Make Your Own Baby Food

On November 8, 2011 by Tricia

Making your own baby food can be a little daunting at first. When my son was first starting on solid foods, I did not really know where to begin so I actually started him on some organic first food purees to get an idea for how the switch to solid food was going to go. After Jaden’s initial taste of “real” foods I dove into making and freezing my own baby food. I discovered that it was actually easier than I had anticipated, and I was able to do it without buying any expensive extra equipment.

Benefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Aside from feeling very accomplished in the fact that I was preparing all my baby’s meals, I discovered some great benefits in making my own baby food.

• Money – Buying the little baby food jars is convenient, but the cost adds up fast. Purchasing fresh or frozen vegetables, fruits, and meats and preparing my own baby food meals was far more inexpensive.
• Taste – Have you ever tasted your baby’s food? Blech! No wonder they make strange faces and spit it out sometimes! Some of the jarred baby foods smell and taste strange. On the other hand, your own purees smell and taste just like your home cooking – delicious! I figure if it smells and tastes great to me, my baby is much more likely to enjoy his meal as well.
• Ingredients – When you make your own baby food, you have complete control over the ingredients. No more ingredients that you cannot pronounce, just the basic foods and flavorings.
• Time – While making your own baby food involves an initial time investment, if you freeze your baby food in advance it can still be extremely convenient. Reheating frozen baby food may take a little longer than opening a jar, but I found the difference to be minimal.

These are only some of the more basic benefits to making your own baby food. For some families making your baby’s food can be a way to deal with food allergies or dietary restrictions, for others it may be simply personal preference.

Get Started Making Your Own Baby Food

So…how exactly can you get started making your own baby food? Over the next couple of weeks I will provide additional resources to help you begin making your own baby food.

1. Kitchen Equipment – What basic equipment will I need to make baby food?
2. Introducing the Once A Month Meals Baby/Toddler Meal Plan
3. How to Prep and Store Baby Food
4. First Foods – What are some good first purees for my baby?

Baby Food Recipes to Get You Started

Want to get started right away?  Here are some great recipes to start with if you want to dive right in and start making purees for your baby.

4+ Months

• Creamy Rice Pudding
• Applesauce
• Bananas
• Carrots
• Green Beans
• Peaches
• Pears
• Peas
• Sweet Potatoes
• Fall Vegetable Mashers

 

6+ Months

• Avocado
• Avocado and Banana
• Blueberries
• Fruity Cinnamon Squash Puree
• Green Bean Casserole
• Mango-Peach Puree
• Sweet Fall Squash Soup
  

 

8+ Months

• Apple, Kiwi, and Pear
• Beef and Veggies
• Cherry-Berry Puree
• Cheesy Tomato and Cauliflower
• Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Apples
• Chicken and Veggies II
• Carrot Chicken Hash
• Ham, Pineapple, Peach, and Apple
• Peach, Apple, and Strawberry

 

Does anyone have a benefit to making your own baby food that I have not mentioned?  Or perhaps a great recipe that your baby loved? We would love to hear how making baby food has benefited you and your family, or about a great recipe combination that your baby loved!