photo by cali4niachef
There comes a point in time when your baby has to eat something in addition to breast milk or formula. That time varies from baby to baby, and mother to mother, but what it means for us all is we've got to shell out more cash. That can be a problem, especially in this economy when we're all trying to save more not spend more. Fortunately, there's a way to feed your baby and spend less: Make your own baby food.
I interviewed cali4niachef, the group owner of Homemade Baby Food, and mom to Reed, three-and-a-half, and Jonas, who's almost one, and she says making your own baby food can save you lots of money. Plus, it's not as complicated or as time-consuming as you think. Here's her advice.
Did you always make your own baby food for your sons?
Yes.
What inspired you to make that choice?
My
children—I wanted them to have what was the most fresh,
pure, and wholesome food. Basically I'm not going to feed my children
anything I wouldn't eat myself.
You used to be a chef so
you're obviously a good cook, but what if someone isn't a great cook? Wouldn't jarred food taste better to the baby?
Absolutely not! Making baby food is very simple. All you need to know
is basic food preparation—steaming, baking, freezing. Have
you ever tasted jarred baby food and then tasted homemade baby food?
It's a world of difference; jarred baby food is inferior in every way.
What are the benefits to making your own baby food?
First,
you know exactly what your child is eating and where it came from. It's fresh! Jarred baby
food is processed with additives and preservatives, packaged,
and shipped to the store. Then who knows how long it sits in the
warehouse or on the shelf before you buy it and feed it to your
child? Secondly, it saves a heck of a lot of money!
Have
you ever figured out how much money you've saved by making your own
food rather than buying baby food?
A
2.5oz jar of baby food can cost anywhere from 50 to 80 cents; when you
make your own baby food it will cost about 5 to 10 cents per 2.5oz.
You could literally save hundreds of dollars!
That sounds good to me! How do I get started?
Here's what you need: food
processor or blender, either will do. Ice cube trays, large plastic
bags for freezing, steamer, strainer/colander, grinder/food meal for
meals "on-the-go," fine mesh strainer, and a masher. Though I've made
baby food for 2 children I've never used a food meal or a masher.
If
I don't have a food processor or blender—is there anything else I can
use? Or any ideas where to get one cheap?
Sure
yard sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops—just make sure you
sanitize it! I use a mini food processor that cost me $40 and that's
all I've ever really needed.
If I don't have a vegetable steamer or a pressure cooker, is it okay to just use a pan for steaming?
Sure, and you can even steam in the microwave.
Do I have to make food meal by meal?
It's
recommended you don't. The best and easiest way to make baby food is in
large batches and freeze it using the ice cube method. By doing large
batches it saves you time and money.
If I freeze food, how long is it good for?
It's good for three to six months, but you should use it within three months for maximum quality. After three months it starts to lose nutrients.
What would you say to people who say making baby food is too time-consuming and that jarred food is much more convenient?
I find it to be quite the opposite. Every time you go grocery shopping
you have to buy dozens of jars of baby food. If you run out you have
to go to the store to buy more. When you make your own baby food, it's
always available. When I leave the house I'll take out a couple cubes
the day before and place them in a container in the refrigerator; when
I'm ready to go they are already thawed.
Do you have any recommendations (books or websites) where I can find good recipes?
Books: The Basic Baby Food Cookbook: Complete beginner guide to making baby food at home, by Julianne E. Hood; Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron; Top 100 Baby Purees: 100 Quick and Easy Meals for a Healthy and Happy Baby by Annabel Karmel; Blender Baby Food: Over 125 Recipes for Healthy Homemade Meals by Nicole Young.
Web sites: Wholesome Baby Food; Simply Baby Food Recipes, Homemade Baby Food Recipes, Super Baby Food.
For more great tips, advice, and recipes, join the group Homemade Baby Food.
Do you make your own baby food? How much money has it saved you?
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Comments 45
Let's see...my 8 month old goes through ONE jar of baby food per day... 59 cents times 31 days in a month is only $18.29...and how is it that making my own baby food is more cost effective? Buying vegetables that I do not eat (I hate them), taking time to cook them, properly store them, and hope that my daughter actually likes the food that I painstakingly cooked for her (otherwise it would be a big ass waste of time and money)....or buy a damn jar of perfectly fine baby food, which is the SAME damn thing (fruit/veggies and added water), or gve her some of the food I actually like (table food)?
I'll stick to the baby food in jars, thanks!!!!
Fallaya,
Just because you don't eat them doesn't mean she won't. It's also important to keep in mind how nutritious a certain vegetable or meat may be that you normally don't eat.
You don't have to sit and watch the steamer while they are steaming :o) It may take 10mins to prep a vegetable or even less prior to cooking them, then maybe 15mins or so to puree them up. Another 5-10mins to put it in ice cube trays to freeze. Next day you pop them out of the tray and place into a large freezer bag. So you are spending about 30mins making baby food that you could do every other week, or every week. The large bag of baby food would last me 3 months or longer, easily!
Simple, easy, cheap and nutritious!
I forgot to add, once they reach a certain age you can just mash up some of your food :o) My son is will be 1yr on the 18th, I don't make baby food for him anymore. He's got 8 teeth and self-feeds.
You rock Mama!!! I'll definitely be making my own next time around! it's true I thought that stuff in the jar smelled so gross. Why was it ok to feed my son something I would never dream of putting in my own mouth? Yuk..
Not to mention my uncle ended up with a vomiting baby after feeding him a bad jar of baby food. I ended up with a bad one from the same store not too long after. Luckily I realized it. There's no telling how long that crap sits there and where it comes from. I'm not too lazy to throw some veggies in a food processor. ;)
I've always made my own babyfood! Its great. Its not about money for me but about wanting my kids to know what real food tastes like, you cant compare those jarred foods with fresh foods..fresh foods taste so much better!
I'm not a chef, but I'm a darn good cook and I am definitely going to make my own baby food. This article sealed the deal :)
I do have a question, though..how do you get the ice cubes out once they are frozen? It seems like they always stick and/ or break the ice cube tray.
I made all my son's baby food and will do the same for my daughter. Jarred food is definitely NOT the same. It's not fresh, it's overprocessed... frankly, it's just not good enough for my babies! =)
Great article!! =)
kk_bella,
take out the ice cube trays and let them sit on the counter at room temp for about 10-15mins, they will pop out MUCH easier!
Great article! Next time around, I will be making my child's food.
I just started making my son's baby food and it's so easy!! Instead of using veggies from the produce dept., you can also use frozen veggies. I got some frozen peas and green beans and pureed them with my immersion blender. It was beyond easy! I did the ice cube tray thing too which worked out awesomely! After the veggies froze in the trays, I put them in my Reynolds Handi-Vac Vacuum-sealed freezer bags and sealed them up. I tell ya, that vacuum sealer is soooo cool! I highly recommend it!