The baby will be provided with enough nutrition in the first six months of its life through its mother's breast milk. However, as the baby grows older, its requirements will start to change. Although it will get most of its nutrients from breast milk or Formula, introduction of solids and cereals, at this stage is advisable.

Preparing homemade baby food does not have to be one of those unpleasant chores you hate doing, such as the laundry. It is very easy to whip up homemade baby food for your child, especially if you plan on making big batches of different foods for the upcoming months. In as little as 2 hours or less, you can have enough frozen food purees to feed your baby for the next couple of months.

Baby foods that have been pre-processed are available readily and have been for many years. Many parents are concerned about preservatives used in the food and the fact that it is being cooked and stored in plastic containers, where chemicals can leach out. If you are concerned about these issues, you will find that you can prepare your own baby food fresh in only a few minutes.

Baby Food Allergies - How to detect them

It can sometimes be difficult detecting the cause of baby food allergies. If you think your infant has a baby food allergy, eliminating the following products from their diet may help.

o Milk and dairy products

o Eggs

o Nuts

o Shellfish

o Citrus Fruits

Here are some tips for buying commercially jarred foods, when you're in a pinch.

o Opt for those with the most calories, meaning more food per unit weight.

o Look for jars of organic foods, without fillers.

o Check that the expiration date on the jar has not passed.

o Choose foods without chemicals and preservatives.

o If feeding your baby a vegetarian diet, look for the Vegetarian Society's "V" symbol on the jar or container, to be sure it is truly vegetarian.

Once you have eliminated each of these food groups from your baby's diet, you can begin to reintroduce them gradually one by one.

The easiest way to start making baby food is pureeing vegetables or fruits. Simply cook them, pop into a food processor and puree. Remember that younger babies should start with thinners purees. You can get different levels of consistency by adding breast milk or formula to the food processor.

Starting solid baby food should be done slowly and gradually. The baby would still be drinking breast milk or formula. There's no point in making baby food in big amounts without freezing it. That's why the ice cubes are so helpful. The baby's first meal is no more than one tablespoon of food - simply defrost a single cube. As days and weeks go by, mix and match more cubes.

An important thing to note here is that the food you feed baby at this point in time shapes the baby's tastes. Wean baby onto broccoli and that could well become his or her favourite food.