Kitchen Appliances for Preparing Baby Food
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1. Up to 6 months
Up to 4-6 months, an infant is exclusively fed with breast milk or special baby formulas if the mother does not have milk. You might wonder: why is equipment needed if there's no need to cook? Firstly, if the baby is on formula feeding, the formula also needs to be prepared correctly. Secondly, baby dishes (bottles, nipples) must be sterilized because the baby's immune system is not yet fully developed. Thirdly, the modern baby products market is actively developing and offers useful equipment designed to make life easier for sleep-deprived, tired parents.
So, here's what might be useful for organizing newborn feeding:
Sterilizer
Since the baby cannot fully resist the harmful effects of the environment, it is important to disinfect their dishes and toys, destroying viruses and bacteria. Sterilizers are designed for this purpose — special devices for sterilizing bottles, jars, nipples, teethers, pacifiers, small toys, etc. Simply put, it's a modern alternative to traditional boiling in a pot.
For sterilization, depending on the type of device, heated steam, ultraviolet radiation from a special lamp, or chemical reagents (in the form of a tablet or liquid) can be used, which do not require heating and are suitable for dishes that can be damaged and deformed by high temperatures. After processing, baby dishes remain sterile for 3 to 6 hours if the device's lid is not opened.
Warmer
Helps bring both the infant formula and breast milk stored in the refrigerator to the optimal temperature. This device has a fairly simple design consisting of a plastic bowl and a built-in heating element. The contents of the bottle are gradually heated, preserving all the beneficial microelements without overheating. Many modern models allow you to adjust the heating temperature and can maintain the temperature for some time so that the formula remains warm and ready for consumption at any moment.
Warmer-Sterilizer
A multifunctional device that combines the capabilities of a sterilizer and a warmer. Simply put, one device can both disinfect dishes and heat food to the required temperature. This often happens in the most natural and safe way — using steam. Many models offer different modes for heating liquid, thick, and frozen food, so they can also be used when introducing complementary foods — to heat jars of puree and drinks.
Baby Formula Maker
Progress does not stand still, and machines for preparing milk formulas are already on sale — for example, from the American brand BABY BREZZA. This is a device that automates the process of preparing artificial formula: it heats water, calculates the correct proportions, and mixes the powdered formula with water to a homogeneous consistency. All that is required from users is to periodically add formula and pour water into the machine's special containers. Of course, such a device has a fairly high price, but it saves parents from unnecessary hassle.
Breast Pump
If the mother has breast milk, a breast pump will help make her life easier. This is necessary to stimulate lactation, prevent lactostasis, and accumulate food supplies in case of the mother's absence — she can continue to work or simply rest, leaving the baby with acquaintances, relatives, or a nanny. Breast pumps can be manual (handheld) and electric.
Electric Kettle with Water Heating
A temperature of 40 °C is considered optimal for preparing milk formulas and baby food. Even with a thermometer, achieving such a result is problematic without using the aforementioned warmers. Therefore, an electric kettle is a convenient helper, but not an ordinary one, but models with different temperature modes, including 40 °C. A good alternative to a kettle is also a thermopot with appropriate heating. It not only heats water but also maintains the temperature for a long time. Such a device is very helpful during night feedings, as it eliminates the need to heat water each time. And for long walks outside, it's better to purchase a thermos for these purposes.
2. First Complementary Foods (6 – 12 months)
At approximately 6 months, a child's energy and nutrient needs begin to exceed the level that can be met by breast milk or formula. Therefore, it is time to introduce the first complementary foods. Initially, this includes vegetable purees and cereals, after which parents gradually introduce meat, fruits, fish, dairy products, etc., into the diet. At this age, due to the absence of teeth, the baby cannot chew, so all food must be thoroughly crushed and turned into a homogeneous puree. So, a blender is indispensable.
Immersion Blender
It is one of the main "tools" of any parent. This inexpensive and easy-to-use device can quickly chop boiled vegetables, meat, fruits, cottage cheese, and other products to the consistency needed for a small child. The advantage of an immersion blender is that it can process contents in any dish — for example, directly in the pot where the vegetables were boiled. Moreover, the immersion part and blades are mostly made of high-quality metal, which does not affect the taste of the products and is resistant to high temperatures, meaning it easily interacts with hot ingredients.
There are basic models without attachments, but there are also multifunctional blenders with additional equipment. For example, in a chopper, you can also prepare puree and prepare products for cooking: grind meat into mince, chop vegetables, fruits, and other ingredients. However, regarding baby food, most attachments are still suitable for older ages when the child can chew and transitions to adult food. A whisk will help mix liquid batter for pancakes, slicing discs — cut everything needed for salads and side dishes, milk frother — whip milk foam for cocoa. In any case, if you cook often, it's better to buy a blender with an extended set once than to save and get a device without attachments. Various accessories will come in handy in the future when the baby grows up, and they are also good helpers in preparing food for adults.
for performing various culinary tasks.
An inexpensive alternative to a simple blender can be a chopper. This is a fairly compact (although it depends on the bowl's volume) device, whose only task is to chop almost any content, whether it's meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts, or greens.
Blender-Soup Maker
A type of stationary blender, whose main advantage is the presence of a heating element. Thanks to this, you can prepare puree soup in one device without using a stove and pots. First, the blender cooks the vegetables, and then it grinds the contents to a homogeneous consistency.
