There are many reasons why making homemade baby food can be beneficial. In addition to saving money, and feeding baby the freshest food possible, homemade baby food can help adapt babies to the food their parents eat, quicker. Most foods are not one taste and bland texture, and yet that’s what many jarred baby foods contain. By combining tastes and textures together, parents are able to help their children experience more flavors and experiences before the crucial period of time when they’ll need to get all their nutrition from solid food.
Methods for Making Baby Food
Making baby food at home is simple and can be done by even the most time pressed or novice chef. Many foods can be cut up and placed directly into a food processor with just a little water to thin them. Harder, or tougher foods can be steamed first to make them easier to puree.
When making grains, such as oatmeal, it helps to grind them first. Try using a clean coffee grinder, and filling it about halfway each time, if a food grinder is unavailable.
Once the baby has tried a solid base of many different single foods, it’s time to begin combining them. This recipe uses two of the most common foods first fed to babies. Full of beneficial fiber, this is an excellent food to feed babies who may be having trouble with some of the more constipating solid foods.
Storing Baby Food
One of the biggest questions many parents have about making their own baby food is how to store it. It can often be easier to make a large amount of baby food at a time, to use over an extended period of time, rather than to make each serving as it’s required.
When making a large batch of baby food, set a small amount aside in an air tight container to be placed in the refrigerator and eaten within a few days. Pour the rest of the baby food into the compartments in an ice cube tray and freeze.
Once the cubes of baby food have been frozen solid, simply pop them out and transfer them to a freezer storage bag. When it’s time to feed baby, just thaw out the amount needed. This method works well for feeding on the go as well; simply put a couple of unthawed cubes in a small air tight container. When it’s time to eat, the cubes should be thawed and ready to serve.
Apples and Oatmeal Baby Food Recipe
Fills One Ice Cube Tray, and Make One Ready to Eat Serving
Ingredients
- 1 Cup of steel cut oats, ground
- 2 Small apples, peeled, cored and steamed
- 2 Cups of water
- Breast Milk or Formula to thin (optional)
Directions
- Transfer steamed apples to a food processor and blend until smooth
- Bring water to a boil on the stove, and slowly add the oatmeal, stirring the entire time
- When the oatmeal begins to thicken, begin to slowly blend in the pureed apples
- Reduce heat and continue to stir until the oatmeal and apples have thoroughly combined into a paste
- Add breast milk or formula a teaspoon at a time until the mixture reaches the consistency baby is familiar with eating
- Allow to cool before serving
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