Meat Baby Food is Just Icky
Whether you make your own baby food or you are using jarred foods, there is no escaping the ickiness of meat baby food. The truth is, meats that are pureed are unappetizing and completely unappealing. If you’ve ever popped open a jar of commercial meat baby food, you know what I mean. Homemade meat baby food purees tend to be far better smelling and tasting that those the come in the jars, still, I know many parents (myself included!) who feel a tad nauseated when they feed their babies pureed meats because of the ick factor. To make matters worse (or better), there are a few studies that show the bio-availability of iron is far greater when meats are pureed or minced so it is in the best interest of Baby’s health to serve up pureed meats every now and then. Meats are also being recommended sooner rather than later in baby’s diet and this earlier recommendation necessitates pureeing the meat. This recommendation for introducing meats earlier than 9 months of age is due the ability of meat to give baby greater levels of bio-available iron and also zinc. These nutrients are important for healthy growth and development, so you see, meats really are good for babies, even if they come with a bit of an “ick” factor when pureed.
How to Make Meats More Appealing for Baby
To help keep pureed meats tasty and texturally tolerable for your baby, try these tips:
- Mix the meat with a fruit, a veggie, or even some yogurt!
- Poach meats when you can, but when baking or roasting, ensure that the meat does not become overly cooked and dried out.
- Cooking meats in the crock pot is another way to ensure tender, tasty and juicy meats to make into baby food.
Making Chicken and Carrots
For this meal, I sauteed chicken breasts in olive oil with a bit of pepper and garlic (spices and herbs are great for babies!) and steamed up some carrots. The whole thing was done make in 20 minutes total!
Pureed meat will freeze just fine however when you thaw it, it may turn a bit gritty. You can add a veggie or fruit or even a bit of water and then stir to recombine.
