A Conversation for Homemade Baby Food

Peer Review: A87857563 - Homemade Baby Food

Post 1

Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor

Entry: Homemade Baby Food - A87857563
Author: Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor - U1314679

There seems to be some kind of custom in the recent years, that every new mum on hootoo writes a baby related Entry. This one is mine. I started making puree myself because I find the stuff you get in the supermarket somewhat disgusting. Most of all the uncooled 'yoghurt' and 'spaghetti'. I find it suspicious.

I hope this Entry will inspire others to cook real food for their babies.


A87857563 - Homemade Baby Food

Post 2

Gnomon - time to move on

This is a good entry, Tavaron. Well done!

The sub-editor can clean up the English and make it more readable, but there are a few things you can do to help.

1. The word is 'jar' rather than 'glass'. A glass is an open-topped container for drinking out of. A jar is a thing with a lid.

2. You've used American names for some of the vegetables. It certainly used to be the rule that we use British English here:

zucchini --> courgette
bell pepper --> pepper
tomato paste --> tomato puree

3. The phrase 'industrial baby food' sounds odd. I think it should be 'processed baby food'.

4. I've no idea what you mean by 'pup' in 'grain pup' or 'porridge and other pup'. A pup is a baby dog.

I've no suggestions on the actual food as you seem to have covered everything very well.

smiley - smiley


A87857563 - Homemade Baby Food

Post 3

You can call me TC

I agree with Gnomon's comments. I am surprised there is no mention of bananas. As far as I remember, that's the first thing that babies are given, certainly in the Anglo-Saxon world.

Although my third baby had a very averse reaction to bananas - whether I had eaten them (he was breast-fed) or once when I tried a little sample of formula on him, which definitely smelt of bananas.

Whilst I agree that foods should not be simply not given to the baby in case they may cause allergies*, it is best for your own and the baby's comfort if you avoid things which will definitely cause wind.

I'll probably be back with a few more thoughts, although I really am so far from this subject nowadays that I'm nearly back in it again through having become a Granny. When my children were babies (about the same time as you were, Tav!), we were all into home-made things, as a rebellion against the increasingly chemicalised and processed food that we had "enjoyed" in the 60s.

*sorry about the multiple negatives in that sentence!


A87857563 - Homemade Baby Food

Post 4

Florida Sailor All is well with the world

A very interesting and informational Entry.

A comment or so to help you improve itsmiley - smiley

First to Gnomon's comments

>1 - yes the word should be 'jar' later you mention 'containers with tight fitting lids' these are properly 'canning jars', or, at least in the US, 'mason jars' http://www.walmart.com/c/kp/canning-jars

>2 yes the Guide standard is for British spelling, but I would like to see you retain the American words in parenthesis or a foot note so this can be understood by an international audience.

>3 The word 'commercial' could also be used.

In your sentence > Puree in glasses also sometimes has too much sugar... < I would add Commercial purée in jars... to the start of the sentence.

>4 Could 'pup' be meant to be 'pap', or more probably 'pabulum'?

smiley - cheers

F smiley - dolphin S


A87857563 - Homemade Baby Food

Post 5

Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor

Thanks to all of you for your comments.

1. jar... yes, thank you, I should have known

2. the vegetable names... well, I'm afraid I always just take what sounds best to me smiley - laugh zucchini for instance is the same word in German and I'm always afraid pepper is confused with the spice when I use it in recipes, I think I'll follow FS's advice here

3. I'll change that

4. in the 'pup'question I think FS was also right, I got it from the dictionary. I may have searched for a word which doesn't exist in English maybe.


to TC:
how could I forget bananas smiley - headhurts
I'll add something about winds

I find it interesting that you say you also cooked baby food. My mum and my husband's mum both say that when we were babies nobodythey knew did it. Everyone just bought jars from the supermarket without giving it a second thought.


I'll go and work on your suggestions smiley - run


A87857563 - Homemade Baby Food

Post 6

Gnomon - time to move on

We bought jars at the start but quickly changed to cooking the food ourselves.


