Baby Food Recipes, News and Information

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July 2, 2007 15:02 - The One Step Ahead Summer Sale Coupon Code

This summer, you can save 15% off purchases over $100 with either One Step Ahead or Leaps and Bounds!

From today until August 31, simply enter the promotional code AFFSUMB in the "promotion code" field when you check out.

Click the banner below for more details and to view One Step Ahead's wide range of quality baby products and summer wear.

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July 2, 2007 15:24 - Help! How Can I Stop Avocado Turning Brown?

Avocado is such a wonderful food for babies and SO easy to prepare - in fact, preparation consists of little more than mashing it to the desired consistency! But, of course, few babies will eat a whole avocado in one go! So, other than eating the other half yourself, what's the best way of storing a cut avocado to prevent it from going brown?

Some people swear by leaving the pit in the half you're not using. Unfortunately, we've found this doesn't always work and the exposed flesh still seems to darken, although this can be minimised by placing the cut avocado in a food storage bag.

Another option is to add a little fresh lemon juice. Many parents are reluctant to use this method, as lemon juice is sometimes responsible for allergic reactions and may trigger a nappy/diaper rash in some babies. But the amount needed to preserve the fresh colour of the avocado is very tiny, so the possibility of causing a rash is slight. If your baby is AT LEAST 6 months of age and you wish to try this method, it is important to watch your baby carefully for any sign of a reaction.

Maybe the simplest way to stop your baby's avocado going brown is to simply mash it, then freeze it! Pureed or mashed avocado actually freezes quite well and does not seem to lose its appetizing "green-ness". And , of course, you can freeze little portions in your ice cube tray and simply pop them out as you need them.

Have YOU discovered a great way of storing cut avocado - or do you have any avocado recipes you'd like to share? Then please let us know.

In the meantime, you might like to take a look at some of our fruit baby food recipes for more healthy ideas with fruit!

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July 4, 2007 21:42 - A Belated Happy Independence Day

Rather a late "Happy Independence Day" wish to all of our American visitors! Unfortunately we have been hit by several huge storms over the last couple of days, which have caused power outages and prevented us from posting on our blog.

But better late than never - we hope you had a wonderful day!

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July 4, 2007 21:51 - Recall Of Toy Castles (US)

Infantino Children’s Toy Castles are being recalled because they present a choking hazard to babies.

The shape-sorting toy castles, which have counting beads, play figures and different letters and shapes that fit into holes on the castle, were sold at Target, Wal-Mart, Marshalls, Meijers and other toy retailers across the US from January 2006 through May 2007 for around $12.

The toy is hazardous because the plastic rod can come loose, which allows the counting beads to slide off. There is the risk that a young child may put these beads in his mouth - in fact, Infantino has had four reports so far of children doing just that.

This recall only involves castles with date codes of 5349, 6087, 6132 and 0906. If you have another date code on your castle, no date code at all, or the plastic rod is attached with a metal screw, then your castle is NOT affected by this recall. You can find the date code on the underside of the blue top and you can see it through the top square shape or the top "A" letter openings.

If your child's toy is part of this recall, please take it away and contact Infantino toll-free at (888) 808-3111 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday to arrange to return it for a free replacement. You can access a free return shipping label on Infantino's website.

Source: http://www.cpsc.gov

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July 4, 2007 22:11 - Jarred Baby Food Gets A Bad Rap (Australia)

Representatives from the Australian consumer group Choice have warned parents in Australia that there are still problems with the labelling of commercially prepared baby food.

Although improvements have been made since the group previously addressed the problem back in 2004, parents are still being misled by labels. Choice found that the two largest manufacturers of baby food - Heinz and Golden Circle - do now provide more information on their packaging than are required by food laws. They usually indicate the percentage of fruit, vegetables and meat, but often fail to indicate the percentage content of other ingredients like ground rice, polenta and cheese.

The report also found that custards made by these manufacturers do not have milk as a main ingredient and are generally watered down. They are also sweetened with sugar - yet, as Choice so accurately points out - fruit puree could be used instead and would be far more nutritious. (Source: http://www.news.com.au).

