Homemade Baby Food 

I have decided to add this section because I believe that making your own baby food is an excellent idea for number of reasons. Just check out one thing: take a look at the expiry date on the jar. What is inside has been designed to last for as many as two years! But that is not the worst of it – lots of commercially prepared foods are bland and tasteless – simply unappealing. Just how do you help your baby develop sense of taste if he or she starts with food that has very little taste to begin with? Children who show lack of interest in food are doing it because their taste buds have not been exposed to  real food – and can become picky eaters simply because of lack of exposure to interesting, delicious food.

Don’t get me wrong – there are times when you will want to give your baby commercially prepared food for the sake of convenience – but I urge you to consider the healthier and definitely more tasteful option as much as you can!

When is your baby ready to start eating solid foods?

Babies grow the fastest in their first year then at any other time in their life. You don’t have to be in a hurry to feed your baby solids. For the frst sic months, breast milk or formula will provide all the nutrients you baby will need. At around the six month mark, your baby will get to a stage where solid foods are a needed addition. There is no “right” age at which to start your baby on solid foods – each baby is different. It is not a good idea to start much sooner than the 6 months – baby’s digestive system needs to develop properly first.

Here are some signs that you baby is ready for solid foods:

• Still hungry after a full feeding
• Demanding to feed more frequently
• Wakes up at night for a feeding previously slept through

What babies need in their diet:

• More fat and concentrated sources of calories and nutrients
• Full-fat variety of dairy products (such as milk and yogurt) – not the low-fat versions
• Not too much fiber (tends to be too bulky and can flush out valuable minerals or cause diarrhea)
• Variety of fruits and vegetables – preferably the ones that are higher in calories (i.e. fruits mixed with yogurt, vegetables with cheese sauce)
• Iron rich meats – red meats and poultry
• Citrus fruits – rich in Vitamin C that will also help to boost iron absorption

I will be adding detailed instructions for individual recipes here as I add them to this topic – please click on the link below to see the recipes you want:

https://mamaknowsprod.wpengine.com/parenting-tips/homemade-carrot-puree-for-your-baby.html

https://mamaknowsprod.wpengine.com/parenting-tips/homemade-fruit-puree-for-your-baby.html