Baby Food

Appears in

The New Food Processor Bible

By Norene Gilletz

Published 2011

About

It’s easy and economical to make your own baby food. Commercially prepared baby foods often contain additives such as sugar, salt and modified starch. Check labels for ingredients.
To avoid pesticides, use organic fruits and vegetables. Refer to Organic or Not? for guidelines. It is very important to reduce the exposure of pesticides to babies and young children in order to minimize risks to their vital organ systems which continue to grow and mature.
Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating or cooking. Remove the peel, pits, seeds and cores. Cut into 1-inch chunks before cooking or puréeing.
Steaming is an excellent way to preserve nutrients. Place cut-up fruits or veggies in a vegetable steamer over 2 inches of water in a tightly covered saucepan. Steam until very soft, following times listed on the Baby Food Chart. Drain, reserving liquid from bottom of steamer. Purée food to desired consistency, adding 1 to 2 Tbsp of reserved cooking liquid.
To microwave, place cut-up fruits or vegetables in a microwavable bowl; sprinkle with 2 Tbsp water. Cover bowl with a damp paper towel or parchment paper. (Don’t use plastic wrap—plasticizers can leach into food when heated.) Calculate 2 to 3 minutes’ cooking time on High per cup.
Boiling, roasting and baking are other cooking methods. Some foods require no cooking at all (e.g., avocado, bananas).
A mini-prep food processor is very convenient, takes up little space on the counter and is easy to clean. It can only process small amounts but is ideal when baby first starts eating solid foods.
Food processors are perfect for puréeing larger batches of baby food. Cook in bulk, then purée and freeze. Many processors now include a mini-bowl and mini-blade, which are ideal for smaller quantities. (A blender requires adding extra water to process baby food to the right consistency, which means the food won’t be as packed with nutrients.)
Prior to preparing baby food, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. Make sure that all equipment, utensils and cooking areas have been sanitized before you start. Always use the freshest ingredients.
Purée solids until very smooth for infants and to a coarser texture for older babies. For a smoother texture, process solids first, then add liquids. To start, purées should be quite runny, resembling the texture of a thick soup.
If the purée is too thick, add a little of the reserved cooking liquid from the bottom of the steamer, or some of your baby’s usual milk (e.g., breast milk or formula). Start by adding 1 Tbsp of liquid at a time, then add more as needed. Thicken purées by stirring in 1 or 2 spoonfuls of baby rice cereal.
Follow your doctor’s guidelines on when to introduce your baby to new foods. First foods should be easy to digest and unlikely to provoke an allergic reaction.
When you first start your baby on food, it’s not a good idea to introduce mixtures of food other than rice cereal (rice cereal is gluten-free) mixed with a single-fruit or single-vegetable purée. When foods are mixed together, it is difficult to tell which one is causing a problem. Once you’ve established that a food is tolerated, usually after a 3-day trial, you can create your own combinations.
FIRST VEGETABLES: Carrots, potatoes, parsnips, butternut squash, potatoes and sweet potatoes. Root vegetables are the most popular ones with young babies (e.g., carrots, sweet potatoes, squash) because they make sweet, smooth purées. After first tastes, you can introduce stronger-flavored vegetables (e.g., broccoli, cauliflower, green/yellow beans, green peas, zucchini).
If you introduce vegetables before fruit, starting with stronger-tasting veggies first, babies will become accustomed to bitter flavors. Stefanie Goldschmied, one of the moms in my focus group, did this and never experienced any rejection of foods from her babies, unlike a lot of her friends who started their babies on root vegetables and apples.
Potatoes become gluey if puréed on their own in a food processor—use a food mill instead. However, when combined with other veggies, they can be puréed successfully in a processor or mini-prep. (Note: Instead of boiling potatoes, bake them to retain nutrients, then mash with a fork.)
FIRST FRUITS: Apples, pears, bananas, peaches and ripe avocados (yes, it’s a fruit!).
POULTRY AND MEAT: Puréed chicken, turkey, beef and veal can be combined with root vegetables to produce a smoother texture, making them easier for young babies to swallow.
For toddlers, process foods with quick on/off pulses to achieve a chunky texture. For variety, combine 2 or more fruits or vegetables.
FISH/DAIRY/EGGS/WHEAT/NUTS/SOY/CITRUS FRUITS: Check with your physician as to when to introduce these foods, especially if there is a family history of food allergies.
Iron-rich foods should be introduced at 6 months.
Honey should only be given to children who are over 1 year of age.
Dietician Ilana Kobric recommends introducing textures to babies as early as you think they are able to handle them. Some signs that they are ready for this include rotary chewing motion and a lack of interest in purées. Teeth are not necessarily an indication of readiness for texture.
CUBE FOOD: Baby food keeps 24 to 48 hours in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Prepare extra baby food and freeze in ice cube trays; wrap or seal well. Label foods, indicating the date and contents. Cubes will keep 4 to 6 weeks in the freezer. One cube equals about 2 Tbsp.
CUBE CUISINE: Combine cubes to make interesting combinations (e.g., apple/pear, apple/carrot, carrot/parsnip, carrot/potato, carrot/sweet potato).
Defrost baby food in the refrigerator (never at room temperature). It takes about 30 seconds to defrost 1 cube in the microwave. Stir well to eliminate any hot spots.
Always test the temperature of food before feeding it to your baby. Food should be at room temperature or lukewarm.
Discard leftovers, as bacteria from the baby’s mouth can contaminate foods.
QUANTITIES: It’s difficult to predict how much a baby will eat since appetites differ. At the beginning, your baby will probably only take 1 or 2 Tbsp of purée (1 cube). As your baby grows, offer 5 to 6 Tbsp (3 cubes) and increase as needed.
If you wish to prepare a food that is not on this list, follow directions for a food that is similar in shape and/or texture.
Yields are approximate and are only provided as guidelines. Final yields may vary, depending on size, trimming and method of preparation.