Showing posts with label feeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label feeding. Show all posts
Saturday, October 22, 2011
The Soup Trick
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Babyfood Recipes
A few months back I posted how I was going to attempt to make all of my daughter's food. She is 10 months old now and I have been successful at it. Yay! It's been a lot easier than I thought it would be. I thought I would share a few of my recipes and tips with you all.
Chicken and Veggies
I usually buy a rotisserie chicken when I go shopping to use in meals. To use it with baby food, I take about a cup of meat and chop it up. I add it to a baked squash or a few baked sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add a little bit of chicken broth and puree with a hand blender. She loves it.
Beef Stew
1 pound stewing beef - cut into 1 inch slices
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 potatoes, peeled and sliced into chunks
1 cup frozen peas
enough water to cover the food
1 tbsp beef boullion
Boil everything together until the meat and veggies are soft. Add water as necessary. Puree with a hand blender.
Apricots and ?
To make a good apricot puree, re-hydrate dried apricots with a enough water to cover them up. Boil for about 10 minutes. Puree right in the pot. I like to make apricot plus another fruit mix. To make apricots and bananas, I take 2 bananas, slice them and lay them out on a piece of aluminum foil. Scoop a good portion of the apricot puree on top. Add a little bit of vanilla (1 tsp). Wrap the fruit up into a package and bake it at 325 for 20 minutes. Once the fruit is all soft, empty the packet out into a mixing bowl and puree everything together with a hand blender. I do the same with apricot and apple, just substitute a couple of peeled, cored and sliced apples for the banana. And yes, I've done this with just the apple and banana and it works great too. Very tasty!
How to store your baby food:
Spoon into ice cube trays. I label the trays with a dry-erase marker so I remember what's in there. The next day pop the cubes into freezer bags, make sure to label them and date the food, so you know what you have and when you made it. Baby food in the freezer can be kept and used for 3-6 months. Thawed food can be kept refrigerated for a couple of days. The great thing with the cubes is that there is very little waste. You get a good sense of how much your little one will eat and you just need to defrost/heat that much. I usually microwave 2-3 cubes for about 40 seconds. But be sure to stir and check the temperature before you serve it. You don't want your baby to get a burnt tongue from a hot spot. Have fun and be creative!
Chicken and Veggies
I usually buy a rotisserie chicken when I go shopping to use in meals. To use it with baby food, I take about a cup of meat and chop it up. I add it to a baked squash or a few baked sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add a little bit of chicken broth and puree with a hand blender. She loves it.
Beef Stew
1 pound stewing beef - cut into 1 inch slices
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 potatoes, peeled and sliced into chunks
1 cup frozen peas
enough water to cover the food
1 tbsp beef boullion
Boil everything together until the meat and veggies are soft. Add water as necessary. Puree with a hand blender.
Apricots and ?
To make a good apricot puree, re-hydrate dried apricots with a enough water to cover them up. Boil for about 10 minutes. Puree right in the pot. I like to make apricot plus another fruit mix. To make apricots and bananas, I take 2 bananas, slice them and lay them out on a piece of aluminum foil. Scoop a good portion of the apricot puree on top. Add a little bit of vanilla (1 tsp). Wrap the fruit up into a package and bake it at 325 for 20 minutes. Once the fruit is all soft, empty the packet out into a mixing bowl and puree everything together with a hand blender. I do the same with apricot and apple, just substitute a couple of peeled, cored and sliced apples for the banana. And yes, I've done this with just the apple and banana and it works great too. Very tasty!
How to store your baby food:
Spoon into ice cube trays. I label the trays with a dry-erase marker so I remember what's in there. The next day pop the cubes into freezer bags, make sure to label them and date the food, so you know what you have and when you made it. Baby food in the freezer can be kept and used for 3-6 months. Thawed food can be kept refrigerated for a couple of days. The great thing with the cubes is that there is very little waste. You get a good sense of how much your little one will eat and you just need to defrost/heat that much. I usually microwave 2-3 cubes for about 40 seconds. But be sure to stir and check the temperature before you serve it. You don't want your baby to get a burnt tongue from a hot spot. Have fun and be creative!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Adventures in Babyfood
My 6 month old daughter has recently started eating solids. And I have a confession to make, my first 2 children ate commercially made baby food. I know, it's so not crunchy granola mama of me (but remember I'm the one who uses disposable diapers, Jill's the one who uses cloth). Now that this is my 3rd baby, I've decided to go a different route. I know it's easy to do, I've just never done it much before...I'm going to make my own baby food. As much as possible I want to avoid anything that jacks up the price of something edible just because it has the word "baby" on the jar. Am I going to be 100%? Probably not. I have no idea how to make baby cereal other than what is in the store, but the other stuff looks pretty easy. The first foods that she has had have been. Take bananas. I already buy bananas for the rest of us. How difficult is it to break off a piece and mash it with a fork until smooth? Not very, and she loves it. Okay, maybe that isn't the best example because pre-mashed banana is one thing I've never bought in a jar for my kids. But how about applesauce? I always have a jar of organic applesauce in the house, it's much the same as what is in the baby food aisle, but without the high price tag. I also make a great applesauce that my kids love and I'm sure she will love too.
