Baby Food!

Levi is now nearing 9 months old. With all three of my kids, I've been making my own baby food. I always recommend the book "Super Baby Food" by Ruth Yaron to those starting out, but for those of you already over here who don't have immediate access to the book, here is a basic guide of when to introduce what foods, taken from this book.

First few weeks:

ripe avocado

ripe banana

sweet potatoes

Single grain cereals: oatmeal, barley, rice, millet

mild fruits, cooked and strained:

apricots, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, prunes

Six months:

yogurt

winter squash

raw mild fruits: papaya, mango, pears

Cereals: brown rice

Seven Months:

tofu

cottage cheese (paneer?)

mixed cereals

hard-cooked egg yolk (not egg white)

asparagus

carrots

green beans

peas

summer squash

white potatoes

peaches

mild fruit juices, diluted: apple, apricot, grape, papaya, pear, peach prune

Eight Months:

apricot

apple

cantaloupe

honeydew melon

grapes(peeled and quartered, not whole grapes)

kiwi fruit

plums

watermelon

broccoli

okra

cooked parsley

wheat germ (unless family allergy)

tahini

finely ground nuts

finely ground seeds

brewer's yeast

powdered kelp

natural cheeses

powdered desiccated liver YUM!

Nine Months:

brussels sprouts

cauliflower

spinach

beets

greens

kale

eggplant

rhubarb

rutabaga

cooked onion

turnips

pineapple

finely chopped raw parsley

beans, split peas, lentils and other legumes ground to a powder and cooked or cooked whole and mashed with skins removed

Ten Months:

thinned peanut butter

other thinned nut butters

ground sprouts

whole grain pasta

bulgur cereal

raw and finely grated:

carrots, greens, summer squash, sweet peppers

Basic guidelines: Cook all fruits and vegetables by steaming or boiling till soft. Puree in a mixee or blender, adding water, until it's a smooth consistency. For 6 months, think of the baby food in the jars at Walmart... go for that consistency. Really light and smooth. As they get older, around nine months, it can be more chunky and dense. For grains, you can either grind the grains dry and then cook the powder, or cook the grains and then puree. I always cook the whole grains first. Same for beans and lentils.

Start out with one tablespoon as a serving. Gradually increase as baby is finishing it and wanting more.

When introducing a new food, feed only that food for four days. Don't introduce more than one food in four days. In case there's an allergic reaction, then you're sure to know what it was.

Last, once your baby is used to certain foods, try mixing them up. Like a barley broccoli cereal combo. Cucumber and yogurt together. Or try throwing a little cinnamon in the applesauce, cumin in the potatoes, to expand their taste buds. Get creative and have fun! :) And I must say, the book is still REALLY worth getting. She has tons of great recipes for toddlers and a ton of nutritional information. So get it in the next package if you have an infant!