing milk
Freezer storage time
6 to 8 months
6 to 8 months
10 weeks
10 weeks
10 weeks
4 to 6 weeks
Reheating
At mealtime you can take the required portion size from the freezer bags and put it into a
bowl or pot to reheat it. A nice way to do this is the ‘double boiler’ method. Add an inch or so
of water in the pot and fit a smaller pot (with the baby food) into the larger pot. As you bring
the water in the larger pot to a boil it will heat the baby food and minimise scorching or
burning.
You can also use the microwave, which generally takes around 45 seconds on medium-high
heat. In all cases, make sure the food is stirred well throughout so the heat is evenly
distributed.
Food Sanitation
• Please consider the following points before preparing and serving your baby her food.
• Always wash your hands before preparing food or feeding your baby.
• Keep all kitchen utensils clean. Clean as you go. Wash all equipment/utensils with hot soapy
water and air to dry. If you are preparing baby foods in batches, clean up equipment
(especially food grinder or blender) after each food to prevent cross-contamination.
• Use a clean cutting board. Bacteria tend to grow faster in wooden boards, so wash often.
• If in doubt, throw it out. Most baby foods, both commercial (once the jar is opened) and
home made, can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Bacteria love temperatures between 40C and 60C. The temperature of the fridge cannot be
higher than 40C. Always store prepared baby foods right away in covered containers in the
back of the fridge or freezer where it is the coldest.
• Never defrost meat by leaving it at room temperature during the day. Defrost food in the
fridge or microwave.
It is not necessary to sterilize equipment used to prepare and serve food for babies 6 months
or older.
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Baby Food Recipes
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Baby Food Online Resources
Wholesome baby foods from scratch
www.vrg.org/recipes/babyfood.htm
Healthy-Baby-Food.com
www.healthy-baby-food.com
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