There are many commercial infant foods which do not qualify on the Child and Adult Care Food Program because of added ingredients such as tapioca, modified food starch, non-fat dry milk, etc. When you make your own infant foods, you can control the texture and levels of salt, sugar, or starch which would otherwise be found in many commercial baby foods.

Remember: Before you start any food with an infant, the decision must be made in consultation with the parents. Good communication between you and the parents is essential.

When introducing fruits and vegetables to babies 4 to 8 months old, use commercially prepared first stage baby foods. Serve a wide variety of mild-tasting fruits and veggies such as applesauce, apricots, bananas, peaches, pears, plums, green beans, green peas, squash, and sweet potatoes.

Older babies between the age of 6 and 12 months may be served any soft-cooked fruit or vegetable as long as the texture is appropriately modified. Meat/meat alternates can be started at 8 months of age. At this time, babies have been introduced to cereals, fruit, and vegetables and are ready for new foods and other sources of iron. Offer well-cooked, strained, or pureed lean meat, poultry, boneless fish, egg yolk, dried beans, dried peas, and mild cheeses.

You only need minimal equipment to make your own baby food. An electric blender can quickly and easily puree almost any food to the finest consistency. Food mills (or baby food grinders) do a good job of straining fruits and vegetables, but meats are difficult to puree.

Vegetables:

• Cook vegetables in very little water, without salt. Or steam until tender. Do not overcook.

• Fresh vegetables are the best choice for nutrition, flavor, and economy.

• Frozen vegetables are the best substitute for fresh, and also save time.

• Use the unsalted cooking liquid when pureeing, because many nutrients are found in that valuable liquid.

• Green beans, peas, carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes work well. Do not use corn for an infant.

Fruits:

• Fresh fruits (not citrus) can be softened and pureed, ground, or mashed for their nutrition, flavor, and economy.

• Unsweetened applesauce and frozen fruits can also be blended.

• Remove skins, pits, and seeds from the fruit.

Meat & Meat Alternates:

• Meats can be roasted, broiled, simmered, or braised.

• Modify the texture by mashing, chopping, or grinding.

• Mix vegetables and plain meat after measuring, so babies accept the meat better.

Foods to Avoid:

• Do not give raw fruit and vegetables (except raw bananas) to babies because they may cause choking and can be very difficult to digest.

• Do not give citrus fruits, egg white, shellfish, and chocolate to a baby before one year of age since these foods may cause allergic reactions.

• Never give honey, including sources used in cooking or baking (such as is found in honey graham crackers) to babies. Sometimes honey is contaminated with Clostridium botulinum spores. If these spores are ingested by a baby, they can produce a toxin which may cause a type of food-borne illness called infant botulism.

If you would like to prepare any of the above baby foods in quantity, put the food item in ice cube trays and freeze. When they are frozen, remove from trays and put in plastic bags back into the freezer. Once your infant is able to eat coarser textures, you can simply mash with a fork or chop food items which the other children are having.

Happy experimenting!

From the December, 1995, issue of The Teddy Bear.