Complementary food to feed babies are divided in two groups: Home Foods and Industrial Foods. Industrial foods are easy to prepare and include all nutrients in their formulation, although their taste are different with home foods. As these foods are very soft when prepared, they are not proper for long-term and continual use because they may lead to delaying in learning chewing skill. This kind of food can greatly help mother when she does not have enough time to prepare home food or it is impossible for her to prepare diversified foods.
Home foods should be prepared in a way that contain energy, protein and nutrients like calcium, iron, vitamins A & C, etc. Meanwhile, they should be prepared in a hygienic manner with healthy and fresh foodstuffs. Also, these foods should not be salty, chilly or contain stimulating tastes. In order to give some flavor to these foods, natural lime or sour orange juice may be used in low quantities. To prepare home foods, you have to consider that the food should be totally soft and squashed and to prevent further risks, it should not contain large pieces of foodstuffs or bone.