Bon Appetit Baby: How to Make Your Own Baby Food

You don't have to be Martha Stewart or Rachel Ray to make your own baby food. Creating it is really quite simple. By following a few simple steps you can go from the produce department of your local grocery store to delicious, nutritious baby food in no time.

Supplies

Before you begin, you will need a few things to get you started. First, you will need a blender or food processor that has the ability to puree food. If you choose to make food in advance and freeze it, you will also need a few ice cube trays and some freezer bags.

In addition to supplies, you will also need the food! It does not have to be anything fancy. You can purchase whatever produce you normally would for your family. Mild fruits and vegetables are best. Take a stroll down the baby food aisle at your local grocery store to see what types of foods are best for baby's palette. The smaller 2.5 oz jars are things you should start out with sometime between 4 and 6 months. These include things like green beans, carrots, and pears. Once baby's palette accepts these you can move to more interesting food combinations.

Food Preparation

Once you bring your food home, clean it thoroughly. Use water and a vegetable brush to thoroughly scrub each piece Even if you are going to be peeling your food, clean it anyway. The dirt and other residue will get on your fingers as you peel it and end up in the baby's food. If you prefer, you can also buy a fruit and vegetable wash at your local health food store.

Most foods should be cooked prior to pureeing it for baby. These include vegetables and some fruits. Some advocate that babies should begin eating raw fruits at 6 months. While it is healthier to eat raw apples, pears, peaches and the like, it is not recommended by all. For my children, I cook everything except bananas because we have multiple food allergies to raw fruits that run in our family. Talk to your pediatrician and decide what works best for you and your baby.

When cooking the food, you can cook it as you would your own family's food but without adding any seasoning. You can steam, bake, boil it or even microwave it. Save the water the food cooks in to use in preparation later.