How to make baby food? The “how” and “what”

Making your own baby food is easy, efficient, and economical. Instead of spending money on prepackaged baby food, you can use fresh produce, grains, and meat that you have on hand. Best of all, you’ll know exactly what you’re feeding your baby.

Going the do-it-yourself route also gets your baby used to eating the same food the rest of the family does, a strategy that may pay off during the picky toddler years.

HOW TO DO IT RIGHT

ALWAYS consult your pediatrician prior to beginning any new food for your infant. Discuss making homemade baby food with your pediatrician and visit our Baby Solid Food Charts for information regarding what foods to introduce to baby and when. You may also wish to visit the World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Health Canada, Health Direct – Australia and the Department of Public Health (U.K.) to learn more about baby food and infant feeding.

THINK about following the 4 day wait rule when introducing a new food to baby – offer your baby the same new food for 4 days to test for allergies to that food. This applies even when you are making homemade baby food. Never introduce more than 1 new food at a time when first beginning solid foods.

ALWAYS use clean hands, clean cooking utensils, preparation surface(s), pots/pans etc. when making and preparing homemade baby food. Cleanliness and Food Safety is a MUST when making homemade baby food.

And Finally All babies are different and will not like/tolerate the same foods or food textures. Do Not Despair. You should be willing to experiment with baby solid food for your baby. Offer your baby different foods use different ways of preparing those baby foods and be willing to have a huge store of patience.

WHAT TO PREPARE

Choosing the right equipment

You’ll need a tool to grind or puree the food. Some possibilities, all of which you can buy at stores or online:

A hand-turned food mill with different blades for various textures of food. Many parents say this portable, non-electric gadget is their favorite tool. (Search online for “food mill.”)

An all-in-one baby-food maker, a device that first steam-cooks and then purees fruit, vegetables, and meat for your baby. Some models also defrost and reheat previously prepared food. (Search for “baby food maker.”)

A baby food grinder, a very inexpensive and simple way to break down chunks of food for your baby, non-electric and portable, but you don’t have a choice of textures. Read the reviews online before ordering. The grinders don’t always work as well as they promise, but some parents swear by them. (Search for “baby food grinder.”)

A hand blender, a useful electric gadget that purees food like a blender does, but works in the opposite way: You place it into the food rather than vice versa. (Search for “hand blender.”)

A regular kitchen blender or food processor. You probably already have at least one of these at home. A blender or food processor might work well for you, though you might find it less than ideal for small jobs.

A good old-fashioned fork. This simple piece of kitchen equipment found in every kitchen does a great job with easily mashed foods such as sweet potatoes, avocados, and bananas.