I have a little 14 month old girl in my care as a private chef. Her parents want her to have organic food prepared for her at home so each week I get to think of things that will make her happy and keep her healthy. Luckily, she loves to eat and devours her food with great joy.
There are many reasons to feed your baby at home. I have narrowed it down to three of the most important ones.
The Myth of Baby Food Companies:
Big baby food companies made us believe that if you don’t feed them their brand – all the time – your baby won’t be healthy. This is just not true. Manufactured baby foods use additives like modified food starch (gluten from wheat), and other thickeners to make the product a certain consistency to keep it stable on the shelves. The thickeners are taking up space in those jars that could be filled with a complete nutritional food that is whole and organic.
Mommy Knows Best:
As a mom, you get to choose what goes into your baby’s body. Choosing organic foods that are whole and complete will help your baby have a healthy start. When you make it, you know what goes into it and how your baby reacts to it. You can make certain that it is well cooked and handled with care. When someone else does it, you don’t really know.
It’s Easier and More Cost Effective than You Think:
Purchasing organic vegetables has gotten so much easier. Most supermarkets have organic lines and offer coupons. You can go to farmer’s markets or talk to a local farmer in your area who may let you place an order. Then, all you have to do is buy some vegetables, throw them in a pot with a little water, boil them and mash them. With the Masha, it’s so ridiculously simple to do. Just use it in the hot pot right there on the stove (it’s BPA free!)
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| Butternut Squash with Cinnamon and Cumin |
Feeding your baby can also be very cost effective when she eats what you’re eating. Sure you will have to prepare it a little differently for your baby. You always have to be aware of potential choking hazards and will want to make sure things are chopped, blended or mashed well.
For instance, here’s a lentil soup I made for the parents. I used the Masha to blend it up for the baby so it would be a lot easier for her to swallow. It blended the soup beautifully with a minimum of effort.
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There are many things you can boil up and mash together, things like sweet potatoes with green beans, apples sauce, peaches and blueberries, yams and spinach, pears and strawberries and the list goes on. When you’re done making some homemade baby food, you can store it in little containers or ice trays and freeze it to have later. You can do this once a week to save you time.
A little planning and a little of your time can make a massive difference for your baby. It’s worth the effort to see your baby grow up strong and healthy.
