Environmental Health Tip of the Week: Safe Baby Food
Do you or someone you know have a new baby at home? If so, take note. One of the most important baby care safety tips is to make sure you are feeding your infant the most natural, pure foods you can find with no additives. Which means: try to feed your baby foods that don’t come from a package.
The best way to protect your baby from food additives, chemicals, or excessive sugar and salt is to make your own baby food. CEH has prepared an easy-to-use guide to making your own simple, healthy baby food at home.
1. Food made from fresh fruits and vegetables is best. Frozen vegetables may contain salt, and canned foods often contain many different preservatives along with high levels of sodium and sugar depending on the type of canned food. Most canned fruits are packed in heavy syrups and sugars that are not healthy for babies.
2. Some foods, such as bananas and other ripe fruits, require only a fork for mashing. A potato masher also works well to puree cooked apples, winter squash, potatoes, or carrots. Be sure to use a fine mesh sieve or strainer to remove lumps, pieces of skin, strings, or seeds before feeding to baby.
3. Pureed foods spoil more quickly than other foods; so your baby food must be used immediately or frozen for future use. If you store food in the refrigerator, keep it in there only 2 to 3 days. If you don’t use it by then, be sure to discard it. Remember: refrigeration does not kill bacteria; it only slows down their growth.
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