***This is a post I originally intended to write a while ago, but then life kind of got in the way :) ***
Long before Nathan was born, I knew I wanted to make my own baby food. For me, it isn't necessarily about food allergies or "evil food additives" or being a supermom. I just knew there were some things I wouldn't be able to do for my son (stay home with him), and others I wasn't sure if I could do (breastfeed). But making my own baby food sounded like a fun (I enjoy cooking for other people) and financially wise thing to do. And yes, I believe in trying to make greener, healthier choices whenever possible. And since we have a garden and easy access to farmstands and farmer's markets during the summer months, it seemed like the logical choice.
In preparation for this endeavor, I researched and registered for a book, "Top 100 Baby Purees" (http://www.amazon.com/Top-Baby-Purees-Annabel-Karmel/dp/0743289579). No, you don't need a recipe book to make your own baby food. And now that I've been doing it for a couple months, I can kind of invent my own recipes. But I liked having a reference for things like what foods to introduce at what time points, which foods could be made in large batches to freeze, what combinations offered added health benefits (like mixing carrots and sweet potatoes with a bit of butter for better absorption!), etc. Life has also been quite busy lately, so for me, having short, well-written, easy-to-follow recipes and ingredient lists all in one place is essential.
I'm sure there are other great books on the topic, and I don't doubt that some nutritionists and/or pediatricians would offer alternative or even contradictory advice to what is included in this particular book. But like most things in the world of parenting, there will always be conflicting information and opinions, so you just have to go with what your instinct tells you. We have followed many of the suggestions in this book, starting with simple fruit and vegetable purees made from things like banana or cooked carrots mixed with breastmilk and baby cereal (we use oatmeal). From there, we moved on to mashed avocado, homemade apple- and pear-sauce, and squash-based veggie purees. Nathan loved banana, so we mixed it with pretty much everything when introducing a new taste or texture for the first time.
Once solids were well-established (eating them 1-2 times per day for about a month), I started to explore new combinations and more "complex" flavors and textures: tomato mixed with zucchini and cheese, a sweet potato-and-apple based chicken blend, peaches and mashed berries. We also introduced a couple of store-bought items that I'm not quite up to making on my own (baby yogurt and cereal "puffs"). We buy plain or organic, sugar-free yogurt, which is a good source of healthy fat, protein, and dairy. The cereal puffs are supposedly whole grain, but he only gets a few at a time to practice self-feeding and chewing; usually we do this while we're getting his actual meal ready and he's waiting in his high chair. They're also a good distraction for car rides and public outings where he's starting to get hungry but you don't want a big mess :)
As Nathan's daily activity level and awake times increased, so did his appetite. We began offering solids 3 times per day a couple weeks ago, and are now on a pretty regular schedule. He still nurses once in the early morning hours (between 4:30-5:30) and then goes back to sleep for another 2-3 hours. Once he's up for the day, he gets breakfast in the form of fruit mixed with yogurt, mashed banana, or oatmeal. We've also introduced the sippy cup, so he drinks an ounce or so with his breakfast, then has a bottle before his morning nap. After his nap (sometime around 11:00 a.m. to noon-ish), he has a lunch of all veggies or veggies and protein, along with another couple ounces of milk in his sippy cup. He gets another bottle before his afternoon nap. Depending on when he wakes up from that, he may drink a few more ounces from the cup, or he may go straight to dinner. We try to do dinner between 5-5:30 for him (more protein and fruit or veggies). He usually seems the thirstiest during dinner, so he may drink 2-3 ounces from the cup with dinner or shortly thereafter. We also sometimes give him finger foods (chunks of banana, avocado, puffs, watermelon, peaches) after he's eaten most of his dinner so he can practice more self-feeding and stop on his own when he's full. Just before bed, he gets his last bottle of the day. Some days, depending on what we're doing, the schedule may get off track a bit. But he always lets us know when he's hungry!
I make it a point to try a bit of everything I make for him, and I have to say, it all tastes pretty good! And makes the house smell lovely. I've also been surprised at how easy it has been to make the food. I try to plan ahead and make 3 or 4 batches of different blends at a time. Then I divide and freeze the pureed food in larger, full-serving size cups, as well as smaller, half-serving size ice cube trays. When he first started solids, he would get 1 full serving cup or 2 half-serving cubes per meal. These days, he eats about double that amount (2 full serving cups or 1 full plus 2 cubes or 4 cubes). The different sizes allow us to mix and match so he's always getting a good variety of flavors, textures, and nutrients. Whenever I make something new, I make sure to include other things he's familiar with during whichever meal we introduce the new stuff.
While he pretty much eats everything we give him, he's definitely shown a preference for certain foods over others. His current faves are:
- Chicken-and-sweet potato blends
- Squash (by itself or combined with other veggies)
- Banana (in just about any form or combination)
- Tomato-and-cheese thickened with another veggie or baby oatmeal
All in all, I have been pleasantly surprised by this entire endeavor. It was always something I wanted to do, and it's nice to have it be so rewarding, fun, and relatively easy. We're saving money, he's eating lots of different foods (including some harvested straight from our backyard), and I feel an extreme sense of satisfaction. I may not be able to do some things for my son, but I can do this.
