Anne Marie Vanderaa, a public health nurse with the Northwestern Health Unit in Emo, was recently trained in how to make baby food and last week she taught nine district mothers how to do just that.
“It helps parents introduce solid foods to their babies, to teach them how to make baby food from scratch, and how to safely handle and store baby food,” she explained.
The mothers were each given a food mill and after Vanderaa demonstrated, each tried making their own baby food with carrots, peas, and beans.
“It was fun,” she enthused. “I think they enjoyed it and they talked like they would actually do it at home.”
Vanderaa noted she also taught them about transition foods—what foods are the best to start with, adding it is recommended transition foods are introduced when the baby is six months and when they are showing signs that they are ready for solid foods.
“We talked about store bought baby food, as well,” she voiced. “Just looking at labels and making sure that the food is the healthiest choice possible. There are some store foods . . . where the first ingredient is water and the second is sugar.”
But if the food is processed through a food mill at home, there is no added ingredients and it makes the food a good texture and safe for babies to eat.
Almost any fruits, vegetables, and meats can be processed through a food mill for baby food, but Vanderaa warned parents must remember that some items have to be cooked first.
Not only did the moms get a lesson in making baby food, but also storing the food.
“What you can do is you can make a large quantity of baby food and then put it in an ice cube tray. Then you can put the cubes in freezer bags and label it,” Vanderaa explained, adding the baby can then have a cube at a time.
She noted there are many positive reasons why parents should make their own baby food.
“It’s less expensive if you make your own, there’s better appearance, you have a great control of what goes in the food, and it allows for gradual texture change,” she indicated.
“You could do it really, really fine, then you could do more minced and then chopped as the baby gets old and they progress.”
But Vanderaa added there is one challenge to making your own baby food.
“It takes time,” she remarked. “And it needs refrigeration and freezing, where as store bought baby foods are easy to store and transport, and there’s no prep time.”
The mothers were also provided with other resources on nutrition and feeding infants.
The baby food making course was held at the Emo Toy Library/Ontario Early Years Centre and Vanderaa said she was pleased with the attendance and positive reaction from the mothers.
Moms from across the district came out to participate with babies ranging from two weeks old to eight months.
Vanderaa hopes to hold the course every six months or if there’s a need for the instruction.
For more information about infant nutrition, feeding, or making homemade baby food, please contact you local Northwestern Health Unit.
