Baby Food Recipes, News and Information

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Once your baby has had enough to eat at mealtimes, he'll probably be impatient to be out of his highchair - and get back to play! But sometimes you might like to keep him occupied IN his highchair for a little longer - just enough time for you to finish YOUR meal.

This is where highchair toys (toys specifically designed to stay attached to the highchair) come in very handy!

We would often use our highchairs toys if we took our babies to a restaurant to eat (it might be a good idea to save one just for that purpose, because your baby won't be playing with it all the time - giving it all important "novelty value"!) Highchair toys can also be useful if you like to pop your baby into the highchair in the kitchen while you cook the dinner and will help keep him occupied.

The most common complaint that many parents have about highchair toys is that the suction cups don't stick to the highchair table very well. We have often found this, too. But - as we mention on our new highchair toys page - something that we've discovered really helps is to wet the base of the suction cup. It might not keep the toy attached indefinitely, but it will certainly stay on far longer than it will if you try to attach it dry.

If you have come up with any unique ways to occupy your baby once he's finished eating, please share your tips with our visitors by leaving your comments below!

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July 17, 2007 14:59 - Pureed Food Cubes - 2 Alternative Uses!

Today's post is a handy tip for all those of you who like to make your baby's purees in bulk and freeze them for future use!

Our post was prompted by a message from Donna in Australia, who wrote...

"My freezer is full of cubes of pureed veggies for my son, Anthony. But in the last week or two, Anthony has been refusing to eat ANYTHING pureed and wants to feed himself foods that he can pick up!

Any ideas what I can use all the leftover veggie cubes for?"

We have two great ways in which you can use up those purees, Donna!

The first is to use them as "dips"!

This is the perfect solution for babies enjoying finger foods and your little one will have fun dipping things like breadsticks, pieces of lightly toasted bagels or pitta bread into a puree! One cube of puree is just the right amount to accompany a plate of finger foods!

Another option is to use the purees as a delicious and healthy pasta sauce!

Pasta is a popular food with babies who like to eat with their fingers. It is nice and soft - and wholegrain pasta is very nutritious. A little sauce makes it all the more interesting!

Have you come up with a novel use for all YOUR leftover cubes of pureed food? Then please let us know.

For more baby food ideas using pasta, please click here. Alternatively, visit our ideas with sweet potato page, where you'll find a simple recipe for a sweet potato pasta sauce.

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July 19, 2007 10:05 - Cooking Bell Peppers For Baby

Despite their name, bell peppers are not hot at all! In fact, red peppers have a wonderful sweet flavour that your baby may really enjoy.

Our children have always enjoyed red peppers, particularly as a finger food - and you can use roasted red peppers to make an absolutely delicious puree to combine with other foods, or even use alone as a dip or spread.

Bell peppers aren't commonly suggested as a food for babies, which we think is a shame, considering how much our little ones loved them! So take a look at our new page about preparing bell peppers for baby and discover more about these colourful veggies, including how to roast them and how to create some really tasty meals for your baby.

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July 20, 2007 08:37 - Routine Iron Supplementation?

If you are breastfeeding, your child's doctor may recommend iron supplements for your baby from around 6 months of age. This is when it is traditionally believed that breastmilk alone does not contain enough iron to support a baby's needs.

Iron is essential for healthy infant growth and development - and if tests show that a baby is iron-deficient, then it is important that his levels are restored as quickly as possible.

But routine iron supplementation (where extra iron is recommended WITHOUT a test for iron deficiency being carried out beforehand) is a controversial issue. Research has shown that babies readily absorb iron from breastmilk - and that giving iron supplements to a baby whose levels are already sufficient is potentially dangerous.

Read more...

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July 20, 2007 13:52 - Food Additive Banned in Europe

Earlier this month we wrote about the food additive Red 2G, which is a colouring believed to have the potential to cause cancer and other health problems.

In our post we explained that Red 2G, whilst banned in most countries all over the world, is still used in some food products in Europe... and that we hoped that new evidence showing its potential for harm would lead to a ban in Europe, too!

Well the good news is that's exactly what's happened - and a meeting of the European Commission committee today unanimously agreed that Red 2G will no longer be used as a food colouring!

This new regulation will come into force soon, but in the meantime food products containing Red 2G already on shelves will continue to be sold - so keep checking those labels for now and remember that Red 2G is usually listed as E128.

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July 20, 2007 15:05 - Need A Babysitter? (US)

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If so, you might be interested in learning more about Sittercity - a great site that matches potential babysitters with parents hoping for a night out!

Sittercity was established in 2001... and in a few short years has grown to be America's number one babysitting website.

It has received extensive media coverage and national awards and has been recognized by the Today show's babysitting expert. It appeared on Time's list of "50 Coolest Websites".

Sittercity is also partnered with ivillage as babysitting experts!

The way it works is simple - after signing up, you enter your zipcode and Sittercity gives you a list of babysitters available in your area.

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Free background checks are offered on all sitters - a vital step when considering childcare provision.

You also have access to detailed profiles of potential sitters, which include videos, reviews and references. Maps are provided to show how far away your sitter is based from where you live.

You arrange your sitter's fee with the sitter themselves - the purpose of Sittercity is simply to link you up with the ideal candidate for the job. (You might be interested to know that Sittercity users can also find nannies, petsitters, housesitters, tutors and elder care providers!).

You can try the service out for free by entering your zipcode and reviewing a list of sitters in your area. That way, you can be sure that there are plenty available before you sign up!

Need a babysitter? Find the most qualified sitters at Sittercity.com.
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