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Preparing Fruits & Vegetables for Homemade Baby Food - FAQs and Q&A
Commonly Asked Questions about Preparing Fruits & Vegetables for Homemade Baby Food
This page outlines many commonly asked questions about making, storing and preparing fruits and vegetables for baby foods. We have outlined the questions below - simply click on the question you are interested in and you will be dropped down to the answer.
If you do not see your question here, please contact us. We are always eager to add information to this site. The more information that we have based on your questions, the more informed our visitors will be.
Homemade Baby Food - Fruit & Vegetable FAQs - Click to Learn More
Why do you have recipes to cook fruit? Can I give my baby raw fruits?
Most pediatric sources recommend cooking fruits that will be fed to an infant until that infant is about 8 months old. Bananas and avocado are an exception. For infants who start solids prior to 6 months old, cooking fruits is recommended. Cooking fruits breaks them down thus enabling easier digestion in an immature tummy. The "skins” of the fruits should always be peeled, especially prior to 8 months old. Infants who are fed fruits that have been pureed raw may not have any issues with digesting those fruits. There should be no life threatening health risk to baby fed raw fruits however, you may find baby has some digestion and tummy troubles. This should pass once the fruit itself has been passed.
Depending on the doctor to whom you are speaking, this recommendation may vary with age. Some doctors may say cooking fruits is not necessary at all.
NOTE: Peeled raw & ripe fruits are perfectly fine in a baby safe feeder. Why? The amount of fruit that your baby will actually manage to eat from the Baby Safe Feeder is very small. There is a difference between spoon feeding a baby fruit and allowing a baby to suck on fruit from the Feeder. Remember also, an older baby will be better able to handle the fibers and sugars of raw fruits than will the baby who is younger and just starting on solids.
Peeling Fruits & Veggies - Do I peel fruits & veggies for homemade baby food?
Please visit our Peeling Fruits & Veggies page to learn more
Fresh Frozen or Canned vegetables and fruits for baby food?
It is always best to use Fresh whenever possible and whenever fresh is truly fresh. Using Frozen foods is the second best choice. Caveat: read the labels as many frozen vegetables contain added salt and frozen fruits may contain syrups.
Why Not Canned Fruits and Vegetables for use in Homemade Baby Food Recipes? Canned vegetables and fruits for making homemade baby foods are not recommended for several reasons. Please read our Using Canned Food for Homemade Baby Food article to learn more.
Can I use Frozen Vegetables or Frozen Fruits in Homemade Baby Food Puree Form?
Yes - You can use frozen fruits and vegetables to make your homemade baby food recipes. Frozen fruits and vegetables for making homemade baby food may be a better alternative than fresh. Frozen fruits and veggies may be more fresh than fresh. Many sources and food authorities say that oftentimes frozen foods are more "fresh" than fresh. Were you to have the choice between a soft, bruised and less than Fresh acorn squash versus frozen squash to make homemade baby food, the choice for many people would be to purchase the Frozen squash.
Further, many fruits and vegetables that are seasonal may be unavailable as fresh and using their frozen counterparts is acceptable. There is some debate about using Frozen foods to make baby food. There are a few books that do not recommend using frozen foods and then re-freezing those veggies or fruits. The recommendation in those books advocate that only 100% fresh foods be used for homemade baby foods.
Oftentimes, those same books will recommend that only Organic foods should be used and that anything other than Organic and Fresh isn't good and should be avoided entirely. This is untrue and sadly, often scares parents away from making their own baby food.
In a "perfect" situation, Organic and Fresh this is the BEST choice by far. However, there are many parents who do not and will not have economical or logistical access to only fresh fruits and vegetables (or Organic, locally farmed meats) than there are parents who do. In this instance, using frozen is far better than using canned.
Choosing Frozen Vegetables and Frozen Fruits for Homemade Baby Food
When choosing frozen veggies, look for those that contain no salt. If you cannot find any veggies that are salt-free, simply give the veggies a good rinsing prior to cooking them. When choosing frozen fruits, try to find those that are not frozen in syrups or other sugars.
There many fruits such as peaches, melons, avocado, blueberries and strawberries that are frozen "au natural" with citric or ascorbic acid being a possible additive. Frozen fruits should be cooked prior to pureeing and then freezing. You may wither steam or bake the fruits. If your baby is old enough to be served fruits that do not need to be cooked, take out the appropriate amount of fruits from the freezer bag, puree or mash and then store in the fridge for up to 72 hours.
ALWAYS ensure that you are not feeding baby directly from the bowl and then storing the bowl you fed from back in the fridge - take out the portion you will feed, put it into baby's bowl and then put the bowl of food back into the fridge.
More about using Frozen Vegetables and Frozen Fruits for Homemade Baby Food
Do I cook the frozen fruits and veggies?
