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guitarnan
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| Posted: Nov 12 2005 at 6:57am | IP Logged
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Has anyone done this? I have a friend expecting her first baby, and she's very interested in how to make baby food in a low-cost way.
I'm especially interested in any book titles that could tell her how it's done, and ways to store/transport the baby food once it's made.
Thanks!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Sarah
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You can get one of those crank baby food mills and grind right at the tables. They work well for things like chicken. I tried freezing baby food in ice cube trays. Honestly, it wasn't worth the effort because you end up making more than they will ever eat. The easiest way is to feed the baby is at the table with mother. When I knew I had a baby to feed, I'd try to make something they could eat too-like squash, peas, etc. Then use that crank food mill or your fork.
However, if she still wants to make some ahead. I'd use ice cube trays and fill them with cooked applesauce, squash, sweet potatoes, peas, etc. and freeze. Then you can pop them out and heat quickly.
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JennGM
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There are many different camps about introducing babies to solid food. The doctors now agree that 6 months is appropriate...4 months was the thinking for a while, but studies have shown that's it's too early. I'm in the camp that you wait until the baby wants it...and I would have fed mine just straight from my plate, but we had a huge hiccup...major food allergies. So I HAD to make my baby food, so I could isolate and trial foods. I know my case is a bit unique, but I'll share my experience.
After reading over many baby food books, the best I found was Mommy Made and Daddy Too: Home Cooking for a Healthy Baby & Toddler by Martha Kimmel and David Kimmel. Really detailed instructions on how to cook the foods, whether microwave or on the stove. I think there were 3 alternate directions for each food. They had some nice charts of ages for introducing foods. There were also recipes in the back, but I mainly used the information for fixing foods I didn't have any idea of how to serve. Once a food was introduced, I did try to incorporate our meals around his safe foods.
I found this after I was halfway through trialing foods to my son: Joneja Food Allergen Scale and Sequence of Adding Solid Foods for the Allergic Infant. Next child (God willing!) I will approach the feeding with this.
I used several tools for the baby food. One was a Baby Food Grinder, but I usually used this when I was out. I also used a potato ricer to mush up the foods (my son had a VERY sensitive gag reflex for a long time) to the right consistency. And later on in the game I discovered the Pampered Chef Food Chopper which was so great for chopping up the food into smaller chunks as he was progressing.
I would make batches of squash, applesauce, sweet potato and portion it in these bowls with lids, then take out some to portion out servings. As I still have to bring foods along for ds to eat, these have been the best thing to carry around for his foods.
If your friend does start detecting reactions, a great support board is Kids with Food Allergies, formerly known as POFAK (Parents of Food Allergic Kids[/url]. All sorts of support and information.
Here's some further reading and helpful advice from Dr. Sears and Making Your Own Baby Food and .Tracking down food allergies.
First Foods from Kelly-Mom (GREAT site, BTW).
Also La Leche League has a collection of articles on introducing foods and a list of further reading. I love the cookbook Whole Foods for the Whole Family which has in the back some suggestions for feeding the infant in the solid foods. I'd be interested in seeing Healthy Snacks for Kids, by Penny Warner, The Family Nutrition Book, by Martha and William Sears and Whole Foods for Babies and Toddlers by Margaret Kenda and see their approach.
Bottom line (as my dh likes to say) is that each family finds their own comfort level and approach.
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Sarah
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| Posted: Nov 12 2005 at 12:19pm | IP Logged
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Wow! Jenn, you are the link queen  I still need to read how to do that.
I love my Pampered Chef chopping thing. I haven't used it for baby, but perhaps maybe this baby.
Jenn you are so right about introducing foods at certain times, even if you don't have food allergies. As I understand it, a baby can even develop a sensitivity (which they may outgrow)if things are started too early. I once had a friend who introduced EVERYTHING all at once. I couldn't believe it! Her son had the worst runny nose and sinus problems forever after that. She didn't know to introduce here and there. I still follow with my babies Dr. Sears' little chart of when to intoduce in his Baby Book. I think most of those charts are the same. I should have said above in my last post that the table foods I give are ones they can handle. For example, the family might be eating steak, but baby might only get potato and mashed green beans from that meal.
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JennGM
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| Posted: Nov 12 2005 at 7:49pm | IP Logged
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I found this site Wholesome Baby Food that might be helpful. It's a little slow in loading.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Family in Feast and Feria
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Rachel May
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We used Ruth Yaron's Super Baby Food.
It has a lot of info about what foods to introduce when with a chart for all the months until 1 year and then a chapter on each month. I still use that chart quite a bit. There is a lot more in the book too: nutrition, birthday parties, making food in bulk and freezing.
She had twins which inspired me to use it with mine, and all of our other children have had S. Porridge even when I haven't had time to make all the foods like I did with the first kids.
One thing she does not tell you how to do is make meat, but you can find that elsewhere. She's veg which means that things like kelp flakes come in, but I ignored anything I wouldn't eat myself. Also, I found that talking with my doc was helpful, since he had a warning about carrots and honey and something else? I just bought Gerber organic carrotsinstead. 
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JennGM
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| Posted: Nov 13 2005 at 1:29pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for the review. I found out about this book after I bought the above and wondered if this might be similar or better. I'll have to look for it in stores.
Rachel May wrote:
| Also, I found that talking with my doc was helpful, since he had a warning about carrots and honey and something else? I just bought Gerber organic carrotsinstead. |
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Is it spinach? I heard that spinach isn't a good thing to serve children because of the nitrate level...if I made it myself wouldn't be a good thing.
I did buy some baby food if it was organic and cheaper to buy than time and energy and money to make it.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Rachel May
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I think maybe it was tomatoes because sometimes they are too acidic and cause a rash, but it was so many babies ago.....
After reading it through when the twins were babies, I only pulled it out for the charts and super porridge recipe for the other kids. Since they never had any food allergy problems, just some short lived lactose intolerance (Ruth had a really helpful section in her book an that), I got less careful with each kid. The other kids started solids later too, but I remember horrifying a friend because I handed the 9 mo an uncut PB and J with the crusts!
I read the article about nitrates on the Wholesome Babyfood site. It says not to worry about them after your baby is 6 months. I guess the best advice is to just check whatever you're doing with your doctor if you're unsure.
And praise God for organic jarred babyfood for the busy mom! Someone in my husband's MBA program is trying to start a delivery service in the DC area for organic baby food. Some days that would be very helpful.
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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Home-made baby food
