Diane Oakland, IBCLC Family Education and Support Coordinator, Lactation Consultant

October 01, 2008

Making your own baby food is a wholesome alternative to purchasing processed foods. While processed baby foods are not necessarily unhealthy for your baby, homemade foods eliminate additives and preservatives, as well as added sugar and salt, found in processed foods.

You can easily prepare meals that are nutritious and customized to baby’s needs and desires, providing an enjoyable experience for both you and your baby. Also, it is not as time consuming as you may imagine.

You will want to consult with your pediatrician before preparing and introducing your baby to homemade foods, in order to be aware of health and safety issues involved.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are excellent starting points for homemade baby food. Ideal starting foods include bananas, pears, apples, peaches, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, and butternut squash. Simply peel each food, boil firm foods until soft, and puree food in a blender until the desired texture is reached. Controlling the texture of the food will allow you to cater to your baby’s desires as well as ease them into eating table food.

You can make more than one meal at a time by freezing excess pureed food in ice cube trays, storing the frozen cubes in plastic bags, thawing and heating the cubes as needed. It is important to remember that frozen fruits and vegetables can be kept for about six months, whereas meat should be eaten within two months.

Try to avoid vegetables that contain nitrates such as spinach, broccoli, rhubarb, cabbage, radish, beets, and turnips. High nitrate intake can make your baby very sick. Also, wait until your baby is a year old to introduce honey, dairy, eggs, strawberries, tomatoes, citrus and nuts. These foods are common allergens whose effects can be minimized when introduced at a later age.

When introducing new foods, offer your baby the same food four days in a row and watch for any signs of allergic reaction. It is important to expose your baby to each new food independently to determine any reactions before you can begin combining different foods for tasty new creations.

Take great care when preparing your baby’s food by always using clean hands, cooking utensils, preparation surfaces, and pots and pans so as to not pass germs on to your little one.

Making your own baby food is an excellent way to monitor what goes into your baby’s food as well as promote healthy eating habits that will carry on into childhood.