Why make your own baby food? Making baby food at home helps you to: Save money! Offer a greater variety of food (little variety of jarred baby food is available). Make the change from puréed to mashed foods easier. Teach children at an early age that home-made foods are the first choice, and not to rely on processed foods when they are hungry. Mix home-made baby food with breastmilk or formula (jarred baby food is mixed with water). Introduce food related traditions to your baby. Control what is added to your child s food.
WHERE TO START Be CLEAN and QUICK. Cook and store food safely. Clean your hands with warm soapy water before making any food. Clean all utensils (strainer, cutting board, spoon, etc.) in a dishwasher or hand wash them using hot, soapy water. Rinse and allow to air dry. Cover the food once it has been cooked and put in the fridge or freeze right away. Storing Home-made Baby Food Home-made baby food can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Home-made Purée Vegetables Fruits Storage Time in Freezer 6-8 months 6-8 months Meat,poultry or fish (cooked) 10 weeks Mixed Vegetable & Meat Purée containing milk 10 weeks 6 weeks To make and freeze your own baby food, use the Cube Method or the Drop Method (see next page). 2
Cube Method Place about 2 tablespoons of puréed food in each cube of a plastic pop out ice cube tray. Put in freezer. When frozen (1-2 hours), pop out the frozen cubes of food and place in freezer bags. Write the name of the food and the date it was made on the bag with a waterproof marker. When you want to use the food, take out one frozen cube and defrost it in the fridge or put it in a plastic bag and place in warm water. Drop Method Drop spoonfuls of puréed food onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. They will land on the baking sheet in a drop shape. Put in the freezer. When frozen (1-2 hours), remove food from the cookie sheet and transfer puréed drops to a freezer bag. Write the name of the food and the date it was made on the bag with a waterproof marker. When you want to use the food, take out one frozen drop and defrost it in the fridge or put it in a plastic bag and place in warm water. Warming Baby Food You can thaw frozen food in the refrigerator. An egg poacher, double boiler or a dish in hot water are good ways to warm baby food. Be sure to stir the food and test the temperature on the back of your hand before serving it to your baby. What feels warm to you may feel hot to your baby. 3
Microwave Safety Do NOT use a microwave to heat baby food. Drops of water in puréed food heat up quickly and can form pockets of steam. These pockets may cause burns when the food is eaten. Do not use baby food jars or other small jars to heat food in the microwave. The jar may break from a build-up of steam. Basic Recipes for Home-made Baby Food Most purées require adding extra liquid to make them easier for baby to swallow. Below is a general guide for adding liquid to baby food purée. FOOD LIQUID YIELD BLENDING TIME FRUITS: 75-125 ml (1/3 - ½ cup) cooked fruit 10 ml (2 tsp) breastmilk, formula or water 75-125 ml (1/3 - ½ cup) 15-45 seconds VEGETABLES: 200 ml (3/4 cup) cooked vegetables 45 ml (3 tbsp) breastmilk, formula, vegetable liquid, or water 75-125 ml (1/3 - ½ cup) 1-2 minutes MEATS: 125 ml (1/2 cup) cooked meat 60 ml (4 tbsp) breastmilk, formula, vegetable liquid or liquid that meat is boiled in. 75-125 ml (1/3 - ½ cup) Process until smooth 4 Go to Page 9 for recipes to make home-made baby food!