Of course, this isn't just a problem in Australia - misleading labelling on products designed for babies and young children is common-place in many parts of the world. Undesirable ingredients are often disguised by a variety of alternative names that are unrecognizable to many parents, who trust manufacturers to only include nutritious elements in their products.

It's a pity that, as parents, we need to scrutinize baby food labels at all. How much better it would be if baby foods had to meet far higher nutritional standards before they were made available for sale!

But until that time comes, there is no doubt that making your own baby food really is the best (and cheapest) way to go. Choice spokeswoman Ria Voorhaar summed it up when she said "...parents shouldn't have to rely on trust; they need solid information, particularly with the rise of allergies and things in this day and age".

You can only be 100% confident about the ingredients that your baby's food contains when you have prepared that food yourself!

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July 5, 2007 13:56 - Quick and Easy Carrots For Baby

One of our favourite ways to cook carrots for our babies (and for ourselves) has always been to wrap them in foil and bake them in the oven. Baking carrots in the oven gives them a really delicious, sweet flavour - far nicer than the flavour you achieve by boiling or steaming them, in our opinion! And cooking them in foil is great because there's very little to clean up afterwards!

If your baby is starting to feed himself, then either try cutting peeled carrots into "sticks" (so they look like fries), dicing them or coarsely grating them. Then just wrap them in the foil and pop them in an oven pre-heated to 375 deg F. Carrot sticks and dice should take around 30 mins to become nice and tender - grated carrots take about 15 mins. You really don't need to add anything to them at all - as you'll see, they taste wonderful just as they are. Just cool them to a safe temperature and serve.

NOTE: Use regular sized carrots (organice taste best) not baby carrots. In some countries, the UK in particular, baby carrots are just that - miniature carrots, which are sweet and delicious. But in the US, most "baby carrots" are actually pieces cut from larger carrots, which are specially bred to ripen faster and are not as nutritious as regular carrots.

Once you have baked your carrots you can, of course, puree them (adding a little stock if necessary) for a younger baby - or simply to create a yummy carrot dip.

For more advanced eaters, try spicing up your baked carrots! Ginger goes particularly well with them (and it's great for digestion) - but the favourite for our babies has always been baked carrots tossed with a little nutmeg - yum!

Alternatively, try tossing them with olive oil before you cook them and adding some fresh herbs and garlic - or for older babies try baking carrots with orange or lemon juice (you may wish to wait until your baby is at least a year old for this, as some babies may react to citrus fruits).

Let us know if you've found your own way of preparing tasty carrots for your baby - you can leave your comments below!

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July 6, 2007 15:03 - Recall of Mag Stix (US)

We have yet another recall of magnetic toys to tell you about today, this time involving Kipp Brothers Mag Stix Magnetic Building Sets.

An eight year old girl needed major surgery to repair her intestines after swallowing magnets from this toy, which can fall out of the plastic sticks. If a child swallows more than one magnet, the magnets can attract each other. This can cause potentially fatal blockages or perforations to the intestine.

The toys involved (pictured below) contain 24 pieces, comprising twelve 1-inch sticks, four 2.25-inch sticks, and eight metal balls. The sticks are green, blue, yellow and rust coloured. On the packaging you will find printed "Item No. 40330 Made in China" and "UPC number 7 7704 40330 1".

These toys were sold at Kipp Brothers’ showroom, the fall 2005 catalog and website (order # NB8141). They were sold from September 2005 through March 2006 for around $3.

If you have these toys, you should take them away from your children and contact Kipp Brothers to find out how to return them in order to obtain a full refund (including shipping). You can call Kipp Brothers at (800) 428-1153 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit their website.

Our advice is to be extremely careful about having ANY magnetic toys in the house when you have a young baby. Babies are very likely to place small objects like magnets in their mouths. If you do have toys like this, ensure they are kept in a room to which your baby does not have access... and please make sure that any older children are aware of the dangers, too.

Source: http://www.cpsc.gov

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July 6, 2007 15:04 - Recall of Children's Metal Jewelry (US)

Essentials for Kids Jewelry Sets are being recalled because they contain high levels of lead.

