Baby Food/Homemade Baby Food
In most cases, pediatricians recommend you start your baby on cereal and fruits and vegetables between 4-6 months of age and meat and protein around 8-10 months of age, but ALWAYS check with your pediatrician to be sure.
Signs your child may be ready for solid foods:
-She can sit up (with support) and can hold her head and neck up well.
-Her birth weight has doubled.
-She’s interested in what you’re eating and may even try to grab food from your plate.
-She can keep food in her mouth rather than letting it dribble out.
-She shows signs of being hungry for more than she’s getting by clamoring for more when her bottle is empty or wanting to nurse more often.
Signs your child may be ready for solid foods:
-She can sit up (with support) and can hold her head and neck up well.
-Her birth weight has doubled.
-She’s interested in what you’re eating and may even try to grab food from your plate.
-She can keep food in her mouth rather than letting it dribble out.
-She shows signs of being hungry for more than she’s getting by clamoring for more when her bottle is empty or wanting to nurse more often.
Pre-Made Baby Food
There is a large selection of baby foods at the commissary, grocery store, Target, Walmart,
Trader Joes and your local market to choose from. When making your decision just make sure you're choosing an option without a lot of additives; you want your baby's food to be pure and nutritious. Baby food is sold in individual servings as well as in packages of 2-4. The cost of pre-made baby food averages about .75-$1.50 per serving. You should start introducing foods ONE at a time about every 2-3 days to ensure your baby doesn't have any allergies.
Trader Joes and your local market to choose from. When making your decision just make sure you're choosing an option without a lot of additives; you want your baby's food to be pure and nutritious. Baby food is sold in individual servings as well as in packages of 2-4. The cost of pre-made baby food averages about .75-$1.50 per serving. You should start introducing foods ONE at a time about every 2-3 days to ensure your baby doesn't have any allergies.
Storing and Freezing Homemade Baby Food
The best and most economical way to freeze large batches of homemade baby food is using ice cube trays and freezer bags. It is very nice to have the ice cube trays with lids because it keeps out air and they stack better, but they are more expensive. If you have regular ice cube trays, don't fret! You are still in business. Smaller, fresh portions of baby food can be stored in the refrigerator inside an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
Simple Instructions for Freezing Baby Food:
1. Most foods will need to be steamed prior to being pureed (with the exception to foods like avacado, bananas, berries etc.) You can steam them over the stove or in the microwave. Once you have steamed them until they are soft, blend them up in a food processor of some kind such as a blender, Baby Bullet, etc.
2. Once you have blended the food into a puree that has cooled to room temperature, scoop out the food with a spoon and add to each ice cube square. It is important that you label each tray so that you can remember what the food is if you have a variety of purees.
3. For regular ice cube trays, you will need to wrap it into its own freezer bag. Do not use aluminum foil. Aluminum
foil is a pain to take off when frozen and it sticks easy, leaving little foil pieces that are even harder to remove. If you have ice cube trays with lids, simply snap them on. Freeze for 24 hours. Once firm, pop out all the cubes from each ice
cube tray into separate fresh freezer bags, label them, seal tightly, and freeze up to 8 weeks (12 weeks in a deep freezer). When you are ready to use the puree, take out as many cubes as you need and heat them up in a microwave or stove top until hot. Allow it to cool down before serving. Always use a microwave safe dish. If you are not sure if the dish is microwave safe, do not use.
Tips on Freezing Baby Food:
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), food that has been frozen at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower is safe indefinitely. However, the quality of the food deteriorates the longer it has been frozen. It is best to cook and freeze food immediately after purchasing it because the quality of the food will be fresher once thawed than it would be if you waited a few days to cook and freeze.
Canned foods or eggs in shells are not suitable for freezing.
About Refreezing:
Contrary to popular belief, it is safe to refreeze foods, cooked or uncooked, unless it has been sitting out for 2 hours or more, or 1 hour in 90 degree temperatures.
Please visit the USDA's website to learn more about freezing food. It is important to refer to the USDA's website for
guidelines and not rely solely on information from other sources.
Simple Instructions for Freezing Baby Food:
1. Most foods will need to be steamed prior to being pureed (with the exception to foods like avacado, bananas, berries etc.) You can steam them over the stove or in the microwave. Once you have steamed them until they are soft, blend them up in a food processor of some kind such as a blender, Baby Bullet, etc.
2. Once you have blended the food into a puree that has cooled to room temperature, scoop out the food with a spoon and add to each ice cube square. It is important that you label each tray so that you can remember what the food is if you have a variety of purees.
3. For regular ice cube trays, you will need to wrap it into its own freezer bag. Do not use aluminum foil. Aluminum
foil is a pain to take off when frozen and it sticks easy, leaving little foil pieces that are even harder to remove. If you have ice cube trays with lids, simply snap them on. Freeze for 24 hours. Once firm, pop out all the cubes from each ice
cube tray into separate fresh freezer bags, label them, seal tightly, and freeze up to 8 weeks (12 weeks in a deep freezer). When you are ready to use the puree, take out as many cubes as you need and heat them up in a microwave or stove top until hot. Allow it to cool down before serving. Always use a microwave safe dish. If you are not sure if the dish is microwave safe, do not use.
Tips on Freezing Baby Food:
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), food that has been frozen at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower is safe indefinitely. However, the quality of the food deteriorates the longer it has been frozen. It is best to cook and freeze food immediately after purchasing it because the quality of the food will be fresher once thawed than it would be if you waited a few days to cook and freeze.
Canned foods or eggs in shells are not suitable for freezing.
About Refreezing:
Contrary to popular belief, it is safe to refreeze foods, cooked or uncooked, unless it has been sitting out for 2 hours or more, or 1 hour in 90 degree temperatures.
Please visit the USDA's website to learn more about freezing food. It is important to refer to the USDA's website for
guidelines and not rely solely on information from other sources.
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