Making Organic Baby Food:
A Fun and Healthy Choice

Making organic baby food can be fun and easy. You don't need to be a master chef. Here are some basic instructions to get you going. After doing it once, you'll feel like a natural.

Five Steps for Making Organic Baby Food

Here's what you'll need:

• A blender or baby food grinder. If you already have a blender that makes purees, soups and smoothies, you don't need to purchase a new one. Baby food grinders can be purchased rather inexpensively; as low as $14.99, but with anything - you get what you pay for.

• Ice cube trays. No need for anything fancy here. Regular ice cube trays will do the trick. The number you need depends on how often you will prepare meals. You could start with two to three trays and then get more as your baby develops a bigger appetite.

• Plastic Wrap. You will use this to wrap the ice cube tray.

• Freezer Bags. You will use this to store your leftover purees.

• A skillet or sauce pan. Choose a safe material that doesn't cook off in your foods at high temperatures. My favorite is stainless steel.

2. Buy some certified organic produce.

Experts recommend introducing one solid food every three or four days, so no need to buy a lot at one time. In fact one large organic sweet potato, apple or piece of squash can make up to twenty servings.

3. Sterilize your supplies.

Wash your blender, utensils, baby storage bowls and ice cube trays in warm soapy water and run them through a hot rinse cycle of your dishwasher. You can use a baby bottle sterilizer for the baby's eating utensils and bowls.

4. Prepare your Puree.

Peel, core and slice your fruit or veggie of choice. Put your slices into the skillet. Add water, not enough to cover the slices, they should still stick out about half way. Steam the pieces until they get tender - not soggy but tender.

Put the tender pieces into the blender and follow the blender instruction manual for making a puree.

You will probably need to add some of the water you used to steam them. Using the same water puts those nutrients back into your puree. Add just a little water, blend it then add some more if needed. You don't want to make it too runny.

Soft fruits like bananas and strawberries can be served fresh and mashed with a spoon or knife.

5. Store your leftovers

Baby food should only be left in the refrigerator up to 48 hours. It is best to freeze what won't be eaten in that time as soon as it's prepared. This prevents unwanted bacteria growth and ensures maximum freshness.

Spoon your puree into the ice cube tray. Wrap the tray in plastic wrap to seal in freshness. Put the tray in a freezer bag, being careful to push out extra air.

Before you put it in the freezer, label the bag with the date and contents. Don't rely on your memory. It's worth the few seconds it takes to prevent you from giving your baby freezer-burned food. You should throw out food that has been frozen longer than three months.

One cube equals a 1oz. serving. You can pop out one cube about an hour before each meal.

Now you're ready to serve up your homemade baby food and say "bon appetite" to your baby.

What About the Fun?

If you are wondering where the fun comes in when making organic baby food - you just have to try it. At the very least you will find it gratifying to know exactly what goes in your baby's tummy. If you do it and you're bored, have a Making Baby Food Party to spice things up!

If you still don't have fun, check out the page on shopping for organic baby food.

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Could Your Organic Infant Formula Be Toxic?
Grocery Shopping for Organic Baby Food
Cost Saving Tips for Organic Baby Food
Why Organic Baby Food Is Better
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A Sound Breastfeeding Diet for You and Your Organic Baby
Flavorful Organic Baby Food Recipes

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