Rub a small amount of pureed food between your fingers to test for smoothness. Foods taste differently to your baby than they taste to you. Do not add salt, seasonings, sugar, margarine, butter, lard, oil, cream, syrups, gravy, sauces or fat drippings to food for babies less than one year old. Microwave cooking is acceptable, especially for vegetables. Ways to Cook: Steaming and boiling are the best cooking methods to conserve nutrients. Washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent, chlorine bleach solution, or commercial produce wash is not recommended, because they could be absorbed into the produce or leave a residue that could make some babies sick. Remove and throw away bruised or damaged areas where bacteria can thrive on produce. While rinsing firm-skin fruits and vegetables, scrub them by rubbing with your hands or with a clean vegetable brush.

Thoroughly rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten. Allow solution to stand for several minutes, then rinse and air dry or pat dry with fresh paper towels. vegetables, fruits and breads).Īfter cleaning food preparation surfaces, sanitize them by flooding the surfaces with bleach solution made from 1 teaspoon unscented chlorine bleach to 1 quart water. meat and poultry) and non-animal foods (e.g. Use separate utensils and cutting boards for animal foods (e.g. Wash your hands, all surfaces and equipment with detergent in hot water and rinse thoroughly. Safe Preparation Procedures: Follow clean, sanitary procedures in all food preparation and storage. Foods can be mashed with a fork or chopped finely for older babies. For a thinner consistency, add water or other liquids.Įquipment: You can puree many foods from the family table for your baby by using a fork, potato masher, blender, strainer, food mill or baby food grinder. Pureeing Table Foodĭefinition: Pureeing food means that you put it through a sieve or grinder to make it into a liquid-like, smooth texture. These foods may cause an allergic reaction, or they may contain ingredients that could choke your baby. casseroles and pizza) are not appropriate for babies under a year old. You can feed them small cubes of toast or bread, also.ĭo not serve your baby a mixed-ingredient food until they have eaten each individual food separately, and you know they are not allergic to any of them. You can begin mashing their foods with a fork or finely chopping soft foods like vegetables, fruits or cooked chicken. Gradually your baby will be ready for some foods that are not pureed. Otherwise, give your baby about a week to adjust to a new food before offering another one. rash hives coughing diarrhea or vomiting), and contact the doctor if your baby has any of these signs. Offer only one new food at a time for several days in a row. Refer to HGIC 4100, Feeding Your Infant for a general guideline of suggested times to offer different foods to your infant.Īt first, feed your baby single ingredient foods that have been pureed. When your baby is between six and 11 months old, you can start gradually adding a variety of table foods to their diet. Your baby is ready for table food when they can move their tongue from side to side, chew with their new teeth, and spoon feed themselves with their fingers or with your help.

Eating homemade baby food teaches your baby to enjoy the same foods that you prepare for the rest of the family, also. It can be as nutritious, if not more nutritious, than store-bought baby food. Homemade baby food is easy to make, inexpensive and environmentally friendly. You don’t have to buy commercially prepared food for your baby.

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