| Americans have long depended on jarred baby | | | | fast and processed foods. Spend your time |
| foods for convenient feeding. In the past | | | | making your own food, rather than reading and |
| few years more and more processed food | | | | de-coding labels on processed foods. |
| options have entered the children's food | | | | |
| market. The big brands have expanded into | | | | No Chemicals or Preservatives |
| pre-packaged "toddler meals" and "school | | | | |
| lunches" all in the name of helping busy | | | | Your food will not have anything added, that |
| parents who need things to be fast and | | | | you didn't put there. You're not trying to |
| convenient. Even for those parents with the | | | | preserve shelf life or disguise any of the |
| best effort and intention, there may be times | | | | ingredients in your food. Preservatives |
| when you just can't make or safely pack your | | | | include partially hydrogenated oils or |
| own food. One of my clients had served her | | | | trans-fats, which are linked to diabetes, |
| eight-month-old homemade, organic baby food | | | | cancer and heart disease. |
| from his first bite. However while traveling | | | | |
| with her son to England; she brought a few | | | | Taste |
| jars of food "just in case" she ran out of | | | | |
| fresh items on the flight. Here are some | | | | While sometimes convenient, a big drawback of |
| tips for buying commercially jarred foods, | | | | commercial baby food is that it bears little |
| when you're in a pinch. | | | | relation to the real food. Fresh, seasonal |
| | | | food just tastes better. You probably |
| - Opt for those with the most calories, | | | | haven't eaten baby food since you were a baby |
| meaning more food per unit weight. | | | | - because you don't want or have to. If |
| | | | feeding homemade baby food, your child will |
| - Look for jars of organic foods, without | | | | appreciate real foods from their first bite. |
| fillers. | | | | These will be the flavors and food items that |
| | | | they will continue to enjoy as they grow. |
| - Check that the expiration date on the jar | | | | Jarred baby food is not available in every |
| has not passed. | | | | fruit and vegetable, nor is it seasonal. You |
| | | | may miss the opportunity to introduce fruit |
| - Choose foods without chemicals and | | | | and vegetable options, which you want your |
| preservatives. | | | | baby to eat later with the rest of the |
| | | | family. Some children get used to bland, |
| - If feeding your baby a vegetarian diet, | | | | smooth, jarred foods and have difficulty |
| look for the Vegetarian Society's "V" symbol | | | | being reintroduced to the same real foods and |
| on the jar or container, to be sure it is | | | | textures later. |
| truly vegetarian. | | | | |
| | | | Less Waste |
| Benefits of Homemade | | | | |
| | | | Making food gives you control over quantity, |
| Babies usually triple their weight during | | | | taste, texture and expense. You will not |
| their first year. If they are what they eat, | | | | have to throw away partially eaten jars of |
| this is the most important time to give them | | | | food. Instead you can cook what you know |
| the best. You may not be able to give your | | | | your baby will eat, prolong the life of your |
| child fresh, homemade foods everyday, but | | | | homemade food in the freezer, or eat your |
| here are the benefits for you and your child | | | | child's food yourself. |
| when you do make the effort. | | | | |
| | | | Create variety from a single, whole food |
| More nutritious | | | | item. When making baked sweet potatoes you |
| | | | can chose to puree some, cut pieces into soft |
| Homemade food is more nutritious than | | | | chunks, and leave the rest whole. Because |
| commercially prepared baby foods because it | | | | your homemade purees are made with whole |
| retains more of the nutrients, especially | | | | foods, the leftovers can be made into soups, |
| vitamin A and B. This is because the food is | | | | side dishes and sauces for the rest of the |
| less processed. The jarring process | | | | family. You may doubt that because you've |
| necessitates the use of very high heat under | | | | never considered making a delicious soup from |
| pressure. Much more than you can generate | | | | a jar of baby food. However many favorite |
| when cooking at home. Unfortunately, many | | | | cream soups get their start from humble, |
| vitamins are destroyed by heat. | | | | fresh purees. |
| | | | |
| Some of the baby food on the market has | | | | Less Cost |
| additives and thickening agents including | | | | |
| cornstarch, flour, chemically modified | | | | The cost for making your own baby food is |
| starches or "tapioca" (corn syrup, starch). | | | | often less than buying commercially prepared |
| This means your baby is getting less fruit | | | | baby foods, if you shop smart and cook in |
| and vegetables and more "filler". Consumers | | | | larger quantities. For instance a four ounce |
| are also getting less nutrition and value for | | | | jar of baby food ranges in price from .60 - |
| your money. | | | | $1.20 each, depending on brand and place |
| | | | purchased. However when making your own baby |
| More Control | | | | food, and following our tips for creating |
| | | | convenience and buying in-season whole foods |
| By making your own food, you'll know exactly | | | | you can save on the price. I purchased |
| what your child is eating. You can monitor | | | | enough apples for an apple puree for $2 at |
| their diet, and know which vitamins and | | | | the farmer's market, and my recipe yielded 16 |
| nutrients are lacking. A study by the San | | | | ounces, thus my cost is $.50 per four ounce |
| Francisco Chronicle in 2002, reported that | | | | serving. |
| over 40% of children's calories come from | | | | |