Baby Food Recipes, News and Information

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Due to some major technical problems with our blog, we were unable to update it this week - but, fortunately, it's now back in full working order! Sorry for the interruption to our updates!

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February 3, 2007 14:01 - Can I Give My Baby Gravy?

Commercial gravy mixes - and most homemade gravy recipes - are unsuitable for babies because of their high salt content. But if you'd really like to serve your little one some gravy with his dinner, here are a couple of alternative "baby gravy" recipes to try.

Option 1 (suitable for accompanying a roast meat meal)

Take 2oz of your baby's favourite vegetable puree. Combine this with 6 fl oz of the meat juices from the cooking pan (assuming that your meat was not heavily seasoned with salt). Adjust the quantities you use to create the consistency you prefer - for a thicker gravy, simply use more pureed vegeables.

Option 2

Combine 2tsp cornflour/cornstarch with 4 fl oz homemade chicken stock. Pour into a small saucepan and heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. For a more robust flavour, stir in 1/2tsp tomato puree.

You may also like to visit our baby stews and casseroles page, which has some tasty and warming meal ideas for babies 10 months+. Read more...

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February 3, 2007 14:02 - Recall of Wooden Name Trains in Australia

Wooden Toy Name Trains are being recalled in Australia because they fail to meet safety requirements.

The trains, supplied by Sunshine International Trading Pty Ltd, are made up of 26 letters and engines. They were sold from September 2006 until December 2006 by various retail outlets and market traders.

If you have one of these toys, please take it away from your child and return it to Sunshine International Trading, 36 Randolph Street, Rocklea, Qld for a full refund. If you would like further information, please phone Charlie on 07 3275 3588.

Source: http://www.recalls.gov.au

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February 3, 2007 14:03 - Send Us Your Photographs!

At Homemade Baby Food Recipes, we love receiving your messages and hearing about how your little ones are doing with solid foods. So now we'd love to SEE how they're doing, too!

If you have a photograph of your baby enjoying (or not!) his solid food, then please visit our new Baby of The Month page and complete the simple form at the bottom. Each month, we will choose a new photograph to appear on this page - and this month's featured baby is little Kevin, from Italy... Read more...

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February 3, 2007 15:14 - Special Menu For Baby On Valentine's Day...

Don't forget to visit our Valentine's Day Baby Food Recipes page for some simple ideas for making your baby's Valentine's Day meals extra special!

Do YOU have any ideas for tasty treats for baby's first Valentine's Day? Then please click on "comments" below to share your ideas with other parents!

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February 3, 2007 15:23 - Eating Out With Baby - Travel Highchairs

A travel highchair is probably one of the most useful items you'll purchase for your little one.

If you like to eat out with your baby and want to make sure that you comfortably enjoy your OWN meal whilst your baby enjoys his, a highchair is essential. Sadly, though, the highchairs provided in some eating establishments are of dubious cleanliness - or they may not be appropriate for your baby's size, making them unsafe. And, of course, it's great to have your own highchair when travelling with your baby, particularly if you are not sure if highchairs will be provided at your destination.

There are various styles of travel highchairs available on the market - and we have put together our favourites on our travel highchairs page, which includes products available in both the US and the UK.

Read more...

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February 3, 2007 16:08 - Caring For Baby's Teeth

February is Children's Dental Health Month in the US and the American Academy of Pediatrics have teamed up with Oral-B and TV personality Joan Lunden to promote awareness of the importance of properly caring for children's teeth.

The oral health of children is currently of great concern in the US, with around 20% of 2-3 year olds with at least one untreated cavity and over 50% with some form of gingivitis. This has prompted the AAP to make oral health one of its top priorities.

Many parents of babies and young children mistakenly believe that caring for the baby teeth of their little ones is not as important of caring for their permanent teeth later on - the attitude is often, "The teeth are going to fall out anyway, so what does it matter?"

It is probably this attitude that has led to many of the problems that dentists are seeing today - so it is important that parents are made aware of the implications of neglecting those baby teeth...

• Baby teeth "reserve" a place for the permanent teeth to grow into - so if a baby tooth is lost through decay, the permanent teeth can shift. This can lead to orthodontic problems later on.
• Baby teeth are needed to help your little one speak clearly and correctly.
• Baby teeth are necessary for your baby to chew and bite his food.
• If your baby loses too many teeth, it can affect his confidence at pre-school level.

One of the main causes of dental decay in infants and young children is, of course, too much sugar in the diet (including excessive consumption of juice). Remember - babies are not born with a "sweet tooth" - a preference for sugar is something that they learn, after having been introduced to sweetened food and drinks. Avoid giving your baby commercially made snacks which are often high in hidden sugars - by giving him meals and snacks that you have prepared yourself, YOU are in control of how much sugar your baby is consuming. When appropriate, always give your baby water to drink as opposed to juice.