In addition, there are stationary blenders with a heating function. Simply put, they are not intended for cooking "from scratch" like soup makers, but they can chop boiled vegetables and heat puree soup or maintain the temperature of a ready dish. However, keep in mind that there are not many such models on the market today, and they are often not cheap.
Blender-Steamer
Special devices that combine the functions of a chopper and a steamer. Their design is simple: the upper part contains a bowl with a blade where products are chopped, and the lower part of the body has a compartment with water that turns into steam and allows you to cook healthy, low-calorie dishes. Since this is baby food, it refers to various meat and vegetable purees. By the way, most of these devices are specifically designed for preparing food for children and are developed by baby product manufacturers. For example, Philips has several blender-steamers, and they belong to the children's series Avent.
3. From 1 year
For children aged 1 to 2 years, the diet becomes more varied as they start eating more "adult" food. However, it still needs to be adapted to their needs. The main focus is on healthy products, soft texture dishes, and the gradual introduction of new flavors. The food can be chopped but not necessarily in puree form — the child learns or already knows how to chew. Dishes should be soft to avoid the risk of choking.
The following kitchen devices may be needed at this time:
Yogurt Maker
It is a mistake to think that store-bought yogurts are healthy — on the contrary, most of them contain a lot of sugar and chemical additives. At the same time, dairy products help improve digestion and strengthen the immune system, so they are important for a growing body. To avoid buying store-bought yogurt, it's easier to make it yourself at home — this way, you can control the texture and taste, choose only quality ingredients, and be sure of the product's benefits. A yogurt maker will help with this — a simple device that maintains a low temperature for a long time to activate lactic acid bacteria. All that is required from the user is to mix the starter with milk, pour the contents into jars, and turn on the device. But keep in mind that yogurt takes a long time to prepare — from 6 hours, so it's better to start the process in the evening to have freshly made yogurt in the morning. It can be eaten with fruits, jam, mixed with fruit puree. However, homemade yogurt has a short shelf life due to the absence of preservatives — up to 5 days.
In addition to yogurt, you can make homemade cottage cheese, kefir, and other dairy products in a yogurt maker, and some models also serve as ice cream makers.
Steamer
Food cooked with steam retains the maximum amount of nutrients and contains minimal fats and oils, which is very important for a child's body. The number of products that can be steamed is almost unlimited: meat, fish, various vegetables, cereals, dough products, etc. Moreover, a steamer is useful not only for a child's menu but also for an adult menu: steamed dishes are an integral part of the diet of athletes and people who adhere to proper nutrition, monitor their figure, and follow special diets due to health problems.
Most modern steamers are equipped with several tiers, allowing you to cook different products simultaneously. As a result, you get a complete multi-component dish with just one device.
Juicer
Freshly squeezed juices from fruits, berries, and vegetables will help enrich a child's diet with vitamins. However, they are recommended to be introduced into the menu from about 10 months, and even then in small quantities and with caution. Moreover, at first, juices are better diluted with water to reduce the load on the digestive system. However, from 1 year, a child can drink various juices with meals. Moreover, freshly squeezed juice is much healthier than store-bought, which often contains sugar and other additives.
Note that there are different types of juicers: special for citrus fruits, auger, and centrifugal. Auger juicers use the principle of cold pressing, work slowly but thoroughly, allowing them to extract juice from almost any fruits, vegetables, and greens. Such juices retain more vitamins and enzymes, have a rich taste, foam less, and last longer. A centrifugal juicer works faster and handles hard ingredients better. However, due to the rapid rotation of the mechanism, the juice heats up, foams, and has a short shelf life — it is better to drink it immediately after preparation.
4. From 2 – 3 years
At this age, the child fully transitions to adult food and does not need a puree-like texture. However, some recommendations still exist: it is advisable to avoid spicy spices, a large amount of salt, and reduce the consumption of fatty, unhealthy food. The following devices will help replace it with healthy alternatives:
Multi-Cooker
Children love fast food, which is not recommended for them or adults to overindulge in. Fortunately, there is a healthy alternative to deep fryers and food cooked in a lot of oil with many calories — a multi-cooker. This device cooks food using hot air without traditional frying. As a result, you can cook French fries, chicken with an appetizing golden crust, cheese sticks, and nuggets without any oil. And if it's a multifunctional model with various programs, it can also make yogurts, healthy steamed dishes, defrost, bake, and dry fruits and vegetables for a healthy snack.
Multi-Cooker
This is a lifesaver for any housewife, including parents. The fact is that you can cook a wide variety of dishes in a multi-cooker: cereals, cutlets, soups, stews, meat, vegetables, fish, etc. Various modes allow you to stew, fry, boil, bake, reheat, and all this with one device. Many modern models can also make yogurts, jams, baked goods, and healthy steamed dishes. Thus, one multi-cooker performs many functions and can replace several kitchen devices, saving space and the family budget. This technique is suitable for preparing both children's and adult menus.
and can replace several separate kitchen devices.
Dehydrator
Store-bought chips and crackers contain a large number of carbohydrates, calories, spices, and harmful additives. However, if you make the right chips at home, they will retain the maximum amount of nutrients and become a healthy snack for the child. Dehydrators (dryers) exist for this purpose — special devices that "extract" moisture from products. As a result, you get delicious chips from vegetables and fruits, pastille, and meat jerky without using fats, seasonings, and sugar. In addition, dried products last much longer than fresh ones.
Thus, with the right equipment, you can save your energy and time and prepare healthy food for children of any age, whether it's an infant or a preschooler.
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