Baby Foods Recipes Food Cooking International Guide
Baby Foods With Fresh Organic Ingredients
By Julia Taylor-Fernandez
Making fresh baby foods packed full of nutrients is faster and
easier than you think. You can use ingredients available in your
kitchen and you even have the option of freezing baby food for
use throughout a busy week.
However, there are certain safety concerns that you should be
aware of as you review your options and prepare, cook and serve
your infant homemade food.
Before you start making home made baby food, check to make sure
you have all the tools that will be needed. It’s likely that you
already have these appliances in your kitchen. You’ll need a tool
to grind or puree the food.
A Baby Food Grinder
You can use a hand-turned food mill with different blades for
various textures of food. This is a good alternative to bulky
electric appliances but it requires some elbow grease and it may
not make as smooth a puree as you’d like. You can also choose
to buy a baby food grinder.
It’s similar to a food mill and is portable but it does not feature
various settings. Common options are a hand blender, blender or
food processor. However, blenders and food processors can be a
pain if you only want to make a small amount of food. In a pinch,
an every day fork can easily mash soft fruit and potatoes into
yummy, fresh baby food. You should also buy some new containers
and ice cube trays for freezing baby food.
Using Fresh Organic Ingredients And Avoiding Canned Food
Healthy recipes should start with fresh ingredients. You can
opt for organic food if you really want to ensure a chemical free
diet. Kudos to you, if you can grow produce yourself! If fresh
isn’t available, then frozen is a good substitute but stay away
from canned produce and meats.
They can contain lots of extra salt, sugar and fat. Good fruits
to start with include apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries,
avocados, mangoes, peaches, pears, plums and prunes.
Wash Vegetables Well And Keep Out Seeds
Vegetables to try include asparagus tips, carrots, peas, potatoes,
sweet peppers, sweet potatoes and winter squash. However, make
sure to wash the produce well, clean away all seeds that the baby
could choke on, and make sure you use an immaculately clean knife
for slicing.
Baby foods that include red meats are important because they
add iron, protein, zinc and selenium to your baby’s diet. The
best way to prepare red meat for babies is to cook it slowly with
root vegetables so that it becomes very soft.
Making Food For Your Baby
This recipe sounds more like a tasty beef stew than infant food!
You’ll need 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 small red onion that
has been finely chopped, 1 clove of crushed garlic, 1/4 teaspoon
of fresh thyme leaves or a pinch of dried thyme, a 4 ounce lean
chuck steak that has been cut into small chunks, 2 teaspoons of
tomato paste, 1 large sweet potato that has been peeled and cubed,
2 potatoes that have peeled and cubed, and 1 cup of chicken stock.
Try not to use commercially prepared chicken stock because it
can have a very high salt content. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven
and sauté the onion over low heat until soft. Add the garlic and
thyme, and cook for another minute. Add the chuck steak and sauté
for a few minutes until seared.
Serve Your Baby Warm Food And Not Hot!
Add the tomato paste, sweet potato and potatoes, and pour in
the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer, stirring
occasionally, until the meat is very tender. This will take about
50 to 60 minutes. You may need to add a little extra stock during
cooking. Let cool slightly, and then blend into a puree.
Now that you know how to make delicious baby foods, be sure that
you know how to serve it too. The biggest danger when serving
infant food is making it too hot. Warming food in a microwave
can create hot spots, so be aware.
Use Clean Cooking Utensils And Fresh Ingredients
If you do use a microwave, stir the food and let it sit for a
few minutes before serving. Only warm up as much food as you think
the baby will eat. Do not reuse food that the baby has partially
eaten, as saliva will get mixed into the food and that can cause
bacteria to grow.
Making baby food that is healthy requires clean utensils and
fresh ingredients, but as you can see, it’s easier than you probably
thought.
About the Author:
Julia Taylor-Fernandez has written a number of articles on baby food,
cooking and dieting including
General Nutrition,
Meal Plans,
Teapot Cake,
Low Carb Cheese Cake,
Fresh Fruit,
Nutritional Information,
Healthy Appetizers,
Low Carb Dinners,
Health Food Store.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles on this website.
Did You Know?
Natural foods does not mean organic. It is a common marketing
term and often misleads consumers into thinking the product they
are buying is organic.
More often than not, natural foods are ones that have fewer additives.
An organic food can be labeled as “natural” but it
will also have the organic sticker attached that certifies the
product.
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