Mother’s milk is the best food for a baby below 6 months. In addition to the rich supply of vitamins and disease-fighting antibodies it provides, breast milk is easy to digest and leads to a close bonding experience between mother and baby. Nutritionists say that for breastfeeding to be successful, a baby should be fed when he is hungry, not when a schedule dictates. “You feed the baby when he is hungry. That’s all the schedule there is,” says Jenna, a mom of two.

While most mothers have enough milk to satiate their little one’s hunger, the decision to breastfeed is a deeply personal one. Nursing may not be preferable to all women. For mothers who can’t breastfeed or who decide not to, infant formula is a healthy alternative. Even with a commercial product, you can rest assured that all your baby’s nutritional needs will be met.

Babies should be fed with semi-solids only after the rooting or sucking instinct leaves them. This happens by the fifth or sixth month. Initially, feeding times will be messy and noisy, as your baby will need time to get used to semi-solids. Some babies cry because they cannot get food fast enough, while others try to spit out the alien texture of semi-solid food. Patience is all you can have until your baby develops a taste and appetite for the new kinds of food he is eating.

It’s a good idea to keep the use of store-bought jarred or tinned foods to the minimum. These are full of additives, extra starch and high levels of sugar. If you decide to make your own baby food, hygiene should be your first concern, followed by nutrition.
Rinse all equipment with hot water.

Boil utensils such as spoons, knives and mashers.

Do not store cooked food in the refrigerator for prolonged periods.

Never feed directly from a jar or tin.

Discard any leftover baby food, as bacteria forms quickly in unfinished meals.

Make sure that you introduce new items slowly and in small doses.

Start off with meat and eggs only after your baby has accepted most vegetables and fruits.

Milk can be very satisfying, and it is natural for babies to resist other food when they are getting their regular amount of milk. When you start with semi-solids, your baby should be reasonably hungry by mealtime. But it’s not a good idea to starve him until then. You can allow your baby to breastfeed for a while or provide him with one-third of his formula. Replace one feeding with semi-solids; slowly increase the semi-solids, and reduce the milk or formula. You can start off with a little iron-fortified infant rice cereal mixed with milk or formula. Once your baby masters the art of eating cereal from the spoon, it is time to introduce him to a fruit or vegetable.

At the beginning, babies should have finely pureed foods, but as they reach the 8-month mark, coarser and chunkier textures will be tolerated. After 6 months, introduce juice and sippers to your baby. Serve only 100% natural fruit juices. Commercial juices are high in sugar and low in nutrients. Make sure that your baby drinks plenty of water too.

Avoid meats, eggs, citrus fruits and juices for a year. Fish, seafood, butter and peanut butter can also wait until your child is 2-3 years of age. Do not use biscuits as a pacifier for fussy babies, and keep away from adding sugar, salt or strong spices to homemade food.

As your baby grows, introduce a wider variety of food. If he rejects something, replace it with something else. You can introduce the rejected item after a few weeks or a month. After he crosses the 1-year mark, allow him to start experimenting with food and feeding himself. Never force-feed your baby. A fat baby is NOT a healthy baby, and a healthy baby need not be fat.

When your baby is ready to switch over from milk to semi-solids, you have yet another decision to make – homemade or store-bought. It’s the age-old debate of convenience vs. health when it comes to food too. While jarred and tinned food at the store may have the same nutritional value, they are often too rich for your baby. Added sugars, additives and preservatives are found in most store-bought food items. On the up side, ready made food has an unbelievable variety of choices, flavors, textures and combinations.

Making baby food at home is a simple, nutritious and inexpensive way to feed your baby, and at times it can be as easy, or even easier, than using the baby food in jars. When the baby first starts off on semi-solids, he needs food that is creamy and smooth in texture. As your baby slowly progresses, his ‘food-needs’ also undergo a change. Slowly, he begins accepting chunkier and coarser food, and by the age of 1-2 years, he is munching away on regular food that is available at the table. A young baby’s food is very much dependent on certain appliances, the food grinder being one important such item.

A baby’s first semi-solid would be some kind of rice cereal mixed with milk. Once he has started accepting semi-solids, you can begin offering new choices. Vegetables and fruits slowly make their appearance. Whatever you feed, at this stage it is important to blend or grind food into a smooth puree before it is given. Even small lumps can choke a baby. Food grinders help to turn nutritious table food into healthy baby food in an instant. The wholesome goodness of home-cooked meats, fruits and veggies are available to the child as he is offered the same as a smooth and easily digestible puree.

A good baby grinder should be able to puree meat, cooked veggies and fruits. A food grinder is much more convenient than a blender. A food grinder is lightweight and portable, making it easy to use. You can carry it to the table and empty out all the contents, unlike a blender, which is difficult to clean and empty out completely. While a blender can handle large amounts of food, it is not handy when you want to make just a single serving. Bacteria generally propagate very easily in leftover baby food. So, it may be wiser to feed as much fresh food as possible.

Food grinders can be hand-held or machine operated. The hand-held type is completely noiseless and can be taken with you anywhere. Most grinders have parts that are easy to remove and wash. Food grinders can handle any kind of foods except hard and dry items like taco shells and chips. When you grind some hard food like fresh apples, dice it first and add a little milk or water. Food with a lot of fiber is hard to mash. So, when your baby is ready to move on to harder foods like meat, a battery operated grinder works better than a manual one.

The greatest advantage of making food at home for your young baby is that you – not a commercially operated company – are in charge of the preparation of food. You can control your sanitary conditions and can provide food that answers your child’s nutritional requirements. For most parents, food grinders are about the first item that helps to make the transition from milk to semi-solids painless and smooth. So, choose a food grinder with care after doing some basic research into its features.