To start, you will need small spoons without sharp edges - plastic are ideal - an unbreakable bowl and a supply of bibs - the one thing you can count on is a mess!
Depending on the age of your baby, you will also need a high chair or something else for baby to sit in which is easy to wipe down.
Older toddlers can have their own little chair and table, unless you prefer them to sit on booster seat at the main table. In either case, it is important to establish a specific location for eating - don't let your toddler walk and eat; make him sit and recognize a meal time and place.
Cooking Equipment
Food processors and hand-held blenders are great assets when preparing food for young babies who tend to like their purees absolutely smooth. However, a potato masher, ricer or food mill will also puree soft foods just as well and are less expensive. You can also push small amounts of soft through a sieve to eliminate lumps.
Kitchen Hygiene
- Make sure you always have clean hands before starting to prepare any food.
- All feeding equipment and cooking utensils should be scrupulously clean, but, unlike bottles and teats, there is no need to sterilize them.
- Use different clean chopping boards for raw meat and cooked foods, for poultry and vegetables to avoid the risk of contamination.
- When preparing dry cereal, make only as much as required for each meal and discard any leftovers.
- NEVER save any uneaten portion of food from the feeding bowl - baby's saliva will have contaminated the remaining food. Throw it away.
Freezing
- Freeze single portions of food in ice cube trays or simply by dropping serving-sized spoonfuls onto a clean tray. Cover tightly and freeze. Once they are frozen, work quickly to place individual serves in freezer bags. Seal, label, date and return to the freezer.
- Do not prepare vast amounts of food, you will never get through it. Ensure that food is rotated so oldest food is used first.
- Remove only the exact number of cubes required for each meal.
- Always thaw frozen portions of food int he refrigerator.
- Never refreeze thawed food.
Reheating and Microwaving
Your freezer and microwave oven are invaluable when planning and making food for young children.
When reheating food for your baby, remember that babies do not like hot food. If food has been refrigerated or frozen, it should be briefly brought to a boil then cooled to lukewarm before serving. Freshly made food can be reheated over a saucepan of gently simmering water or in a microwave oven.
While the microwave is a great timesaver when cooking and reheating baby food, great care must be taken. Microwave food continues to cook after being removed from the oven and can therefore be very hot.
Never serve food cooked or reheated in a microwave oven before stirring then testing it first.
Pause to stir food at intervals during microwave reheating to allow for even heat distribution.
Allow microwaved food to rest outside the oven for several minutes before feeding it to your baby.
Depending on the age of your baby, you will also need a high chair or something else for baby to sit in which is easy to wipe down.
Older toddlers can have their own little chair and table, unless you prefer them to sit on booster seat at the main table. In either case, it is important to establish a specific location for eating - don't let your toddler walk and eat; make him sit and recognize a meal time and place.
Cooking Equipment
Food processors and hand-held blenders are great assets when preparing food for young babies who tend to like their purees absolutely smooth. However, a potato masher, ricer or food mill will also puree soft foods just as well and are less expensive. You can also push small amounts of soft through a sieve to eliminate lumps.
Kitchen Hygiene
- Make sure you always have clean hands before starting to prepare any food.
- All feeding equipment and cooking utensils should be scrupulously clean, but, unlike bottles and teats, there is no need to sterilize them.
- Use different clean chopping boards for raw meat and cooked foods, for poultry and vegetables to avoid the risk of contamination.
- When preparing dry cereal, make only as much as required for each meal and discard any leftovers.
- NEVER save any uneaten portion of food from the feeding bowl - baby's saliva will have contaminated the remaining food. Throw it away.
Freezing
- Freeze single portions of food in ice cube trays or simply by dropping serving-sized spoonfuls onto a clean tray. Cover tightly and freeze. Once they are frozen, work quickly to place individual serves in freezer bags. Seal, label, date and return to the freezer.
- Do not prepare vast amounts of food, you will never get through it. Ensure that food is rotated so oldest food is used first.
- Remove only the exact number of cubes required for each meal.
- Always thaw frozen portions of food int he refrigerator.
- Never refreeze thawed food.
Reheating and Microwaving
Your freezer and microwave oven are invaluable when planning and making food for young children.
When reheating food for your baby, remember that babies do not like hot food. If food has been refrigerated or frozen, it should be briefly brought to a boil then cooled to lukewarm before serving. Freshly made food can be reheated over a saucepan of gently simmering water or in a microwave oven.
While the microwave is a great timesaver when cooking and reheating baby food, great care must be taken. Microwave food continues to cook after being removed from the oven and can therefore be very hot.
Never serve food cooked or reheated in a microwave oven before stirring then testing it first.
Pause to stir food at intervals during microwave reheating to allow for even heat distribution.
Allow microwaved food to rest outside the oven for several minutes before feeding it to your baby.
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