The proof is in the water – why using cooking water to make baby food purees is a plus

Jul 6, 2010 Fruits and Veggies, Nutrition, freezing baby food, juice, vegetables

  Behold the glass packed full of green liquid gold!   What is this you ask?  This glass is full of cooking water from the steamed broccoli we had for dinner last night.  As I was getting ready to dump the water, I realized this was a good chance to take a photo and show you how valuable the water really is.

 This water contains many of the nutrients that leached from the broccoli into the steaming water.  Recapture those nutrients by using the cooking water to thin your homemade baby food purees whenever possible!  If you’re stewing fruits like blueberries, cherries, or even apricots and peaches, you can freeze the juicy-water and then thaw to add to other baby foods.  These frozen “juices” will give an extra boost of nutrients while adding some yum to other foods.   Thaw some peach “juice” and mix it into some chicken and rice for example. 

*Using the leftover water from steaming/boiling carrots is not a good idea until after baby is around 8 months+ due to nitrates.   Use fresh water (or another liquid) when pureeing carrots for baby food*

Tags: broccoli, juice, steaming

We have heat and sun here in New England – bring on the freezies!

Apr 26, 2009 Baby Food Recipes Updated, Fruits and Veggies, New Baby Food Recipes, juice

Ahhhh the joy of the hot sun beating down! It has been so wonderful to have temperatures actually above 45 degrees and we welcomed 80 degrees over the weekend. Now these wonderful temperatures also brought on the “i’m sooooooooooooooo hot” cries from the kiddos. One of my favorite things to make for my twins when they were sooooooooooooooo hot was a freezie!

They have been having freezies since they were 8 months old! Simply put, you toss fruits, yogurt and some ice cubes in a blender and whizz away. You can present the freezie in a bowl and watch your little one delight in the joy of the texture and the cool temperature. This is great for spoon practice but not so great for the floor, the walls and your clothing! Another way to offer this treat is in a sippy cup or a lidded cup with a straw. Did you know, many babies are able to manage a straw before they are able to manage a sippy cup?

Today we used bananas, strawberries, splash of peach/mango/orange juice and ice cubes. So here are a few ideas for your little ones – (be sure to wash fruits!)

1/2 banana, 1 ripe peach (skin on but totally cleansed!), splash of apple juice, 1/4 cup plain yogurt and ice cubes as desired

1 cup seedless grapes, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup cubed mango, 1 cup of ice

1/2 cup mango, splash of orange juice, 2 peaches (skin on but totally cleansed!) – 1 cup of ice

Do you have any favorite freezie mixes?

Is juicing a safe alternative to solid foods?

Jul 15, 2008 Solids and Weaning, juice

Last week we received an email from a visitor asking about weaning their 6 month old baby to an all raw juice diet.  The family lives on a raw juice diet and wondered if this would be safe for their little one.  We thought we would share our answer and ask our visitors what their thoughts and expeirences may be on this topic. 

Raw fruits and veggies may be difficult for a tiny tummy to digest, even in juiced form. This is why the vast majority of pediatric and health authorities suggest cooking fruits and veggies until baby is approximately 8 months old. Obviously cooking veggies for a longer period is necessary as
baby wouldn’t be able to chew raw veggies and some veggies just cannot be served raw (such as butternut squash) to babies.

As far as juicing goes, there is a risk of food borne illness with raw fruits and veggies. While adults are better able to handle bacteria and other pathogens, immature digestive systems are not as capable. For example, it is said that a baby’s intestines do not develop the proper acids
to help stop nitrate poisoning until after a baby is 6-8 months of age. Another example is that babies over the age of 12 months are able to fight off the botulism toxin. Babies under 12 months do not have the full ability to do so due to the immaturity of the digestive systems.

Juicing might also be an issue where baby’s proper digestion is concerned.  Raw fruits and veggies are full of fiber and sugars that baby’s tummy may not be able to properly breakdown. This is also true for proper digestion of grains for example. A mother’s milk contains a digestive enzyme called amylase that
helps break down and “pre-digest” starches/carbohydrates when baby’s tummy is unable to. As baby ages and these enzymes develop, mommy’s milk contains less amylase and more of other important nutrients; breast milk is amazing!

There may be other negatives to an all juice diet that would hinder baby’s physical development. Babies need to learn how to chew and move their jaws, lips, teeth etc and an all liquid diet might interfere with this development. Without the chewing movements and motions, muscles in the jaw may not develop properly and baby may have difficulty swallowing solids once some are offered. Your baby could also develop an oral aversion syndrome if
solids are not offered and your baby is then presented with them.

I highly recommend that you consult your pediatrician about introducing an all juice diet to
your little one.