Making your own baby food

To make your own baby food for your baby, you’ll want to keep simplicity and purity in mind. Fresh organic carrots, steamed and mashed, are a perfect meal for a baby. No need to add salt, sugar or spices because babies’ taste buds are very sensitive and don’t need flavor enhancement. Once you start making your own baby food, you’ll find it hard to go back to jarred food. Nothing can beat the economy and freshness of homemade baby food.Simple cooking methods that preserve nutrients are healthiest for your child. Steam, don’t boil. Bake, don’t fry. Your goal is to keep your baby’s food as close as its natural state as possible while ensuring that it’s fully cooked. After the food is cooked, puree it with a blender, food processor, or hand-cranked food mill.

As your baby grows and time marches on, food presentation and creativity may encourage her to eat well. Few parents can resist the joy of watching their children eat nutritious homemade food.

Here are some recipes I like to make for my daughter:

Chicken and Avocado “Salad”

1/2 cup cooked chicken
1 cooked carrot, diced
1 teaspoon butter, at room temperature
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

1.Mash the chicken, carrot, and butter together in a bowl.
2.Add avocado mash.

Soft Carrot Sticks

Baby carrots
Oat or rice cereal, crushed

1.Cook the carrots in boiling water until very soft. Allow to cool.
2.Roll the carrots in crushed cereal for easier gripping.