Sell homemade baby food

How to Start a Baby Food Business

Start a baby food business by following these 10 steps:

Plan your Baby Food Business
Form your Baby Food Business into a Legal Entity
Register your Baby Food Business for Taxes
Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
Set up Accounting for your Baby Food Business
Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Baby Food Business
Get Baby Food Business Insurance
Define your Baby Food Business Brand
Create your Baby Food Business Website
Set up your Business Phone System

There is more to starting a business than just registering it with the state. We have put together this simple guide to starting your baby food business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

What are the startup and ongoing costs?
Who is your target market?
How much can you charge customers?
What will you name your business?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What are the costs involved in opening a baby food business?

A baby food business can be started for fairly little money.

Business owners need a commercial kitchen to prepare food in and a retail space to sell food at. The cost of a kitchen can be kept low by renting a commercial kitchen at a church, VFW or other nonprofit organization. At first, an inexpensive booth at a farmer’s market can be used to sell in-person to customers.

Other initial expenses include the price of ingredients and packaging supplies. These can be purchased in small quantities at first to keep upfront expenses down, though. As a business grows, more supplies can be bought with the revenue that’s brought in from sales.

What are the ongoing expenses for a baby food business?

The ongoing expenses for a baby food business include rental costs for a commercial kitchen and the cost of purchasing more supplies. These costs are minimal.

Who is the target market?

A baby food business’ ideal client is a new parent who wants to give their baby high-quality food and has discretionary income. Such a parent will likely be willing to pay a premium for good baby food, and they have the income required to buy premium baby food on a regular basis. Once hooked on a brand, a new parent will likely get baby food for several months or years. They’ll need baby food until their child can eat solid food.

How does a baby food business make money?

A baby food business makes money by selling packaged baby food. Businesses may sell baby food to customers in-person or online. Or, they may sell through other retailers.

How much can you charge customers?

Most baby food comes in a small package that lasts a few meals, at most. These packages generally sell for a few dollars, and sometimes even less than $1.00. Organic and premium baby foods command higher prices than non-organic foods.

While businesses can’t charge a lot for individual packages of baby food, parents usually buy several packages at once. Additionally, parents buy baby food for several months after their baby begins eating food. Investopedia places the amount parents spend on baby food each month at about $60.

How much profit can a baby food business make?

Baby food businesses can be highly profitable. When she was selling baby food only at a local farmer’s market, Carlson brought in $30,000 a month. Businesses that get their foods into national retailers can bring in millions each year.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Baby food businesses can increase profitability by shipping baby food to customers. Little Spoon is a baby food business that does this.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Baby Food Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

Your state's business records
Federal and state trademark records
Social media platforms
Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your baby food business is sued.

Form Your LLC

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

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Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

Northwest ($29 + State Fees)
LegalZoom ($79 + State Fees)

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services. You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN for free through the IRS website, via fax, or by mail. If you would like to learn more about EINs and how they can benefit your LLC, read our article, What is an EIN?.

Learn how to get an EIN in our What is an EIN guide or find your existing EIN using our EIN lookup guide.

Small Business Taxes

Depending on which business structure you choose, you might have different options for how your business will be taxed. For example, some LLCs could benefit from being taxed as an S corporation (S corp).

You can learn more about small business taxes in these guides:

LLC Taxes
Sole Proprietorship vs LLC
LLC vs Corporation
LLC vs S Corp
How to Start an S Corp
S Corp vs C Corp

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Additionally, learning how to build business credit can help you get credit cards and other financing in your business's name (instead of yours), better interest rates, higher lines of credit, and more.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Open net 30 accounts

Net 30 accounts are used to establish and build business credit as well as increase business cash flow. With a net 30 account, businesses buy goods and repay the full balance within a 30-day term.

NetMany net 30 credit vendors report to the major business credit bureaus (Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business Credit). This is how businesses build business credit so they can qualify for credit cards and other lines of credit.

Recommended: Read our best net 30 vendors, guide and start building business credit.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from Divvy and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a baby food business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

For more information about local licenses and permits:

Check with your town, city or county clerk’s office
Get assistance from one of the local associations listed in US Small Business Associations directory of local business resources.

Food Regulations

When selling food, you will need licensing from a local health department; all establishments serving food are required to pass a health inspection. Tips for faring well on a health inspections

There are federal regulations regarding what can and cannot be added to, sold as, and processed with food. Attached is a resource from the Food and Drug Administration detailing the process of starting a food business: How to Start a Food Business

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Learn more about General Liability Insurance.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

Recommended: Learn what business insurance for your Baby Food Business will cost.

