Delicious and nutritious

Store bought baby food is heated to high temperatures to ensure a long shelf life and food safety, which also kills vitamins and nutrients in the process.

Homemade baby food is higher in nutrients, tastes better and has all the yummy smells. Homemade food can retain its nutritional value, taste, and smell because it is lightly steamed and not overcooked.

When you make your own homemade baby food, you decide exactly what goes into it so you know that it’s fresh, tasty and healthy. Studies also suggest that a more nutritious diet may assist against the development of food allergies.

Budget baby

Store bought baby food can become very expensive, and can cost two to three times more than homemade baby food.

The best way to save some extra money is to make large batches of baby food and store it in disposable and re-usable containers or pouches – that way you will have a constant stock of healthy and delicious food available.

Easy peasy

Making your own baby food doesn’t have to be time-consuming, it is just as easy and convenient as store bought baby food.

Go green

Store bought food involves the buying and disposing of jars, lids and boxes. There is also a lot of food that gets thrown out from any unfinished meals. By making your own baby food and storing it, you will have less waste to pollute the environment while also not wasting any delicious food.

About the Author: The Infantino Squeeze Station is a one-stop-solution that presses your delicious, homemade purees into easy-to-store and ready-to-serve disposable or reusable Squeeze pouches. Infantino has also made it easy to clean so there’s no fuss, no mess, just yum! Available at selected baby stores nationwide.

The post The benefits of homemade baby food appeared first on All4Baby.

The stage between seven and nine months is a period to really consider the nutritional content of your little one’s meals more carefully. 

Your baby can now eat protein foods like eggs, cheese, pulses, chicken and fish. Limit some foods if you feel that they are indigestible, i.e. spinach, lentils, berry or citrus fruit – and don’t worry if some foods, like pulses, peas and raisins pass through your baby undigested. Until they are about two years old, babies cannot completely digest husked vegetables and the skins of fruits.

Peeling, mashing and puréeing fruit and vegetables will aid digestion. Bread, flour, pasta and rice should be preferably replaced with wholegrain products, as it is more nutritious.

Once your baby has passed the six month mark and is happily eating bread and other foods containing gluten, there is no longer any need to give him special baby cereals. You can use adults cereals like instant porridge or jungle oats – these are just as nutritious and cheaper. Choose a cereal that isn’t highly refined and is low in sugar and salt.

If your baby is eating a good balanced diet of fresh foods they will get a perfectly adequate quantity of vitamins and minerals.

 Fruit

• Your baby should now be able to eat all fruits, and both fresh and dried fruits make a great snack. Different fruits contain different vitamins, so include as much variety as possible.
• Dried fruits are also a good source of other nutrient and energy.
• Vitamin C boosts iron absorption so it’s important to include Vitamin C-rich fruits like citrus or berry fruits in your child’s diet.
• To begin with, give berry and citrus fruits in small quantities as they can be indigestible and some babies can have an adverse reaction to them. Combine them with other fruits like apple, banana, pear or peach.

 Vegetables

• Introduce as many vegetables as you can.
• Spinach and broccoli may be too strong, but they are very important, after a few attempts your baby will accept the taste.
• Combing fruit and veggie too is an excellent way to get them to eat their veggies as they like the sweetness.
• Steaming carrot sticks, broccoli trees or small cauliflower florets make excellent fingers foods.

Eggs

• Eggs are an excellent source of protein and also contain iron and zinc.
• They can be given from six months but the white and yolk must be cooked until solid.
• Hard-boiled eggs, omelettes and well-cooked scrambled eggs are quick to cook and nutritious.

Pasta

Pasta tends to be a favourite with babies and young children. It’s a good source of carbohydrate and adding tiny pasta shapes to purées is a good way to encourage chewing. Many vegetable purées make good pasta sauces, add a little cheese too!

Fish

Many children grow up disliking fish as they find it bland and boring, so try and mix it with stronger tastes.

•  Fish is an excellent low-fat source of protein and it is important to encourage a liking for it from early on.
• Be careful not to overcook fish, it will become very tough and tasteless, cook it so that it just flakes off the fork but is still firm.
• Always check for bones!
• Oily fish like salmon, trout, fresh tuna and sardines are particularly important for the development of a baby’s brain, nervous system and vision and ideally should be included in the diet once a week.

