Make Baby Food at Home

In response to consumer concerns and Greenpeace pressure, baby food maker Gerber productshas decided to eliminate genetically modified (GM) corn or soybeans from its products.

It has become quite popular for parents to formulate their baby's food at home. This is due to the ever increasing number of problems in items from the store shelves. All the recalls can make the most nonchalant person stop to think. Making baby food at home is actually quite simple and very cost efficient.

Most babies begin consuming solid foods anywhere between the ages of 4-6 months old. Usually the first solid food introduced to babies is a simple, single grain cereal such as oatmeal. It is usually mixed with baby formula or breast milk and is generally the main supply of nourishment during this stage. Once cereals are introduces, other things can be offered one item at a time.

Introducing new foods to your baby's menu will add variety. There are several choices including sweet peas, avocados, bananas, peaches, potatoes, and apples. When you begin incorporating these foods into your child's meals, it's important to bring in only one new addition at a time every three or so days. The reason for this is to check for food allergies. By adding a single item to the menu at a time, if problems arise, it will be easier to pinpoint the possible culprit.

Baby food can be made at home by a few different methods. If it's a soft item, such as bananas or cooked sweet peas and potatoes, they can simply be mashed with a fork. Other items including avocados, apples and peaches will require a blender or food processor to create a safe consistency for baby. Specialized gadgets made just for creating baby food are available, but they're usually costly and hard to clean.

Incorporating new foods for your baby can be as simple as allowing him/her to have what the rest of the family is eating. As long as it's prepared to a safe consistency for your baby and it doesn't include more than one new food at a time, this should be perfectly safe. When preparing meals for the family, if you're adding a lot of salt or spices, it's recommended to take baby's portion out prior to doing this step, so as not to cause stomach irritation.

If you're organized enough to prepare several meals in advance, there are several ways to also prepare baby food ahead. Simply remove the portions for your baby, transfer them to an ice cube tray and freeze them. One block thawed will be a serving for your baby.

Making baby food at home can mean both a time and money saver. Just make sure to stay attentive to possible problems caused by allergies. Bon a petit!