Super Baby Food

The other day, after some hesitation and procrastination, I finally bought the book "Super Baby Food" by Ruth Yaron. Jellybean has been eating "solid" food for a couple of months now, which I've been purchasing in jars from the local supermarket. I forgot how expensive baby food is! Plus, for the "second foods", they have additives listed on the label, some of which I'm unfamiliar with. About a month ago, I spotted a copy of this book at my friend's house, and she was saying how much she liked the book and how easy it is to make baby food. Then, she gave me some applesauce she had made for her son, and Jellybean seemed to like it. The kicker is that my friend works over 30 hours per week and still finds time to do this, so I figured that, since I'm not working this summer, now is my chance to try to make it work.

Last night, after purchasing some of the supplies I needed (I really only needed to buy ice cube trays because I had the other items required), I made nectarines. Because Jellybean is over 6 months old now, I don't need to cook all his fruits. All I did was peel the nectarines, cut them in small sections, threw them in the food processor, and hit "blend". Once that is done, I filled ice cube trays with the food, put foil over it, and let it freeze overnight. Using this method, I am able to make perfect baby size portions that will last at least a month (because I don't give JB the same fruits every day). This morning, I went to Whole Foods and purchased yams, apples, and carrots, and will use almost the same method to make these baby foods. The only difference is that I need to steam the veggies first before blending them. Next, I plan to make the "super porridge" made from brown rice. It does not sound very appetizing to me, but I figure that now is the time to get the little guy started on healthy foods so that he develops a taste for good foods that are not so processed and sugary.

This book also has some helpful hints about what to have in your kitchen to make your life easier, stresses having an uncluttered kitchen (which is a challenge for me), and has some home-made recipes for other things besides just baby food. There are a few things that I don't agree with. For one, the author makes it a point that parents always need to have a happy face, especially when changing diapers, so that JB doesn't have sexual repression issues later in life. Huh?!? However, I like how she advises to check with the pediatrician about ages at which certain foods should be introduced, and encourages parents to follow the pediatrician's advice first and foremost since different sources give conflicting information.

I've read most of the book except for the recipe section, which I am using piecemeal so that I don't get overwhelmed. Overall, I'd recommend this book to parents of babies who really want to make home-made baby food, but thought it was too hard.