Sweet Potato - The Perfect First Baby Food

May, June and July are the perfect months to buy sweet potato in Australia. For maximum goodness - chose ones with orange flesh because they are very rich in beta carotene and other carotenoids, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Folate (one of the B complex vitamins). Sweet potato can be introduced as one of the first foods for babies and can be prepared in lots of different ways.

Because you may only use small amounts at a time in your recipes - I thought it might be worth mentioning that you should store your sweet potato in a cool, dark place with good ventilation and use it within 2 weeks. It's best not to store it in the refrigerator.

Here are some ideas for using sweet potato in your baby purees

"Super Yummy" Veggie Puree

1 or 2 slices of sweet potato - peeled and chopped

1 carrot - peeled and chopped

1 handful of baby spinach leaves (adding spinach with sweet potato is a perfect way to introduce the taste to your baby)

1 small knob butter or a drip of olive oil *(optional)

300ml water

Place chopped veggies in Bébédelice steaming basket
Pour water into heating chamber
Turn knob to ‘steaming’ position & press ‘on’ button
Tip steamed veggies with a small knob of *butter or a *drip of olive oil into blender compartment and blend for 10 seconds or until smooth. If smoother consistency required tip some of the captured cooking liquid in with the vegetables. Spoon a little into your baby’s bowl and serve lukewarm.

* I was always told by my nurse that babies need some fat in their diet to help with the development of their brains. But - I have left this as optional because you can leave it out. I will do some more research on this and will write a blog on "fats" for babies soon.

When your babies is ready to start eating meat (around 8 months) then some lean beef is a great addition to the above puree. You could also add tofu as an alternative to meat. Remember Leanne Cooper's tip that an easy guide for how much protein your bub may need is to offer an amount that is about the same width and thickness as their palm!

There are lots of other veggies you can add with sweet potato such as zucchini, leek, peas, cauliflower, broccoli etc, etc. Some people also cook sweet potato with cinnamon as a puree for babies. I haven't tried this because I think sweet potato has enough flavor on its own - but you might like to try it.

Best go and get cooking. I think I will make lamb and sweet potato for our dinner tonight. mmmmmmm

Jennifer x

Our new Facebook Page

Hi friends!

We have just started a new page on facebook called Rose and Lily Australia.

If you would like a fast and easy way to follow our freshbabyfood blog - then please become a fan of our facebook page and we will send updates to you that way.

And best of all - we are running a competition where you could be one of 10 people to win a Babymoov Shirt Bib (valued at $20.00) if you become a fan of our page.

Cool eh?

Jennifer

Will my baby eat avocado?

Avocado makes a great first food for baby due to its texture and creaminess as well as its high nutrient content.

Avocados are often called one of nature's perfect foods because they are said to contain everything a person needs to survive.

They also are a great source of "good fat" food for baby's brain and physical development.

You can start to feed your baby avocado from the start - and there is no need to cook it. Just mash a ripe avocado with a fork and mix it with some pureed apple, banana, pears or yoghurt.

To store avocado, make sure that you keep the stone inside as this will stop it from turning brown. I have also read that you can freeze avocado - but I have to confess that I have never done this myself. They never last long enough to freeze around our house!!!

Because Avocado makes purees so creamy - you can mix it into almost any puree for some added fat and nutrition.

When your baby over 12 months, you can make a great "baby" Guacamole by mixing some avocado with a small amount of lemon juice, cream cheese, finely chopped spring onion and tomato. Let them dip some steamed carrot fingers into it and suck off the Guacamole dip.

Yes - it will be very messy - but it will be loads of fun!! And think of all the goodness they are getting..............


Jennifer x

Winter Fruit Smoothie

I think that smoothies are a brilliant way to feed fruits and/or berries to babies, because if they are runny enough they will go through a sippy cup and if they are a bit thicker you can feed them through a straw. And at the risk of sounding like the world's worst mum- there are just some days that I don't have time to sit down and spoon feed mashed fruit to my baby and so a smoothie is a very quick and easy way to get those "2 magic pieces a day" into him!