Business Insurance for
Baby Food Business

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners, we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended: Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a baby food business

One of the best ways to market a new baby food business is to directly connect with customers. Parents will recommend a business to other parents if they're pleased with the product. New parents are always asking each other about different things they need.

Connecting with customers directly lets business owners get feedback on their foods and make adjustments. This ensures that business owners develop a product parents like.

How to keep customers coming back

A baby food business can set itself apart from other businesses in the industry by specializing in a particular type of baby food. For example, a business might offer only organic foods, or it might focus on locally sourced foods.

Still unsure about what kind of business you want to start? Check out the latest Small Business Trends to help inspire you.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Using our website building guides, the process will be simple and painless and shouldn’t take you any longer than 2-3 hours to complete.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.

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How to Start a Baby Food Business | Small Business

By Shanika Chapman

Parents interested in organic living or concerned about preservatives are very selective in choosing the best brand of baby food for their child. Capitalize on this growing market by offering a natural alternative to run of the mill baby food options. This industry affords you the opportunity to start small using your own savings and expand only when you have established your business or developed a repeat client base.

Research the local market. Visit local grocers and farmers' markets to learn of other baby food competitors in your area. Visit mainstream grocers, all-natural grocers, and specialty grocers to find more unconventional baby food options. Take note of the ingredients, company visions, charities or causes affiliated with each brand and logo. Use this data when developing your own logo, vision and brand.
Contact your health department to obtain a food handler's permit or manufacturing permit and to learn the rules governing the homemade food industry. Review the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s information on labeling and nutrition requirements.
Develop your logo, vision and brand. Some ideas include teaming up with a local or national charity, targeting “shop local” proponents by purchasing all of your fruits and vegetables from local organic farmers, or purchasing recycled glass containers and packaging materials for your food. Create a clever name for your business that represents your commitment to natural living. Then, register your business at your county clerk's office.
Develop healthy, natural baby food recipes free of preservatives, sugars, salt, fillers and artificial colors through a combination of steaming, roasting and pureeing. Think outside of the box. Combine fruits, spices, pastas and vegetables to create unique flavors. While babies make excellent test subjects, so do parents. Test your recipes on friends with children to gain feedback. Remember that appearance is everything. Bright, vivid baby food that looks fresh will be much more appealing. Consider taking a class in baby food making.
Rent space in a licensed kitchen in order to prepare and package your food. Most states prohibit or highly regulate food made within the home for commercial use. Contact local caterers, churches and community centers about renting space. Submit finished products to a shelf life-testing facility.
Purchase your packaging materials. Select your baby food jars and create your baby labels, which will include any charities you associate with or donate to, your vision and all of the food's ingredients.
Develop nutritional analysis sheets that show the ingredients in branded baby food products and how they compare to yours. Point out that while your product is more expensive, babies consume less homemade food since it lacks artificial fillers. This will be a major selling point. You’ll want to hand these out every chance you get, such as at farmers' markets, local grocers, community centers, baby-friendly gyms, yoga and Pilates studios, and baby stores.

References

Center for Science in the Public Interest: Nutritional Quality and Cost of Commercial Baby Food
Virginia Tech: Starting a Food Business

Resources

My Own Labels: Create Your Labels
Commercial Kitchen for Rent: Find a Licensed Kitchen in Your Area
FDA Labeling Guide

Tips

Consider offering classes to moms on how to make homemade baby food. This won’t conflict with your business. Many of these moms won’t always have the time to make the food and will remember you when selecting store-bought food to supplement any homemade food.
Parenting magazines are an excellent source for feedback on homemade baby food.
Advertise with local doulas, pediatricians and midwifes.
Purchase a liability insurance policy.

Writer Bio

Shanika Chapman has been writing business-related articles since 2009. She holds a Bachelor of Science in social science from the University of Maryland University College. Chapman also served for four years in the Air Force and has run a successful business since 2008.

rating of the top 11 Russian and foreign brands with reviews according to KP

Products for children are always under special quality control. Including food. After all, food for a baby is not only a way to satisfy hunger, but also an acquaintance with different tastes and a guarantee of healthy development. Today there are many different brands. Among them, we selected the best manufacturers of baby food, based on the reviews of parents and expert opinions.

