Baby Food Recipes??

[MysticScorpio82]

For those who do not know, I am expecting my second child. With my first one I bought alot of baby food. This time around (now that I am a bit older, and more knowledgable) I want to make my own baby food. I know it is healthier, cheaper, and this way I know what is going into my baby's body.

I want to make some fresh after the baby is born, but I am think of getting a bit of head start by making some and freezing it in ice cube trays then storing the frozen "baby food cubes" in the freezer in freezer bag, thawing as needed.

Does anyone have any good recipes?

 

[Wifezilla]

Here is a great article on feeding a baby....

"Ideally, breastfeeding should be maintained for a year, with a goal of six months for working mothers. The first year of life requires a full spectrum of nutrients, including fats, protein, cholesterol, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Once breast milk is no longer the sole source of these nutrients, where should one go?

There are three concepts to keep in mind. First, make your little one a "whole foods baby"! Avoid processed and refined foods as much as possible, including many brands of baby food; they are usually devoid of nutrients and have added "undesirables." It is always best to make your own baby food from organic, whole foods. (You can freeze it in one-serving sizes for later use.) Better-quality, additive-free, prepared brands of baby food, like Earth's Best, do exist, but it is still better to make your own baby food to be assured of the quality--plus making baby food puts mom on the right track for home food preparation for the years to come.

Second, go slowly and be observant; every baby will have an individual response to different foods. Introduce new foods one at a time and continue to feed that same food for at least four days to rule out the possibility of a negative reaction. Signs of intolerance include redness around the mouth; abdominal bloating, gas and distention; irritability, fussiness, over-activity and awaking throughout the night; constipation and diarrhea; frequent regurgitation of foods; nasal and/or chest congestion; and red, chapped or inflamed eczema-like skin rash.8

Finally, respect the tiny, still-developing digestive system of your infant. Babies have limited enzyme production, which is necessary for the digestion of foods. In fact, it takes up to 28 months, just around the time when molar teeth are fully developed, for the big-gun carbohydrate enzymes (namely amylase) to fully kick into gear. Foods like cereals, grains and breads are very challenging for little ones to digest. Thus, these foods should be some of the last to be introduced. (One carbohydrate enzyme a baby's small intestine does produce is lactase, for the digestion of lactose in milk.1)

Foods introduced too early can cause digestive troubles and increase the likelihood of allergies (particularly to those foods introduced). The baby's immature digestive system allows large particles of food to be absorbed. If these particles reach the bloodstream, the immune system mounts a response that leads to an allergic reaction. Six months is the typical age when solids should be introduced,9,10,11 however, there are a few exceptions.

Babies do produce functional enzymes (pepsin and proteolytic enzymes) and digestive juices (hydrochloric acid in the stomach) that work on proteins and fats.12 This makes perfect sense since the milk from a healthy mother has 50-60 percent of its energy as fat, which is critical for growth, energy and development.13 In addition, the cholesterol in human milk supplies an infant with close to six times the amount most adults consume from food.13 In some cultures, a new mother is encouraged to eat six to ten eggs a day and almost ten ounces of chicken and pork for at least a month after birth. This fat-rich diet ensures her breast milk will contain adequate healthy fats.14

Thus, a baby's earliest solid foods should be mostly animal foods since his digestive system, although immature, is better equipped to supply enzymes for digestion of fats and proteins rather than carbohydrates.1 This explains why current research is pointing to meat (including nutrient-dense organ meat) as being a nourishing early weaning food."

http://www.westonaprice.org/children/nourish-baby.html

 

[MysticScorpio82]

Awesome article. I read some more on the site itself, and I am GLAD I am now raising my own chickens for eggs. I know the are going to be so much healthier. I did remember that babies should be at least 6 months old before being introduced to "solids", lol but I am a planner. I like to plan ahead, thus is why I was hoping for some recipes from people who do or have made their own baby food. I want to write them down and save them as well as make some veggie and fruit baby food and freeze (since veggies and fruits freeze longer than meats do.) when I am a bit closer to being due, which should be around harvest time for my gardens. August-Oct is our harvest time in maine with a few summer veggies we can normally harvest in july, but thanks to this weather I think the july veggies will be delayed.

Thank you again for the article! I am hoping I will be able to breast feed this time around too.

 

[Wifezilla]

One of the best early foods for babies is the incredible, edible egg

 

[~*B*~]

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/
a great place. i never start anything til around 10-12 mths
except nusring of course.

 

[babylady4]

I picked up one of those stick blenders with the additional food chopper attachment. I would steam veggies and grind them up with the water form steaming and put the ground veggies in ice cube trays. When the trays were frozen the cubes were put into a labeled freezer bag. I did this with fruits and meats too. Very easy to feed baby, just pop a cube or two into the microwave for thawing and presto! Baby dinner! If we were out to eat I would request whatever veggie soup that was on the menu but with very little broth and mostly veggies. Mash up with a fork on a plate and add some broth to thin it a bit. If the soup is too thin, order a side of REAL mashed potatoes to thicken the broth.

The best books I found on feeding babies were the Dr. Sears books and Adell Davis' Let's Have Healthy Children.

Congrats on your decision to not feed your baby canned food!