As your little one gets older, there is always new milestones to look forward to. The transition from only bottles to baby food puree can be an exciting time, although trying to decide between store bought baby food and homemade baby food can be a hard decision. When making this decision, parents often don’t realize the time and effort that making homemade baby food can intel. It is hard knowing just where to start when it comes to making it right in your kitchen, I will provide you with details on everything I did when it was time for my little one to start enjoying real foods.
I was blessed with the opportunity to be a stay at home mom while my son was younger. This is what drove me to making the decision of being able to make my own baby food, simply because I knew I had the extra time to do so.
There are many benefits to being able to make your own baby food, but some cons as well. Some of the benefits include knowing exactly what your child is eating, being able to freeze and save the baby food, and also may be cheaper than purchasing premade food. On the other side, one of the cons I experienced was the amount of time that needed to be dedicated to this job.
Homemade Baby Food Stage 1
When I made the decision to introduce foods to my child, I wasn’t sure where to start or what to do but I started by purchasing a baby food processor and some glass storage containers. I purchased a processor that had a steamer and blender in one. As this processor did its job and worked great, one of the downfalls was the size. I was unable to fit a lot of fruit or vegetables in the container at once, which extended the process in time. Buying a small blender may be a cheaper and quicker option but if doing so, I would ensure to only use the blender for making the babies’ food.
How to make Baby Food Puree
When I went to the store for produce I got a variety of different fruits and vegetables: apples, bananas, pears, zucchini, squash, and carrots just to name a few.
When first introducing real food to your child, it is important to only allow your child to try one fruit or vegetable at a time, rather than creating mixtures or baby food recipes. This will allow you to see if your child will have any allegoric reactions or dislikes. I would also suggest that the child eats the same thing for at least two to three days. I started out with vegetables for a week and then transitioned to fruits for a week and so on.
Once you have your produce, begin by peeling everything. This can be time consuming but it is important to ensure that the mixture is nice and smooth! Following that, I would steam the produce one at a time for about twenty minutes on the baby food processor. Next, I would blend it up until it was a nice smooth consistency. You want to ensure a smooth texture that baby can easily swallow.
Storage for Homemade Baby Food
I would place the baby food puree in a freezer safe container and label it. All I would do to label it, is take a small sticky note, write the name of the food and date and tape it to the top. Easy and inexpensive! The date is essential so you know when you made it, especially if you are making a variety all at once. They say baby food is good for and can be frozen for approximately 3 months! Homemade baby food can last two to three days after being made if you choose not to freeze it.
As I mentioned, this can be a process. I personally would dedicate an entire day just to making baby food and would get about a week’s worth completed. It took time and effort, but I enjoyed the process. Whether you make your own baby food or decide to buy it, both are perfectly safe and great choices for your little one, just enjoy the milestone and getting to experience the yummy mess!
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