Rating of the top 6 Russian baby food manufacturers according to KP

There are many popular brands among Russian manufacturers of baby food. Basically, various purees, juices, cereals and dairy products are presented on the market. There are also formulas for babies, but in smaller quantities. The popularity of food is due to high quality and rather low (in comparison with foreign analogues) price.

"Egor Ivanych"

Egor Ivanych is a serious kid, so he chooses the best raw materials for the production of baby food. Only selected, most delicious vegetables and fruits, fresh dairy components and meat of the highest quality are used, which a little later will fall on the table to the kids in the form of mashed potatoes. Egor Ivanych is a rich assortment of products that can provide a complete diet for a baby.

Meat purees are made according to GOST with a high percentage of meat filling. And cauliflower puree was appreciated by the experts of Roskachestvo, giving it the first place in their rating (1). There are unique products such as cod with vegetables, chicken with hearts and turkey with turkey liver. This is a storehouse of vitamins and nutrients for the nutrition of the baby. Egor Ivanovich - in an adult way for kids!

Editors' Choice

Egor Ivanych

In an adult way for kids

Purees are made from selected products - healthy, tasty, high quality.

Ask for a priceLearn more

Advertising . LLC Open Distribution Company. LjN8KUFzq

Main characteristics

Producer	LLC "Open distribution company"
Assortment
Assortment	for the first meat vegetable, fruit puree and fish purees	0036
Recommended age	C 4 months (there are products that are suitable from 5, 6 and 8 months)
Founded	2013

Pros and cons

Many different flavors; contains no starch, wheat flour, sweeteners and sugar; There are a variety of unique flavors in the range.

The product line is presented only puree.

Get to know the flavors of Egor Ivanych puree

Advertisement . LLC Open Distribution Company. LjN8KUFzq

Agusha

Agusha. Photo: yandex.market.ru

Agusha is one of the most popular baby food manufacturers in Russia. The trademark appeared in 1992 and has a wide range of products for children of all ages. Newborns are offered powdered milk formulas, babies from 4 months - a variety of purees, sour-milk products, water, older children - ready-made cereals (both dairy and non-dairy), juices, fruit drinks, compotes and fruit bars for a snack.

Thanks to the availability and variety of products, the manufacturer is confidently holding onto the Russian market. The safety and quality of Agushi is also confirmed by some neutral studies. For example, fruit cottage cheese, as well as kefir from this brand, received the highest rating from Roskachestvo (2, 3).

However, some parents are confused by the rather high price of certain items.

Main characteristics

Producer	PepsiCo Russia
Assortment		Recommended age	from 0 months
Founded	1992

Pros and cons

There are mixtures in the product line; a wide range of.

High price for some items.

FrutoNyanya

FrutoNyanya. Photo: yandex.market.ru

FrutoNyanya baby food brand products are distinguished by a wide range and wide distribution in stores. Among the products of the brand you can find: a variety of cereals (with additives in the form, for example, pieces of fruit or without them), vegetable, fruit and meat purees, water, dairy products, juices, fruit drinks and nectars, snacks. For children prone to acute reactions to certain products, a special line of hypoallergenic food is offered.

Some of the brand's products have received high ratings from Roskachestvo, for example, biocurd, buckwheat porridge (4, 5).

Nutrition from this brand is designed for both the first complementary foods and for babies after a year. The composition contains salt and sugar, which are not recommended for children under one year old.

Main characteristics

Manufacturer	Progress
Assortment	purees, drinks, soups, snacks, cereals, snacks, water
Recommended age	from 0 months
Founded	2000

Pros and Cons

There are hypoallergenic products.

May contain allergenic ingredients (eg sugar).

Grandmother's Basket

Grandmother's Basket. Photo: yandex.market.ru

The manufacturer has been present on the Russian market since 1999. The main product is a variety of purees, which are available in glass jars and soft packs. For example, apple puree from this brand received the highest rating from Roskachestvo in all analysis criteria and was awarded the Quality Mark (6).

For older children, prepared meals, meatballs, healthy snacks such as fruit lozenges and biscuits are available. Also, "Babushkino Lukoshko" produces children's herbal teas. Salt in some products is not always welcomed by parents.

Main characteristics

Manufacturer	Sivma
Assortment	puree, meatballs, ready meals, drinks, fruit pastilles	Recommended age	from 4 months
Founded	1999

Pros and cons

Relatively low price in the segment; varied products.

There may be undesirable auxiliary components in the formulation (eg salt).