In our newsletter from November last year, we wrote an article about caring for your baby's teeth, which gives you some useful tips and information about good oral health care from birth onwards. Read more...

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February 3, 2007 22:13 - Delicious Baked Potato Baby Food Recipe

February is National Potato Month in the US - so we thought we'd help you celebrate (!) this occasion with a tasty baked potato baby food recipe!

This recipe is suitable for babies who have already been introduced to the ingredients separately and are happy with a little texture to their food.

You will need...

1 white potato
1/2 oz red onion, chopped finely
little olive oil
4oz fresh asparagus, chopped
3oz natural yogurt

Preheat the oven to 400 deg F, 200 deg C.
Prick the potato with a fork and bake in the oven until it feels tender (1 to 1 1/2 hours).
Meanwhile, cook the onion in the olive oil for a few minutes until tender. Set aside.
Cook the asparagus in boiling water for a few minutes until tender. Drain.
When the potato is cooked, remove it from the oven, halve it lengthways and scoop out the flesh.
Mix the potato, cooked onion and asparagus in a small bowl. Stir in the natural yogurt.
Return the mixture to the potato skins and place back into the oven. Heat until warmed through.

You can either remove the soft potato from its skin to serve to your baby - or, for older babies, you can serve the potato in the skin (once sufficiently cooled, of course).

If you're looking for more meat-free baby food ideas, why not check out our vegetarian baby food recipes? Read more...

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February 4, 2007 10:14 - Tips To Avoid Unhealthy Weight Gain In Your Baby

Data just released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown that almost 1 in 10 toddlers between 2003 and 2004 were overweight.

The weights of infants and toddlers has come under a great deal of scrutiny of late, due to concerns about the rising rate of obesity in the US. Poor eating habits often begin in infancy and nutritionists are keen to ensure that healthy diet and exercise are encouraged from an early age. Obesity in childhood can lead to all sorts of problems in later life, including asthma, type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease.

Tips to get your little one off to a healthy start

• DO wait until your baby is at least 6 months old before introducing solid food. Studies have shown that introducing solids too early can lead to obesity.
• DO offer your baby a wide variety of fresh, natural, healthy foods - including a range of fruits and vegetables.
• DO steer clear of unhealthy snacks - sadly, many commercially prepared snacks intended for young children are not as healthy as the manufacturers would like you to believe. Offer cut-up fruits and veggies or cheese to your baby instead (see our finger foods page for more ideas).
• DO encourage your baby to be active - get on the floor and play with him as much as possible (you'll both enjoy it!).
• DO set a good example to your baby. Sit down and eat with him, including lots of nutritious foods in your OWN meal.
• DO switch off the TV when you eat - studies have shown that obesity is far less of a problem in families that sit down together to eat at the dinner table, away from the television. Mealtimes should be fun, "sociable" occasions, where your baby learns to enjoy his food - and also learns about acceptable behaviour at the table!

• DON'T give your baby juice, which is one of the leading causes of excess weight in very young children in the US.
• DON'T add sugar to your baby's food - this encourages a sweet tooth and may cause your baby to reject fresh fruits and vegetables in their natural form.
• DON'T limit fat in your baby's diet. Whilst low fat foods are recommended for adults, restricting the amount of fat in a baby's diet can be dangerous. Your baby needs fat as he grows and develops, so he should be given the full-fat versions of food until at least 2 years of age.
• DON'T restrict the amount of food you offer to your baby - instead, ensure that the foods you ARE giving him are healthy.
• DON'T encourage a baby who appears full to have "one more spoonful", or insist that he clears his plate. This interferes with a baby's innate ability to judge for himself just how much food he actually needs. This confusion can lead to lifelong weight problems.

Read more...

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February 4, 2007 14:20 - Why Does My Baby Have An Orange Nose?

Some parents are quite startled to note that, after starting solids, their baby's skin seem to be developing an orange hue - particularly around the nose! So what causes this - and is it dangerous?

In most cases, this phenomonen is a harmless side effect from your baby's love of his veggies (although you should consult your doctor if you are concerned, or if the whites of baby's eyes appear yellow, as this can be a sign of jaundice).

Yellow or orange coloured fruits and vegetables, such as peaches, sweet potatoes, carrots and squash, contain beta-carotene (although it is contained in dark green veggies too!). Beta-carotene is a nutrient that is converted by your baby's body into vitamin A. Too much vitamin A can be harmful - but your baby's body only converts as much as he actually needs. The rest is deposited in your baby's skin and is responsible for his somewhat attractive, sun-kissed glow!

But don't worry - when the range of foods that your baby is eating begins to expand, then his colour will slowly revert to normal!

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