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Real Milk & Other Real Food for Babies
The articles that follow, 'Food To Nourish the Unborn Baby' and 'What Should I Feed My Baby?' have been reproduced from the Weston A Price Healthy Infants journal. You can also go to www.westonaprice.org to read more on-line.
Real Milk is milk as nature intended it to be used, straight from the cow, to feed and nourish a growing calf. Those who say that milk should only be drunk by calves, perhaps need also say that the only thing that should drink soy milk is a baby soy and the only thing that should drink rice millk is a baby rice.
We are omnivores and since time immerorial have eaten and drunk anything we could find that was not poisonous.
Milk is the closest thing to a perfectly balanced food that we will ever find. It is a complete food for the nourishment of a complete organism.
go to this page of www.realmilk.com to find out more about the qualities and health benefits of Real Milk. www.realmilk.com
This site is a wealth of information also, pay it a visit. www.Raw_Milk_Facts.com
Food to Nourish the Unborn Baby
The Weston A Price Recommended Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers
1 tablespoon cod liver oil daily,
(mixed with water or a little fresh juice)
2 8-ounce glasses whole milk daily, preferably raw and from pasture-fed cows
4 tablespoons butter daily, preferably from pasture-fed cows
2 or more eggs daily, preferably from pastured chickens
Additional egg yolks daily, added to smoothies, salad dressings, scrambled eggs, etc.
3-4 ounces fresh liver, once or twice per week
Fresh seafood, 2-4 times per week, particularly wild salmon, shellfish and fish eggs
Fresh beef or lamb daily, always consumed with the fat
Oily fish or lard daily, for vitamin D
2 tablespoons coconut oil or 1/2 cup coconut milk daily, used in cooking or smoothies, etc.
Lacto-fermented condiments and beverages
Bone broths used in soups, stews and sauces
Soaked whole grains
Fresh vegetables and fruits, preferably organic
AVOID
Trans fatty acids (e.g., hydrogenated oils found in margarines and bought baked goods)
Soft drinks
Junk foods
Caffeine
Commercial fried foods
Alcohol
Sugar and high fructose corn syrup
Cigarettes
White flour
Drugs (even prescription drugs)
Soy foods
Synthetic vitamins (these are in multi-vitamins for pregnant women)
Real Milk Formula for baby
To find the recipe for baby formula made from real milk go to
www.westonaprice.org
Then visit Deb Gully's site for sources of the ingredients in New Zealand.
www.frot.co.nz
http://www.westonaprice.org/children/recipes.html
What Should I Feed My Baby?
This article is copied from The Weston A Price foundation journal on infant Health. With thanks to Sally Fallon-Morrell, president.
Feeding Baby Tidbits How do you know when it's time to add solids? Observe your baby's signs. When infants are ready for solids they start leaning forward at the sight of food and opening their mouths in a preparatory way. In addition, babies should be able to sit up and coordinate breathing with swallowing. Finally, infants will stop pushing their tongue out when a spoon or bit of food is placed in their mouth, a reflex common in infants that disappears at around four months of age.
Keep in mind, all babies are different and will not enjoy or tolerate the same foods or textures. Experiment by offering different foods with various textures. Remember, just because your baby doesn't like a food the first time it is introduced does not mean he will not like it the second time. Continue to offer the food, but never force.
Baby's food should be lightly seasoned with unrefined salt, but there is no need to add additional seasonings, such as herbs and spices in the beginning. However by 10-12 months, your baby may enjoy a variety of natural seasonings.
To increase variety, take a small portion of the same food you are preparing for the rest of the grown-up family (before seasoning), or leftovers, and purée it for baby (thin or thicken accordingly).
To gradually make food lumpier, purée half of the food, roughly mash the other half and combine the two.
Frozen finger foods are a great way to soothe a baby's teething pain.
Keep a selection of plain yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, fresh fruit, and fresh or frozen vegetables handy to prepare almost instant natural baby food any time--even when vacationing or travelling.
Organic foods have minimal toxicity, thus placing a smaller chemical burden on the body. This is particularly a benefit for our youngsters. They are more vulnerable to pesticide exposure because their organs and body systems are not fully developed and, in relation to body weight, they eat and drink more than adults. Furthermore, the presence of these chemicals in the environment leads to further contamination of our air, waterways and fields.
Water for baby
There are different ideas concerning when to offer babies water. Many resources suggest giving water about the same time solids are introduced. This is often in combination with cup drinking or sippy-cup training. Breast milk and formula are providing the majority of nutrients in the first 6-9 months, so it is important not to allow a baby to get too full on water. When solids become a larger part of the diet, more liquid may be needed for hydration and digestion. Also, extreme heat, dehydration, vomiting, and fever may also indicate a need for extra water. Bottom line: follow your baby's cues. When you offer water, it needs to be filtered water. You can add a pinch of unrefined salt to the water for minerals. This salt needs to be grey, beige or pink and slightly damp.