The sets, which include a bracelet, necklace and a pair of earrings made from blue, pink or green plastic beads, were sold at gift stores, dollar stores and small discount stores across the US from August 2005 through April 2007 for around $1. The necklaces feature painted metallic pendants which are shaped as girls, shoes, blackboards with "ABCD" or school buses. Other jewelry sets involved in the recall contain a necklace and seven pendants, one for every day of the week. "Essentials for Kids" is printed on the packaging and the pendants are in the shapes of purses, sandals, or butterflies.

Please keep this jewelry away from your children and return it to the store you bought it from for a full refund. Alternatively, you can contact Future Industries at (800) 929-0006 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

For pictures of the jewelry involved, please visit http://www.cpsc.gov.

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July 6, 2007 15:06 - Recall of Baby Walkers (Australia)

Babyclub Baby Patrol Baby Walkers are being recalled in Australia. The walkers, which were sold exclusively at Target Australia Ltd stores from September 2005, may present a choking hazard to babies. There are items on the toy tray, such as the steering wheel and traffic light stickers, which can easily come off. In addition to this, children may be able to easily access the batteries when the tray is removed from the walker, because the battery compartment may release too.

If you have one of these walkers, please stop using it and contact Hunter Leisure on 1800 099 178 to register your details in order to receive a replacement tray.

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

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July 7, 2007 15:41 - Why The Four Day Rule Is Important

A Mum from Australia sent us a message yesterday, asking if it really is absolutely necessary to introduce new foods separately. She said...

"...friends of mine have told me that this is something that parents are told to do, but that they have started several new foods over the course of a few days and their babies have been fine."

Advice like this is something you'll encounter quite often when your baby starts solids - but it can be dangerous advice.

In the vast majority of cases, new foods will cause no problems for babies at all. Fortunately for the friends mentioned in our visitor's message, their little ones were not allergic or sensitive to any of the foods they were offered.

But it is important to realize that ANY food can trigger an allergic reaction in a baby - even foods that are usually recommended as "first foods". Although foods such as these are considered to be the least allergenic, ANY food has the potential to cause a reaction in a sensitive individual.

And we're not just talking about allergic reactions - certain foods may cause gas (wind), constipation or diarrhea. Some foods may even worsen the symptoms of reflux or eczema.

If you follow the four day rule - that is, you introduce one new food at a time, at least four days apart - then you can pinpoint which food is causing problems for your baby and avoid it for the time being.

If you introduce several new foods simultaneously, then you are faced with either avoiding ALL the foods you have given... or you risk triggering a similar reaction again.

You should continue to apply the four day rule throughout your baby's first year, whenever you give him new foods. You should also use this method when you add additional elements to his meal, such as herbs, spices, garlic etc. Each individual herb or spice should be treated as a new food and introduced one at a time.

Our food allergy page lists many of the common food allergies affecting infants and includes links to other pages on our site that describe how allergies to different types of foods may present themselves...

Read more...

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July 8, 2007 11:37 - Sweet Potato and Pear Bake

Here's a nice and easy baby food recipe that combines sweet potatoes and pears - delicious!

This recipe is suitable for babies from 6 months of age, but you must ensure that all these ingredients have been introduced separately to your baby before combining them for this meal.

You will need

1lb sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 pear, peeled, cored and diced
2fl oz unsweetened apple juice
1tbsp maple syrup (optional)
1/2tsp fresh ginger, grated
pinch cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.
Put the diced sweet potatoes in a pot and just cover with water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Drain.
Combine the diced pear, apple juice, maple syrup (if using), ginger and cinnamon in a greased baking dish.
Add the sweet potatoes and stir thoroughly.
Bake uncovered for around 45 mins, stirring several times throughout the cooking process, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Puree, mash, or chop... and serve!

Looking for more tasty sweet potato recipes?

Read more...

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July 8, 2007 14:33 - Baby Food and Kisses

Did you know that there is a connection between baby food and kissing?

Nor did we... until we read this article in the Manila Times from the Philippines!

Experts have long believed that prehistoric women used to help their babies transition to solid food by chewing the food FOR them, then passing it in their mouths - just as birds do! According to the article, Mothers found that they were able to comfort their children by continuing to press their lips against their cheeks.

These days, modern appliances mean we no longer have to pre-chew our babies' food, but at least we've continued with the kissing part! We'll never know for sure if this is how kissing really originated - but wouldn't it be lovely if it was?

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