"Subject"

"Subject". Photo: yandex.market.ru

"Theme" offers products for children from 4 months to 3 years. The assortment includes a variety of meat, fish and vegetable purees, dairy products, ready meals and juices. But fruit purees are not presented. Packaging 一 is one of the distinguishing features of the brand. Thanks to special tin cans, the products are reliably protected from sunlight, which prolongs the shelf life. Also, many products of the brand are available in non-spill packages, so it is convenient to take them with you on the road. According to the results of the research, cottage cheese and juice "Theme" received the highest rating from Roskachestvo (7, 8).

Main characteristics

Manufacturer	Danone Russia
Assortment	purees, drinks, dairy products
from 6 months
Founded	1999

Pros and cons

Innovative packaging; high meat content.

There are no fruit products in the assortment.

Diaper

Diaper. Photo: market.yandex.ru

All ingredients for production are supplied from our own farm. The manufacturer claims that thanks to this, it is possible to set fairly low prices for products.

The potential buyer is offered fruit and vegetable purees (some with cottage cheese), soups, various juices and fruit drinks, as well as water. Some of the products are hypoallergenic. The composition does not contain unnecessary components: salt, sugar and preservatives. Meat and fish products are not represented in the product line.

Main characteristics

Recommended age

Manufacturer	Sady Pridonya
Assortment	purees, drinks, cream soups, cereals 9003	from 4 months
Founded	2005

Pros and cons

Low price in the segment; simple and clear structure.

Lack of meat and fish products in the assortment.

Rating of the top 5 foreign manufacturers of baby food according to KP

There are many foreign companies that produce baby food on the Russian market. A century of history, many years of experience and a good reputation helps to supply the market with quality products, which are preferred by many parents.

Gerber

Gerber.

Photo: yandex.market.ru

The assortment of the American manufacturer includes products for children from 4 months. In supermarkets and online sites, you can find vegetable and fruit purees, cereals, healthy snacks, juices, and desserts (cottage cheese treats, smoothies, and others). Hypoallergenic food is also provided. For example, dairy-free buckwheat porridge of this brand is highly appreciated by Roskachestvo experts, who noted the safe composition of the product without dangerous and harmful substances, including no added sugars (9).

The manufacturer claims that the high prices are due to the corresponding quality, which is ensured by strict standards and adherence to technology.

Main characteristics

Manufacturer	Nestle
Assortment	purees, cereals, juices, snacks, desserts
Recommended		from 4 months
Country of origin	USA
Founded	1927

Pros and cons

Hypoallergenic products; natural composition; high quality.

High price in the baby food segment.

HiPP

HiPP. Photo: yandex.market.ru

German manufacturer's products are suitable for children from birth. Infants are offered hypoallergenic powdered milk formulas enriched with vitamins. For feeding - various purees, cream soups, cereals, and as a snack for older children - snacks and dairy desserts.

Meals are made exclusively from natural ingredients, without added sugar. The high price, according to the manufacturer, is due to the use of special technologies and high-quality products.

Main characteristics

Producer	HiPP
Assortment	purees, soups, cereals, drinks, snacks, milk powder 9034 9034 9039 Recommended age	from 0 months
Country of origin	Germany
Year founded	1957

Pros and cons

Natural composition; There are baby formulas in the assortment.

High price of products.

Fleur Alpine

Fleur Alpine. Photo: yandex.market.ru

Natural baby food of premium quality. The range includes purees, cereals, cookies and juices - both regular and for children prone to allergies or intolerant to gluten. In addition to the usual products, the manufacturer offers olive oil (from 6 months) and sauces (from 3 years).

From time to time, the products of this brand come under the attention of experts from Roskachestvo and Roskontrol. For example, Three cereals porridge showed excellent results: a good composition with dietary fiber and no foreign impurities, the appropriate taste, color and smell (10), and buckwheat porridge meets the advanced standards of Roskachestvo, except for the increased protein content (11).

Not all products on the official website can be purchased in a regular store. However, they can be purchased on marketplaces.

Main characteristics

Manufacturer	Fleur Alpine
Assortment	cereals, purees, drinks, sauces, snacks
Recommended age		from 4 months
Country of origin	Germany
Founded	2008

Pros and cons

Gluten free; natural composition.

High price; Not all brand products are easy to find on offline sites.

