1. food and drink
2. food
3. grains and pasta

QUESTIONS? CONCERNS?
Contact the
Leeds, Grenville, and Lanark District Health Unit’s
HealthACTION Line at 1-800-660-5853.
BABYTALK SESSIONS
(drop in support group for parents
with babies from birth to 1 year)
Find out locations, dates and times by calling the
HealthACTION Line or visiting our website at
www.healthunit.org
Why make your own
baby food?
Making baby food at home helps you to:
Save money!
Offer a greater variety of food (little
variety of jarred baby food is available).
Make the change from puréed to
mashed foods easier.
Teach children at an early age that
home-made foods are the first choice,
and not to rely on processed foods
when they are hungry.
Introduce food related traditions to
your baby.
Control what is added to your child’s
food.
1163rv Mar 2014
NOTES
WHERE TO START
Be “CLEAN and QUICK”.
Cook and store food safely.
Clean your hands with warm soapy water before
making any food.
Clean all utensils (strainer, cutting board, spoon, etc.)
in a dishwasher or hand wash them using hot, soapy
water. Rinse and allow to air dry.
Cover the food once it has been cooked and put in
the fridge or freeze right away.
Storing Home-made Baby Food
Home-made baby food can be kept covered in the
refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Home-made Purée
Storage Time in Freezer
Vegetables
6-8 months
Fruits
6-8 months
Meat,poultry or fish (cooked) 10 weeks
Mixed Vegetable & Meat
Purée containing milk
10 weeks
6 weeks
To make and freeze your own baby food, use the “Cube
Method” or the “Drop Method” (see next page).
2
15
MEAT
ALTERNATIVES
BABY FOOD RECIPES
Legumes (chick peas,
navy beans, split peas)
Cube Method
•
Place about 2 tablespoons of puréed food in each
cube of a plastic “pop out” ice cube tray.
•
Put in freezer.
•
When frozen (1-2 hours), “pop” out the frozen cubes
of food and place in freezer bags.
•
Write the name of the food and the date it was made
on the bag with a waterproof marker.
•
When you want to use the food, take out one frozen
cube and defrost it in the fridge or put it in a plastic
bag and place in warm water.
Ingredients:
•
250 ml (1 cup) dried legumes
•
750 ml (3 cups) water
Method:
1. Add 1 cup of dried legumes to 3 cups of water. Slowly
bring to a boil and boil gently for 2 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.
3. Drain and add 5 cups of fresh water to the legumes.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 to 60
minutes.
4. Remove from heat and mash or blend by adding
200 ml (3/4 cup) liquid to the cooked legumes.
Remember…
Legumes are a less expensive alternative to
meat. They are packed with protein, iron, and
other important nutrients.
Red lentils do not need to be soaked. They can
be boiled in enough water to cover the legumes
in the pot until they are soft - time varies, but
about 20 minutes.
Canned beans and lentils are already cooked
and do not need to be re-boiled. Rinse well
before mashing with liquid.
Drop Method
•
Drop spoonfuls of puréed food onto a baking sheet
lined with waxed paper. They will land on the baking
sheet in a “drop” shape.
•
Put in the freezer.
•
When frozen (1-2 hours), remove food from the cookie
sheet and transfer puréed “drops” to a freezer bag.
•
Write the name of the food and the date it was made
on the bag with a waterproof marker.
•
When you want to use the food, take out one frozen
drop and defrost it in the fridge or put it in a plastic bag
and place in warm water.
Warming Baby Food
You can thaw frozen food in the refrigerator. An egg
poacher, double boiler or a dish in hot water are good
ways to warm baby food. Be sure to stir the food and test
the temperature on the back of your hand before serving
it to your baby.
What feels warm to you may feel hot to your baby.
14
3
Microwave Safety
BABY FOOD RECIPES
Do NOT use a microwave to heat baby food.
•
•
Drops of water in puréed food heat up quickly
and can form pockets of steam. These pockets
may cause burns when the food is eaten.
Do not use baby food jars or other small jars to
heat food in the microwave. The jar may break
from a build-up of steam.
Basic Recipes for Home-made Baby Food
POULTRY
(Chicken, Turkey)
Ingredients:
•
1 - 1.5 kg (2 lb) chicken or turkey pieces
•
750 ml (3 cups) of water
Method:
1. Stovetop Method: Place chicken/turkey and water in
a pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for
45 minutes to 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked and
the meat separates easily from the bones.
