There are two things that change with every baby I have…how many immunization shots they’ll receive and when you can start them on solid foods.  With the boys, my public health nurses recommended solid food be layered at different intervals to ensure there wasn’t an allergic reaction.  With the girls I was told at 6 months, just start giving them everything!  But whenever you start your baby, you want to introduce them to healthy foods right away.  Here is an article written by Joanne B. Parrotta , she is a published motivational writer and the following is an excerpt from her fifth book, Baby & You: The Little Book of Mother and Baby Care (WiseAdviceBook, 2008) that is due to be released July 2008.  Check for her book later in the summer via Wise Advice Books.

As a new parent, you want to give your baby the best possible start in life, so providing nutritious food is a must. Set the stage for a lifetime of good eating habits by offering your baby the healthiest foods you can. When you make your baby’s food yourself, you can take extra care to choose the freshest produce.  Don’t believe advertising that says commercial baby foods are formulated to meet your baby’s nutritional needs. By making your own baby food—which is easier than you might think—you can provide your baby with a much healthier diet. You can make a variety of nutritious and delicious meals—with organic ingredients and no additives—quickly, easily, and relatively inexpensively. The benefits to your baby are many, including exposure to a greater variety of nutrients, tastes and textures without added preservatives.

Nutritious food contributes to the proper development of body functions. In fact, research has shown that many of today’s health problems, including the following, are linked to a lack of nutrition in babies, toddlers and children.

~ Colic ~ Bloating ~ Diarrhea and Constipation ~ Iron Deficiency Anemia ~ Allergies ~ Asthma ~ Diabetes ~ Obesity ~ Skin Problems ~ Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

These problems can often be avoided by choosing the right foods and preparing them in the right way. When it comes to feeding your child the best possible food, nothing beats making your own organic baby food. Homemade organic baby food tastes better, is more nutritious and is much more economical than commercially processed foods. It is also easy to prepare.  You can make a whole week’s worth in less than two hours. All you need is a blender, a food processor, a food mill or even just a fork for mashing.

Follow these seven easy steps:

♥  Start with local, seasonal, organically grown produce and use it within a couple of days of purchase.
♥  Wash well, peel and pit the produce as necessary.
♥  Cook vegetables and hard fruits by steaming or boiling. Some foods, such as squash, can be baked.
♥  Use a food processor, blender, food mill, or fork to purée the produce, adding a small amount of unseasoned broth, water, breast milk, or formula if necessary.
♥  Pour the puréed food into ice-cube trays and freeze.
♥  Transfer the frozen cubes to a BPA-free plastic container; label and date.
♥  When ready to serve, thaw food in the refrigerator or warm in a warming dish or in an egg poacher or double boiler over boiling water.

The following are just a few organic homemade baby food recipes to get you started. Please note that ripe banana and ripe avocado do not need cooking. Just squish with a fork and add formula or breast milk for thinning.

Applesauce (7 months)
Wash 3 organic apples and cut into small pieces, leaving the skins on.
Place apples in a medium sauce pan with ½ cup water.
Simmer, covered, until tender, about 10 minutes.
Cool for a few minutes; purée.
Spoon purée into ice-cube trays and freeze.
For a thinner consistency add more liquid.

Pears (6 months)
Wash and peel 3 organic pears; cut into small pieces.
Simmer in a covered medium saucepan with ½ cup water until tender (5 to10 minutes).
Lightly drain, cool and then purée.
Spoon purée into ice-cube trays and freeze.

Plums (6 months)
Wash and quarter 6 to 8 organic plums. Discard pits.
Simmer plums in a covered medium saucepan with ¼ cup water for 8 to 10 minutes.
Cool and purée until smooth.
Spoon purée into ice-cube trays and freeze.
This method can also be used for peaches and apricots.

Steamed Sweet Potato (6 months)
Wash 2 to 4 organic sweet potatoes; leaving the skins on, cut into small pieces.
Steam potatoes for about 10 to 12 minutes over 2 inches of water.
Cool slightly and purée, adding boiled water, formula or breast milk to soften if needed.
Spoon purée into ice-cube trays and freeze.

Green Beans (8 months)
Wash 2 cups of tender organic green beans and trim the stems.
Steam beans over 2 inches of water for about 8 to10 minutes.
Cool slightly and purée, adding boiled water, formula or breast milk to soften if needed.
Spoon purée into ice-cube trays and freeze.
This method can also be used for peas

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