Let baby eat with a silver spoon
The small amount of silver they will get from this really does help fight infection!
Just Say No
One important warning: do not give your child juice. Juice contains too much simple sugar and may ruin their appetite for the more nourishing food choices. You must also avoid soy foods, margarine, shortening, (in all baked goods) and commercial dairy products (especially ultra-pasteurised), as well as any products that are reduced-fat or low-fat.
By the way, baby fat is a good thing; babies need those extra folds for all the miraculous development their bodies are experiencing. Chubby babies grow up into slim, muscular adults.
Common sense prevails when looking at foods that best nourish infants. A breastfeeding mother naturally produces the needed nutrition when she consumes the necessary nutrients. The composition of healthy breast milk gives us a blueprint for an infant's needs from there on.
Finally - be an example. Although you won't be able to control what goes into your child's mouth forever, you can set the example by your own excellent food choices and vibrant health.
Babies first foods:Egg Yolk (4 months +)
Boil an egg for three to four minutes (longer at higher altitudes), peel away the shell and discard the white. Mash up the yolk with a little unrefined sea salt. (The yolk should be soft and warm, not runny.) Small amounts of grated, raw organic liver (which has been frozen 14 days) may be added to the egg yolk after 6 months. Some mothers report their babies actually prefer the yolk with the liver. From Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.
Pureed Meats (6 months +)
Cook meat gently in filtered water or homemade stock until completely tender, or use meat from stews that you have made for your family. Make sure the cooked meat is cold and is in no bigger than 1-2 inch chunks when you puree. Grind up the meat first until it's almost like a clumpy powder. Then add water, formula or breast milk, or the natural cooking juices as the liquid.
Baby Pate (6 months +)
Place 125g organic chicken livers and ¼ cup broth or filtered water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for eight minutes. Pour into a blender (liver and liquid) with 1-2 teaspoons butter and a pinch of unrefined salt and blend to desired consistency.
Vegetable Puree (6 months +)
Use squash, sweet potatoes, parsnips, swedes, carrots and beets. Cut vegetables in half, scoop out seeds from squash and bake in a 200 degree C oven for about an hour, or steam them (in the case of carrots and beets) for 20 to 25 minutes. Mix in butter when puréeing. You can cook these vegetables for your own dinner and purée a small portion in a blender or food mill for your baby. From Natural Baby Care by Mindy Pennybacker.
Fruit sauce (6 months +)
Use fresh or frozen peaches, nectarines, apples, blueberries, cherries, pears, berries or a combination. Note: Whenever possible, use organic fruit, and peel the fruit if it is not organic. Cut fruit and put in a saucepan with 1 cup filtered water for every ½ cup of fruit. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes or until the fruit is cooked. Purée the mixture in a blender or food mill and strain if necessary. Don't add sugar or spices but you can stir in a little butter or cream. From Natural Baby Care by Mindy Pennybacker.
Dried Apricot Puree (6 months +)
Bring 2 cups of filtered water to a boil with about 450g of un-sulphured dried apricots and simmer for 15 minutes. Reserve any leftover liquid to use for the puree. Puree, adding the reserved liquid as necessary to achieve a smooth, thin puree. May be blended with some butter.
Fermented Sweet Potato (6 months +)
Poke a few holes in 1kg sweet potatoes and bake in an oven at 150 degrees C for about 2 hours or until soft. Peel and mash with 2 teaspoons unrefined salt and 4 tablespoons whey. (Make whey by draining yogurt through a clean tea-towel). Place in a bowl, cover, and leave at room temperature for 24 hours. Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. From Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.
Baby Custard (6 months +)
Mix 1 cup raw milk or whole coconut milk, 1 cup raw cream, 6 egg yolks, ½ teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of Stevia powder. (Or a natural sugarcane juice like Rapadura, Shakkar or Sucranat). Pour into buttered ramekin dishes. Place ramekins into a Pyrex dish filled partway with water. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C and cook for about 1 hour.
Smoothie for Baby(8 months +)
Blend 1 cup whole yoghurt with ½ banana or ½ cup puréed fruit, 1 raw egg yolk (from an organic or pastured chicken) and a pinch of stevia. (Or sugar as above).
Coconut Fish Pate (8 months +)
Place 1 cup leftover cooked fish, ¼ teaspoon unrefined salt, ¼ teaspoon fresh lime juice in a food processor and process with a few pulses. Add ½ - 1 cup coconut cream or whole coconut milk to obtain desired consistency.
