A lot of people think that there is a lot of nutrient loss during the process of commercial baby food. In any research I've done it looks pretty difficult to tell the specific nutrient differences between home cooked and commercially prepared. So much depends on who is doing the cooking. If the parent cooking is nutrition wise and employs nutrient preserving methods of cooking, than there is no doubt that home prepared baby food retains more nutrients (especially the heat sensitive ones including the B vitamins and vitamin C). This is because the food is less processed and less heat has been applied to it. If you'd like more information on nutrition or would like to speak to a dietician, contact First Step Nutrition.
Many vitamins are destroyed by heat, so the shorter you can make the cooking time, the more nutrients you can retain. The canning process used by baby food companies necessitates the use of high heat under pressure. However, if the parent routinely stores vegetables at room temperature for a long time then overcooks them, throws out the cooking water (into which many of the vitamins have leached) and then adds some salt, their final product is apt to be much less nutritious than it's commercial counterpart.
The nutrition label and ingredient panel are an informative place to look to find out what your baby is getting from a commercially prepared jar of baby food. Everything in that food MUST be listed on the label so you can be sure you know exactly what foods you are giving your baby.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Things you need to make your own baby food
- Mini Food Processors are useful for making foods in small batches.
- Full size Processors facilitate cooking food in large batches.
- Food Mills puree foods while holding back any indigestible husks or skins. This is ideal for peas in early stages
- Handheld blenders are easy to clean and ideal for pureeing small amounts.
- Freezer containers, you can purchase specific ones for making food or use your ice cube tray.
Baby food storage - Refrigerator and freezer
If you have made only a small quantity of food, then place it into an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator. Do not put it in the door as the temperature is lower there.
Store large quantities of food in the freezer. The following baby food storage chart shows the length of time that you can safely store each type of food.
Fridge
Cooked Fruits and Vegetables... 1-2 days
Meat...................................... 1 day
Meat and Vegetable Combo..... 1-2 days
Egg Yolk................................. 1 day
Freezer
Cooked Fruits and Vegetables... 1-3 months
Meat...................................... 1-2 months
Meat and Vegetable Combo..... 3-4 months
Egg Yolk................................. 1-2 months
Note: Frozen foods that are kept too long may look OK, but will have lost some of their taste and nutritional value.
Tip: Use the steamed water to thin your food to a manageable consistency. When thawed, if you need a runnier consistency this is when you can add breast milk, formula or sterile water to thin it out further.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Healthy Eating. The most common nutritional disorder in the Western world is obesity. Obese children as young as five are displaying early warning signs of heart disease. Type II diabetes, once called adult-onset diabetes, is now appearing in teenagers. There are other dietary concerns. Too much salt is linked to high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and strokes, and most children eat two to three times the daily recommended salt intake. Most children will fall far short of the five daily portions of fruit or vegetables recommended to boost the immune system and reduce the adult incidence of cancer.
Your baby’s first experiences with food will likely form lifelong habits that will be either wonderful or hard to break. It's up to you to teach them!
Canadian Food Guide
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Introducing Solids. The current recommendations indicate that breast milk or formula should be baby's main source of nutrition until at least 6 months of age. This chart will show recommendations from 4 months of age because often parents will start early. When thinking about starting your baby on solid foods a good rule of thumb is to "watch the baby - not the calendar". You will know if your baby is ready to start eating solids or not.
4 to 6 months
CEREALS & GRAINS: Rice, Barley, Oat
FRUITS: Avocado, Apples, Bananas, Pears
VEGETABLES: Acorn/Butternut Squash, Green Beans, Sweet Potatoes
PROTEIN: None
DAIRY: None other than your milk or formula
6 to 8 months
CEREALS & GRAINS: Rice, Barley, Oat
FRUITS: Apricots, Mangos, Nectarines, Peaches, Plums, Prunes, Pumpkin
VEGETABLES: Yellow Squash, Carrots, Parsnips, Peas, Zucchini
PROTEIN: Chicken, Tofu, Turkey
DAIRY: Plain whole milk yogurt
8 to 10 months
CEREALS & GRAINS: Flax, Graham crackers, Kamut, Quinoa, Multi-grain crackers, Cheerio's, Wheat & Wheat germ, Toast
FRUITS: Blueberries, Cantaloupe & Melons, Cherries, Cranberries, Dates, Figs, Grapes (cut and peeled), Kiwi, Papaya,
VEGETABLES: Asparagus, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Peppers, Sweet Potatoes, White Potatoes,
PROTEIN: Beans/Legumes, Beef, Egg yolk, Pork,
DAIRY: Cream Cheese, Cottage Cheese, (no soft cheese like Brie)
10 to 12 months
CEREALS & GRAINS: Toast, Pasta, Bagels
FRUITS: Citrus, Grapes (cut in 1/4's),
VEGETABLES: Artichokes, Beets, Corn, Cucumber, Tomatoes,
PROTEIN: Beans/Legumes, Beef, Chicken, Whole Egg, White Fish, Pork, Tofu, Turkey
DAIRY: Whole Milk to drink, Stronger Cheddars, Soft Cheeses
Tip: If you are making your own food, start out with purees, completely smooth. Once you round 8 months, puree half of the food and mash the other and combine. This will help encourage a new consistency. Around 10 months, puree 1/3, mash 1/3 and have some nice chunks in the last 1/3. You will want to encourage your child to start using their fingers and exploring their food. It's a bit messy but makes for great photos!