Would you feed your baby some food that was probably made a year ago or more? If the idea of that puts you off, then you’d probably want to give commercial baby foods a miss and start making your own!
Canned and jarred foodstuff is not a new thing. Most of us have been fed commercial baby food and we turned out just fine. As with everything else in life, we have a choice. Here, however, we’ll look into the winning points of homemade baby food for your little one.
Simply more nutritious
Think fresh, nutrient-dense meat, fish, legumes, vegetables, and fruit. From vitamins to proteins and fibre, homemade baby food is able to deliver the best nutrition to your little one’s plate. A little effort in planning and preparing homemade meals will ensure that your little one will be getting the wholesome goodness he or she deserves without all the unhealthy extras that may be present in commercial baby foods, such as preservatives and coloring.
Controlling what goes in it
Salt, sugar, artificial flavoring, and coloring should not be in a baby’s diet and if you make your little one’s food yourself, you’ll be able to leave those out! Making your baby food assures you that only the good stuff is fed to your child. You can gradually start using herbs and spices to add flavour your baby’s food and get him or her accustomed to the natural tastes of wholesome foods.
Saves you quite a bit
Baby food bought from stores are not cheap, especially if you are depending on the day after day. With homemade food, however, you’ll be able to shop for fresh ingredients and make several batches of tasty, wholesome food. Planning what you want to make will help you keep from over-buying and in the long run, saves you money too. All you need to invest in are the tools or equipment you need such as a good blender and food steamer.
Satisfaction
There is always a sense of gratification knowing you’re giving your baby the best in terms of nutrition, something that is not quite possible with commercial baby foods. It’ll be time well spent too when you make an effort to prepare a full week’s meals in a single afternoon to store in your freezer. Then, simply pop out a perfectly sized portion to warm up in no time at all.
More flavours to explore
What would your baby like today? The possibilities are endless with homemade baby food because you really can include anything you see fit. The possible combinations and flavours are only limited to your imagination (and baby’s personal preference).
Making your baby foods allows you to explore all the possibilities and try out the endless recipes you can find online. You can tweak them to your (baby’s) taste and experiment with ingredients, texture, flavors, etc. In other words, you can keep it interesting and exciting for both baby and you.
A 2010 study published in the Cambridge Journals revealed that children who were given home-cooked fruit or vegetables (FV) more often at 6 months were more likely to be eating a higher proportion of FV at 7 years, than those who were given home-cooked FV less often.¹
Reference:
1. Cambridge Journals – Public Health Nutrition (2010), 13: 2044-2051
Featured image source: iStock
