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Baby Food: The Bare Facts

So…you’re the proud mom of a beautiful baby and you’re wondering, “When is the right time to introduce solid foods?” And then… there are so many choices – natural, organic, sugar, no sugar, processed or homemade. How do you decide what’s best for your baby?

Let’s look at the readiness issue. Most babies will let you know all on their own that they’re ready for something more than breast milk or baby formula. Maybe they see you eating something that looks appealing to them and they reach out to grab it. Maybe they just aren’t satisfied with a liquid-only diet anymore and want more. Or, they may see you open your mouth to eat, so they open their mouths to eat. Usually, they have a few teeth, or are getting them, and drool constantly, showing that they have the enzymes available to break food down.

Want to test the waters?  Try putting some food on a spoon and bringing it to your baby’s mouth. Does he open it or turn away? If he opens it – that shows signs of being ready; if he turns away, it’s probably wise to wait a bit longer.

Good first foods are rice and barley cereals, fruits (bananas, peaches, pears, and applesauce), and vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots and squash). These foods are easier to digest and they generally do not trigger any allergies.

As to store-bought vs. homemade baby food – it may just be a matter of how much spare time you have on your hands. There are plenty of organic, all-natural, preservative-free baby foods available on store shelves.

Homemade foods require a little imagination, a fork, a baby food grinder or food processer and the actual foods themselves. Especially when trying to save money, it certainly is less expensive to make your own baby food, just as it’s less expensive to breastfeed. You’re using what you already have in stock and pureeing it for baby to eat!

One advantage to making your own baby food is that you can prepare the food without adding sugar, salt and preservatives and you can’t get any fresher, especially if you grow the fruit and vegetables!

You can find additional information, along with some basic baby food cooking tips and recipes, at http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/4309.htm.
 
Have some fun with it and watch your baby as he or she enjoys trying out new foods and new textures!