Of course, you can make a smoothie out of lots of different fruits, but I chose pears and frozen berries today - because they are very healthy and are easy to find in winter. Pears are filled with fibre and berries are packed with vitamins and antioxidants

You can make your smoothie in the blender section of the Bébédelice, or you can just use a plastic container and hand held blender. Which ever is easiest and creates the least dishes has got to be the best I think.
Just take a ripe pear (peeled and quartered), a hand full of frozen berries and blend it together with some whole milk and a little honey (only after 12 months for some reason) for sweetness. Instead of adding honey, I sometimes use flavoured yoghurt which gives plenty of taste and makes it nice and creamy.

If you are confident that your baby does not have an allergy to nuts - it is excellent to add a tablespoon of almond meal to the smoothie as this will give him/her some important proteins. You can buy almond meal at the supermarket or health food shop

Smoothies are a great way to get your toddler eating fruit as well - so I always make a double serving and feed both of them at the same time.

If only I could find an easy way to get them to eat Brussel Sprouts :-) Any ideas??

Jennifer xx

Spinach and Salmon - The Ultimate Super Foods!

When your baby is little, you have such a wonderful opportunity to feed them "superfoods" and help develop their tastes - because when they become fussy eating toddlers it is much, much harder! Having said that, I have decided to cook spinach and salmon for my 4 year old tonight. Hey - you never know - the stars might be aligned and I could get one spoonful into her!

But I am sure that my baby will gobble it up - and that will make the effort very worth while.,

Spinach is in season at the moment and is so healthy because it is an excellent source of vitamin C, beta carotene, folate (one of the B vitamins) and is also high in dietary fibre. Salmon is rich in protein, Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin D. Both are very easy to prepare for baby.

Creamy Salmon and Spinach

3-4 chunks of fresh salmon, skin removed
1 handful of baby spinach washed (see picture)
1 tbsp of crème fraiche*, natural yoghurt* or sour cream*
200ml water
Place salmon & spinach in Bébédelice steaming basket
Pour water into heating chamber
Turn knob to ‘steaming’ position & press ‘on’ button
Tip steamed food into blender compartment, add a little cooking liquid and blend
for 10 seconds or until smooth.
Stir through crème fraiche* , yoghurt* or sour cream*

*Your choice of crème fraiche, sour cream or yoghurt really depends on your babies age. From the research I have read, it seems to be recommended that we use Yogurt for babies that are less than 12 months old and crème fraiche and sour creme are fine for babies that are over 12 months.

Yoghurt is thought to be OK under 12 months because the lactose is broken down during the culturing process and this makes it easier to digest.

I am going to prepare the spinach and salmon for my 4 year old daughter in a cream sauce and then I will bake it in the oven with some grated potato on top.

Wish me luck!

Jennifer x

Beetroot .... for babies?????

I am not sure if you are a fan of beetroot - but I really love it. There is just something about the color that makes me feel good about eating it. And yes - it stains everything it touches and I know - it comes in a can - but hey - surely something that purple has to be good for you???

Of course it is!!! Beetroot is one of the best dietary sources of folate; it's also a good source of vitamin C, potassium, manganese and fibre. Deep red varieties are also rich in anthocyanins, which may reduce cancer risk.

But can you feed it to babies?? Well ..... based on my research - the answer is yes - and it can be introduced from 8 months (some say 6 months but better to be safe than sorry I say!)

But be warned - what goes in comes out - and let me tell you....beetroot poo can be pretty scary so best make yourself a note so that you don't forget that you fed it to you baby when you open the nappy and almost have a heart attack when you see that it is purple!!!!

Purees containing beetroot should be pretty simple because the taste of the beetroot alone can be very satisfying for a baby. Maybe start by just cooking it together with some potato and chicken.

BEETROOT WITH CHICKEN AND POTATO

*Add 1 small potato and a small piece of chicken into the Bébédelice steaming basket.

