How to Make Homemade Baby Food the Italian Way

Making homemade baby food has become the fashionable way to show your love for your baby, and crafting pureed foods for the little one that reflect your family's heritage is even more meaningful. Italians take roughly the same approach to baby food that Americans do, using simple ingredients and pureeing food so that it̵7;s very smooth. However, their baby food recipes make better use of meat, grain, legumes and broth at younger ages. If you̵7;re looking to make baby food the Italian way, update your approach to include these techniques.

Things You'll Need

  • Potato, carrot and zucchini for broth
  • Rice cereal
  • Olive oil (optional)
  • Parmesan cheese (optional)
  • Variety of fruits and vegetables
  • Food processor
  • Blender
  • Legumes such as peas, lentils and beans
  • Grains such as oatmeal and rice
  • Meat such as chicken and beef

Instructions

    • 1

      Make a broth in which to cook vegetables, grains and legumes. Boil one potato, one carrot and one zucchini in a quart of water until the liquid has reduced by half. Remove the vegetables and save for another use, including pureeing into baby food.

    • 2

      Begin your baby on rice cereal, using vegetable broth as the liquid rather than water or formula, as is often recommended to American moms. Before serving, add olive oil and Parmesan cheese to the rice cereal, only if your child has been eating solid food for a few months, if desired.

    • 3

      Introduce a variety of fruits and vegetables for baby food made the Italian way. Start with sweet, mild fruits and vegetables when first introducing your baby to solid foods. Try carrots, sweet potato, winter squash, bananas, pears, apples and peas for 4- to 6- month-old babies; add green beans, peaches, apricots, blueberries and mangoes to foods for older infants.

    • 4

      Cook vegetables in prepared broths until tender. Puree them in a blender or food processor until smooth. Cook fruits in water or their own juices until they are soft and then puree them as well.

    • 5

      Introduce legumes at about 6 months, after babies have been introduced to rice cereal and vegetables. Cook legumes such as lentils, peas or beans in broth until soft and tender. Puree as you would fruits and vegetables. Introduce grains about the same time, using boiled oatmeal or rice pureed with broth.

    • 6

      Remove skin and fat before cooking meat as you normally would. Puree or grind meat in a blender or food processor until it is very smooth. Use the meat in making broth once your baby is old enough to eat it.

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