Cereal Gruel for Baby (1 year +)
Mix ½ cup freshly ground organic flour of spelt, kamut, rye, barley or oats with 2 cups warm filtered water mixture plus 2 tablespoons yoghurt, kefir or buttermilk. Cover and leave at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add ¼ teaspoon unrefined salt, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve with cream or butter and small amount of a natural sweetener, such as raw honey or maple syrup. From Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.
Salmon and Rice Mousse (1 year +)
Heat 2 cups organic chicken broth to a slow boil and add ¼ cup soaked brown rice. Lower the heat, cover tightly, and let cook for 30 minutes or until it is almost done. Wash 100g salmon thoroughly and remove all bones carefully. Add the salmon to the rice, cover, and let it poach for 10 minutes or until done all the way through. Allow the salmon and rice to cool enough that it can be puréed safely in the blender or food processor. If it is too thick, add just enough water to obtain the consistency you want. Season with a little unrefined salt. Serve with a puréed vegetable. From The Crazy Makers by Carol Simontacchi.
Crispy Nut Butter (1 year +)
Purée equal amounts of crispy nuts, raw honey and coconut oil. Add unrefined salt to taste. Serve at room temperature. From Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.
About the author
Jen Allbritton is an adoptive mother and a certified nutritionist.
FOODS BY AGE
4-6 Months
Minimal solid foods as tolerated by baby
Egg yolk--if tolerated, preferably from pastured organic chickens, lightly boiled and salted
Banana--mashed, for babies who are very mature and seem hungry
Cod liver oil
¼ teaspoon high vitamin or ½ teaspoon regular, given with an eye dropper
6-8 months
Organic liver--grated frozen and added to egg yolk
Pureed meats--lamb, turkey, beef, chicken, liver and fish
Soup broth--chicken, beef, lamb or fish added to pureed meats and vegetables, or offered as a drink
Fermented foods--small amounts of yoghurt, kefir, sweet potato, taro, if desired
Raw mashed fruits--banana, melon, mangoes, papaya, avocado
Cooked, pureed fruits--organic apricot, peaches, pears, apples, cherries, berries
Cooked vegetables--zucchini, squash, sweet potato, swedes, carrots, beets, with butter or coconut oil
8-12 months
Continue to add variety and increase thickness and lumpiness of the foods already given from 4-8 months
Creamed vegetables soups
Homemade stews--all ingredients cut small or mashed
Dairy--cottage cheese, mild harder raw cheese, cream, custards
Finger foods--when baby can grab and adequately chew, such as lightly steamed veggie sticks, mild cheese, avocado chunks, pieces of banana
Cod liver oil Increase to ½ teaspoon high vitamin or 1 teaspoon regular dose
Over 1 Year
Grains and legumes--properly soaked and cooked
Crispy nut butters--see recipes in Nourishing Traditions
Leafy green vegetables--cooked, with butter added
Raw salad vegetables--cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.
Citrus fruit--fresh, organic
Whole egg--cooked
Foods to avoid
Up to 6 months avoid: Certain foods may contain excessive nitrate, which can be converted into nitrite (an undesirable substance) in the stomach, such as spinach, celery, lettuce, radishes, beets, turnips and collard greens. Leafy green vegetables are best avoided until 1 year. When cooking vegetables that may contain these substances, do not use the water they were cooked in to purée.
Up to 9 months avoid: Citrus and tomato, which are common allergens.
Up to 1 year avoid: Honey, because infants do not produce strong enough stomach acid to deactivate potential spores. Use blackstrap molasses instead, which is high in iron and calcium. Egg whites should also be avoided up to one year due to their high allergenic potential.
ALWAYS AVOID:
Commercial dairy products (especially ultra-pasteurised), modern soy foods, margarines, shortening, (in all processed baked goods) fruit juices, reduced-fat & low-fat foods, extruded grains (cold breakfast cereals like cornflakes, weetbix) and all processed foods.
ALWAYS AVOID: Using a microwave to heat baby's milk or food. It heats by radiation and destroys many nutrients. You wouldn't let baby be around a nuclear reaction. (Or yourself for that matter)
Making Homemade Baby Food
You will be saving a lot of time and money with good health and very few doctor's visits by nourishing baby fully. While making homemade baby food may not be as easy as opening a can, once you have organized a cook-&-freeze routine, it is a breeze. And the advantages are priceless. This gives you the control over food choices and cooking methods, and allows you to avoid synthetic preservatives. With careful preparation, you will maximize the nutrient and enzyme content of your baby's food. This will make for easier digestion and better overall nutrition. One timesaving method is to cook and purée a selection of fruits, vegetables, and meats in adult quantities, and freeze them in glass custard dishes or porcelain ramekins, or just clumps on a baking sheet. These cubes can be placed in freezer bags, labelled and sealed, available for quick thawing and reheating. Thawing in the refrigerator is the most nutrient-saving method. Simply place a covered dish containing food cubes in the fridge. They will thaw in three to four hours. It only takes one to two hours at room temperature. When on the go, put the cubes in a glass container and add hot water or place the container in hot water to thaw.
