Introducing solid foods is an important step in your baby's development. While there is nothing wrong with feeding your infant jarred baby food, many parents don't realize that making baby food at home can be quick, easy and less expensive. Here's a look at how to make your own baby food – and why you might want to give it a try.

We know that it’s difficult to find foods that your kids will actually eat; and when it comes to protein, kids are usually more receptive to processed meats than they are to beef, pork or chicken. Processed meats are easier to chew and have lots of added salt, which plays in favorably with kid’s taste buds.

Is your child unwilling to taste a new food? A picky eater often has to be exposed to something new as many as 15 times before even tasting it! Children trust familiar things in their lives and are often suspicious of something new and different – this applies to food too. A food that has an unusual appearance, color, smell or texture can be off-putting to a young child. That's why repeated exposure helps. Eventually the unusual food becomes familiar, and at that point, your child becomes open to the idea of tasting it and giving it a fair evaluation. Knowing these facts gives us insight into how to introduce new foods and what to expect when we do.

Peanut allergies have tripled in the past decade, causing parents everywhere to hide their nuts and hold off on offering peanuts to children until well after their second or even third birthday. Now experts are warning that the late introduction of nuts could be some of the problem.

When you cook with herbs it makes food taste better and smells fabulous. Herbs also add a nutritional boost to meals and contain beneficial phytonutrients and antioxidants to keep the body strong.