Semper

Semper. Photo: yandex.market.ru

The Swedish company offers a wide range of products for children of all ages. Dry milk formulas are suitable for newborns, and there are even specialized ones that are best used for constipation. Some of them are designed for babies older than six months. For crumbs older than 4 months, the manufacturer offers a variety of vegetable, meat, fish and fruit purees, cereals, juices and children's tea with vitamins. In addition to the usual products for children, there are wellings — oatmeal and multi-cereal porridges with natural additives, cookies, and meatballs.

Roskachestvo examined this brand's applesauce and, apart from its high carbohydrate content (higher than indicated on the package), found no drawbacks (12). In addition, some purees contain starch.

Main characteristics

Recommended age

Producer	Hero Group
Assortment	formulas, purees, cereals, drinks, biscuits
0036	from 0 months
Country of origin	Sweden
Founded	1963

Pros and cons

There are mixtures in the product line interesting combinations of flavors.

High price in the segment; the presence of starch in the puree; the product according to BJU may differ from that stated on the package.

Heinz

Heinz. Photo: yandex.market.ru

American food company offers a wide range of products at affordable prices. There are fruit, vegetable and meat purees, cereals (dairy and non-dairy), soups and drinks. As a healthy snack for babies from 5 months, special cookies are suitable, and fruit and cream puddings will be a great dessert for older children. You can also find a special vermicelli that will suit crumbs from 6 months. The manufacturer's porridges received the highest rating from Roskachestvo (13). However, some products contain sugar and starch, which many parents of babies do not approve of.

Main characteristics

Producer	Heinz
Assortment	purees, cereals, soups, vermicelli, puddings, biscuits, teas 9003 6 903 6 903 0035 Recommended age	from 4 months
Country of origin	US
Year of Manufacture	1869

Pros and Cons

Product contains prebiotics; affordable price in the segment of baby food from foreign manufacturers.

Some products contain sugar and starch.

How to choose the right baby food

A child's menu may differ from another baby's diet, not only because of age, but also due to health conditions (for example, a tendency to constipation or a dairy allergy) and personal preferences. However, the first thing to consider is age. It’s also important to keep in mind that your baby’s diet should be free of added salt and sugar (14). Certain positions deserve some explanation.

Milk formulas

Designed for feeding babies. In fact, they are designed to become an alternative to mother's milk. For the full development of the crumbs, it is necessary that vitamins and trace elements are present in the composition.

Canned puree

Introduced from 4 months. There are fruit, vegetable, meat and fish options. Combinations are also possible. For the first feeding, it is recommended to choose one-component purees from vegetables or fruits.

Porridges

Porridges, as well as mashed potatoes, are recommended to be offered to a baby from 4 months. Thanks to the special processing of cereals, baby porridge is easily boiled, which significantly saves cooking time.

Nectars, juices

You can give your baby juice or nectar from the age of 4 months. As long as it doesn't contain sugar. If available, it is better to wait at least up to 1 year.

Frequently asked questions and answers

How to choose food for the first feeding?

Pediatricians recommend starting the first complementary foods with vegetable puree. Fruits contain a large amount of fructose, which can irritate the lining of the stomach and other organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Of course, the parent himself can boil and grind vegetables to a puree-like consistency, but it is easier to purchase products in the store, since baby food is made in compliance with special technologies, taking into account all the rules and regulations.

Another question is how to choose a brand among such a variety of baby foods. The best solution is to stick with a well-known brand. Large companies care about their reputation, and therefore strictly follow all established quality standards and do not violate production technology.

The next step is to study the information on the label, make sure the quality, evaluate the following indicators:

• Natural composition. Preservatives, salt, sugar and other ingredients must not be present in the composition (at least in products for children under 1 year old).
• Consistency (grinding quality). A good puree should be smooth and without lumps.
• Multi or single ingredient . The first puree should contain only one ingredient. The child should get used to a certain vegetable, after which it will be possible to introduce others, adding each one in turn, so that the baby gets used to everything individually.
• Hypoallergenic product. Formula must not contain ingredients that can cause an allergic reaction.
• Package integrity . It is important to inspect the container in detail for dents, scratches or cracks (chips). Tightness must be observed. Don't forget to check the production date.
• Appropriate for the age of the child . The age for which this or that product is designed is usually indicated on the packaging in compliance with the recommendations of pediatricians.

When all these factors are taken into account, it can be said that the product is really suitable for the child and will not cause side effects (15).

Which of the Russian manufacturers should I pay attention to?

