msrpiq

Making baby food is really much less stressful than it may first seem. If the term "homemade" puts you in a sweat, don't worry. There's hope for you! Homemade baby food is more than just cooking and pureeing. It's about considering how you can baby-proof the meal you're already making for the rest of the family (or just yourself).

Of course, common sense must be utilized. If you're having a steak, attempting to "include" your toothless infant by offering chunks of meat is a ridiculous (and dangerous) idea. The food you share has to be age- and size-appropriate.

Making baby food from your family's food will save you money (less purchased), save you time (less prep), and teach him early that he eats what everyone else does. (A valuable habit once he hits toddlerdom.)

Here are some tools and tricks to help him (and you) make that important dining transition. Until his molars come in and he's chewing well, he will still need to consume some pureed baby food, but taking these little meal baby-steps will go a long way toward establishing good habits later on.

Here is the first (of three ) simple steps for making baby food from your family's food.

Knowledge is Power

Babies have a developing digestive system that requires you introduce foods in a slow and controlled manner. There are certain foods (like peanut butter or honey) that your baby should not have until after his first birthday.

There are other foods, like cooked broccoli, that are okay to introduce in month 8, but not month 7. Food introduced too soon can cause digestive problems or trigger fatal allergies. Use discretion and get some knowledge to know what food is okay when.

Keeping track of all the foods and the "introductory dates" gives me a headache. Instead of trying to remember, or make my own chart, I rely good books to help me. Super Baby Food is my go-to-guide for homemade baby food. Everything I could possibly need or want to know about baby nutrition is in this book.

Feel free to look over this must-have resource.

Wherever you find this information - get it! Don't just guess when to add foods. Your baby is too precious for a careless mistake! Use the information and follow the guides on how and when to introduce new foods to your baby.

Don't miss the next step! Step #2: Eliminating Choking Hazards

Heather Gaither is the founder and author of a website for mothers of infants at http://www.the-essential-infant-resource-for-moms.com She is a stay at home mom of two beautiful girls. She has a degree in Social Work and previously worked as a Child Counselor for abused children and their foster parents.

The Merry Mother is her free (and fun) online newsletter filled with high-quality information and inspiration for the mothers of infants. Infant activities, baby food recipes, baby product recall alerts, and other exclusive member benefits are all in one monthly eZine. See a sample issue and all the perks at http://www.the-essential-infant-resource-for-moms.com/MerryMother