Parents, especially mothers of children already six months old, must prepare for the complimentary food period (MPASI).
Complementary feeding is a type of food mothers can give their babies and breast milk to meet their growing nutritional needs.
Children older than six months don’t get enough nutrition from breast milk alone and need to eat other foods too.
Nowadays, it’s easier for moms to make complementary foods for their babies.
A special blender for complementary foods is now one of the essential tools that are needed.
Prepare a blender for complementary foods before the baby is born or before he or she is six months old.
Here are some tips to help mothers choose the best blender for complementary foods and their needs.
1. Considering the Type
There are different kinds of complementary food blenders, and mothers can choose one based on its benefits and what she needs for making complementary food.
Here are the different kinds of blenders for complementary foods that you need to know about first:
- Portable Blender
Choose a portable blender if you’re a parent who travels a lot, but your child is still in the “complementary feeding” stage.
Portable blenders that can be used to make complementary foods are beneficial, especially in size and weight. Since they are smaller and lighter, they are easy to take anywhere.
Even the amount of food that can be blended is quite a lot, so parents don’t have to worry.
But when picking a portable blender, you should also consider how much power it needs.
Even though some people are strong enough to carry batteries, it is still important to figure out how much electricity is needed.
One could also say that this portable blender is a mix of a hand and an electric blender.
- Electric Blender
Electric blenders are a type of food blender that can be used as long as they are plugged into the power source.
Unlike a portable blender, an electric blender is bigger, so it isn’t as easy to bring.
But an electric blender can mix things together very well.
One of the benefits of an electric blender is that it quickly and thoroughly mashes the food.
But just like with a portable blender, you should change how much electricity you have at home before deciding to buy.
The higher speed of blending definitely requires more electricity.
- Hand Blender
A hand blender is the best food for moms to make purees and porridge for their babies.
Even though they are smaller, hand blenders are very comfortable to hold.
Moms don’t need to add water when they use a hand blender to make a puree.
But just like the other two types of complementary food blenders, you should adjust how much electricity you have at home before making a choice.
There are two kinds of hand blenders: those that work by pressing on the inside of the bowl and those that need an electric source.
2. Considering Capacity
There are different sizes of complementary food blenders on the market to meet baby food needs.
So, mothers who want to give their children more food should use a blender of 800–1000 ml capacity.
The big size is great for moms who want to make enough food for their babies to eat daily.
But if you want to make a medium amount of food, a blender between 600 and 800 ml capacity is best.
3. Considering the Function
BMS blenders are designed differently, even in terms of function.
For various functions, choose a blender that can defrost, chop, steam, self-clean, and reheat food.
So besides being used to puree and blend baby food practically, blenders can be used to prepare food in other ways more easily.
4. Considering Security Features
Before buying a second food blender, ensure it has the best safety features.
The material or materials used to make the complementary food blender are a safety concern.
To be safe, the mixing bowl or blender jar must meet standards for food grade.
Bisphenol A, or BPA, is an industrial chemical that has been around since the 1950s and is used to make epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics. Food grade standards mean that the blender jar material is free of BPA.
BPA is a chemical that is bad for your health. Even adults can lose their ability to have children if they are exposed to BPA.
BPA makes it more likely that you will get heart disease, be overweight, or have type 2 diabetes.
Babies and children exposed to BPA will have trouble with how their brains develop.
So, make sure that the food blender with the set is BPA-free and that the part that locks the jar is double-locked for extra safety.
5. Maintenance Considerations
Think about how easy it is to maintain and clean when looking for the best complementary food blender.
It’s essential to wash the blender well so no messes are left behind.
If you don’t wash the old food well, it will mix with the new food and change the taste.
To make it easier to clean and take care of, choose a blender with a blade that can be quickly taken out of the blender jar. This will make it easier to clean the edges.
Consider the type, size, number of functions, safety, and upkeep when choosing a blender for complementary foods.