Baby food brand Agusha has been producing products for over 30 years. The assortment has everything you need for a complete diet for kids: dairy products, cereals, fruit, vegetable and meat purees, juices and compotes. The company produces safe, hypoallergenic, complete nutrition for children of all ages. High-quality substitutes for breast milk and subsequent complementary foods are also produced. It is also recommended to pay attention to the manufacturers "FrutoNyanya" and "Theme".

What composition should healthy baby food contain?

When choosing puree in jars, pay attention to the composition. The ingredients should be natural, a good option (especially for younger kids) if the puree is a one-component puree - a fruit or vegetable plus water. Please note that the product does not contain salt, flour, starch, dyes and preservatives, and is not too diluted with water. The vegetable itself may contain starch, but its additional additives are very undesirable.

Sources

Roskachestvo rating. Baby puree (cauliflower). URL: https://rskrf.ru/ratings/tovary-dlya-detey/detskoe-pitanie/pyure-detskoe-tsvetnaya-kapusta/
Roskachestvo rating. Children's cottage cheese "Agusha". URL: https://rskrf.ru/goods/tvorog-detskiy-fruktovyy-agusha-multifruktovyy-s-massovoy-doley-zhira-3-9/
Roskachestvo rating. Children's kefir "Agusha". URL: https://rskrf.ru/goods/kefir-agusha-s-massovoy-doley-zhira-3-2-dlya-pitaniya-detey-starshe-8-mesyatsev/
Roskachestvo rating. Biocurd "FrutoNyanya". URL: https://rskrf.ru/goods/biotvorog-frutonyanya-yabloko-obogashchennyy-vitaminom-d3-s-massovoy-doley-zhira-4-2-dlya-pitaniya-d/
Roskachestvo rating. Buckwheat porridge "FrutoNyanya". URL: https://rskrf.ru/goods/frutonyanya-pervyy-vybor-grechnevaya-kasha/
Roskachestvo rating. Apple puree "Babushkino Lukoshko" URL: https://rskrf.ru/goods/pyure-fruktovoe-gomogenizirovannoe-sterilizovannoe-dlya-pitaniya-detey-rannego-vozrasta-s-4-mesyatse/
Roskachestvo rating. Biocurd "Theme". URL: https://rskrf.ru/goods/biotvorog-tyema-obogashchennyy-bifidobakteriyami-s-grushey-dlya-detskogo-pitaniya-massovaya-dolya-zh/
Roskachestvo rating. Apple juice "Theme". URL: https://rskrf.ru/goods/sok-yablochnyy-vostanovlennyy-osvetlennyy-dlya-detskogo-pitaniya/
Roskachestvo rating. Buckwheat porridge Gerber. URL: https://rskrf.ru/goods/bezmolochnaya-kasha-gerber-grechnevaya/
Roskachestvo rating. Porridge "Three cereals" Fleur Alpine. URL: https://rskrf.ru/goods/kasha-fleur-alpine-tri-zlaka-/
Roskachestvo rating. Buckwheat porridge Fleur Alpine. URL: https://rskrf.ru/goods/kasha-grechnevaya-gipoallergennaya-fleur-alpine/
Roskachestvo rating. Applesauce Semper. URL: https://rskrf.ru/goods/pyure-iz-yablok-fruktovoe-sterilizovannoe-dlya-detskogo-pitaniya-s-4-mesyatsev-semper/
Roskachestvo rating. Buckwheat porridge Heinz. URL: https://rskrf.ru/goods/grechnevaya-kashka-heinz-bezmolochnaya-nizkoallergennaya/
Baby food safety. Zakharova I.N., Aisanova M.R. 2019.
Classification of baby food products, requirements for their quality and safety. Georgieva O.V., Pyrieva E.A., Kon I.Ya. 2018.

Baby food at home: recipes, video

Growing up a little person is a delightful process that cannot but please the parents of the crumbs. However, the first feeling that mom and dad face when it comes time to introduce complementary foods into a child's diet is confusion.

Which food is the most healthy, hypoallergenic and delicious? Most often, the first "real" meal of the crumbs after mother's milk and formula is vegetable or fruit puree. The choice of baby food on store shelves is very wide - each manufacturer tries to convince the buyer that jars with beautiful labels contain only natural products, there are no dyes, sweeteners and other harmful additives. A variety of "meals" for babies in factory packaging marked "3+ months." does not guarantee the true usefulness of the product that is inside. Every mother understands that complementary foods prepared on her own, from natural products, are much better for her child.