A87857563 - Homemade Baby Food

Post 7

You can call me TC

The jars are handy right at the beginning

smiley - spork when you only give a spoonful per mealtime,
smiley - spork and if you're travelling
smiley - spork and when you're still very careful about sterilising stuff.

But with a couple of cheap gadgets, it is no problem to make purees yourself as you describe. The electric blender is not absolutely necessary. In the 80s, when the babies were small, every young mother had a "Flotte Lotte".

http://hawato.de/Kuechenprofi-Profi-Passiergeraet-Flotte-Lotte-mit-4-Scheiben-20-cm-Edelstahl

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_mill

I still use this to make mashed potatoes these days, and I have also made food for the cat when I ran out of catfood, by pureeing a mixture of cooked potatoes and fish through it.

My parents had a packet of breadsticks (grissini) in the cupboard and this was an ideal first food for even the most toothless of babies. We would break off about a quarter to a third for them to hold and suck.

It also helped develop coordination and controlling the hand movements to the mouth - getting to know how to work a spoon is an important part of the weaning process!


A87857563 - Homemade Baby Food

Post 8

You can call me TC

Sorry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_mill


A87857563 - Homemade Baby Food

Post 9

Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor

Sorry, I'm slow in making changes (back to work for 2 weeks now), but already made a few.

What Iwanted to say: I didn't mean canning jars,I meant something like tupperware but made of glass, not plastic.

Added the Food mill, too. And bread sticks Sound like a good idea.


A87857563 - Homemade Baby Food

Post 10

Gnomon - time to move on

Yes, we used one of those food mills. Ours was a French brand so it was always called the Mouli.


A87857563 - Homemade Baby Food

Post 11

Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor

I think I changed all the courgettes and peppers now.


A87857563 - Homemade Baby Food

Post 12

AlexAshman


This is good and really detailed, though it does contain the odd awkward turn of phrase. I'd like to make a couple of suggestions in particular:

"Puree in jars also smetimes has too much sugar, often disguised as concentrated fruit puree"
-->
"Puree in jars may also contain an excessive amount of sugar, often in the form of concentrated fruit puree"

"If you want to give fish to your baby, do not feed any long lived fish like tuna or swordfish, as they may have absorbed too many harmful substances during their life."
-->
"If you want to give your baby fish, avoid long-lived fish such as tuna and swordfish. These species tend to accumulate toxic compounds of mercury and should be avoided by infants and pregnant women."


A87857563 - Homemade Baby Food

Post 13

Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor

I meant that those who produce the purees write 'concentrated fruit puree' because it sounds all extremely healthy while in fact there's lots of sugar in it. That's why I call ita disguise. I am sorry but I don't think your suggestion reflects this.

Is it really only Mercury? I'm not sure, there's so much stuff in the seas These days... smiley - erm


A87857563 - Homemade Baby Food

Post 14

AlexAshman


How about: "Puree in jars may also contain an excessive amount of sugar, often craftily concealed in the form of 'concentrated fruit puree'."

Mercury is the number one reason and is usually the reason quoted in pregnancy guides etc.


A87857563 - Homemade Baby Food

Post 15

Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor

I made these changes.


Congratulations - Your Entry has been Recommended for the Edited Guide!

Post 16

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Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!


Congratulations - Your Entry has been Recommended for the Edited Guide!

Post 17

Elektragheorgheni -Please read 'The Post'

smiley - applause all that and raising a toddler! You rock!


Congratulations - Your Entry has been Recommended for the Edited Guide!

Post 18

Gnomon - time to move on

smiley - bubbly


Congratulations - Your Entry has been Recommended for the Edited Guide!

Post 19

Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor

thank you! smiley - biggrin


Congratulations - Your Entry has been Recommended for the Edited Guide!

Post 20

AlexAshman

smiley - applesmiley - otamotsmiley - bubbly


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