He looks longingly at me...and then I realize he's staring at my fork!
This happen to you? And not on a date with someone with food issues?
That baby of yours just might be ready for solids. And you may be ready to make your baby's food! C'mon, give it a try. It's quite simple once you get into the swing of things!
Also, if you make the baby food, you control the ingredients. Therefore, you know the food is preservative-free and natural or organic. If you’d like to embark on this food journey, you’ll want to follow that early diet (wait…I’m still doing this for my almost-3-year-old!) to watch for allergies, likes and dislikes, and check for optimal nutrition. I strongly believe that making my own baby food gave my son the wide food palette he has today.
- She’s lost the tongue-thrust reflex. Baby will stop automatically pushing her tongue out, which will be necessary for keeping food both in her mouth and down her throat.
- She's strong like her mama. Baby should be able to hold up her head well, and sit on her own, looking like the little Buddha Baby you know she is.
- She’s 6 months old. When I had my first son, the consensus was 4-6 months. And when I first fed him at just over 4 months, he gobbled it like a baby bird! Now many pediatricians are recommending you wait until baby has reached the half-year milestone.
- She shows interest. This will be quite clear when your tot grabs for your fork of scrambled eggs and you know she’s not trying to teethe on the shiny object.
Supplies:
Grinder: This can be in the form of a standard blender, a hand grinder, or a small electric grinder. When you’re ready to introduce nuts, be it added to baby’s food or as almond or cashew milk, I suggest using a coffee grinder.
Freezer tray. If you don’t mind putting ice cube trays in Ziploc bags for protection, go that route and save money. You will want to make sure your ice cube tray is BPA-free, since you’ll sometimes put just-made warm food in it before popping it in the freezer.
Those are the main necessities. Of course, for cooking the veggies, you'll need pots and perhaps a vegetable steamer. Of course, for cooking the veggies, you'll need pots and perhaps a vegetable steamer, and basics like a colander, peeler, freezer bags, and a big fat Sharpie for dating the grub.
So where to start? First, go organic if at all possible. Even if you’re not sure your budget can permit that, think about it this way: You’ll be saving so much money by making your own food, the organics are within reach.
Before You Start:
- Talk to your pediatrician, and get her blessing.
- Think about holding off on those sweeter foods. Yes, baby began with sweet breastmilk, so clearly she’ll already have a bit of a sweet tooth. Perhaps think about starting with vegetables, and then introduce fruits after she’s established a regular eating pattern.
- Express yourself. If you’re a breastfeeder, you may want to add even more vitamins and nutrients to the already-healthy fare by smoothing out pureed food with your milk.
Favorite First Foods: These are a few of my favorite things.
Avocado: Take “going green” to a whole new level. Starting baby on this perfect fruit hands her “good” fats, plus it’s chock full of vitamins! What’s better is that this is a stove-free food! Simply mash it, add distilled water or breastmilk until you get the desired consistency, and viola!
Sweet potato: This isn’t as starchy as the standard russet. This sweeter version is actually healthier, too. It has fiber, vitamins, and just enough flavor to make here sign for “more, please!” This is a sweet way to avoid starting baby on fruits! Cook the sweet potato, either by chopping and boiling or by baking it in foil. Mash it up, and add distilled water or breastmilk until you reach the desired consistency.
Brown Rice: You don’t need no stinkin’ boxed food! Brown rice cereal is surprisingly easy to make. Buy it in bulk, grind it down, and then cook with distilled water at a 2:1 ratio for 5-10 minutes. It’s the perfect healthy addition to mashed veggies and fruits.
More food fun can be found at the following sites:
SuperBabyFood.com. This is the site for the popular book of the same name, which often saved me and many mamas I know. I credit this book for my son's love of edamame and garbanzo beans.
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