*Pour 300ml water into heating chamber and cook as per product instructions
*When it is finished, tip 1 or 2 slices of tinned beetroot and the steamed potato and chicken into blender compartment and blend for 10 seconds or until smooth. *If smoother consistency required tip some of the captured cooking liquid in with the puree.
*Spoon a little into your baby’s bowl and serve lukewarm

You can always add some other veggies or apple to the puree - but I think that beetroot has a strong enough flavour that it is best prepared in a very simple way

As always - we would love to hear your thoughts - so if you have any great recipes that use beetroot - please let us know

That's all for now. Happy cooking!!

Jennifer xx

PS - just read that beetroot can even make a babies wee pink - WOW!!

Food Safety Tips

Because we talked about chicken in our last post, I though it might be good to write something about food safety

Thanks to our good friend Leanne Cooper I have a great list that i thought would be valuable to share.

Food safety tips

§ Wash fruit and scrub vegetables before use or before refrigerating.

§ Use hot soapy water to wash your hands.


§ Use appropriate cutting boards. Wooden boards have been shown to be safest.

§ Take care when heating food in a microwave as there can be hot spots.

§ Don’t cross-contaminate foods i.e. raw meats, poultry or eggs should not be placed together.

§ Avoid using your fingers to handle food.

§ Keep hair away from food.

§ Reduce the food’s exposure to anyone who may be unwell.

§ Wash sponges in the machine or place in the microwave for two minutes and replace regularly.

§ If in doubt, discard food that is suspicious.

§ Reduce the exposure of air to stored foods by using airtight containers.

§ Don’t allow food to defrost at room temperature.

§ Never refreeze foods that have already been frozen.

§ Discard the uneaten remainders of meals.

That's all for tonight!!! Happy cooking!!

Jennifer x

Is roast chicken a good choice?

Today I am writing about roast chicken because when my daughter was a baby we visited a great friend from Hong Kong who was feeding strips of roasted chicken to her 11 month old baby (and the baby was gobbling it up) and I thought - why have I never thought to do that?

Nutritionists recommend that we don't introduce white meat to babies before 8 months. The main concern is that their livers are not developed enough to digest the fat before that time

When we do introduce it - how much protein should go into a meal? According to leading child nutritionist Leanne Cooper, when first trialling a protein food, we should offer just a small amount (a few teaspoons) for the first 3–4 days to check for reactions. Once you know it is okay, an easy guide for how much protein your bub may need is to offer an amount that is about the same width and thickness as their palm. This is much easier than working out calories and grams.

If you are having Roast Chicken for your dinner (or you have some left overs) - here is an easy puree to make for your baby using the Bébédelice

Roast Chicken with Pumpkin, Potato and Broccoli

*Add a few broccoli pieces, one small potato and a few cubes of chopped pumpkin to the steaming basket

*Add 300 mls water to the steaming chamber

*Steam as per product instructions

*Tear off a few strips of roast chicken - making sure all skin and bones are removed and add to the cooked veggies - also adding a little of the cooking liquid if you want to make it more "runny"

*Blend veggies and chicken together - very well pureed for younger babies and more chunky for older babies

*Serve at room temperature

Roast chicken makes a great finger food as well. Just tear a bit of meat off (making sure all skin and bones have been removed) and put it in your babies hand so that they can have a good old suck on it.

Too yummy I say!

'till next time ...........................Jennifer x

An Apple a Day...

OK - time to get down to business with our first informative post!

Now that we are going into winter all the stone fruits have disappeared but don't disappear - the APPLE is here!!! And how we love the apple! It is a great first food for baby; is very easy to cook and tastes great. Red apples are the sweetest but green apples can also be delicious at this time of year.

Apples are a good source of Vitamin C and Fibre and are also pretty good value (Fuji apples are at the supermarket for around $3.00kg at the moment).

