Homemade Baby Food

I have had so many questions on how & why I make all of Ryder's food.

There are a few different things that I'd like to talk about to help answer those questions.

My favorite resource for recipes, tips & advice is Wholesome Baby Food.

{bottom: pear, sweet potato, carrot, peas | top: butternut squash}

First, I want to start off answering a few of the questions & comments that I've received.

Why do you make the food? Why not just buy it already made?

Seth & I made a choice as a couple to eat better & exercise on a regular basis. When we found out we were expecting we made the choice to raise our baby to have a healthier lifestyle. This is a personal choice. I feel that the food I make are preservative, chemical, & added sugar-free. It is also cheaper to make my own baby food but I'll get to that in a bit.

Do you buy organic?

I do not always buy organic. It really depends on the food. Buying all organic can get pricey & that just doesn't work with our budget. I buy organic for the foods that are considered part of "the dirty dozen". Some of these foods include apples, peaches, strawberries, pears, imported grapes, lettuce & potatoes. I don't always buy them organic but I try to for the most part. A great place to find healthy organic produce is to buy local from a farmer or a farmer's market (I can't wait to take Ryder to the local Farmer's Market this year!).

Does it take a lot of time to make the baby food?

It really doesn't take much time. We started Ryder on solids at 4.5 months old. I would buy his food once every 2 months & spend around 2 hours total making all the purees. At first it took less time because he was only getting a small variety. The last batch of purees I made (7 months) took a little over 2 hours because I added chicken.

How much does it cost?

I spend a max of $25 on all the food. This is give Ryder about 2 months of purees. The only exception to this is that I do spend a little more on apples & bananas. We eat applesauce & bananas everyday whereas that other purees he only eats once or twice a week. Although that budget has now changed since he no longer eats purees but small bites & diced food so we go through it faster. When you think about it, $25 for 2 months worth of food is so worth it when baby food jars are $1 per jar & babies typically eat 3-4 jars a day!

{top: butternut squash | bottom: carrot, peas}

Current recommendations say to wait until 6 months to introduce your baby to solids. We fully planned on waiting however Ryder showed interest at 4 months. The first foods that we started with were avocado, banana, sweet potato, & pears. He did great with each one. Once we had set a good foundation for solids we moved added apples, peas, green beans, carrots, & squash. By 6 months he was eating a variety of 15 different purees. Here is a list of fruits & vegetables that we have given him up to now.

Fruits: apples, avocados, bananas, blueberries, peaches, plums, strawberries, kiwi, grapes, mango & raspberries.

Vegetables: carrots, green beans, peas,  butternut squash, sweet potato, broccoli, tomato & beets.

**Always remember to talk to you pediatrician before starting any new food!

The Wholesome Baby Food website has great information on all foods, what age to introduce them, how to prepare them & ideas for recipes.

 silicone ice cube trays

How do you make it?

Making the baby food can seem intimidating at first. I was nervous & did so much researching. Of course I laughed at my anxiety-ridden self once I was finish & realized how simple it really was. I wanted to share my process for making baby food purees in hopes that I can help someone else.

Since Ryder is no longer on purees (he refuses them most of the time), I had to do this tutorial while I made our applesauce.

It is very much the same as all other purees. I have also had a few people ask me if they can use this to make their own applesauce & if it tastes the same. It taste close but obviously less sugar so it won't be as sweet. You can always sweeten it by buying sweeter apples or adding sugar (do not add sugar to baby food!).

Wash your produce. (I soak most of our foods in a vinegar & water bath)

Cut apples into small chunks. I leave the peel on but if you are making this as a starter food then I would suggest peeling. Most of the nutrients are in the peel...weird...but younger infants may not be able to digest it just yet.

Cook the apples. (I boiled these. Another good option is baking.)

Allow apples to cool, then blend them with a food processor or blender. I love my Ninja Master Prep blender & highly recommend it. You may need to add water (from the boiled pot) to make the puree thin or easier to blend.

Spread into the ice cube trays.  I use Trovolo ice cube trays because they are so simple to use & the cubes are a perfect ounce! Be sure to let them cool on the counter before placing them into the freezer.

See? It's pretty simple & I did all of this with a very demanding, teething infant at my feet.

I like to store all of my cubes in labeled Ziplock bags. Since they are cubes, they stack in perfect rows inside the bags. We have a small chest freezer that I used to store the bags. I also love to store a few containers in the refrigerator since we go through it so fast. I use OXO Tot Baby Blocks. They are perfect!

{The other containers are filled with baked diced apples.}

When it is time to eat, I would simply get 1 or 2 cubes out (each cube is exactly 1 ounce) & either heat it in the microwave for a few seconds or let it sit in the refrigerator the night before to thaw. Easy & simple.

I am putting together a post on Ryder's finger foods, how I make them & store them.

Making your own baby food is simple & healthy. If you have any questions please contact me!