BABY Food - home made versus pre-packaged

We've all heard the expression "you are what you eat".  Well, that statement could not be more true for babies, who's rapid growth and development are optimised by great nutrition.  

Many pouches contain food like quinoa or kale, leading parents to believe these pouches are an amazingly nutritious food choice.  Baby food is 'deareated' to remove othe oxygen which causes food to spoil.  It then goes through a pasteurization process which requires high heat for a long period of time, to kill bacteria.  The ultra-heat treatment of pre-packaged baby food required to prolong it's shelf life, also depletes the food of all the good stuff - vitamins minerals, fibre and the true flavour of the food, leaving t package with a much higher sugar content than if the same foods were prepared at home.  By the end of the lengthy process, the original fruits and vegetables are now a textureless jam that don't resemble the original foods (ever wondered why some bubs love the packaged foods and turn their nose up when offered home prepared fruits and veg?)

This isn't intended to make Mums feel guilty for offering packaged foods - we've all been in the car with a screaming bub and certainly and easy packaged food is a life saver.  But if they can be an occasional convenience and we can make home cooked foods the staple, your baby's body and brain will thank you for it.  

With my passion for helping Mums, you can purchase a whole booklet of recipes for just $5.95, to help cover the cost of continuing to develop this site and provide Mums and Mums-To-Be the support and advice they need.  But more importantly for you, I hope you find this book full of amazingly simple yet healthy recipes to get your bubba off to the best start in life.

My Miracles Recipe Booklet

Here's a few recipes to inspire you and get you started:

Bite sized nuggets of broccoli, coated and baked to add yuminess to the goodness of broccoli.

12 broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces

2 egg yoks, beaten

1 slice wholemeal bread, finely grated

½ cup / 5-g grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 180C.Line a baking tray with baking paper.  Dip broccoli in egg wash, coating well.  On a separate plate, mix together breadcrumbs and cheese and coat broccoli.  Place on baking tray and bake for 15-18 minutes, turning halfway.   Serve soft and warm.  

My whole family finds this soup delicious.  With it being based on all natural ingredients and puree consistency, it's perfect for bub with the added bonus that the whole family can enjoy this soup for dinner!

1 large chunk / approx 800g kent pumpkin

1 large / approx 400g potato, 

1 large carrot

1 onion

1/2 head cauliflower

4 Massel chicken stock cubes

1 litre water

Sour cream, to serve

Peel, deseed and chop pumpkin.

Chop carrot and potato, leaving skin on for extra fibre. 

Peel and chop onion into chunks.

Roughly chop cauliflower.

Place all ingredients in a large pot.

Bring to the boil, then simmer until all ingredients are tender.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

*  The sour cream also helps quickly cool down the soup for hungry tummies! *

¼ pear

½ cup / 125ml breast milk or formula

3 tablespoons rice cereal

½ banana

Steam pear for 5-6 minutes until soft and set aside.

Meanwhile, warm milk in a small saucepan.

Mix cereal into the warm milk to form a smooth consistency.

Place pear and banana in a small bowl and mash with for until smooth 

½ cup / 90g short grain rice

1 ¼ cups / 310ml milk

80g red capsicum

1 zucchini

½ stick celery

Place rice and milk in a saucepan, bring to the boil, then simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, dice all vegetables into small pieces and add to the rice mixture.

Bring to the boil again, reduce heat, cover and simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until the rice is nice and soft.

Mash lightly if needed.