Forbes August 5, 2024
Lifestyle
When your baby reaches the 6 month mark, it's time to introduce solid food. While breast milk or formula will remain their primary source of nutrition, solid food supports your baby’s evolving nutritional and developmental needs. Making homemade baby food requires more time and commitment than buying store-bought baby food, but the benefits are worth it. It’s less expensive, allows for greater creative and nutritional control in the kitchen, exposes your baby to a wider variety of foods and flavors, and can be a healthier choice since you know exactly what you're feeding your baby.
I’m a pediatric dietitian and a mom of three, so I have plenty of personal and professional experience with this topic to help you prepare for this exciting (and messy!) milestone. I also consulted with fellow pediatric dietitian Nicole Silber, who is both a registered dietitian and certified lactation councilor.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends starting solids when your baby is 6 months old, but it’s important to wait until your baby is developmentally ready. Here are some signs that your baby is ready for solid food, which you’ll notice around the 6-month mark:
Before you begin, it's important to get organized. While you don't need many kitchen tools to make baby food, here are some essentials to have on hand.
Steaming fruits and vegetables is one of the simplest methods to prepare baby food. A steamer basket is a container with perforated holes that holds food above a pot of boiling water. As the water boils, steam rises through the holes and gently cooks the food while preserving its nutritional content. According to Silber, steaming not only helps food retain most of its vitamins but also keeps it moist, making it easier to puree.
Once your food is soft, it’s time to puree it. You can use a regular blender or food processor. Some people prefer to use a dedicated baby food maker, but it’s not really required. For naturally soft foods like ripe avocado or banana, simply mash them with a spoon or fork.
Once your puree is prepared, having the right containers to store them is key. Choose containers with airtight lids to keep food fresh and to minimize exposure to bacteria and contaminants. If you're preparing baby food in bulk, consider investing in small 2- or 4-ounce containers—they're great for portioning out appropriate servings for your baby’s meals. Babies typically eat smaller portions when they begin solids, so smaller containers also cut down on waste.
We prefer food storage containers made from glass, food-grade silicone, or stainless steel because they are easy to clean, dishwasher safe and free of harmful chemicals typically found in plastic.
To ensure food safety, label your storage containers with the food type and date. Unlike store-bought baby food, homemade versions do not contain preservatives and additives that extend the shelf life. Proper labeling is essential for maintaining food safety standards and ensuring you don't serve your baby spoiled food. Use a permanent marker to label your containers, or stickers or adhesive labels if you prefer not to mark them (although we’ve found even permanent marker eventually washes off most food containers with dish soap).
Introduce a wide variety of foods to expose your baby to different colors, flavors and nutrients. Offering a diverse selection of fruits, vegetables, grains, healthy fats and proteins provides your baby with a broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Plus, babies are usually more receptive to trying new foods at this stage compared to toddlers, who may develop stronger preferences or be more hesitant to try new foods. Here are some examples of first foods for your baby:
Despite common belief, offering fruit to your baby doesn't mean they will reject vegetables later. Silber explains that this is a myth and that babies are already familiar with sweetness from breast milk and formula. With that in mind, here are some tasty fruits to include in your baby's diet:
You can incorporate these healthy fats into purees before blending, or mixing them in afterward:
Here are some proteins that are easy to blend:
Clean your hands, prep area, utensils and appliances thoroughly. Babies have developing immune systems and are more susceptible to harmful bacteria and contaminants. If you’re using fruits or vegetables with skins or peels, make sure they’re scrubbed clean or peel them before use.
Peel fruits and vegetables with tough skin for easier blending. Seeds, pits, citrus membranes and stems should be removed before chopping or slicing. Depending on the power and size of your blender or food processor, you can either roughly chop or finely dice your produce.
The best cooking methods for retaining nutrient content involve low temperatures and short cooking times, such as steaming and microwaving. Firm produce like root vegetables should be cooked until tender for easy blending. Naturally soft foods like banana, ripe peaches or avocado, do not need to be precooked. Allow cooked foods to cool before transferring to a blender or food processor.
Cook animal proteins until they reach a safe internal temperature to avoid food poisoning from eating undercooked meats. Insert a food thermometer in the center of the proteins to ensure they are properly cooked. Here are the recommended internal temperatures for cooking animal proteins:
Blend dry foods like grains and proteins or firm produce with a small amount of liquid such as water, breast milk or prepared infant formula until you reach a smooth consistency. Produce with high water content may not require additional liquid for pureeing. Only add a small amount of liquid and then add more as needed until you achieve the desired texture.
“You want to make sure the consistency is smooth to begin with and slowly make it chunkier as the baby tolerates,” explains Silber. As your baby grows, introduce slightly chunkier purees to expose them to different textures.
Following proper food safety practices is important for your baby’s health. It protects against spoilage and foodborne illness and contaminants in food. Here are some expert-approved tips for safe food storage:
Here are four safe ways to warm up homemade baby food:
While microwaving is a convenient and fast heating method, it's best avoided for baby food. Microwaving can cause uneven heating or hot spots, which can burn your baby's mouth and throat.
Making homemade baby food can be time-consuming and feel overwhelming. Silber shares some dietitian-approved tips to make it more manageable and to simplify the process.
Frozen produce is just as nutritious as fresh options, and it will save you a ton of prep time. You also don't have to worry about food spoiling, wilting or going bad.
Feed your baby with ingredients from your own meal to expose them to a variety of foods and help develop a diverse palate. Incorporating family meal ingredients into purees also simplifies meal prep for parents and promotes family bonding through shared mealtimes.
When making baby food, consider doubling or tripling the recipe and freezing extras. This allows you to build up a variety of flavors in your freezer over time. A large freezer stash is perfect for busy days or when you're on the go—you'll thank yourself later.
Baby food doesn't have to be bland and boring. While you should avoid flavoring your baby’s food with salt and added sugar, you can use herbs, spices and healthy oils instead. “I am all for flavorful baby food,” Silber says. “Incorporate herbs and spices to get those little palettes excited! Some of my favorite combos are sweet potato with cinnamon, butternut squash with cumin and peas with basil.”
Silber also suggests enhancing the flavor of the baby food during cooking before pureeing it. For example, roast broccoli in olive oil until it caramelizes and then blend it. Alternatively, bake apples or pears in coconut oil with a sprinkle of cinnamon for added flavor.
Keep in mind that when using dry cooking methods such as roasting or baking, you may need to add additional liquid like water, breast milk or formula to achieve a smooth puree.
One benefit of making your own baby food is having control over how thick and chunky they can be. It's important to introduce your baby to various pureed textures, ranging from thin and smooth to mashed and chunky. Progressing in textures is important for reducing feeding issues and promoting greater food acceptance as your baby grows.
In addition to offering your baby a variety of food groups, it's important to incorporate foods rich in iron. Babies' iron requirements increase to 11 milligrams per day once they reach 6 months old.
To ensure they receive sufficient iron, include one or two iron-rich foods in your baby’s diet each day. Some iron-rich foods that are easy to puree include chicken, eggs, fish, lentils, beans, nut butter, tofu and iron-fortified infant cereals. Beef is another iron-rich food, but it can be more difficult to puree. Opt for ground beef, as it's easier to blend into a smooth puree.
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