Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Baby Food DIY, Day 2

So you’ve thought about it and you are ready to make some baby food. Different foods must be prepared slightly different ways, so here are some details to help you along the way. First, let’s start with some good first vegetables to try:

Good First Food Vegetables:
Sweet Potatoes
Winter Squash (Acorn, Butternut)

  1. Rinse the outer skin, and place sweet potatoes whole (prick the skin with a fork to help them “breathe” while cooking)/squash in half (cut side down in a glass pan) in a 425 degree oven for about 45-55 minutes or until squishy.
  2. Peel the skin off the sweet potatoes/scoop the squash out of the skin and place in a food processor and puree. If the mixture is not creamy enough, add some formula, breast milk or my favorite, boiled water until the consistency is right*
  3. Save some of the food puree for your sweet pea to taste during his/her next meal and freeze the rest in an ice cube tray
  4. After the trays of puree are completely frozen, pop out the cubes and store in a marked freezer bag.
  5. When you are ready, put the number of cubes you wish to thaw either in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave to cook immediately. If you are going out for a play date or will be on-the-go, put them in a small Tupperware for easy transport.

Carrots

  1. Peel the carrots and cut into pieces small enough to fit into your steamer…the bigger the pieces, the less nutrients lost during steaming (because of less surface area being steamed). Steam in a steamer basket placed in a cooking pan with an inch or so of water in the bottom or in the microwave until very soft and mushy.
  2. Place the mushy carrots in a food processor and puree. If the mixture is not creamy enough, add some formula, breast milk or use some of the water from steaming until the consistency is right.



Green Beans

  1. Wash the beans and remove the ends. Steam in a steamer basket placed in a cooking pan with an inch or so of water in the bottom or in the microwave until very soft and mushy. With beans and peas, since they have a tougher skin, it is very important to steam until they are very well cooked!
  2. Place the mushy beans in a food processor and puree. If the mixture is not creamy enough, add some formula, breast milk or use some of the water from steaming until the consistency is right*
  3. Steps 3-5, same as above.

Peas

  1. Unless you can find fresh peas, I have always used frozen peas. Some things I read said not to use frozen peas and then refreeze them but I always did with no problems. Use your best judgment. Place peas in a steamer basket placed in a cooking pan with an inch or so of water in the bottom or in the microwave and steam until very soft and mushy. With beans and peas, since they have a tougher skin, it is very important to steam until they are very well cooked!
  2. Place the mushy beans in a food processor and puree. If the mixture is not creamy enough, add some formula, breast milk or use some of the water from steaming until the consistency is right*
  3. Steps 3-5, same as above.

*Consistency is a huge issue for young babies. Especially for “first foods,” a baby is going to want a food puree that is not much different than breast milk or formula. Make sure you process the food well enough to make it like a thin pudding consistency. If the food you are pureeing continues to be gritty or not smooth, even after you add liquid, chances are you did not cook the food long enough.

More on "first fruits" tomorrow...

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