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Baby Food From Scratch
Holiday and Year-round Recipes Made Easy
By Lisa Sanders
study conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, baby foods are greatly overpriced compared to similar regular foods.
Most parents who make their own baby food also enjoy the control they have over what goes into their baby's body. Yvette De Luca, a mom in Phoenix, Ariz., was interested in her baby's nutrition, but also concerned about what else might creep into prepackaged baby food. "Shortly before my oldest daughter was born, one of the big name baby food companies reportedly had to recall baby food because there was glass in it," she says. "I was really worried about people tampering with baby food, so I decided to make my own."
Homemade baby food also allows parents to offer a wider variety of foods. That was one of Jennifer Reno's favorite parts. "You can try all kinds of neat recipes that your baby will not get in commercial food," says Reno, from Howell, Mich. "For example, I made some with leeks, spinach and parsnips. You can't find that in a jar!"
Several parents believe that this variety helped their children become less finicky eaters. Alyson O'Mahoney of Mount Kisco, N.Y., shares a story of her two children, one raised on commercial baby food, the other on homemade food. "It might just be a coincidence, but my daughter, who ate homemade baby food, is the most wonderful eater," she says. "My son, on the other hand, is very picky. I attribute [my daughter's good eating] to the fact that she was exposed to different tastes and textures as a baby."
Dr. Salerno hasn't seen proof of this connection, but she says, "Children who eat homemade baby food may be more likely to try new foods as toddlers because they were xposed to variety early on. Making your own food allows you to create different combinations of foods for your children to try."
In addition to providing peace of mind, making homemade baby food can offer other positive feelings. Lisa Peterlin of Swoyersville, Pa., was working full time when she started making her own baby food. "It made me feel connected to my daughter even when I wasn't there," she says. Peterlin also admits that she enjoyed the adulation from friends, family and childcare providers. "They were floored when I told them I made my daughter's baby food," she says. "Especially my mom – she started calling me 'Super Mom.' If only they knew how easy it was!"
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