Solid Foods...

So we are on day 6 of solid foods with Gunnar. And it is going really well. He seems to be really into it and it's been really fun watching him grasp this new concept. We started with avocado for one day, and then due to our avocado going bad we moved on to bananas for 4 days. Bananas were a huge hit and super easy because we didn't have to do any "cooking".

Today Gunnar had his first carrots! FYI: We are planning on making most of our own baby food but there are certain baby foods that you should NOT PREPARE at home. Carrots are one of the foods you should buy pre-made. Our pediatrician gave us a list of foods that are considered unsafe to prepare at home for baby.  The vegetables on the list we were given include: Beets, Turnips, Carrots, Collard Greens and Spinach. In some parts of the country these vegetables contain large amounts of nitrates, a chemical that can cause an unusual type of anemia (low blood count) in young infants. Baby food companies are aware of this problem and screen the produce they buy for nitrates, they also avoid buying these vegetables in parts of the country where nitrates have been detected. Since we can't test for this chemical at home it's considered safer to use commercially prepared forms of these foods especially while your child is an infant. (Click Here for more information)



So we gave Gunnar Earth's Best Organic Carrots today.  They were a HUGE hit...as you can see!

I am looking forward to making some more fresh baby foods. Do any of you moms have baby food books that were particularly helpful for you? I'm looking to do some "research" on how to make the best applesauce and preparing other foods.

Comments

  1. One of our favorites is roasted broccoli or, apparently tonight, roasted brussels sprouts. M likes these foods chilled, the little broccoli florets were great for him to learn how to pick up food on his own. I roasted those with just olive oil but I did add salt to the brussels sprouts.

    We also got some peaches that are soft enough for him to eat without cooking but that's rare this time of year.

    He also likes half-blueberries with cinnamon.

    But his two favorites were the "fresh asparagus soup" on Allrecipes and a split pea with ham soup also from Allrecipes. Those were great because I could make a ton for me and Mark, and he could eat it for many nights. Freeze well too.

    Enjoy! This stage is so fun. I love watching him taste new things.

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  2. Check out this website http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/ Tons of great resources and recipes! I've found it really helpful for our introduction of solids!

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  3. The book I had recommended to me was "Baby Love: Healthy, Easy, Delicious Meals for Your Baby and Toddler."

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  4. I've used Cooking for Baby the most. It's only $12 on Amazon. Good recipes and tips for the different stages. I've also used Annabel Karmel's First Meals for recipes. Both have similar recipes and are also very informative. Another friend has The Baby and Toddler Cookbook and loves it! I looked at it at Williams-Sonoma, and it looked pretty similar to Cooking for Baby, so I decided to forgo it. The Baby and Toddler Cookbook is also on Amazon for $14.74.

    So far we've done sweet potatoes, squash, apples, and pears. The squash seemed to be the least cost effective when compared with jarred baby food. The pears were super easy because we didn't need to add any breastmilk or water. Kenna loves them!

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  5. We made all of Addison's baby food - we used the William's Sonoma book - I think it is called cooking for baby or something like that. I only got that book because it seemed to have all the good basics in it and then once I was experienced,I would just make things up myself. We would go and buy all of the organic produce and then make up big batches, freeze them in ice cube trays and then just thaw out as many cubes as she would eat. That way we did not have to make much during the week days. It was a good system for us and we enjoyed making her food rather than buying jars.

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  6. We bought a grinder at babies-r-us and LOVED it!! I got one that was not electrical or battery operated so that I could take it anywhere, You simply cut the food into sizes that will fit into the chamber and turn the handle...mashed up baby food in seconds that does not require cooking (which is great for the ease of it as well as preserving the nutrients in the food). We did all kinds of fruit, veggies, chicken, beef, fish, potatoes, etc. LOVED IT!! Ground the food up, mixed it with a little water or milk, and dinner was served. I would highly recommend a grinder to anyone wanting to make their own food. -Kendra

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