Bon Appetit Baby: Make Your Own Organic Baby Food (with Video)

Baby food doesn’t have to come in jars. It grows on trees and in gardens!

Writing Grow A Green Baby prompted me to think about all of the little choices and dilemmas new parents are faced with daily. One that seems to transcend most of the others is how important it is to provide babies with healthy eating habits right from the start.

Conventional prepackaged baby food can be loaded with additives and preservatives. Some even contain refined sugars and chemically modified starches. Not to mention the condensed fruits and vegetables with potential pesticide residues.

Homemade organic baby food is simply fruits, vegetables and grains that are strained, pureed, or mashed. Making your own baby food makes perfect sense, because little babies have rapidly developing bodies that are especially vulnerable to toxins.

Why make your own organic baby food?

1. Pound for pound, a baby consumes more pesticides, nitrates, food additives and chemicals from the foods they ingest.

2. Studies show that organic foods have higher nutritional levels than conventionally grown foods.

3. Organic foods are not genetically modified.

4. Baby food that isn’t over-cooked and processed has a higher nutrient quotient.

5. You can make food that pleases your baby’s taste.

6. Babies learn what fresh food tastes like, and it is usually preferred.

7. Making your own baby food saves money.

Do organic foods have a higher nutritional value?

Organic food is safer, more nutritious and it tastes better. Here is a study that substantiates that. Wholesomebabyfood.com claims that some organic products may have 60 to 80 percent more nutrients and higher levels of vitamin E than their conventional counterparts. Organic wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, onions and lettuce have between 20 to 40 percent more nutrients.

Isn’t it a waste of time to make your own if you can buy organic baby food?

Using fresh and clean organic fruits and vegetables and whole grains develops healthy eating habits and the nutritional value of homemade organic baby food per ounce is higher than jarred foods.

Next: Best and worst fruits and vegetables to use for baby food

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Danuta W.

1:57AM PST on Jan 5, 2013

thanks for the info

January 5
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Bon L.

1:46AM PST on Jan 2, 2011

Thanks for the info.

January 2
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Grace J.

9:35AM PDT on Apr 2, 2010

this is what used to be done for babies before the food industry started

April 2
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jan l.

3:46PM PDT on Mar 27, 2010

This is great ~ ty! A friend of the family cannot eat solid foods, or she will aspirate [the food goes into her lungs]. i've forwarded the article to her ~ her mom gets so tired of eating "wet chalk" ~ this is much more palatable, can be modified if need be to add protein powder, etc. Fabulous idea for the elderly too ~ ty!

March 27
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JE L.

5:49PM PDT on Mar 25, 2010

Thanks.

March 25
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Angela B.

8:39PM PDT on Mar 24, 2010

Great post! Thanks :)

March 24
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Abo r.

4:50AM PDT on Mar 23, 2010

This economical situation makes the person think and think and make ballance to try to cope and it will lead to a good lesson for future savings for the children education or..,...etc.

March 23
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Pauline W.

9:03PM PDT on Mar 21, 2010

Here in America, we are all afraid of what will happen if we give foods that are not 'appropriate' to babies, foods from the shelves are the worst kinds of foods to give babies, when babies are born they have ever changing gut accomodations, they are growing up and they can be protected by lots of enzymes rich foods instead of the overcooked variety, protect them with baby acidophilus if you start them young they can adjust; we were taught not give young babies any honey before they are past one year old, my foreign family back home were laughing at me for that matter, all my brother's children had honey before the age of one and they grew up strong and healthy, adjust their taste buds when they are young so that they will not choose what to like or not like in terms of healthy foods like vegetables, most kids these days hate to eat vegetables, we need to train their taste buds when young so they do not pick or choose, done the right way veggies can be the sweetest foods ever, do not overcook them blend them after you blanch them to maintain the enzymes mix some brown rice, add some water and have them eat it without adding any salt or seasonings, most foods in the stores are seasoned for the taste buds that are hazardous to health