What is baby food and why should you make it at home?

Feeding the toddlers baby food comes with its own set of apprehensions. You have to be guarded to feed your baby solid foods. It is recommended to feed the toddlers solid food when they turn 6  months old. Premade organic food seems like a good option but homemade food is better as the parents can have the authority of preference as to what to feed their baby that is healthy. 

Some parents find it convenient to feed the baby food from the jar as it is convenient and portable. But for some parents, the following factors bother them.

1. Cost:

Making baby food is more affordable than buying it off the shelf.

2. Preservatives:

You have to religiously read the ingredients label to know what exactly goes in the making of baby food. But when it is prepared in your own kitchen you do not have to worry about the harmful preservatives.

These are the major concerns that make the parents gravitate towards feeding their infants homemade baby food.

The ready-made jarred baby food is cooked at a high temperature to kill bacteria so that the food can be preserved for a longer time. During this process, the food gets devoid of all the essential nutrients, vitamins and taste. 

By making food for your own baby you know what exactly you’re feeding him/her and they get adapted to eat the home-cooked food.

Few Things To Note While You Start Feeding Solid Food:

• You need to feed small portions, as new eaters only eat 1-2 tablespoons of food.
• Be aware of the allergies in your child. Do not feed food that contains common allergens like wheat, peanut, soy etc.
• There’s no benefit in delaying introducing some foods or introduce foods in a particular order.

Do’s and Don’ts for Preparing Baby Food:

• Do not boil the fruits and vegetable as they will get stripped off the nutrients. Instead, microwave them. 
• Mash the cooked food to make a puree by mixing it with water, breast milk or formula to make a smooth mixture.
• Don’t add multiple ingredients in the baby food as it’ll be easier to identify the potential allergens.
• If you are storing the food by freezing it in ice cubes then keep in mind to not store it for more than a month. 
• Rewarm the food at room temperature before feeding and not before that. 

Why Should You Make Baby Food at Home?

1. Taste:

The homemade food will taste better with wholesome ingredients. The store-bought food lacks the real taste, aroma and flavour of the food and lacks in nutrients as well. 

2. Nutrition:

You can easily tailor-make the food according to your child’s needs at any given point. For example, if your child is feeling low, you can make something out of iron-rich foods like spinach, beans.

3. Quality Check:

You can have cent per cent quality control when you make baby food as you buy the food, prepare and cook it. There’s no need to stress about suspicious ingredients which you cannot even pronounce.

4. Texture:

It’s easier to understand your child’s preference as to how he/she likes his food texture to be. Do they want it to be thick, thin or runny. 

5. Pocket-Friendly:

Preparing baby food with organic ingredients at home is 50% cheaper than its store-bought counterpart.

Recipes:

1. Pea Purée:

This recipe is perfect if your toddler is 4 to 6 months old. Peas are a tiny vegetable containing a huge source of vitamins A and C. It also contains iron, protein and calcium. 

Ingredients:

Frozen peas 3 cups

Breast milk ½ cup

Method:

1. Place the steamer in a saucepan and fill it with water just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil and steam the peas till they become tender.

2. Blend the peas and breast milk in a food processor until the puree is creamy. Sieve the mixture to remove lumps.

3. You can store the leftover peas puree by storing it in an ice cube tray, wrap and freeze it.

4. To serve, heat the cubes in the microwave for 30 seconds until warm. 

2. Moong Dal Soup:

This recipe can be given to an infant who is above 6 months of age. It is best when your child is recovering from sickness or a flu and moong is one of the beneficial lentils for the human body.

Ingredients:

Moong dal ¼ cup

Ginger, freshly grated ½ tsp

Ghee 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds ½ tsp

Water 1 ½ to 2 cups

Vegetables, chopped (carrot, bottle gourd, pumpkin, spinach) ½ to ¾ cup

Salt as needed

Coriander leaves 2 tbsp

Kasuri methi ½ tsp

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and fry cumin seeds till they sizzle.

2. Add ginger and saute without burning.

3. Add the washed and soaked moong dal to the pressure cooker and fry for 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Add the vegetables and fry them for 2 minutes.

5. Add water and cook on a medium to low flame till 1 to 2 whistles.

6. When the pressure gets released add the kasuri methi and let it boil till it begins to bubble.

7. Blend and serve cool or warm. 

It’s as easy as 1-2-3. You need not get daunted to make baby food, all you need is some wholesome ingredients, basic cooking supplies and a blender. You can also carry the homemade meals by using high-quality reusable pouches.