SPECIAL CONCERNS ABOUT VEGETABLES The following vegetables contain nitrates: Beets Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Radish Rhubarb Spinach Squash Turnip You may have heard to avoid giving your baby some vegetables because they contain nitrates. When some vegetables are boiled, such as those listed above, nitrates become concentrated in the cooking water. Babies can become very sick if they eat a high amount of nitrates. This can happen if the cooking water is used to puree the cooked vegetables. The concern about nitrates in some vegetables applies to babies less than 6 months of age. Once a baby turns 6 months old, the risk is much less and it is okay to use the cooking water. Current infant feeding guidelines recommend exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. Solid foods, including vegetables, do not need to be offered to babies until after they are 6 months of age (whether they are breastfed or formula fed). 5
General Baby Food Texture Guide AGE FOOD TEXTURE (MONTHS) 0-6 mo. Breast Milk Liquid Infant Formula Liquid 6 mo. Iron rich foods Meat Meat alternatives Beans Egg (yolk & white) Tofu Pablum Vegetables Fruits Dairy Cheese Yogurt Cottage cheese All except fluid milk 8 mo. Variety of foods 9-12 mo. Variety of foods Fluid homogenized milk added when baby is eating a wide variety of foods everyday Start with 2 oz at mealtime in a cup by one year of age, no more than 18 oz. milk/day Puree Like thick applesauce Mashed when baby is taking food from a spoon well Mashed or finely minced Small soft pieces (size of a pea) No hard pieces of vegetables or fruits, nuts, round & smooth foods (choking hazard) Mashed or finely minced Small soft pieces (size of a pea) No hard pieces of vegetables or fruits, nuts, round & smooth foods (choking hazard) No puree or mashed by 12 months 6
JARRED (Store-bought) BABY FOODS Choosing Jarred Baby Foods Choose plain vegetables. Choose plain fruits, not fruit desserts. The desserts have added sugar and starch. Choose plain meats, not casseroles, stews, etc. The mixed meals often have more vegetables than meat. Added ingredients that may be found in baby foods include: sugar (in some fruits and desserts for flavour) Baby may learn to prefer sweet foods. starch (for thickness) Baby may fill up and leave little room for other foods. water Usually added to thin out the food. citric acid or lemon juice (to stop food from turning brown). Some babies may be sensitive to citrus. Salt, artificial flavours and colours, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and nitrates are not used in commercially prepared baby foods in Canada. 7
Points to Remember about Jarred Baby Food: Read the labels to avoid unnecessary ingredients like starch and sugar. The first ingredient listed on the label is present in the largest amount. For example, if ingredients for beef stew are listed as: potatoes, carrots, beef, wheat flour, etc., it means that there are more potatoes and carrots in the meal than beef. Serve it as a vegetable rather than as a meat. Make sure the safety seal on the jar of baby food has not been broken. When you open a jar of baby food, listen for a popping sound. If it does not make this sound, throw out the baby food. Germs or bacteria may be in the food. Opened jars of commercial baby food can be kept covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not feed the baby directly from the jar unless the whole amount will be eaten at the meal. The spoon will carry germs and saliva back into the baby food jar, which can cause germs to grow. All the following recipes (pgs 9-14) have been adapted from Making Your Own Baby Food, Metro Foodshare, Toronto. 8
BABY FOOD RECIPES VEGETABLES Ingredients Fresh or frozen vegetables Water Method 1. Wash, peel and slice fresh vegetables or use frozen vegetables. 2. Stovetop Method: Place uncooked vegetables into a steamer or a small amount of boiling water and simmer just until tender. Microwave method: Place vegetables in a microwave-safe bowl with a small amount of tap water and heat at a high setting until vegetables are tender. 3. Remove from heat and drain vegetables. Purée vegetables with a small amount of cooking liquid. You can also use breastmilk, formula, or sterilized water. Caution - If they are nitrate containing vegetables, refer to the section Special Concerns About Vegetables on Page 5. Remember Fresh or frozen vegetables work best. Canned vegetables may be high in salt and often become too runny when blended. 9
FRUIT BABY FOOD RECIPES Ingredients Fresh Fruit Water Method: 1. Wash, peel and slice the fruit. Remove any seeds or hard parts. 2. Combine sliced fruit and a small amount of water in a saucepan. 3. Stovetop Method: Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Microwave method: Place sliced fruit and a small amount of tap water in a microwave safe bowl and heat at a medium setting until fruit is tender. 4. Drain cooked fruit, reserving the cooking liquid. 5. Mash or blend fruit, using a small amount of cooking liquid if needed. You can also use breastmilk, formula, or sterilized water. 6. Freeze as directed (see pg 2-3). 10 Remember Fruits for babies should be fresh, unsweetened, frozen or canned in their own juice or water. Canned fruit in syrup has a lot of sugar, so these fruits are not a good choice. Bananas do not need to be cooked. A ripe banana will mash very easily. Canned fruits do not require cooking. You can purée or mash them easily.
