Instructions: Baby food in jars wasnt always the norm or even an option. Up until the late 1920s, when the founders of Gerber answered their calling, parents - mainly moms of course - mashed their own fruits, vegetables, meats, and starches to satisfy the appetites and palates of their very little ones.

Today, some new-millenniums parents still choose to do the work themselves, even while bottled varieties sit conveniently on grocery store shelves just a few teething toys down from the disposable diapers.

"People who are bent on eating healthy themselves already know the good foods to buy and are primarily the ones who are interested in making their own baby food," said Kathryn Landon-Malone, a pediatric nurse practitioner in

Are they "super" moms and dads? How do over-scheduled working parents or the otherwise culinary-challenged find the time, energy, or wherewithal to become their babies personal chefs?

As challenging - even superfluous - as it may seem, it really just takes a few extra minutes at meal time, a little common sense and a trusty blender or food processor to turn solid adult food into delicious, wholesome mushy goo for babies.

Landon-Malone fed her own children all-natural foods and now teaches new moms and dads in southern Maine how to do the same. She suggests introducing homemade fruit and veggie purees to infants starting at five to six months old.

"Babies like sweet things so start with fruits like bananas, apples and apricots or whole oats or rice that can be sweetened with fruit," she said.

"Then introduce vegetables like squash, sweet potatoes, peas and green beans, carrots, and lima beans."

Simply boil or steam the fruits, vegetables or grains until very soft then puree with water, formula, or breast milk until the concoction reaches a consistency that practically drips off a spoon at feeding time. A hint: The savvy time-saver will make several batches to pour into ice cube trays, freeze, then store in freezer bags or containers until ready to thaw for use.

When it comes to making homemade baby food, there are very few rules.

Basically trust and rely on the babys instincts. "Theyll let you know.

Theyll spit it out if they dont like something or if its not reduced to the right consistency," Landon-Malone said.

She also offered these words of wisdom: Introduce one new food every few days so any unpleasant response can be traced back to a specific food. And avoid giving honey (because of its natural spores) or acidic fruits and veggies to babies less than one year old.

Baby Food Guide

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Kathryn Landon-Malone fed her own babies all-natural foods and now teaches new moms and dads in Southern Maine how to do the same.

"It makes sense to make your own baby food so that you know exactly whats going into it," she said. "When you use natural ingredients from the Earth, youre child is connected to the Earth in a way. Plus its much less expensive than the jarred."

Here are some of her age-appropriate recipe ideas.

5 to 6 months:
bananas (mash with a fork)

tofu mixed with avocado (mash with a fork)

plain yogurt

Steam or boil the following list of foods, then puree with water, formula, or breast milk (and tapioca if desired) to a very thin consistency. (Be sure to remove skins, seeds and pits when applicable.)

apples
pears
apricots
squash
sweet potatoes
peas
green beans
lima beans
rice
barley and oats (sweetened with fruit)

After 9 months:
berries (pureed)

spices and seasonings like curry and garlic (if desired); not salt

After 12 months:
honey (as a sweetener if desired)

acidic fruits and veggies (if desired)

meat (cook thoroughly, then puree with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to paste consistency)

When teething:
zwieback toast
frozen bananas cut into quarters

Toddlers or "Finger Feeders":
cooked pasta
most other foods "that are soft enough to squish between your fingers"

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