My son is just starting solids, and this time around, I decided to try to make my own baby food. When my daughter was a baby, I found the idea of making her baby food at home overwhelming, so we never attempted it. I feel more confidant in my abilities the second time around, so we are going to give it a try!
Why make your own baby food, you may ask? For me, I thought it would be fresher, healthier, easier and more economical in the long run. Instead of buying prepackaged foods, your baby can eventually eat what the rest of the family is eating. Also, because you selected the organic foods yourself, you know exactly what is going into their little tummies.
Here are some tips on how to make your own baby food.
- Get the tools you will need to make the baby food ahead of time. You will need some sort of blender to puree your baby’s foods. A regular kitchen blender or food processor will do, or you can opt to get a baby food maker, such as the Beaba Babycook from Williams-Sonoma (there are other baby food makers out on the market as well.) You may also need to purchase storage containers and ice cube trays to use for freezing extra portions.
- Select the freshest fruits and vegetables you can find. Organic produce is best, but you will have to be mindful to use them in a timely manner, usually within a day or two. You want your baby to eat as organically as possible to ensure pesticide-free and additive-free baby foods.
- Label your freezer packages with what the food is and the date it was made. Baby food can be stored for up to three months, so put the freshest foods in the back of the freezer and use the older foods first.
- To avoid wasting the baby foods you have prepared, only thaw our small portions to heat up and serve. Once you have thawed out baby food, it cannot be refrozen. Also, do not save any baby food that is leftover after a feeding because once your baby’s saliva has touched the food (via the baby spoon), bacteria can grow in the food.
- Play with the textures and tastes of your baby’s foods. Because you are able to puree the foods and mix the foods to suit the taste buds of your baby, transitioning to table foods will be much less stressful.
- Do not add any salt, pepper, seasoning, butter or spices to your baby food. Your baby’s digestive system is not ready for that yet!
If you decide to make your own baby food…good luck and have fun with it! Post some of your favorite baby food recipes in the comments section below. If making your own baby food if overwhelming to you, remember that your local grocery stores more than likely carry organic baby food brands, such as Gerber Organics, Earth’s Best, Happy Baby Foods, and Natures One.
1 comment:
Brava! I'm a busy, new(ish) working parent of a toddler who has never bought a jar of baby food. Ever. I provide my child with made-at-home meals for nearly every meal and everything comes from the market. I’m not a chef, I get 6-8 hours of sleep each night, I do multi-task but try not to over-function. I don't use special equipment. I honestly believe that feeding your child (or small children) home-made-by-you-meals is completely do-able, not complicated at all and the most economical way to put organics on the high chair tray week after week.
If this concept appeals to you but you’re not sure if it is something that you can actually pull off, I think you can and would like to help you.
I invite you to follow my blog at http://citybaby.posterous.com where you can read about how I’m doing it!
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