Are all enjoying the Nutrient Dense Baby Foods series from Kara over at Life Sanity? Well read on for more!

Nutrient dense baby foods are very important to your baby’s growth and development. Every week I am discussing nutrient dense foods for you baby, when to introduce them, and how to prepare them! As a mother of twins, I know that making your own baby food can seem overwhelming. I’ve been there and if I can learn to do it, you can too!

Making your own baby food not only provides your baby with nutritious foods but it is also economical.  In my last article I showed you how egg yolks are one of the cheapest, most nutritious and EASIEST foods to prepare for your baby.  Grated, raw organic liver is also extremely nutritious and since your baby will be consuming so little of it, you will be able to keep this economical as well!  You can also read about how I introduced liver into my own diet here.

Why should your baby eat liver?

After your baby is 6 months old you can begin adding grated, raw organic liver (which has been frozen 14 days) to the cooked egg yolks you are preparing according to Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.  Liver contains a very ample list of nutrients.  I wish I had known this back in college and truly understood how much better I could have felt if I just ate nutrient dense foods!

One of my goals is to raise my children with this knowledge and instill good eating habits in them. Just last night while they watched the Olympics with us (they are 6 years old) they commented; “Mommy, I really wish the man would stop talking about McDonald’s.  Doesn’t he know he can’t get us to eat bad food?”  Proud Mommy moment.

The Health Benefits of Liver (according to the Weston A. Price Foundation):

• High-quality protein
• Natural and most concentrated source of vitamin A
• All the B vitamins, particularly vitamin B12
• Excellent source of folic acid
• A very usable form of iron
• Copper, zinc and chromium. Liver is the best source of copper
• An unidentified anti-fatigue factor
• CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function
• A good source of purines, nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA.

Where should you source your liver for your baby?

According to the WAPF:

“We should consume liver from healthy animals–cattle, lamb, buffalo, hogs, chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. The best choice is liver from animals that spend their lives outdoors and on pasture. If such a premier food is not available, the next choice is organic chicken, beef and calves liver. If supermarket liver is your only option, the best choice is calves liver, as in the U.S. beef cattle do spend their first months on pasture. Beef liver is more problematical as beef cattle are finished in feed lots. Livers from conventionally raised chicken and hogs are not recommended.” (source)

Personally, I found a local farmer who pasture raises his cattle.  He allows visits to his farm so you can see how he cares for his animals.  I highly recommend establishing a relationship like this locally.  I’m truly blessed to have found him!  He also provides me with chicken and pork. (find great real food and farms near you)

How to prepare raw organic liver for baby

1. Source high quality liver.
2. Freeze liver for 14 days. (Fourteen days will ensure the elimination of pathogens and parasites.)
3. Remove liver from freezer and grate directly over egg yolks.  You don’t have to use the fine grating option.  The medium sized (normal shredded cheese consistency worked the best for me.  (Unfortunately you cannot grate the entire liver and store in the freezer for later use.  Once the liver is defrosted it becomes very soft and watery.  This is great for your baby’s ability to eat it but not so great for you if it is a defrosted blob on the cutting board!)
4. Add about a teaspoon of the grated, raw organic liver to your prepared egg yolk during feedings.

How to prepare a liver pate for baby

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound raw organic liver and
• 1/4 cup bone broth
• 1-2 teaspoons organic butter
• Sea Salt

Directions:

1. Cut raw organic liver into chunks.
2. Combine liver, broth and butter in a saucepan.
3. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
4. Simmer for eight minutes.
5. Pour into a blender (liver and liquid) with 1-2 teaspoons butter and a pinch of sea salt.
6. Blend to desired consistency.

Consider freezing pate in a freezer safe container or ice cube tray like this one to be able to remove from freezer and eat throughout the week. Preparing foods like this ahead of time saves you time and makes feeding your baby nutrient dense foods simple and easy!

Next week I’ll begin explaining how you can save time and money and still make healthy, nutrient dense baby food!

Would you like a clean, printable version of the baby food introduction schedule that will look great on your fridge?  Visit my blog and subscribe to my newsletter for your FREE copy!

Pin it here!

Click here to +1 this post