What will be your baby’s first meal?
Increasingly, many parents are choosing to make their own baby food instead of going with storebought. There are many reasons to do so: It saves money, allows you to feed your baby what you’re already eating, and most of all, you know what’s in it.
“Many of the advanced lines of baby foods contain starchy fillers and other ingredients that are not of any nutritional value,” says Melissa O’Shea, a dietician with Foodtrainers in Manhattan. And while there are good jarred brands available—including organic ones—making your own gives you more control over what goes into your baby’s tummy.
The good news is you don’t have to be a star chef. Purees—foods that are mashed, blended, or strained to a smooth consistency—don’t require much time or effort. The equipment you need is probably already in your kitchen: a regular blender, handheld immersion blender, food mill or a food processor. Really, the most important step is ensuring the place that you’re cooking in is clean and uncluttered to avoid the risk of spreading bacteria.
Generally, babies are ready to start eating solids as a supplement to formula or breast milk at around 6 months—though some babies begin eating solids later than others, so don’t force your baby if he isn’t ready. Some signs he may be: He is sitting up and holding his head up without help, his birth weight has doubled, or he’s showing an interest in the food that you’re eating. For all babies, eating solids is a new experience, so don’t be surprised if they eat just a spoonful the first few times. And always speak with your baby’s pediatrician before starting solid food to discuss potential allergens and other issues.
Most pediatricians recommend that baby’s first meal be rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula, but once your baby has gotten used to solid food, you can introduce him to a wider variety of flavors, which is where purees come in. Good purees to start with include bananas, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, mashed potatoes, peaches and carrots.
The process is simple: First, steam or microwave the vegetable or fruit of your choice. “[This helps] to retain as many vitamins or minerals as possible as opposed to boiling,” says Alicia Regan, a clinical nutritionist at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. Next, puree the cooked produce, and add in some water, breast milk or formula to achieve the desired consistency. If you’re looking for something even less demanding, begin with a smooth textured food like avocado: simply remove the pit and the skin and mash it in a bowl until creamy.
You don’t need to add any flavoring: Sugar and salt are found naturally in most of the foods babies are starting to eat. “Babies can start to show preference for different tastes by about 4 months, but their palates are not as sensitive until much later,” says Jessica Tosto, a pediatric dietitian at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. Instead, babies are more likely to accept blander tasting foods at first.
As you’re preparing baby food, think about nutrition. Babies are most often at risk at being deficient in vitamin D, iron, and zinc so parents need to make sure that they are providing an adequate amount of these nutrients. From orange carrots to yellow squash to green beans, think of all the colors of the rainbow and then try to find produce of each color. “Rainbow eating really speaks to following our natural body rhythm. It’s just a simpler approach rather than looking at all the vitamin content, because no one has enough time to do that,” says Anni Daulter, author of “Organically Raised: Conscious Cooking for Babies and Toddlers,” to be published in May. A trip to the farmers’ market will not only let you know what’s in season, but will also ensure that you’re getting the freshest fruits and veggies for your recipes.
Purees can be frozen in ice cube trays, then removed and stored in plastic freezer bags and should be used within a month. Baby food can also be stored safely in your refrigerator in BPA-free plastic containers or glass jars—but make sure to label them with dates and discard any unused food within 72 hours. And if you have to reheat your baby food, try to avoid using a microwave, reheating it on the stovetop instead.