Another advantage of making your own baby food is that you can choose the best ingredients, wash fruits, berries or vegetables thoroughly, peel them well and remove damaged parts. In addition, the parents of the crumbs themselves can choose the way - how best to cook baby food: food can not only be boiled, but also baked in the oven or cooked in a double boiler.

It is also important that home-made baby puree is much tastier, it will undoubtedly be useful for a growing body and will not cause allergies! Even the simplest children's dish, prepared by mom, keeps the warmth of caring hands and cannot be compared with expensive dishes from the store.

What should be the correct complementary foods for children? Of course, you should start with one ingredient (such purees are called one-component purees), then move on to more complex options. Experts emphasize that the most suitable product for the first "dish" is zucchini. Cauliflower can also be considered neutral. Gradually it will be possible to introduce carrots, pumpkins, potatoes, broccoli and green peas. At the first stage of the introduction of complementary foods, it is better to give preference to vegetable purees and switch to fruit purees when the child already treats “serious” food well.

The basic rules and principles of preparing high-quality baby food yourself:

it is best to take fresh products for preparations: fruits from the tree, berries from the bush and vegetables from the garden are much healthier than those that have already been in the refrigerator for a week. If there are no seasonal vegetables at the time of preparation, the use of frozen foods is acceptable, but in this case, try to give preference to whole fruits - they retain the greatest amount of nutrients;
only filtered water should be used for cooking vegetables;
Preparing baby food requires, if not separate dishes, then thoroughly washed ones. Do not, for example, cut vegetables on a meat board. If there is a dog or cat in the house, then you need to restrict her access to the kitchen when food is being prepared;
It is not recommended to use vegetables and fruits in the diet of infants, in which the content of chemical additives is consistently high. These often include watermelons and melons, beets, spinach and lettuce;
It is better to soak vegetables purchased on the market with water before cooking: put carrots, potatoes, zucchini and cauliflower in filtered water for a couple of hours - this will remove nitrates;
do not leave excess mashed potatoes for the next meal: the child should be given only freshly prepared food, and "yesterday's" mashed potatoes are best eaten by adults or given to pets;
you can choose cream, boiled egg yolk, grated cheese or finely chopped dill as an additive to puree - this will diversify dishes for children from 8 months;
try it! Children's food can and should be enjoyed by an adult.

There is another question that often worries parents: is it permissible to preserve baby puree and how to do it correctly? After all, such complementary foods for the developing body of a small child must be prepared daily for one or even two or three years: until the baby is ready to eat adult food from the common table. Not every mother has the time and opportunity to prepare baby puree daily, but you don’t want to buy food for the baby in the store. In addition, it is obvious that in the winter-spring period it is almost impossible to find fruits and vegetables grown without the addition of chemicals. The answer to the question is quite simple: the requirements for the conditions for preparing baby food are very strict (keeping the temperature, sterilizing jars, etc.), but using an autoclave solves all problems: all that is required is to load jars with blanks into the autoclave for 20 minutes and set temperature 120 degrees. After cooling, it is better to store baby food in a dark, cool place for about 12 months, daily delighting the child with homemade homemade food.

Pumpkin puree: tender and aromatic

Pumpkin is a delicious vegetable that is good for babies. This fruit has a beneficial effect on digestion, is well absorbed by the child's body and is rich in various vitamins: A, C, B, B2, E, PP, T. In addition, the carotene content in pumpkin is 5 times higher than in carrots!

Baby pumpkin puree has a sweet taste, so the kids eat this dish with great pleasure. For preparations, it is better to buy small whole pumpkins, as they usually taste better than large ones and are easier to peel.

Rinse pumpkin well under running water, peel, cut in half, remove seeds.
Then it is necessary to cut the fruit into small cubes, place in a saucepan and cover with water. Cooking time after boiling - 20 minutes. You can also steam pumpkin: it will retain more nutrients with the same cooking time.
The next step is to beat the cooked pumpkin with a blender until the consistency of a gentle puree. If the dish turned out to be thick, add water or milk (milk mixture).
Vegetable oil and salt are added to pumpkin puree to taste, but these additives should be used with caution: only if they are acceptable for the age of the child.

For babies older than 8 months, pumpkin puree is supplemented with other fruits and vegetables, and also added to porridge.

Broccoli puree: simplicity and elegance

Broccoli is not just cabbage, but a storehouse of vitamins and microelements! Beautiful on the outside and fantastic on the inside - the high content of protein and vitamin C (there is more in broccoli than in citrus!) deserves special attention. There are many articles on the Internet about the benefits of broccoli, and preparing this product is not at all difficult.

