Who doesn't want to cook good food for their baby themselves? The desire is strong and it is normal. If you have the time and the desire, you should not deprive yourself of this pleasure.
There are many advantages to this:
- we choose our food ,
- their quality is ensured,
- you control the composition of your dish (useful when the child has allergies),
- we look for the textures we want according to the child's desires and abilities,
- mono product can be given as a mixture of several foods.
In short, we take the hand...
However, there are a number of precautions to be taken, including health issues.
It is important to remember thatchildren are fragile and their immune defences are immature. The slightest foodborne toxin infection would have severe repercussions for the child.
While industrial baby food is almost irreproachable in this respect and very strictly controlled, there can be a risk at home.
You should cook fresh, clean food and then throw away what the child has not eaten. You can keep an untouched jar in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
However, it is possible to put the vegetable purée you have cooked in the freezer You can, however, put the vegetable purée you have cooked in the freezer and leave it for a maximum of one month, taking care to indicate the date of preparation.
When defrosting, do so the day before in the refrigerator - or the same day in the microwave. Never at room temperature (bacteria would then have time to multiply).
As far as homemade food is concerned, you should also be careful not to overdo it. Infants do not need added salt in their food. So don't make the mistake of tasting and adding salt and finding the fruit of your efforts too bland. A baby has different tastes from an adult. They are quite happy with an unsalted dish.
Also avoid sweetening his desserts. Of course, he won't refuse because all babies like sweetness, but you risk getting him used to this sweet taste. He likes to eat unsweetened food just as much, as long as he hasn't discovered the same sweet version. There is plenty of time later to add a little: nothing beats plain applesauce.
Thesame applies to fat; you can put a dab of butter in his mashed potatoes or a little olive oil on his rice: it is even very important for the development of baby's brain.
In conclusion, yes to homemade as long as you are very strict about hygiene and ingredients. But, there is no problem with having industrial jars at home either!
Dr Laurence PLUMEY
Nutritionist. Paris Hospitals IDF
Professor of Nutrition
Author of numerous books for the general public
6 Comments. Write a new one
Hello
Concerning industrial baby food, there is often salt added as well as other additives that seem to harm our babies. But there are baby foods without these additives. Can you recommend some brands?
Thank you in advance.
Hello,
In my opinion, the best brand is Comme des Papas, which is very similar to homemade...
Thank you for this useful information. Vegetables and potatoes that are steamed and not eaten can only be kept in the fridge for 24 hours? It is impossible to keep more than that to avoid giving the same thing twice to baby, you have to freeze it to exceed 24 hours? Thank you for your help
You can go up to 48 hours, but baby's digestive system is fragile, so the "fresher" the better... 🙂
So you can't keep a preparation in the fridge?
For defrosting I have always heard the opposite, that you should not defrost in the fridge because the bacteria would have time to develop too much, whereas at room temperature it is faster...
If unused formula can be kept for 24 hours. Formula that has been given to baby should be thrown away if it is not finished (the mixture of air and saliva increases the proliferation of bacteria).
And for defrosting, no, it's the other way around, in the air, bacteria grow much faster!