Baby food

[Phoebe]

Tell me how you made your own baby food, please! What resources did you use to make it? How did you store it? Did you see a difference in how the baby switched to table food?

I am interested in trying this. I don't know where to start.

Thanks!

I used Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron as a guide. The book is long and overwhelming, IMO, so I decided to just read what I was interested in. I made big batches and froze it in icecube trays and would use a few cubes of each for a meal. I also made the..gruel...ok that's not what it was but what it looked like. My kids loved it.

I just ordered this book from Amazon. It seems to be great and I'll let you know tomorrow when it arrives. http://www.amazon.com/Petit-Appetit-Coo ... F8&s=books

what Nellie said.

I actually felt that in comparison to my friends who used jars, my kids seemed to have an easier time switching to table food. My theory was that since mine was never the very, very liquidy consistency that the store-bought was, they didn't have as many issues w/consistency of real food. Or, I was comparing a kids that would have had consistency issues no matter what with kids that wouldn't have.

[Michele]

Do you have to give them the mashed up food? Can you just wait until they are able to pull small bits off your plate? This is me, wondering. :huh:

Nope. You don't HAVE to. Some people choose to do straight breastmilk for a full year (or formula). I never pushed the babyfood thing much b/c it was such a pain to shovel it in ... never seemed like much hit it's target. I've known some people w/very hungry babies who seemed to be able to better satisfy them w/food than just liquid.

I chose to introduce foods very slowly. Part of me was really worried about allergies b/c of my friend's experience, and part of me just figured they'd start to eat as they could do it themselves. That worked for us.

I started solids around 6 months with both kids. Some stuff I mashed up like banana or avocado. I also used the rice or oat cereal and then starting making the Super Baby Food cereal concoction. For other foods, I either put it through the food processor (pears, mango) or cooked it and then ran it through the food processor (sweet potatoes, apples etc). I never used a strainer or food mill.

[migirl]

I used Super Baby Food as well, also mostly as a guide. I stored food in ice cube trays, and thawed a few cubes at each meal.

I, however, am having a tough time switching DS to table food. He used to eat everything I gave him, and now all of a sudden he refuses just about everything. Maybe this is just run-of-the-mill pickiness, though...

[DCJenn]

Nikolai was already on fully loaded table foods when we met him at nine months. He wasn't getting a bottle during the day (more diapers to change) and they were giving them people food all day long.

We just gave him more of the same upon our return to the States- mashed potatos, mashed sweet potatos, pastas, etc. He hates meat but they werwe giving them ground meat patties in Russia. (spiced and everything). Also they got hot cereal every morning.


jenn

[Amiens]

I used Mommy Made It (and Daddy to).

I made all baby food with the exception of cereals for Emma. She transitioned fine to table food. Typical toddler was picky here and there, but now she is a decent eater.

Then there is Brigham we tried homemade, we tried Gerber, the kid HATED baby food and went straight to table food at 6 months and he was still breastfeeding- if it was mashed he flat out refused to eat it. For example- banana, it had to be a chunk that he could grip and eat.

Now Reed, I did both jarred and homemade. To date there is very little table food that he will eat- he is quite picky. He will eat anything that is baby food, but put it in finger food form and he won't touch it.

Funny thing out of all three kids, Brigham is the best eater out all three of them.

I have waited until all of my kids were 6 months to introduce food to their diets and try to have them eating once a day by 8 months. I have had friends that waited until 12 months and then had problems getting their kids to eat any kind of food table food. You will know when your child is ready to start solids- it will be very apparent.