My DS is 8 months and gets an allergic skin rash when he eats oatmeal and carrots (weird and unusual I know) which is in most stage 2 and pretty much all stage 3 foods. I can't do cherrios or gerber puffs because of the oats in them. After a lot of research on the internet, I did find some rice rusks and some o-shaped cereal made from brown rice. I need some more ideas...anyone know of any good sources for making my own baby food or starting table food. I'm not sure he's totally ready for table food - doesn't seem too interested right now although he did seem to like the rice rusk.
Thanks everyone. I checked out the websites everyone recommended and I'm going this weekend to get me a food processor.
One of my favorite (and free) sources I use for making my baby food is www.wholesomebabyfood.com It's great. Hope that helps! If you have any questions, let me know. It's easy and the only supplies I need are my blender and ice cube trays. It isn't too time consuming (I have twin 7 month old girls and a 4 year old boy)or else I wouldn't do it! Good luck!
Not sure where you are located out of, but a good source for purchasing products is Whole Foods or Akins Natural Foods. They carry alot of different products that might be of help.
They both have web sites that you can look at the different products. Good luck! Here are the links to both sites.
K.
www.akins.com
www.wholefoodsmarket.com
First, let me say that I love the responses you have already received! There is a ton of info on preparing your own baby food... use your google skills and get reading! I love my magic bullet for making baby food. The flat blade attachment does a fantastic job with any fruits and veggies that have been steamed to the appropriate softness... some things you can steam in the microwave (apples) and some things you really can't (carrots just don't get soft enough) and you have to do it on the stove top. It takes a bit of time, and you have to find the best way to freeze it for you (I use the bpa free bags that are actually for breast milk storage... it's easier to defrost in those than in the glass jars I bought for this purpose) but in the end, preparing baby's food helps you get ready for preparing his food later. Plus, if you have too much of any one thing, you can always throw the pureed food into a smoothie for you later on. One tip... if you have a fine wire mesh strainer, that is going to come in handy to make certain that you don't have any big chunks left in your puree... those are choking hazards, so it's safer to run the food through the strainer before you store it. Hope this helps!
blend up your own food for him.
Akins is a good - but expensive - place to go for whole foods.
I have a paperback called "The Natural Baby Food Cookbook" that I no longer need, and would love to give you. Just let me know if you'd like it :}
I have a friend whose daughter has celiac disease, which destroys the lining in her intestines and is an immune disorder. I've heard of other people who have allergies to various foods, and sometimes to gluten. There is also the possibility that your child is very allergic to some other substance that comes in contact with the food, whether fish or nut oils in processing, or a chemical you use to clean with.
I suggest doing a Google search for gluten-free products and sampling the websites you find. Oats contain a similar protein to gluten which can trigger a response in people sensitive to gluten (either intolerance or allergy). And, having baked something for my friend and her daughter (who had numerous other severe food allergies), I can recommend Gluten-Free Baking Classics by Annalise G. Roberts. It's a wonderful cookbook! http://authenticfoods.com/ Also look up "allergy substitutions" on Google for ways to substitute for the foods he can't eat. :) I love Google and Amazon.
what's the deal? is it celiac or something? i would ask your dr when is to soon to test your poor kiddo for it. in the mean time, there are tons of gluten free options now that you can try. for my daughter when she was 8 mo i would cook frozen veggies for her then puree them in the blender. broccoli, squash, sweet potatoes, things like that with high nutritional value...then from the blender they go into ice trays and into the freezer. before a meal i would just pop one out and defrost it and voila, she had her food. also, for your little one you might try some gluten free noodles (ones made from quinoa taste best in my opinion) and just cook them until soft. not only will he probably love them but he can start to learn to feed himself, get that pincer grasp down, with noodles. they come in all shapes. most specialty stores carry them, but anymore they are becoming more and more common. hope that helps!
oh, you will LOVE Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron.
My daughter did not have many solids until one year. She did not have allergies, it was just easier to nurse than deal with the mess (I know a lot lazy on my part!). She did fine, mentally, physically, and growth were all great. By one year she could feed herself soft, steamed veggies, soft fruits. I did not feed regular meals for her until app. 15-16mo. So you could just con't. to nurse/bottle feed.
Agree with the post about the book Super Baby Food, she a lots of great tips for preparing your own baby food. Easy to do, too. Also, a lot of stores carry ground brown rice that can prepared as a hot cereal.
