DIY BABY FOOD: 10 Rules for Safe Preparation [Food Safety]

Home-made baby food is the bomb. It's nutritious, cheap, and way easier than you might think. Follow these 10 rules to make sure your little one's chow is healthy and safe!

1. Practice safe food handling practices. Always wash your hands before cooking and after handling raw meat, eggs, or poultry. Avoid cross-contamination by thoroughly washing your cutting board and knife after chopping raw proteins. 
2. Before steaming, roasting, or poaching food: Cut it into similar-sized chunks so the pieces cook at the same rate.
3. Be careful when you are puréeing hot food! Let the food cool slightly first to avoid the pressure inside of the blender.
4. Add water, or breast milk/or formula by the tablespoon to the blender, to help the purée blended smoothly.
5. Store it baby food in the fridge for up to three days and in the freezer for up to three months. 
6. Be sure to label containers of baby food, especially when freezing.
7. Store baby food overnight in the refrigerator. Food for your baby you should never sit at room temperature longer than an hour. 
8. If you reheat food in the microwave, Stuart thoroughly before serving it, to disperse any pockets of heat! 
9. Avoid adding salt and anything beyond a small amount of sugar to your baby’s food for the first 12 months. 
10. Make your baby food in bulk, freeze it into small portion sizes so you always have food ready. You'll build up a stockpile of food in the freezer and most days you're simply just be repeating, not cooking.