Make Your Own Baby Food You'll need a tool to grind or puree the food.

Some possibilities, all of which you can buy at stores or online ! hand"turned food mill with different blades for #arious te$tures of food. Many parents say this portable, non"electric gadget is their fa#orite tool. %Search online for &food mill.&' !n all"in"one baby"food maker, a de#ice that first steam"cooks and then purees fruit, #egetables, and meat for your baby. Some models also defrost and reheat pre#iously prepared food. %Search for &baby food maker.&' ! baby food grinder, a #ery ine$pensi#e and simple way to break down chunks of food for your baby, non"electric and portable, but you don't ha#e a choice of te$tures. (ead the re#iews online before ordering. )he grinders don't always work as well as they promise, but some parents swear by them. %Search for &baby food grinder.&' ! hand blender, a useful electric gadget that purees food like a blender does, but works in the opposite way You place it into the food rather than #ice #ersa. %Search for &hand blender.&' ! regular kitchen blender or food processor. You probably already ha#e at least one of these at home. ! blender or food processor might work well for you, though you might find it less than ideal for small *obs. ! good old"fashioned fork. )his simple piece of kitchen e+uipment found in e#ery kitchen does a great *ob with easily mashed foods such as sweet potatoes, a#ocados, and bananas. Other useful supplies Storage containers and ice cube trays %or similar trays made *ust for baby food' for refrigerating and free,ing e$tra portions. Buying the best produce -hoose the freshest fruits and #egetables, and try to use what you buy in a day or two. .hen fresh isn't a#ailable, fro,en is a fine option. %/f you prefer organic produce, find out how to buy organic food for less.' 0ood fruits to start with include apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, mangoes, peaches, pears, plums, and prunes. 1egetables to try include asparagus tips, a#ocados, carrots, peas, potatoes, sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, and winter s+uash. 2on't limit yourself to these, though. For more ideas, see our article on ad#enturous first foods. Minimi,ing nitrate e$posure

3itrates are a chemical found in water and soil, and they're a concern when it comes to feeding your baby. Babies who ingest too much can de#elop a type of anemia called methemoglobinemia.

4reparing formula with well water that's high in nitrates is the usual cause of the illness, but some #egetables can also contain nitrates. )he most likely sources are beets, carrots, green beans, spinach, and s+uash.

)o be on the safe side, the !merican !cademy of 4ediatrics %!!4' ad#ises parents not to feed these #egetables to babies under 5 months old. %!ctually, the !!4 doesn't recommend feeding babies any solid food at all until 6 to 7 months, but if you do decide to offer your infant #egetables before 5 months, you'll want to a#oid these in particular.'

)here are a few things you can do to make sure your baby isn't e$posed to high le#els of nitrates /f you ha#e well water, ha#e it tested. /t should contain less than 89 ppm of nitrates. 3itrates increase with storage time unless fro,en. .hen using fresh #egetables for homemade baby food, prepare the food as soon as possible after purchase and free,e e$tra ser#ings right away. -onsider using fro,en #egetables instead of fresh for the foods highest in nitrates. Baby food companies test their products for nitrates. So store"bought baby food : including dishes containing beets, carrots, green beans, spinach, or s+uash : should be free of these chemicals.