It is time that we as a society go back to the basics when it comes to raising our children. Obesity is at an all time high in this country and the general consensus is bafflement. This state of confusion would almost be laughable, if it wasn't just so sad. We have done this to ourselves and to our children by the foods that we put in their mouths. Our children only know to trust us in what is right and wrong in life and this begins in infancy.
When it is time to begin feeding your baby solid foods, why not make them yourself? Our ancestors surely did not have a jar of pureed peas sitting on their counter. Of course not, they made all their meals, including those for their baby. The health benefits are worth every bit of effort you put into making this food, as there are no preservatives or other ingredients that you cannot pronounce. Just good, wholesome vegetables and fruits with minimal time and trouble. You will have to put in some effort, however, it is not as simple as opening a jar, but it is close.
Begin your baby food adventure by gathering from your cabinets or purchasing the few supplies that you will need: a blender or food processor (full size), 10 ice cube trays, freezer bags, and your kitchen. Next, hit the produce isle in the grocery store, and load up on the freshest fruits and veggies that you can find. Great choices for beginner babies and beginner chefs are carrots, peas (frozen ones work well, just make sure the only ingredients are peas and maybe water), sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, plums and pears. Now, bring home your bonanza of freshness and start washing, peeling, and chopping. Boil or steam everything until soft and mash able, then put into the blender and puree, adding water as needed until the food is a smooth, pour able consistency. Pour the puree into the ice cube trays, cover (press-n-seal is great, it forms a leak-proof seal) and freeze for 24 hours. When the day has passed, simply break the cubes into freezer bags and label. One cube is a serving, just take out, zap in microwave a few seconds and serve.
As baby grows, you can make the food “second stage” by leaving the texture a little chunkier and adding in meats. Cook the meats as you would a Sunday pot roast, only seasoning free and hopefully with moisture. Follow the same puree, freeze, and store process that you did before. Now instead of one cube as the serving size, increase to two. Or, feel free to feed your baby a balanced meal with one cube of vegetable, one cube of fruit, and one cube of meat. You may also add in pastas at this time by giving them a spin in the food processor (a mini one is perfect for this) and mixing them with the veggies.
When your child is ready to graduate to table food, you can feed them what you have prepared for your family. Just put into a mini food processor and buzz until you reach a desired consistency. This means that your entire family will have to adopt healthy eating habits also, but wasn't this the goal?
I am not a pediatrician, although our's was completely on board with this, or a dietitian. I am simply a mother who has lived and learned throughout the course of raising 3 children, the oldest which is 16 and the 2 youngest are 2 and 1 respectively. I fed my oldest child “traditionally”, which in this country means from a jar and he was overweight practically from the moment he began to eat, and has struggle with the weight over the course of his growing. He has always been very active, so I felt that it was what I was putting in his mouth and it was high time to re-evaluate. Let's all take the time to re-evaluate our lives and our diets and do what we can from square one. Pass the squash puree please!