Microwave method: Place chicken/turkey and water
in a microwave-safe bowl and heat at a high setting
until meat separates easily from the bones.
Most purées require adding extra liquid to make them
easier for baby to swallow.
Below is a general guide for adding liquid to baby food
purée.
FOOD
LIQUID
YIELD
BLENDING TIME
3. Take skin and fat off the meat. Remove meat from the
bones and then cut the meat into small pieces.
FRUITS:
75 - 125 ml
(1/3 - ½ cup)
cooked fruit
4. Purée the meat with some of the cooking liquid,
breastmilk, or formula.
10 ml (2 tsp)
liquid
75 - 125 ml
(1/3 - ½ cup)
VEGETABLES: 45 ml (3 tbsp)
200 ml (3/4
liquid
cup) cooked
vegetables
75 - 125 ml
(1/3 - ½ cup)
MEATS:
125 ml (1/2
cup) cooked
meat
75 - 125 ml
(1/3 - ½ cup)
60 ml (4 tbsp)
liquid
15 - 45
seconds
1 - 2 minutes
Process until
smooth
2. Remove from heat and let it cool.
Remember…
Cut away fat and remove any skin or bones.
Over-cooking will make the meat tough and
hard to purée. Make sure the poultry is no
longer pink inside.
For a smooth texture, mix poultry with a small
serving of rice cereal and liquid.
Go to Page 9 for recipes to make home-made baby food!
4
13
FISH
BABY FOOD RECIPES
Ingredients:
•
250 g (1/2 lb) of fish fillets with bones taken out
(sole, cod, ocean perch, haddock)
•
125 ml (4 oz) whole milk or water
Method:
1. Stovetop Method: Pour milk or water in a large frying
pan or saucer and gently heat milk. Do not boil!
2. Add fish fillets to the liquid. Cover with a lid or
aluminum foil and simmer over low heat for 5-10
minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Microwave method: Place fish fillets and milk in a
microwave-safe bowl and set at a medium setting until
fish flakes easily with a fork.
3. Remove from heat and let it cool.
4. Blend or purée the fish with some of the cooking liquid,
breastmilk or formula.
Remember…
Cut away fat and remove any skin or bones.
Over-cooking will make the fish tough and hard
to purée.
For a smooth texture, mix fish with a small
serving of rice cereal and liquid.
12
SPECIAL CONCERNS
ABOUT VEGETABLES
The following vegetables contain nitrates:
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Radish
Rhubarb
Spinach
Squash
Turnip
You may have heard to avoid giving your baby some
vegetables because they contain nitrates.
When some vegetables are boiled, such as those listed
above, nitrates become concentrated in the cooking
water. Babies can become very sick if they eat a high
amount of nitrates. This can happen if the cooking water
is used to puree the cooked vegetables.
The concern about nitrates in some vegetables applies to
babies less than 6 months of age. Once a baby turns 6
months old, the risk is much less and it is okay to use the
cooking water.
Current infant feeding guidelines recommend exclusive
breastfeeding for 6 months and up to 2 years and
beyond. Solid foods, including vegetables, do not need to
be offered to babies until after they are 6 months of age
(whether they are breastfed or formula fed).
5
General Baby Food Texture Guide
AGE FOOD
TEXTURE
(MONTHS)
0 - 6 mo. Breast Milk
BABY FOOD RECIPES
Ingredients:
Liquid
•
500 g (1 lb) of boneless lean meat
cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes
•
500 ml (2 cups) water
Iron rich foods
• Meat
• Meat alternatives
Beans
Egg (yolk & white)
Tofu
• Pablum
Vegetables
Fruits
Dairy
• Cheese
• Yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• All except fluid milk
Puree
Like “thick applesauce”
8 mo.
Mashed or finely minced
3. Blend or purée the meat with some of the cooking
water or breastmilk.
Small soft pieces (size of a pea)
Remember…
6 mo.
Variety of foods
Mashed when baby is taking
food from a spoon well
9-12 mo. Variety of foods
Method:
1. Stovetop Method: Place meat and water into a
saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and
simmer for about 45 minutes or until meat is tender.
Microwave method: Place meat and water in a
microwave safe bowl and heat at a high setting until
meat is tender.
2. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
No hard pieces of vegetables
or fruits, nuts, round & smooth
foods (choking hazard)
6
BEEF
Mashed or finely minced
Fluid homogenized milk
added when baby is
eating a wide variety of
foods everyday
Small soft pieces (size of a pea)
Start with 2 oz at
mealtime in a cup – by
one year of age, no more
than 18 oz. milk/day
No puree or mashed by 12
months
No hard pieces of vegetables
or fruits, nuts, round & smooth
foods (choking hazard)
Cut away fat and remove any skin or bones.
Over-cooking will make the meat tough and
hard to purée. Make sure the meat is no longer
pink inside.
For a smooth texture, mix meat with a small
serving of rice cereal and liquid.
11
FRUIT
BABY FOOD RECIPES
Ingredients
•
Fresh Fruit
•
Water
Method:
1. Wash, peel and slice the fruit. Remove any seeds or
hard parts.
2. Combine sliced fruit and a small amount of water in a
saucepan.
3. Stovetop Method: Bring to a boil, then reduce the
heat to a simmer and continue cooking for 15-20
minutes or until tender.
Microwave method: Place sliced fruit and a small
amount of tap water in a microwave safe bowl and
heat at a medium setting until fruit is tender.
4. Drain cooked fruit, reserving the cooking liquid.
5. Mash or blend fruit, using a small amount of cooking
liquid or breastmilk if needed.
6. Freeze as directed (see pg 2-3).
JARRED (Store-bought) BABY FOODS
Choosing Jarred Baby Foods
•
Choose plain vegetables.
•
Choose plain fruits, not fruit desserts. The
“desserts” have added sugar and starch.
•
Choose plain meats, not casseroles, stews, etc.
The mixed meals often have more vegetables
than meat.
Added ingredients that may be found in baby foods
include:
•
•
•
•
Remember…
•
10
Fruits for babies should be fresh, unsweetened,
frozen or canned in their own juice or water.
Canned fruit in syrup has a lot of sugar, so
these fruits are not a good choice.
•
Bananas do not need to be cooked. A ripe
banana will mash very easily.
•
Canned fruits do not require cooking. You can
purée or mash them easily.
sugar
(in some fruits and desserts for flavour)
Baby may learn to prefer sweet foods.
starch (for thickness)
Baby may fill up and leave little room
for other foods.
water
Usually added to “thin out” the food.
citric acid or lemon juice
(to stop food from turning brown).
Some babies may be sensitive to
citrus.
Salt, artificial flavours and colours, monosodium
glutamate (MSG) and nitrates are not used in
commercially prepared baby foods in Canada.
7
Points to Remember about Jarred Baby Food:
•
Read the labels to avoid unnecessary
ingredients like starch and sugar.
•
The first ingredient listed on the label is
present in the largest amount. For example,
if ingredients for “beef stew” are listed as:
potatoes, carrots, beef, wheat flour, etc., it
means that there are more potatoes and
carrots in the meal than beef. Serve it as a
vegetable rather than as a meat.
•
•
Make sure the safety seal on the jar of baby
food has not been broken. When you open a
jar of baby food, listen for a “popping” sound. If
it does not make this sound, throw out the baby
food. Germs or bacteria may be in the food.
Opened jars of commercial baby food can be
kept covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3
days.
Do not feed the baby directly from the jar unless the
whole amount will be eaten at the meal. The spoon will
carry germs and saliva back into the baby food jar, which
can cause germs to grow.
All the following
recipes (pgs 9-14)
have been adapted
from “Making Your
Own Baby Food”,
Metro Foodshare,
Toronto.
8
BABY FOOD RECIPES
VEGETABLES
Ingredients
•
Fresh or frozen vegetables
•
Water
Method
1. Wash, peel and slice fresh vegetables or use frozen
vegetables.
2. Stovetop Method: Place uncooked vegetables into
a steamer or a small amount of boiling water and
simmer just until tender.
Microwave method: Place vegetables in a
microwave-safe bowl with a small amount of tap water
and heat at a high setting until vegetables are tender.
3. Remove from heat and drain vegetables. Purée
vegetables with a small amount of cooking liquid. You
can also use breastmilk, formula, or sterilized water.
► Caution - If they are “nitrate containing”
vegetables, refer to the section “Special
Concerns About Vegetables” on Page 5.
Remember…
•
Fresh or frozen vegetables work best.
Canned vegetables may be high in salt and
often become too runny when blended.
9