So then I tried my hand at basic veggies. Peas and carrots. Pretty easy, boil them and puree them. I have a hand blender, it works like a charm. Peas can be pureed with the a little bit of the water you cooked them in. With carrots you have to watch out for nitrates, so discard the water (add a little fresh water if you need help getting the puree smooth). Those veggies are now freezing in ice cube trays as I type, ready to be popped into airtight ziplock bags tomorrow.
I'm looking forward to the food possibilities that I can make on my own: squash, green beans, avacado, peaches...The world of fruit and veggies looks pretty good right now. I don't know why I thought this was a lot of work. It's a little later on when I try my hand at meats that I'm wondering about. How finely do they puree? Any tricks and tips out there?
One interesting side note is that of my picky 3 year old eater. He surprised the heck out of me when he asked for a chunk of banana yesterday, and then actually ate it. Remember this is the child that refuses all fruit and veggies in their natural form and I usually end up hiding in something for him. I'm wondering if the sibling jealousy of watching his baby sister get attention over eating food is getting to him? I'm kinda hoping the answer is yes.
So then I tried my hand at basic veggies. Peas and carrots. Pretty easy, boil them and puree them. I have a hand blender, it works like a charm. Peas can be pureed with the a little bit of the water you cooked them in. With carrots you have to watch out for nitrates, so discard the water (add a little fresh water if you need help getting the puree smooth). Those veggies are now freezing in ice cube trays as I type, ready to be popped into airtight ziplock bags tomorrow.
I'm looking forward to the food possibilities that I can make on my own: squash, green beans, avacado, peaches...The world of fruit and veggies looks pretty good right now. I don't know why I thought this was a lot of work. It's a little later on when I try my hand at meats that I'm wondering about. How finely do they puree? Any tricks and tips out there?
One interesting side note is that of my picky 3 year old eater. He surprised the heck out of me when he asked for a chunk of banana yesterday, and then actually ate it. Remember this is the child that refuses all fruit and veggies in their natural form and I usually end up hiding in something for him. I'm wondering if the sibling jealousy of watching his baby sister get attention over eating food is getting to him? I'm kinda hoping the answer is yes.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
But you turned out okay!
I am a child of the 70's. My mom loved me lots and did everything in her power to take the absolute best care of me (and my brother). She was educated on infant and child development and followed the advice given to her by professionals. I'm now a 21st Century parent. I too love my children and am doing everything in my power to take the absolute best care of them. I too educate myself on infant and child development and follow the advice given to my by professionals. So what's the difference? The difference is that we have been given different advice.
My mom raised us in a time when long term breastfeeding was not an encouraged practice. Bottles and formula were the thing. Parents were told to give their babies cereal at a few weeks old as it would help fill them up and they would sleep longer.
I'm raising my kids at a time where long term breastfeeding is recommended and encouraged. The formulas that we give our babies are more scientifically designed and much healthier for our babies. We are told to hold off on all solids for the first 6 months (even that advice changed since my oldest was an infant, 6 years ago the recommendation was 4-6 months). So what's the difference? About 30 years of research. So what's the problem? Many grandmothers, Aunties and well intentioned older ladies love these babies too and want to help you out. They do what women do best, give advice (notice I didn't say meddle or interfere?). The problem is the advice they have is 30 years out of date and like most women, many will get incensed at the idea that they could be wrong about something, often responding, "well I did that with you and you turned out okay!" (or your husband, or whoever). There is a very kind way to deal with this. My favorite comes from a letter I found from Dr. Sears:
Attention all Grandmothers:
Much has been learned over the past thirty years about infant nutrition and development. Many practices that were common three decades ago are now known to be unhealthy, maybe even dangerous to a young infant.
I know that the experts told you to start feeding your babies cereal after a few weeks of life; and you followed their advice because you loved your children. Now we know that an infant's gut is not ready for solid foods until around six months of age. If you start a food too early, he is much more likely to become allergic to it. This can result in damage to the intestines, weight loss, blood in the stool, and malnutrition. You might argue, "Well, my kids started solid foods at three weeks, and they turned out just fine." The truth is, very few adults have perfectly working digestive tracts. Just look at all the commercials for heartburn remedies and stool softeners... "ever feel gassy and bloated after a meal?"
Here is what the experts are saying now:
* Breastfeed for at least one year.
* Start cereal and other solids after six months of age.
Grammy, please let your daughters follow this advice, because they love your grandchildren as much as you do.
