Mommy Money Saving Tip: Make Your Own Baby Food

Liam is definitely beyond baby food purees as this point, but I still wanted to post this for other moms with younger babies.

When Liam was younger, I was dead set on making his baby food.  The prices on the jarred baby foods were just too high for my taste.  Plus, I didn't like the idea of feeding my baby jarred foods when I don't even eat jarred or canned foods.  I remember telling family members and friends about my quest, and they would ask me why I would want to put that much effort into making baby food.  However, making baby food is actually quite simple.  All you need is a pot, steamer basket, some sort of pureeing equipment (blender, food processor, Magic Bullet), and either ice cube trays or baby food cube trays.

Have you ever tasted the baby food that comes in a jar?  For the most part, it tastes horrible.....flavorless, overcooked, and many times it tastes like unripened fruits and veggies.  I remember tasting some peach jarred baby food and thinking this is the worst peach I have ever tasted.  It was sour and smelled sort of like cheese.  I was not going to feed my son something that I couldn't stomach myself.

Homemade baby food tends to retain more of the nutrients (as long as you're not overcooking the foods) and simply tastes better.  You can control what goes in the foods and what doesn't.  Something that I did not like seeing in jarred fruit baby food was the ascorbic acid.  Liam had reflux issues as an infant, so the last thing I wanted was to add extra acid to an already acidic environment. 

Making your own baby food is so simple that I'm going to outline it in 3 steps.  Here it goes!

1.  Steam your choice of fruit or veggie (chopped up into 2 inch cubes) until it is just fork tender.  Depending on the fruit/veggie, you may need to peel before steaming.  Some foods don't require peeling like zucchini.  Do not overcook in order to retain more of the nutrients.

2.  After allowing the steamed fruit/veggie to cool, puree in your equipment of choice.  I usually used either my big food processor or my Magic Bullet for smaller batches.

3.  Freeze the puree in an ice cube tray or baby food cube tray.  I loved my silicone baby food cube trays.

Not all baby food needs to be steamed first.  If you're using soft produce such as avocados, bananas, or melons, then you can skip the first step.  When you're ready to feed your baby, pop your choice of cubes in a bowl and microwave for about 1-2 minutes or until completely defrosted.  Always remember to test the temperature of the food to make sure it's not too warm. 

Once you taste the deliciousness of homemade baby food, you will never want to go back.  Plus, who doesn't like saving money.....and making your own baby food will save you a lot of money!