Meat

Chicken is an ideal first meat; it blends well with root vegetables which gives the purée a smoother texture. Chicken also works well with fruits like apple and is particularly delicious when cooked together with butternut or sweet potato. If possible, try and use the chicken thigh or dark meat as this contains twice as much zinc and iron than the white meat.

Chicken Livers, also extremely rich in iron, are ideal for babies as it has a soft texture and is easy to digest.

Teaching your baby to eat red meat:

We mistakenly believe that babies don’t like the taste of certain foods when, in fact, it is the texture that they object to.  This is often the case of red meat.

Unless you choose to raise your child a vegetarian, red meat is an excellent source of iron. It provides the best source of iron, which is vitally important for both physical and mental development.

Other sources of iron can be found in:

• Egg yolk
• Wholemeal bread
• Fortified cereals
• Beans
• Lentils
• Dark green leafy vegetables
• Dried fruit (apricots and peaches)

When it comes to introducing meat and chicken into your baby’s diet, it can be done in numerous ways and it is entirely dependent on how you wish to feed your baby, as long as they are eating it and growing healthily there shouldn’t be any problems.

For more information and guidance or advice on weaning your baby onto solids please get in touch with The Bumbles Cookery Club.

The post What foods should you choose for your baby? appeared first on All4Baby.

The benefits of making your own baby food

Making your own baby food has the benefit of knowing exactly what your little one is eating.

Making your own homemade baby food is much higher in nutrients; it tastes better and has all the yummy smells. Homemade food can retain its nutritional value, taste, and smell because it is lightly steamed and not overcooked.

When you make your own homemade baby food, you decide exactly what goes into it so you know that it’s fresh, tasty and healthy. Studies also suggest that a more nutritious diet may be protective against the development of food allergies.

Store bought baby food low on vitamins and nutrients

Store bought baby food, including the organic brands, is heated to very high temperatures to ensure a long shelf life and food safety, which also kills vitamins and nutrients in the process.

Making your own baby food is this simple

Chicken and mango mash with vegies (7-9 months)

Ingredients: 

• one chicken breast
• one carrot
• one parsnip
• one mango

Method:

1. Roast or steam the chicken breast until cooked. Dice.
2. Peel and finely chop the carrot and parsnip and steam until tender.
3. Peel and de-stone the mango and cut finely.
4. Puree the chicken and the chopped fruit and vegetables together until smooth or lumpy
5. Press the yummy food into food compartments or squeeze pouches suitable for freezing.

The Infantino Fresh Squeezed Station is a one-stop-solution that presses your delicious, homemade purees into easy-to-store and ready-to-serve disposable or reusable Squeeze pouches. Infantino has also made it easy to clean so there’s no fuss, no mess, just yum! Stocked at selected baby stores nationwide or online at www.layetteessentials.co.za

The post The benefits of making your own baby food appeared first on All4Baby.

What’s more, you get to choose the mix of ingredients and flavours that are right for your child, depending on their personal tastes and diet.

With do-it-yourself baby food, you also have the benefit of knowing exactly what your little one is eating. By choosing the ingredients, you are able to eliminate preservatives and added sugars, as well as avoid pasteurisation.

It is also a strategy that may assist you during the fussy toddler phase, as your baby will get used to eating the same food as the rest of the family from an early age.

When most moms think about making their own baby food, they immediately think of hours spent in the kitchen. Here’s a simple, delicious recipe to prove that that is not true…

Chicken and mango mash

Ingredients:

• One chicken breast
• One carrot
• One parsnip
• One mango

Method:

1. Roast or steam the chicken until cooked.
2. Once the chicken is cooked, dice it into baby bite sized portions
3. Peel and finely chop the carrot and parsnip
4. Steam both the carrot and parsnip until tender
5. Peel and de-stone the mango and cut finely
6. Puree the chicken, chopped mango and vegetables together until smooth and lump free

Layette Essentials, promoter of smartly-designed products for happy parenting, is bringing innovative approaches to feeding products for babies and toddlers to South Africa, via Fresh Squeezed feeding line by Infantino. For more, visit www.layetteessentials.co.za.

The post Go organic, make your own baby food appeared first on All4Baby.