When you are preparing apples for babies it is important that they are always peeled, steamed and pureed because apple skin or chunks can be a choking risk (as I'm sure you already know)

Why not start by adding some pureed apple into your babies full fat natural yogurt? It is a great natural sweetener

I also think that apple is a great addition to baby porridge or weet-bix as it really makes it sweet and tasty and adds lots of natural fibre. You can easily freeze your cooked and pureed apple in small storage containers (like ice cube trays) and then de-freeze them one by one as needed to mix with other foods.

When one of my children has some diarrhoea then I mix some pureed apple with mashed banana and baby rice. The banana can help to replace some of the electrolytes and with the rice also helps to make the puree more filling.

If you are using the Bébédelice to cook your apples- here are some good ideas with instructions on how can prepare them

First apple puree

2 medium apples, peeled, cored & chopped
100ml water
Place chopped fruit in Bébédelice steaming basket
Pour water into heating chamber
Turn knob to ‘steaming’ position & press ‘on’ button
Tip steamed fruit into blender compartment and blend for 5 seconds or until
smooth. If smoother consistency required tip some of the captured cooking liquid
in with the fruit.
Spoon a little into your baby’s bowl and serve lukewarm

Creamy apple puree
1 tbsp baby rice cereal
3 tbsp of your baby’s usual milk
4 tbsp of apple puree (as above)
Mix the baby rice and milk together as per packet instructions and stir in the apple
puree or add mixture when blending.


Why not add a sprinkle of cinnamon to your apples? It's a great way to introduce a new flavour to your baby

Place chopped fruit in Bébédelice steaming basket
Sprinkle fruit with cinnamon
Pour water into heating chamber
Turn knob to ‘steaming’ position & press ‘on’ button
Tip steamed fruit into blender compartment and blend for 5 seconds or until
smooth. If smoother consistency required tip some of the captured cooking liquid
in with the fruit.
Serve with natural yoghurt stirred through

Try combining apple with other fruits for some wonderful new tastes

- Apple & Pear

- Apple & Strawberry (fresh strawberries can cause allergies but cooked strawberries are less likely to according to the information I have read)

- Apple & Blueberry (Blueberries are a wonderful "superfood" filled with lots of good things and are less likely to cause allergies than strawberries)

- Apple & Banana with Orange Juice (I never add orange juice if my baby has diarrhoea but I do add it if he/she is constipated - oh the joys of parenthood!)

Finally - why not try cooking up some apple with avocado? OK - you might not eat it - but your baby will probably love it - and think of all the great nutrition that you are giving them.

Mixing apple with chicken is also really tasty for babies and you can make this combination more filling by adding some breadcrumbs or couscous - yum! Also some thyme or sage can make this a very tasty dinner.


The mention of two of my favourite foods (chicken and avocado) has inspired me to write again - so I promise to be in touch again soon with some ideas for these wonderful foods

Until then - enjoy your food and have a great evening!

Jennifer x

Welcome to Fresh Baby Food

Hi and welcome to our very first post!

I decided to start this blog because ever since my friend and I started selling the Bébédelice cooking appliance in Australia we have developed a passion for cooking fresh baby food and also for helping others to come up with ideas for cooking from fresh and seasonal produce for their babies.

We also have been amazed by how many questions can arise when you first introduce solids to your baby - and also when you start to think about new foods to introduce(rather than just carrot and potato!).

There is loads of information available, so we are hoping to create a forum where people can easily access simple tips and hopefully share their ideas and questions.
We will try to update the blog every week and be as fast and responsive as we can. We will also try to be as accurate as possible but really we will just share our experiences and hopefully make something that is interesting and worthwhile reading.

Just to quickly tell you a little bit about us - Michele and I started Rose and Lily back in 2007 when we discovered that there were some fantastic products out there that were not yet available in Australia. Michele (photo above) is based in Brisbane and has 2 beautiful children - Lily and Charlie.

I am based in Belgium but I grew up in Adelaide and I come back home as often as I can. It is my dream to be back in Australia permanently as soon as I can - so that is why everything you read is coming from an Australian perspective. My photo is below with my daughter Alexandra and son Frederik

Anyway - enough about us. I will get cracking on our first "real" post now. Stay posted and see you soon I hope

Jennifer x