To prepare this type of cabbage for baby food, you need to choose the highest quality product: the inflorescences must be unopened, green, moderately elastic.

Broccoli should be washed, cut into pieces and boiled. Steaming will take 20 minutes, in water - faster: fresh cabbage should be boiled for a little more than 5 minutes, and frozen - at least 10. When cooking, do not pour a lot of water, it should only cover the vegetables a little.
When the cabbage is cooked, it must be taken out, put into a blender bowl and chopped to a puree state, add a little warm boiled water.
Add salt and butter to taste.

Pear puree: a fragrant dessert

It's no secret that babies love fruit puree - almost all children like sweet dishes. The pear is a suitable option for the first one-component fruit food - a sweet fragrant fruit that has a high concentration of vitamins, stimulates digestion and almost never causes allergies.

If you want to cook a safe puree for your child at home, then it is best to choose green pears, these are the fruits that are considered to be the least allergenic.

Fruit must be peeled, core removed with seeds, cut into cubes.
Transfer the pear to a heavy-bottomed enamel saucepan, cover with a little water and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes.
Then transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. If the puree is too thick, add a little warm boiled water.
You can dilute the dish with milk or formula - it depends on the taste preferences of the baby.

A similar recipe is used for applesauce. In the future, try to combine these two fruits in one dish.

Classic apple-zucchini puree

A good appetite of a baby pleases every mother, but little gourmets are often capricious, and it is not easy to please them. Zucchini and apple puree is a classic combination of products that will diversify the baby's menu already in the fifth or sixth month of life.

This complementary food contains only hypoallergenic products, has a positive effect on the functioning of the heart, and stimulates the strengthening of the immune system.

Selected products should be thoroughly washed, peeled, core removed from apples.
Cut zucchini and apples into cubes, put fruits in a cooking pot first - they should cook for 5 minutes longer, and then vegetables. The total cooking time is 20 minutes.
When the food is soft, puree it with a blender.
To taste - dilute with water, add salt, oil.

This puree can be considered an independent dish for the little ones or become a delicious side dish for older kids.

Colorful carrot-potato puree

For many parents, carrots and potatoes are the simplest and most understandable type of complementary food for the baby. However, if you cook and serve standard products a little differently than usual, you can improve the traditional taste of a classic dish.

Young potatoes should not be chosen for baby puree - they contain a lot of starch. Carrots, on the contrary, it is better to buy young ones.

Wash and peel the vegetables thoroughly and cut into cubes.
Mashed potatoes are best steamed, vegetables should be boiled separately. Cook until tender, 20 minutes on average.
Separately puree the vegetables in a blender, thinning with warm water if necessary.

Both types of puree are beautifully placed on a plate without mixing: the child can decide for himself whether to mix food or eat separately.

Exotic variety: mango puree

Tropical fruits should not be offered to a small child before 7-8 months and only if there was no allergy to other foods.

Mango is an aromatic fruit with an original pleasant taste. This fruit helps to overcome colds, reduce inflammation in the body, improve sleep and normalize the functioning of the stomach.

To feed the baby, ripened fruits should be selected - quite soft, yellow-red in color.

Fruit should be peeled and pitted, cut into cubes.
Put the raw mango into a blender, purée, transfer to a heavy-bottomed pot and boil for a few minutes.

Older children may be offered uncooked mango puree. This fruit is completely independent - no need to add sugar or water!

Sweet pumpkin puree with apple

This puree is called sweet, since both pumpkin and apples are foods with sufficient sugar content. Such a dish is well suited as a dessert for children who already eat “serious” food well - vegetable purees and cereals.

In addition, such complementary foods are a great option for the autumn-winter period: seasonal products contain enough choline, a lot of fiber, natural proteins and vitamins (groups A, B, C, E, etc.), zinc, sodium, calcium and only!

Pumpkins and apples need to be peeled, peeled and seeds removed, cut into cubes and sent to a double boiler.
Cook for about 20 minutes until the food is soft. Then place them in a blender bowl, add raisins and chop. If the child chews well, mash everything with a fork, and leave the raisins whole.

Hearty puree with celery and turkey

For older kids, meat is added to vegetable dishes - turkey fillet is an excellent option for shaping the child's taste preferences. Appetizing and fragrant meat puree includes only three ingredients: celery root, turkey fillet, butter.

The proportion of meat and celery should be approximately 10:1, the amount of butter to your taste.