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1- We prioritize the right products
The ideal is to take the fruits and vegetables from your garden (or from your balcony!) If you have the chance to
have a. Otherwise, we buy organic products or products from reasoned agriculture on the market, from an Amap… “Organic brings a certain guarantee of quality, but we must also ensure the freshness of the food. We favor seasonal foods, recently harvested, to preserve their taste and vitamins, ”explains Christine Zalejski, consultant and trainer in infant nutrition and creator of the Cubes & Petits pois * site.
2- We freeze the prepared foods
We do not eat the food purchased within 48 hours? We wash them, peel them and cut them. Then, they are cooked or left raw and frozen to retain all their nutritional qualities. To make life easier, you can also buy sachets of frozen organic vegetables or fruits after picking them.
Even if the process is a bit tedious at first, you quickly save time. We therefore plan their menus for the next 7 or 15 days. It also allows you to vary the food, awaken your child’s taste and better balance the meals.
4- We choose a gentle cooking
The best cooking method is gentle steam or stewed: “You only put between a third and half the height of the food in water at the bottom of the pan. Cover and simmer.
We keep the cooking water, full of vitamins, to mix mash or soup, ”advises the expert. We don’t have a special baby food processor? No problem: we use the classic robot, a simple saucepan with a stainless steel daisy for steaming, a hand blender …
5- We use the leftovers
No need to cook meals specifically for the little one. We use the leftovers from the family meal. We keep, for example, the white of a Sunday roast chicken or a portion of baby rice.
6- We cook several dishes
If we are organized, we can do batch cooking: we prepare all the meals for 7 or 15 days over one day and we freeze. Otherwise, we cook two or three times a week. It takes less time and you can adjust the amounts as your baby grows. We favor half-portions to combine them and alternate them more easily.
7- We diversify the spices
To flavor the dishes, vary the pleasures and awaken baby’s taste, we play with spices and aromatic herbs. Applesauce two days in a row? Sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon or orange blossom water!