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How to make baby food at home
When it comes time to for your infant to start eating solid food, is preparing it yourself any better or worse than choosing pre-made, packaged baby food?
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“Both types of food have pros and cons,” says pediatric dietitian Diana Schnee, MS, RD, CSP, LD.
Baby food in the jar is convenient and portable, but some parents worry about:
For these and other reasons, some parents opt to take the homemade route. This can be less expensive, but it also has its downsides:
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It’s up to you. According to Schnee, the concerns aren’t dire enough to rule out either type of food. Ideally, she recommends a combination — making homemade food when you’re having dinner at home and buying jars for when you’re dining out.
“The quality of processed baby food is no longer an issue — there are high-quality, natural baby foods on store shelves now, and most well-known brands have good safety records,” she says. “But if parents want to make homemade food, it’s fine as long as they do it safely.”
If you choose to make baby food yourself, follow these guidelines:
No time for homemade? Busy parents can still feed their babies fresh foods that don’t come in a jar. Take one of these along on your next outing:
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