Dish It Up - Making Real Food For Real Babies

Dish It Up - Making Real Food For Real Babies

Being a parent is the hardest job in the World. There is all so much to do with nappy changes, entertaining your little one, washing, cleaning, ironing and all the other chores that become part of the daily grind. This is sadly why many parents chose to take the easy option when feeding their infants and turn to 'ready made baby foods' such as pots, jars or bottles of purees and meals. These products tend to be expensive as parents become reliant upon the convenience of the product.

Although each brand of baby food boasts that they produce healthy, nutritious food which is ideal for bringing up your baby, this is technically untrue. Sadly each jar/ pot/ box of ready made baby food you will notice is often on room temperature shelves rather than in freezers/ refrigerators and therefore contains a number of additives and preservatives to prevent the food from spoiling. These chemicals aren't particularly healthy and certainly far from ideal to feed your baby on a regular basis.

Some baby foods such as boxed dry frozen baby rice's and cereals and snacks are almost impossible to replicate through home cooking and therefore are technically far easier and convenient than home cooking. However, most other products are easily created within your own kitchen for a smaller cost and with less wastage (empty pots and boxes only end up needing to be recycled which costs money and takes time).

One guarantee when using home cooking for babies is that you as the parent are absolutely, 100% aware of exactly what has gone into your babies food, therefore you as a parent are able to guide your infants weaning far more efficiently and ensure that you make the right choices for your infants health and diet each step of the way. Also, if your child suffers from any allergies you can be sure that their food does not contain anything which may be of harm to them.

To create your own baby food you will require the usual cooking appliances such as pans, hobs, sieves etc and you will also need some ice cube trays to create 'baby cubes' with for early weaning and some small Tupperware pots to store and freeze cooked meals in. You may also wish to buy some plastic food bags to store frozen blocks of food within.

One other essential and very useful product that most parents will require at some point whether they chose to home cook or feed their baby upon packaged foods is a food processer/ hand processer. At first your baby will require smooth textured foods and as they develop foods can be mashed with a fork/ masher.

Cooking for your baby needn't be stressful, recipes are often quite simple (follow books such as Annabel Karmel or Gina Ford for ideas), most of the cooking you do can often be frozen and this is where you can make it as simple as packaged products. Each night simply plan what you wish your baby to eat the next day and then take it out of the freezer so that it has time to defrost before the next day, Easy! This way there is no need to cook upon demand.

Some points to take into consideration when cooking for your baby:

• Do not use salt in your infant's food when cooking as infants kidneys are unable to deal with it. Salt is often hidden in packaged foods in order to help preserve the food from spoiling!
• Remember to wash your infant's hands before and after each meal to promote hygiene.
• Always use clean cutlery (plastic which is suitable for infants) and surfaces when feeding your infant.
• Try to introduce each food one at a time, often focusing upon one particular taste for three to four days helps your infant become accustomed to new tastes. The three day suggestion also helps to identify any allergies which your baby may have to particular foods.
• Be prepared to try, try and try again! Try to remember that babies may not like certain tastes at first but this does not mean they won't like it a few days/ weeks/ months down the line. A general rule of thumb is offering at least fifteen separate tries of one particular taste (not on the same occasion!) before ruling it out.
• Always speak to your Health Advisor before introducing your baby to solids. Discuss your plans and ideas before implementing any changes to your child's diet.

Finally remember to enjoy cooking for your infant, try to keep in mind that you aren't just feeding them any old food, you are now feeding them food which has been prepared with your thought, your love, your time and your care.

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