Organic baby food DIY.
By: Kirsten Lovan
Making your own baby food may sound intimidating at first. But it’s a great first step on helping your child develop a taste for wholesome, fresh foods. It’s also a good way to do your part in supporting the environment. No wasted glass jars and no gas is used to ship products hundreds of miles. Your child can grow on local, organic produce made with love. It’s also easy on the wallet. Some really great resources are “Making Your Own Baby Food” by Ruth Yaron and “Feeding the Whole Family” by Cynthia Liar. Here are some tips when your ready to get started.
- Use organic fruits and vegetables.
- Be sure to wash and trim off the parts that could be a choking hazard like peels, pits and seeds.
- Steam your vegetables as opposed to boiling them, it helps to preserve the nutrients. There is no need to add salt or sugar to your baby’s food, it could be overwhelming to their body’s systems, and you don’t want them to develop a taste for it too early.
- You don’t have to prepare something different every night, you can take portions of your meal before you season it and blend it. You can also save time by making enough for several meals at a time and freezing them. You can use ice cube trays or recycled commercial baby food jars. Just remember to avoid filling up the glass jars completely as it will expand when it freezes.
- Labeling your jars with the name and date can help with keeping the foods fresh and avoiding the question “what is that and when did I make it?”.
- To avoid waste start out with a small portion to feed your baby then gradually add more using a clean spoon.
All you need is some fresh produce, a blender, and some ice cube trays to get started. More about making your own baby food with recipes and pictures to come!