by Laurie Kaiser

Created on: May 04, 2009   Last Updated: May 11, 2009

Making your own baby food can be more economical and healthful than buying store-bought baby food in a jar. What's more, making your own baby food is easy! Your baby can eat some of the same foods you eat, thereby eliminating extra work. Plain whole foods, served mashed or pureed, are best. A blender, food processor or old-fashioned food mill makes pureeing a snap. Immersion blenders are particularly handy for this purpose. Some foods can simply be mashed with a fork.

Your baby's digestive system isn't prepared to accept food until age four months. According to nutrition guidelines set by the federal Women, Infants and Children program, from age four to six months, your baby should consume daily nothing more than 24 to 40 ounces of breastmilk or iron-fortified formula and two to three teaspoons of rice, oatmeal or barley cereal for infants. These cereals can be purchased by the box in the baby-food aisle of the grocery store, or you can make your own. For example, to make your own oatmeal for baby, grind natural whole-grain oats (not instant or quick-cook) in a blender or food processor. In a saucepan, bring cup of water to boil. Add cup of ground oats, stirring constantly. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Mix in breastmilk or formula, if desired.

Between ages six and eight months, you can introduce pureed fruits and vegetables, as well as plain yogurt for protein. Pediatricians recommend that you introduce one new food at a time, waiting about a week before you try another. This will give your baby time to grow accustomed to the new food, and if your baby has a reaction, you will know which food caused it.

Pureed or mashed vegetables can be introduced at six months. A half-cup of each per day is sufficient. Choose dark yellow (except corn), orange or green vegetables. Roasted or steamed butternut and other winter squashes, rich in beta-carotene, are good choices, and they seldom need to be processed in a blender, just whipped by hand. Peeled and steamed carrots, another nutritious choice, should be pureed. Spinach, chard and beet greens are great for babies. Simply wash, steam and puree these vitamin-rich leafy greens. Extra portions of cooked and pureed fruits and vegetables can be frozen for future use.

Babies generally love homemade applesauce, and it's easy to make. Peel, core and quarter three pounds of apples (about nine medium). Place them in a saucepan with one cup of water, cup of sugar and teaspoon of cinnamon (optional). Bring to a boil and

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