Frozen veggies/fruits are typically NOT cooked prior to freezing and packaging; hence why you have to cook and not just warm them. When you freeze purees that you have made from frozen veggies or fruits, you have cooked those veggies/fruits. Odds are that prior to freezing, those same foods have been picked at the peak of freshness and "flash" frozen for optimal taste and nutrient preservation.
It's safe to freeze foods that have been frozen AND cooked
Refreezing foods that have been thawed and NOT cooked is not safe nor is it recommended.
For example, if you thaw out a roast, you then cook it and freeze the leftovers for another meal - this is ok and safe. If you were to thaw that same roast and then change your mind and toss it back in the freezer without cooking it, this is bad and could pose a health risk.
Bacteria will grow at a variety of different temperatures - temps close to freezing and even right to the boiling point of water. Bacteria that grow best at the middle of these temp ranges are mesophiles; those that are human pathogens and opportunists.
Is there a loss of nutrients with freezing?
Truth is, more nutrients are lost in the cooking of foods than are lost in the freezing of foods. Remember, the frozen fruits/veggies that you purchase have not been precooked (unless otherwise indicated on the label - do not buy these types if you find them). When you cook the frozen vegetable, it is the first time that that vegetable has been cooked.
Read more at Our Freezing Homemade Baby Food Page
Should I Only Use Organic Foods?
Organic foods are healthier than most conventionally grown foods. This is due to the lack of, or a significant reduction in, chemicals and pesticides that are in and on foods that are grown organically. Buying and preparing Organic foods for homemade baby food has great health advantages for those infants. Their tiny bodies are not exposed to the levels of pesticides that are found in conventional foods.
Pound for pound, an infant consumes more pesticides due to body size. When serving "nitrate" vegetables, the levels of nitrates in Organics are significantly reduced though not 100 percent eradicated (Nitrates are naturally occurring and farming without using nitrogen fertilizers does not eliminate nitrate concentration).
Read More about Choosing Organics >>>>>
Refrigerator Storage of Fruit & Vegetable Baby Food Purees
It is recommended that fresh pureed homemade baby food be stored no longer than 48 hours (many food safety authorities say that 72 hour is fine.) in the refrigerator. This limit ensures that bacteria growth in the puree is kept to a minimum and that the food does not take on the "taste of the fridge". This "rule" applies for veggies, fruits, meats etc.
If you do not plan to freeze your homemade baby food, we would suggest that you make the puree on a day to day, or every other day, basis. For example, one sweet potato may be baked and then you may freeze one half without pureeing it and then puree the other half. This method will help cut down "waste" and also allow for food safety.
Breast Milk and Formula for Making Fruit & Vegetable Purees
You should not use Previously Frozen Breast Milk to thin purées that you will then be freezing into baby food cubes.
Breast Milk should never be re-frozen in any way or form. Using formula to thin and then freeze Purées is acceptable.
Formula companies warn that you do not freeze Infant Formula due to a separation of the formula and not due to any health or nutritional risks. Keep in mind that the amount of formula used in purées is not equal to feeding an infant a bottle of formula.
"Freezing of any Enfamil formula is NOT recommended. Freezing infant formula can lead to physical property changes like fat separation, which may prove difficult for sensitive infants to digest. Freezing will not extend the expiration date of the formula." "Freezing of our products may cause loss of desirable appearance and functionality (though not nutrition), and is not recommended." Clinical Frequently Asked Questions, Storing Enfamil
You may wish to mash or puree your baby foods and freeze without thinning with any liquid. Should you decide to do this, you simply thaw the "un-thinned" food cubes and then thin the food cubes to the desired texture that your infant requires.
For more information, visit our Blog topic on using Formula in Baby Food Recipes.
Best Cooking Methods for Fruit & Vegetable Purees
Baking, steaming or boiling in scant amounts of water is the best way to allow the vegetables to become soft while maintaining the nutrients. Use the leftover water to puree for optimal nutrient preservation. We prefer to bake fruits and veggies whenever possible as baking or roasting will enhance and bring out the flavor of the foods.
Be sure to cook frozen veggies as well, according to the package instructions and then puree as you would if you were using fresh veggies. When cooking vegetables that may contain nitrates, you might want to puree with water other than which the spinach/carrot/broccoli etc. was cooked in.
When do I Thin the Fruit & Vegetable Puree?
You may thin your purees either before or after freezing them. It really is an individual choice and is dependant on what you will be using as your liquid (previously frozen breast milk for example should never be re-frozen.), many parents find it easier to thin their purees and then freeze. When baby moves on to more texture, it may be easier to simply freeze the purees and then thin upon thawing if needed. Read about Thinning and Thickening Homemade Baby Food
Read our Article and Learn how to |
| Wondering about Juice for Your Baby? Read our article to learn about juice & the role it may or may not play in a baby's diet. |
Why can’t I get peas and green beans to puree smooth? **Peas and green beans are very hard to get pureed into a very fine, smooth consistency. You can put them in a strainer and work out the “skins” if using fresh or you can use frozen for a smoother consistency and minimal effort to work out the “skins”.
