I have been making food for my 6 month DD...Right now I am in the process of introducing new foods, I do one new one every 5 days. So far she hasn't had any issues. I have only been doing foods I have seen on baby food jars, but I would like to branch out a bit from that... but I want to make sure I don't accidentally feed her something that will make her sick. What foods do I need to avoid? (I am only doing single-ingredient fruits and veggies for now) Also, what foods are best when she starts getting plugged up? She hasn't been nearly as regular as she was since we started solids. She hasn't been full-blown constipated yet, but I would like to prevent the issue.
Go to these websites. They have many suggestions. You will love them. Enjoy.
www.wholesomebabyfood.com
www.weelicious.com
www.annabelekarmel.com
I got the book "the Healthy Baby Meal Planner" by Annabel Karmel. It's full of great information and recipes!! Although, I never got to make the pureed foods...my LO refused them and went straight to table food at 8. 5 months (essentially, he did baby-led weaning without us even trying).
I also like the wholesomebabyfood.com site!
You've gotten good sites to look at so far. I did mostly individual foods too, and then tried to make combos that I saw, just like you. I waited on meats until she had enough gum power or teeth to chew them (even if I was serving them pureed)...something my mom recommended. I also held off on wheat products until 10 months or so, and did whole milk organic yogurt after 8 months (I have asthma, so that was recommendation with family history). I did egg YOLKS scrambled with grated cheese and a little water - avoid egg whites until after 1 year.
Constipation...I gave my DD pureed prunes and oatmeal every morning for breakfast until she was 2, and that kept her regular! Bananas are an "equalizer", good for runny or too solid bowel movements.
Hope that helps!
You've gotten some great answers and website suggestions. So just a little addition from me!
I never bought jarred baby food. I basically went to the grocery or farmer's market and picked up a vegetable, took it home, steamed it and pureed it in the blender. To store, I poured into ice cube trays and placed in the freezer. They keep for several months. That way, I could make a whole bunch over the weekend and have it for a while.
I tried every vegetable I could find, then fruits. Jarred baby food is sooo very limited in variety. Some of my boys' favorites were eggplant, cauliflower, R. pepper, blueberry and pumpkin.
I waited till after a year to do citrus and strawberries. My babies at about 9 months also loved pureed lentils and cannellini beans, for protein. If you do chicken, it purees well with banana. Also, some white fish are easily chewed. If you've introduced a cup, rice milk can be a fun addition to the sippy cup.
After you've tried many things with no allergy reaction, feel free to combine two or more veggies.
Good luck on your journey to feed your baby healthy food!
1st, let me qualify my answer, I am a grandma of 12 now, having already raised 7 smart, healthy kids, none of whom are or ever were obese, so I know "my way" works, even though I know it is not the only way that does.
A 6 month old does not "need" anything but breastmilk, which is the perfect complete nutrition for at least the 1st year of life. I never bought baby food or formula. When my kids started showing interest in table food, and that age varied from kids to kid, I let them have anything they had enough teeth to handle. On the rare occasion they were trying to eat something they couldn't handle, I got out my Happy Baby Food Grinder, and ground it up right there on the spot for them. Nutritious food is good for any age. It's part of God's design to give them teeth when they actually need them! So really, there isn't much that you SHOULD be eating that a toddler can't, other than being able to it chew properly, which is why the grinder is handy. If you are eating a poor diet, now is the time to improve it, so you set a good example for your kids.
Well they say eggs and dairy are the most common problem causers at such a young age.
Is she BH or bottle fed?
I noticed with my own kids, citrus didn't sit well. But mostly I waited til they were watching ME eat with great interest and mushed up whatever I was eating and put it on their tray. It's a blast isn't it, watching the look on their faces when they try something new?!
Oh, mashed up over cooked pasta might be good too!
oops, I mean, BF, not BH!
See if this site will help you.
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/pureebabyfoodandstore.htm
I used it and loved all the ideas.
Apples, bananas and rice will make her constipated. So if you give apples then give something like sweet potatoes, squash or prunes. Just try to only give one of those things a day.
Skip dairy, eggs and honey until 12 months honey maybe even longer. Keep soy products to a minimum. I would also skip citrus for a while.
Check out www.onestepahead.com
They have a book I am planning on getting for our third child:
"First Meals Cookbook" by Annabel Karmel
It seems to have good reviews so I think it is worth a shot. I have always been happy with this site so I am always willing to try stuff they offer!
I would suggest the book Super Baby Food. The book has suggested introduction patterns as well as recipes.
http://www.superbabyfood.com/
The other free resource I would recommend is http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/ They have stages for food introduction and recipes as well.
I made my kids their baby food too. Two books I like are First Meals by Annabel Karmel and Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. I have made some terrific recipies from these. They offer great recipies, ideas, and advice on foods. My first child I gave rice cereal to ... he had constipation issues for years. So, with my second, I didn't give her rice until after she was one. She has no issues at all in that department.
Both my kids eat extremely well. They try everything at least once. I think that I can attribute this to, at least in part, to me making their foods. After, you are at the stage of giving single foods ... what I did was just make them what we were having but in a mashed up or itty bites form.
Good luck!
D.
I haven't read all the responses, so someone else may have linked this site for you, but http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/ has all the info you're seeking. It's a great resource!
WOW! What awesome answers. I made my sons baby food actually on accident. One night I was cooking for my other 3 kids, and realized I did not have enough baby food in the house for my son, and did not have the money to buy more. I took the veggies I had already cooked for my other children, and grabbed my hand blender and blended away. He loved it soooo much better than the jar stuff. I had saved jars for rainy day crafts, so I boiled them all and cleaned them. I would go to Aldi's and get can veggies for 45 cent a can, and purree away, putting the date on the jar with a piece of tape. I would even take left over meats and add them to it as well. It was a great way to introduce foods I normally could not. Now my son is 3, and eats anything, including the veggies most kids won't. Hope this helps :)
