Eat what I say, not what I eat.
What are you feeding your baby?
As captain of the picky eater’s club, I will reassure you that a great number of adults don’t check the label to see how much Iron or Vitamin A is in their frozen pizza before they toss it in the oven. I also don’t completely dry my hair before I zap-fry it with my Chi-480 degree hair straightener. I do, however, spend 5 minutes every night carefully applying—cautiously chosen—lotion to my 7-month-old son’s fragile head of hairs. Why would I behave any differently with the things I feed him?
How long does it take that banana sitting on your counter to turn black? Now ask yourself, how long has this jar of mashed bananas been sitting on the shelf in this supermarket? I’ve read several reasons why more and more parents choose to make their own baby food, but the most common I believe is how much nutrient-loss occurs in the making of processed, commercial baby foods. These foods are not only stripped of several nutrient-filled layers to get to the core with the longest shelf-life, but they’re also cooked at unbelievably high temperatures to rid the product of harmful bacterias (to increase the length they can sit on that supermarket shelf.) What they don’t tell you on the nutrient label, is how many of those vitamins were depleted in the process.
Variety! Humans need a variety of foods. We depend on several different nutrients for optimum brain and body function. Many adults (myself included) have had a poor diet from the time they were young—to no fault of my ever-so-patient mother—and our bodies have adapted. Our nations obesity and heart disease rates are no doubt, however, partly indicative of our unhealthful lifestyles. And while bananas and apples and sweet potatoes are all great foods, I’m sure you won’t find avocadoes or mangoes in the baby section at Wal-Mart. Making your own baby food creates the opportunity to expand your child’s taste pallet early, and hopefully develop healthful eating habits later in life.
There is a theory that since babies immune systems are so fragile, they are more susceptible to inorganic materials. Making your own baby food gives you the choice to go with whole grains, unbleached, and no pesticides or unnecessary chemicals.
This article discusses several ways you can help prioritize what things should ‘go green’ on a budget. They also discuss how “research shows you can immediately and dramatically reduce the pesticide content in your child’s body by switching to organic foods.”
There are many reasons to choose homemade baby food, and while it’s not always possible—and in the end, always do what’s best for your family—when it’s an option, the research shows homemade baby food really is like power juice for your precious babies. I know I, personally, hope mine isn’t writing a blog at midnight on a Thursday, eating a cupcake when he’s 20…
www.wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com ←Check it out