You may also use beans/legumes (kidney beans, lentils, split peas etc..) if your doctor says it is ok for baby’s age. Please keep in mind that you will never be able to achieve the consistency equal to that of the baby food that comes in jars.
Some parents choose to leave green beans and peas for later introduction, when baby enjoys texture and is able to eat them as Baby Finger Foods.
My vegetables and fruit purées are watery when thawed - is this ok and how might I fix it?
Thawing Homemade Baby Food oftentimes yields an entirely different consistency than when you first put the food in the freezer. This is normal for many fruit and vegetable baby foods. You can add some baby cereal to thicken the puree to the desired consistency that baby tolerates. You can also add some yogurt, mashed banana, or mashed potato to the puree as well. All of these things are wonderful thickening agents. Ensure that these additions are appropriate for your baby's age. Read our Thickening Homemade Baby Food or Thinning Homemade Baby Food for more hints and tips. If you find this is an inadequate solution, simply add less liquid when you puree your foods for freezing.
Can I safely make carrots or other vegetables that have nitrates? - YES YOU CAN.
What does the AAP really say?
The AAP recommends NOT preparing these foods <carrots et al> for a baby who is younger than 3 (three) months old.
For spinach, its nitrate levels may actually increase with improper storage, they recommend 8 months old.
"Because the intake of naturally occurring nitrates from foods such as green beans, carrots, squash, spinach, and beets can be as high as or higher than that from well water, these foods should be avoided before 3 months of age, although there is no nutritional indication to add complementary foods to the diet of the healthy term infant before 6 months of age"
and "Preventive strategy would be not to introduce home preparations of these vegetables to infants before 3 months of age, although there is no nutritional indication to add complementary foods to the diet of the healthy term infant before 4 to 6 months of age.23 Infants fed commercially prepared infant foods after 3 months of age generally are not at risk of nitrate poisoning, although the containers should be refrigerated after first use and discarded within 24 hours of opening. " American Academy of Pediatrics - Nitrate Statement
and
"Because vegetables, including green beans, carrots, squash, spinach and beets, can have nitrate levels as high or higher than that of well water, infants should not eat these foods until after age 3 months."
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/sept05wellwater.htm
Please consult our Nitrate Article for more in depth information about Nitrates and Homemade Baby Food
How do I freeze bananas/other fruits and stop browning?
Using a bit of lemon juice will help to prevent the browning of a banana (and most other fruits) when freezing it. It is the citric acid or the ascorbic acid that aids in the preservation of fruits.
The exposure to oxygen and the enzymes in a banana (and most other fruits) are what cause it to go from green to yellow, and then brown to black, as it ripens. A blackish or brownish banana is not necessarily rotten or bad.
Citric Acid (and Ascorbic Acid) for freezing?
A sensitivity to citric acids (like those in lemon, tomato, grapefruit, oranges) is generally not found after 12 months old. Ascorbic Acid is Vitamin C and seldom will you find anyone with an allergy or severe sensitivity to Vitamin C. Ascorbic Acid is added to many fruits to boost the natural Vitamin C content of the fruit. It may also act as a preservative.
Many people ask about the possibilities of allergies to these citrus acids - odds are, your baby does not have an allergy to these 2 compounds. Your baby may however have a sensitivity to the acid. We are told to stay away from citrus fruits (such as oranges, pineapple, lemon et al) until baby is 10-12 months due mostly to the acidity of the fruit - diaper rash, skin rashes and tummy pains are some things that come from a sensitivity to citric acids.
There is a big difference in using a drop or 2 of lemon juice as a preservative in a fruit purée. The drop or 2 is spread throughout the purée and your infant will not be consuming the drops with each bite of fruit purée that is taken. It is entirely different than offering your baby a few slices of oranges or chopped tomatoes for example.
If your baby has displayed any food sensitivities, you should use caution when using citric acid to preserve fruits and when feeding your baby fruits that have been treated with citric acid. Here is a great link all about Freezing Fruits
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Welcome to the Fruits and Vegetables for Baby Food FAQ page.
Here you will find answers to the most commonly asked questions about making fruits and veggies for baby food. We answer questions such as -
Do I peel Fruits and Vegetables for Homemade Baby Food?
Can I use Frozen Vegetables for Homemade Baby Food?
Are raw fruits for Homemade Baby Food safe?
Solid Foods for Baby
Useful articles and charts to help you with the fun and folly of introducing baby to solid foods.
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MORE HOMEMADE BABY FOOD RECIPES & RECIPE TOPICS
View these pages for more tips & topics on baby feeding & cooking baby foods.
- Freezing Homemade Baby Foods
- Vitamins & Minerals in Baby's Foods
- Baby Food Myths - Archived
- Baby Food Recipes Downloads
- Freebies for Baby
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