Making Baby Food

I feel like I can write well on the subject of baby food as I've made the good and the bad. With my oldest I tried for a while and gave up after he threw what I made on the floor in favor of a jar. I think my problems were that it was too think and lumpy. My baby loves what I've been making him and won't eat the pouched food (oh how things change in 3 years!). I have seriously considered buying the Beaba or the Baby Bullet. When it comes down to it, I don't have one extra inch of space in my kitchen for another appliance, and it's pretty expensive for something you're only going to use for 6 months.

There are lots of perks of making your baby's food at home. It's nice to know exactly what's going in their tiny tummies (I choose organic, but it's up to you to make the best decision for your family). It's also a lot cheaper. Wholesome mom gives you the full comparison- it's quite a difference.

Baby food really couldn't be simpler to make. I know there are lots of websites that give lots of good info. Here are a few things I've learned, that I hope make your experience a little easier. I like to make a fair amount at a time. During my first go round, I would just put one avocado in the food processor, and serve my oldest chunks (I can't believe he didn't want to eat it!). I've found that putting a minimum of four avocados seems to work well. Just cut them, pit them, throw them in and let them get pulverized for about 5 minutes.

Foods that don't need to be cooked first include avocado and banana. I've had good luck with cooking frozen vegetables and then blending them. Frozen peas and green beans are a couple of my baby's favorites. I have a steamer, but a steaming basket used with a pot of boiling water is perfect for cooking many other first foods. So far, pears and apples needed to be steamed for about 10 minutes. I steamed butternut squash for 20 minutes. Sweet potato is next on my list.

My freezer tray of choice is Kidco. I just have one set, that comes with two trays. If you're going to have a massive baby food making session, you need more. If you're anything like me, the baby is up from his nap before you're even done with round one : ). Put the puree in your ice freezer tray (a standard ice cube tray would work fine, I just like this brand because it's BPA free). Let it freeze until it's solid (about half a day). Pop out the cubes and put them in plastic freezer bags. Label with the date and what's in them (it's amazing how all green vegetables pretty much look alike once they're pureed) and you're done! I just put one in the microwave for the little guy for about 30 seconds when I'm ready to feed him. Each food does vary on how long it takes to heat up, so make sure you test the food before you serve it.

The thicker foods, like avocado and banana might need a little breast milk, formula, or water added to them.

Here's a list of what has worked so far.

4 Avocados fill one tray

6 Bananas fill two trays

1# cut up, steamed butternut squash fills two trays.

3 large pears or apples peeled and cored fills one tray.

1 bag of cooked, frozen peas or green beans fills up two trays

This is just meant to be a brief overview of what worked for me, please consult other books and websites for more information. Always speak with your pediatrician about what's best for your baby! Check the AAP for more detailed information about foods that are best for baby.

What's your experience with baby food?