Friday, January 14, 2011

Baby Food Friday


Welcome to Baby Food Friday! I've had several people ask me about how I make my own baby food, so I thought I would start talking about it here. Todays post is just about the basics and why I make my own, next Friday I'll start featuring a different food each week. A great resource is WholesomeBabyFood.com. Now that I have a few months experience, I have started doing things my own way or have learned easy tips.

Why Do I Make My Own?
  • Saves me a lot of money!
  • I know exactly what Rilyn is eating (no added preservatives unless I use canned -- but even then I'm choosey).
What Do You Need?
  • Ice cube trays (my favorite is the white Rubbermaid from Walmart -- yes it makes a difference! I tried more of a round, deeper mold but the ice cubes wouldn't come out.)
  • Blender or Food Processor (I prefer the blender)
  • Freezer Ziplock Bags
Yes, making my own baby food is time consuming but it is SO WORTH IT. I've learned to just do one food at a time; otherwise I'll be using all of my freezer space and trays for the first food.

A Few Other Tips I've Learned
  • If I introduce canned food first, that tends to be what she prefers, then she won't eat the food I made. So resist the urge to have them "try" the canned food first.
  • How much you'll get out of the food will change as you move into more solid food. In the beginning, I watered down Rilyn's food a lot so I got more out of it. Now, I use just enough liquid to mix up the food so it doesn't go as far.


Advantages to Ice Cube Method
  • Each cube is approximately 1+ ounces, allowing you to have an idea of the amount of food your baby is consuming.
  • There is minimal waste as you use only 1 cube at a time and will not have to toss away much food; such as you toss away when using commercial foods.
  • Another advantage is that you probably have ice cube trays on hand and will not need to go out and buy them.
Freezing and Storing
  • Pureeing homemade baby food is very simple. Cook the food, let it cool a bit, toss it into a blender or food processor and puree away.
  • Once blended, put into ice cube trays.
  • Freeze (at first I thought there was freezer burn on my ice cubes, but it isn't...its just the water coming to the top and freezing).
  • Label a freezer bag and pop all your ice cubes into the bag. Its that easy!

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