Great Tips For Making Homemade Organic Baby Food
Going organic with your baby’s food is a wise decision as they will reap great benefits such as a stronger immune system, better neurological development and general great health. Most parents turn to homemade organic baby food for most of their needs although you might find an organic baby food company that delivers to stores in your area. Making the food for you baby by your own hand will offer you the most control, experimenting with different flavors and food combinations.
Great “Do’s” to Follow
Before steaming the vegetables and fruits, be sure to peel off their skin first and then use a food processor or blender to puree them to the proper smooth consistency a baby can handle. Homemade organic baby food can definitely be frozen and you can use ice cube trays to freeze pureed items. Once frozen, the food cubes can then be popped out and placed in freezer bags until use.
It is important to introduce only one homemade organic baby food item at a time, serving the same thing for several days in a row. This allows you to observe your baby to make sure they do not have adverse reactions like food allergies. Once you have tested a number of foods on your baby, then you are ready to mix one or two flavors together to expand their food repertoire. And if you must thin out any overly thick pureed food items, use diluted apple juice, water, breast milk or formula.
Some “Don’ts” to Consider
Babies have delicate stomachs so it is important to slowly introduce new homemade organic baby food, one at a time. Do not immediate start feeding them heavy proteins like meat but rather only after they have tolerated a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. There are a few foods that you should never give babies such as any type or form of nut due to possible allergies and honey as it could cause botulism in babies.
Hold off on citrus fruits because while health, the citric acid in them can cause upset stomach and diarrhea in babies. In addition, do not use canned vegetables and fruits for your homemade organic baby food as many nutrients are lost in the cooking process and often manufacturers add salt, sugar or other additives that babies do not need in their diet.
Many fruits and vegetables have naturally occurring fats like avocados but do not try to limit the fat in their diet. Neurological development and a healthy immune system depend on these fats in the first two years of a child’s life. By making your child’s homemade organic baby food, you are setting a precedent of healthy eating and proper food choices they will carry over into adulthood.