BABY FOOD RECIPES BEEF Ingredients: 500 g (1 lb) of boneless lean meat cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes 500 ml (2 cups) water Method: 1. Stovetop Method: Place meat and water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until meat is tender. Microwave method: Place meat and water in a microwave safe bowl and heat at a high setting until meat is tender. 2. Remove from the heat and let it cool. 3. Blend or purée the meat with some of the cooking water, breastmilk or formula. Remember Cut away fat and remove any skin or bones. Over-cooking will make the meat tough and hard to purée. Make sure the meat is no longer pink inside. For a smooth texture, mix meat with a small serving of rice cereal and breastmilk, formula or water. 11
FISH BABY FOOD RECIPES Ingredients: 250 g (1/2 lb) of fish fillets with bones taken out (sole, cod, ocean perch, haddock) 125 ml (4 oz) whole milk or water Method: 1. Stovetop Method: Pour milk or water in a large frying pan or saucer and gently heat milk. Do not boil! 2. Add fish fillets to the liquid. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and simmer over low heat for 5-10 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Microwave method: Place fish fillets and milk in a microwave-safe bowl and set at a medium setting until fish flakes easily with a fork. 3. Remove from heat and let it cool. 4. Blend or purée the fish with some of the cooking liquid, breastmilk or formula. Remember Cut away fat and remove any skin or bones. Over-cooking will make the fish tough and hard to purée. For a smooth texture, mix fish with a small serving of rice cereal and breastmilk, formula or water. 12
BABY FOOD RECIPES POULTRY (Chicken, Turkey) Ingredients: 1-1.5 kg (2 lb) chicken or turkey pieces 750 ml (3 cups) of water Method: 1. Stovetop Method: Place chicken/turkey and water in a pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked and the meat separates easily from the bones. Microwave method: Place chicken/turkey and water in a microwave-safe bowl and heat at a high setting until meat separates easily from the bones. 2. Remove from heat and let it cool. 3. Take skin and fat off the meat. Remove meat from the bones and then cut the meat into small pieces. 4. Purée the meat with some of the cooking liquid, breastmilk, or formula. Remember Cut away fat and remove any skin or bones. Over-cooking will make the meat tough and hard to purée. Make sure the poultry is no longer pink inside. For a smooth texture, mix poultry with a small serving of rice cereal and breastmilk, formula or water. 13
MEAT ALTERNATIVES BABY FOOD RECIPES Legumes (chick peas, navy beans, split peas) Ingredients: 250 ml (1 cup) dried legumes 750 ml (3 cups) water Method: 1. Add 1 cup of dried legumes to 3 cups of water. Slowly bring to a boil and boil gently for 2 minutes. 2. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour. 3. Drain and add 5 cups of fresh water to the legumes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 to 60 minutes. 4. Remove from heat and mash or blend by adding 200 ml (3/4 cup) liquid (breastmilk, formula or water) to the cooked legumes. 14 Remember Legumes are a less expensive alternative to meat. They are packed with protein, iron, and other important nutrients. Red lentils do not need to be soaked. They can be boiled in enough water to cover the legumes in the pot until they are soft - time varies, but about 20 minutes. Canned beans and lentils are already cooked and do not need to be re-boiled. Rinse well before mashing with breastmilk, formula or water.
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QUESTIONS? CONCERNS? Contact the Leeds, Grenville, and Lanark District Health Unit s HealthACTION Line at 1-800-660-5853. As well, you can contact any of the health unit offices below: Health Unit Branch Offices: Brockville 613-345-5685 Smiths Falls 613-283-2740 Kemptville 613-258-5941 Gananoque 613-382-4231 BABYTALK SESSIONS (drop in support group for parents with babies from birth to 2 years) Find out locations, dates and times by calling the HealthACTION Line or visiting our website at www.healthunit.org Revised 06-2010 1163rv fam OS 06/10