Too much of anything is totally dangerous. Just like the addition of salt to a baby’s food, it puts the baby’s safety into danger. Health professionals’ advice is against the addition salt to your baby’s food.

There is much more to discover from the reasons why it is not advised. You may already be including too much salt in your baby’s diet. This is the time for you to stop doing it or not to do it.

Basically, the human body needs some salt in order to function correctly. Salt is not produced in the body. Therefore, salt is added to our daily diet in order to supplement our body’s needs. But there is an exemption to that. With the baby’s age and body system, it is not recommended.

A baby’s salt requirement is only minimal with approximately less than 1g per day up to the age of 12 months. While the baby is still young, it is actually met by his breastmilk or formula.

Considering the age of the babies, their kidneys are still immature and underdeveloped to process more salt than the minimal requirement needed. Adding too much salt from sources other than natural foods like veggies and fruits, breast milk and/or formula may damage baby’s kidneys and possibly even cause brain damage. There have even been extreme situations in which babies have died as a result of consuming too much salt. Researches even showed that consuming too much salt from an early age can lead to high blood pressure in later life (particularly in families with a history of hypertension).

Your baby’s system is still fragile. Not only until their kidneys are matured enough to process the recommended amount of salt that you can include it in the diet.

Although there are a lot of baby-friendly food out there in the market, nothing beats the assurance you can have for preparing your own child’s food in your home. You can make your own baby food easily using a food grinder or food processor. This is an important skill to learn for infant care.

Homemade baby food always looks better because it comes from fresh, homemade food. Factory packed baby food can’t compare to the food which you just steamed ten minutes ago. Moreover, cereal products will be tastier when created at home from ground oatmeal, cooked and puree barley and other whole grains. Just steam them and grind with a little water.

Colors of homemade food are fresher and does not have to involve preservatives. Just keep it in the refrigerator or make a lot at once and freeze it in tiny containers. Fill up ice cube trays with the pureed food, freeze them solid and then store in ziplock bags. Label the bags so you’ll know what’s in them in a month or two, and if you’re keeping track of potential food allergies, write the ingredients in magic marker right on the bags. When you’re ready to feed the baby, take 2-4 cubes from the freezer, microwave them (usually 30-60 seconds, depending on the power of your microwave), check they’re the right temperature and serve.

These days people put more premium on organic food but that also equates to higher market prices. A little baby sized bowl of your home made, organic, pureed spinach will cost you about a nickel instead of dollars. And it will taste good enough that even grownups may enjoy it.

Homemade food are highly customizable with its ingredients. Spice up a recipe for ground carrots by adding a little apple or orange juice instead of blending the carrots with plain water. Make baby food from soft fruits like strawberries with yogurt. Don’t bother with bananas, though. It’s as simple to mash a banana on the spot as it is to create a banana puree that will just be watery and brown after processing and freezing. You can cook and puree meats, veggies, grains and fruits of your choice, knowing that your baby is getting the best baby food ever for less than half the cost of store-bought foods.