Dr. Jim
I love it. Perfectly worded, and by an expert in infant and child development. Remember these lovely ladies are not trying to frustrate you, they are trying to love your kids. You are the mom now. Make your wishes known (politely, we're not trying to start WW3 in the family) about feeding your baby, especially if they are going to be the baby's caretakers once in a while, and be ready to back yourself up with facts. It's quite possible that the reason we are seeing more people our age with bowel issues like Crohn's disease relates back to incorrect infant feeding when we were infants. Just be ready for both responses. Hopefully all will be well and you'll be greeted with understanding. But you also need to be ready for the opposite. It's okay to disagree here, but you are the parent, you are the one who is the key decision maker here. Be polite but firm. Look at all the other advice parents were given 30 years ago that doesn't hold true today:
-babies were put on their tummies to sleep (My sister in law was putting her baby on her tummy to sleep, because that's what she knew to do...until her pediatrician told her that 2 babies in the area had died recently from SIDS who were sleeping on their tummies.)
-car seats and seat belts were optional (I actually remember when wearing a seat belt became law in my province. I can't even imagine not wearing a seat belt today, have you ever walked into a room dealing with automobile trauma? My mom has, she was an OR RN for over 30 years, it ain't pretty.)
-women were allowed to smoke and drink during pregnancy (Have you ever met a child with FAS or FAE? I have. I've taught a few in my career, a very preventable diagnosis that these children will have to live with for the rest of their lives.)
Really, we all have the same interest in mind. We love these children passionately and want the best for them, sometimes we just need to keep ourselves and the other around us educated about what the best is.
My mom raised us in a time when long term breastfeeding was not an encouraged practice. Bottles and formula were the thing. Parents were told to give their babies cereal at a few weeks old as it would help fill them up and they would sleep longer.
I'm raising my kids at a time where long term breastfeeding is recommended and encouraged. The formulas that we give our babies are more scientifically designed and much healthier for our babies. We are told to hold off on all solids for the first 6 months (even that advice changed since my oldest was an infant, 6 years ago the recommendation was 4-6 months). So what's the difference? About 30 years of research. So what's the problem? Many grandmothers, Aunties and well intentioned older ladies love these babies too and want to help you out. They do what women do best, give advice (notice I didn't say meddle or interfere?). The problem is the advice they have is 30 years out of date and like most women, many will get incensed at the idea that they could be wrong about something, often responding, "well I did that with you and you turned out okay!" (or your husband, or whoever). There is a very kind way to deal with this. My favorite comes from a letter I found from Dr. Sears:
Attention all Grandmothers:
Much has been learned over the past thirty years about infant nutrition and development. Many practices that were common three decades ago are now known to be unhealthy, maybe even dangerous to a young infant.
I know that the experts told you to start feeding your babies cereal after a few weeks of life; and you followed their advice because you loved your children. Now we know that an infant's gut is not ready for solid foods until around six months of age. If you start a food too early, he is much more likely to become allergic to it. This can result in damage to the intestines, weight loss, blood in the stool, and malnutrition. You might argue, "Well, my kids started solid foods at three weeks, and they turned out just fine." The truth is, very few adults have perfectly working digestive tracts. Just look at all the commercials for heartburn remedies and stool softeners... "ever feel gassy and bloated after a meal?"
Here is what the experts are saying now:
* Breastfeed for at least one year.
* Start cereal and other solids after six months of age.
Grammy, please let your daughters follow this advice, because they love your grandchildren as much as you do.
Dr. Jim
I love it. Perfectly worded, and by an expert in infant and child development. Remember these lovely ladies are not trying to frustrate you, they are trying to love your kids. You are the mom now. Make your wishes known (politely, we're not trying to start WW3 in the family) about feeding your baby, especially if they are going to be the baby's caretakers once in a while, and be ready to back yourself up with facts. It's quite possible that the reason we are seeing more people our age with bowel issues like Crohn's disease relates back to incorrect infant feeding when we were infants. Just be ready for both responses. Hopefully all will be well and you'll be greeted with understanding. But you also need to be ready for the opposite. It's okay to disagree here, but you are the parent, you are the one who is the key decision maker here. Be polite but firm. Look at all the other advice parents were given 30 years ago that doesn't hold true today:
-babies were put on their tummies to sleep (My sister in law was putting her baby on her tummy to sleep, because that's what she knew to do...until her pediatrician told her that 2 babies in the area had died recently from SIDS who were sleeping on their tummies.)
-car seats and seat belts were optional (I actually remember when wearing a seat belt became law in my province. I can't even imagine not wearing a seat belt today, have you ever walked into a room dealing with automobile trauma? My mom has, she was an OR RN for over 30 years, it ain't pretty.)
-women were allowed to smoke and drink during pregnancy (Have you ever met a child with FAS or FAE? I have. I've taught a few in my career, a very preventable diagnosis that these children will have to live with for the rest of their lives.)
Really, we all have the same interest in mind. We love these children passionately and want the best for them, sometimes we just need to keep ourselves and the other around us educated about what the best is.
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