Commercial baby food is expensive.
So what are you actually paying for? If you asked any of the major baby food companies it would be something like "Only the best ingredients for the best nutrition."
Maybe it's just me, but it definitely does not taste like the best ingredients. According to the researchers and scientists at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), commercial baby foods are diluted with water and thickening agents. While water and thickening agents are not bad for your baby, neither are rich in vital nutrients that are essential to growth and development.
How can you save money and feed your baby more nutrient-rich food? Make it yourself!
It's fun, it's easy, and it's cheap!
What You'll Need
a blender or food processor
pot or pan
fruits and vegetables
Ice cube trays (optional)
plastic bags or containers for storage
Which Foods and When
Click here for a complete chart of when to introduce certain foods into your baby's diet.
Read Best Foods for Babies and How Do I know if My Child Has a Food Allergy for more information on foods for babies and toddlers.
How to Do It
Depending on the fruit or vegetable, you'll want to cook it before pureeing and feeding it to your baby. Here are some great resources for recipes and how to cook all fruits and vegetables.
Nurture Baby
Wholesome Baby Food
You can store leftovers in the refrigerator or in the freezer.
Another way to store leftovers is by freezing them in ice cube trays and then storing the cubes in a freezer bag. Brilliant!
Benefits of freezing:
You can thaw just the right amount for your baby's needs
Lasts for a few months in the freezer
Little or no packaging required
Here are some foods that do not require any preparation, just mash and feed!
Avocados
Bananas
Applesauce
Blueberries
Cookbooks
Source:
CSPI
Good timing for this post, thank you! Very helpful...My baby is turning 6 months this weekend and we are getting ready for this new adventure: starting her on solids! Fun fun fun!
ReplyDeleteThat's great! It will be fun to see which foods she likes and dislikes, good luck!
DeleteYou know kids simply love this kind of stuff and yes, they are not expensive at all. You can also have a look on my blog on how to teach your baby eat everything: http://compoundwisdom.com/how-to-teach-your-kids-to-eat-everything/
ReplyDeleteJust did a bit of research as I was curious. I've just started my little bean on solids and made my own for her. About 2 months worth of food cost me a little over £20 plus the time it took to cook and blend and divide into portions. I love knowing exactly what is in the food and the separate bags with little cubes of food in suits my ocd perfectly.
ReplyDeleteSo I thought id see how much 2 months of food would cost if I were to buy jars. A little over£70!! I knew I would be making a saving but wow!! There's £25 a month I can spend on cute baby clothes =D
Wow! Thanks for sharing!
Deleteyou have good collections of recipes...
ReplyDeleteA mother only can understand the importance of baby foods; therefore before choosing baby foods we must go through the nutritious value, protein, vitamin, minerals and many others. Most probably new mothers are choosing organic baby foods for their baby. We know that commercial foods are very expensive so here we can get some suitable ingredients of baby foods.
ReplyDeleteBaby Foods
nice post, i like baby foodfood.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your work and very amazing and important information about the fresh baby food which have share in this blog.
ReplyDeletefresh baby food
Awesome post with perfect guidelines .i love see baby food preparation and storage.keep sharing
ReplyDeleteNice post i have some good information for your blog.baby food preparation and storage
ReplyDelete