Little attention is necessary to seasoning baby foods, but texture is important. Besides the basic taste, the smoothness or thickness of a food concerns baby most. To thin purées, use milk or formula. Puréed potatoes, winter squash, swede, bananas, carrots, yogurt, nut or seed paste and peas make great thickeners.
The only special equipment you need is a food processor, blender or a baby food mill and a simple metal collapsible steamer basket. Don't forget the unbreakable bowls, baby spoons, and bibs. Two-handed weighted cups for drinking lessons are also a must.
How much at each meal?
With the rough outline below, one food portion is equal to approximately one tablespoon, depending on the type of ice cube or other food trays you may be using for freezing baby food. Start out slowly. Prepare a teaspoon-sized portion of whatever food you have chosen to begin with.
Your baby will most likely only eat half of that small portion for the first few attempts with solids. Ultimately, baby will tell you how much he should eat. Your main concern should be making what he does eat as nutritious as possible.
As your baby becomes accustomed to eating solids, you can gradually increase the portion size. Once you have ruled out sensitivities/allergies to different foods, be sure to rotate the acceptable foods in the diet, meaning try to avoid having the same food day in and day out.
Guidelines for 6-8 months:
· Breakfast: Breast milk or formula, 1 egg yolk, 1 cube meat, 1-2 tablespoons cottage cheese or smoothie
· Lunch: Breast milk or formula, mashed banana or 1 cube fruit or vegetable
· Snack/Dinner: Breast milk or formula and 1 cube of meat, 1-2 tablespoons fermented taro or sweet potato
Portions increase for 8-10 months:
· Breakfast: Breast milk or formula, 1 egg yolk, 1-2 cubes fruit or vegetable, and 1 cube meat
· Lunch: Breast milk or formula, 1-2 cubes meat, 1-3 cubes vegetable, optional dairy such as yogurt or cheese
· Dinner: Breast milk or formula, 2 cubes meat, 1-3 cubes fruit and vegetables, yogurt or cheese
· Snacks: Finger foods or smoothies
Remember, not all babies will be eating the same amounts or foods. This portion outline is just an example. Some infants are not ready to eat 3 "meals" per day until well into the 9-10 month range. You should use the above information as a guide only.
Kefir Grains
Anna Rolfe of Curds and Whey cheese-making equipment has freeze dried Kefir grains available. You can email Anna at anchar@icr.net.nz or go to www.curdsandwhey.co.nz Contact her to find out more about this amazing health food!
The Queen drinks Real Milk
The Queen and Princes of England drink raw milk
BY IAN GUMMING Ontario Farmer staff
Adrian Tomlinson has been herdsman for the Queen of England's Ayrshire herd at Windsor Castle for 17 years. The 43-year-old dairy farmer's son from Cheshire had answered an advertisement back then and during the interview 'hit it off' with the farm manager who told him right then and there the job was his.
It's meant over the past decade and a half that the Queen has stuck her head through his back door, or rapped on the window, when she's seen an unattended cow calving in the pasture, or on the bedding pack.
The Jersey herd, 'is the oldest existing one in the world,' said Tomlinson. Queen Victoria had been given six Jerseys as presents back in the 1840s and, with accurate pedigrees kept since then, a lot of the herd traces back to them.
There had been Ayrshires up at Balmoral Castle for the same amount of time, but they weren't moved down to Windsor until the reign of the current Queen began, said Tomlinson.
One of the most unique farm buildings, that will certainly remain unaltered, is the dairy built by Queen Victoria in 1861. With marble counter tops imported from Russia cooled by water running through them, milk was poured in the individual pans and then the cream was separated. Beautiful carvings adorn the walls. Although the building hasn't been used for 90 years everything has been left as is and is polished every week, said Tomlinson.
What hasn't changed over the centuries is that these herds put raw milk on the Royal family's and other consumers' tables, said Tomlinson. The Queen drinks raw milk from her Jersey herd and when Princes William and Harry were being educated at nearby Eton, 'I
would bottle up some milk from the Ayrshire herd every day and run it over to them.'
A small ice cream stand in the tourist section of the grounds advertised the product made from raw milk at Windsor along with humane cattle handling, and the line-up was long. Organic agriculture isn't practiced at Windsor but rather at Prince Charles Ayrshire herd in Gloucester, said Tomlinson.
From the Ontario Farmer - Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2006 - Pages 22, 23
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