Homemade Baby Food

I've been slowly working on this post for a few months, and I feel like I have enough info to share now that I have been making Raegan's food for 4 months. I am making baby food for several reasons: to save money, control the ingredients, and I think it's fun. As with my feelings on cloth diapers, I'm not judging people for buying food. I have the time to make it, and I enjoy doing it. It has been well worth the small amount of effort!

I have gotten the majority of my information from wholesomebabyfood.com and I still frequently visit the site. Whether you're making baby food or buying it in jars, I recommend doing some research on food safety. Wholesome Baby Food explains when it is safe to introduce each fruit, veggie, meat, etc. Some of these timelines may seem arbitrary, but it is for the baby's well-being. Their young digestive systems are not ready to handle certain foods at first. There is also great information about the benefits of each food, tips on how to pick out good produce (which I desperately needed), preparation tips, and a breakdown of the cost of making v. buying, if you are curious.

I mentioned a while ago that I got the Beaba Baby Cook for Christmas to make Raegan's food. It has been very easy to use and clean. It's a pricey appliance, which is why I was very happy to get it as a gift. You can achieve the same results with a separate steamer and food processor or blender; I just liked the fact that the Beaba is small and does both jobs in one appliance. You can also steam with a steamer insert (pictured at left) or a metal colander over a pan of boiling water. If you already have the appliances, you really don't have to spend much money on prep items. You can also continue to use a steamer and food processor in your family cooking long after the baby has moved past purees. You will need a few other items to make your own food: a sharp paring knife, peeler, cutting board, and containers for freezing.

I start with fresh produce, organic as often as possible. If you cannot afford to buy everything organic, try to buy the organic version of "The Dirty Dozen." These are fruits and veggies with the highest levels of pesticide, and buying organic means pesticides were not used on them. Some popular baby foods on the list include apples, pears, carrots, strawberries, and grapes. Frozen fruits and veggies are also fine. Look for foods that will save you a little prep time, such as peeled baby carrots instead of full-size carrots that you will need to cut up or organic no-sugar-added applesauce instead of starting from scratch. From what I've read, good first foods include avacados, bananas, pears, squash, green beans, and sweet potatoes. I was excited to find butternut squash already peeled and cubed at Trader Joe's because I've never bought squash before. Make sure to wash fresh produce well under warm water. If it is something that needs to be peeled, I use the peeler pictured here.

Cut the food into cubes and steam it or bake it. You can also boil it, but you will lose more of the nutrients that way. (Side note - If you are steaming, move the steamer out from under cabinets to avoid fading them over time; the same rule applies to coffee makers). Save the water that collects from steaming. You might need to add some water to thin out the puree, and you can add back some of the nutrients with the original water. Then puree it in a food processor to your desired consistency. Once you feel sure your baby does not have allergies to single ingredient foods, you can begin combining ingredients. At some point you can also begin adding spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, but do some reading first. Salt and sugar do not need to be added. Look at baby food in stores for inspiration on combinations.

steaming

draining the water

Who wouldn't want to eat that?!

Let the puree cool and then divide it into your chosen containers for freezing. I use the Fresh Baby trays and Stay Fresh containers. Some people use regular ice cube trays with seran wrap over it. I tried this and didn't like it because the wrap didn't cling to the trays and the food didn't seem protected. Plus, I like the idea of an easily removable lid or a single-serving container so I'm not twisting the tray and trying to carefully pop out a food cube without spilling the others. (I feel like I should be on one of those infomercials sighing and blowing my bangs out of my face. Oh, the hardships of life). After I tried the regular ice cube trays, I read an idea to let them freeze in the trays to form cubes and then empty the cubes into a freezer bag. I also recently saw ice trays by OXO with a lid that slides so you can pop out a few cubes while keeping the rest covered to prevent spills. Storage is personal preference, so find what works for you.

These containers are very handy. They stack and snap on top of each other like Legos. They also snap into the bottom of the tray to stay upright. It's very easy to remove one or two to thaw for a meal or toss it in the diaper bag.

I take a frozen portion out of the freezer during Raegan's nap because I know she'll be hungry when she wakes up. That gives it time to thaw and usually reach room temperature without having to microwave it. I often put the frozen container in a bowl of warm water to speed the process. See, mom, I do plan ahead :)

A Few More Helpful Tips:

• Before I make a batch of a new food, I buy one container at the store to see if she likes it. That way, I don't make a big batch of something, only to find out she hates it.
• Combination foods are a great way to mask something nutritious the baby may not like. Raegan doesn't like bananas, which seems odd. I offered them alone and mixed in her oatmeal, but she wouldn't eat it. I recently made a blend of banana, pear, and apple, and she loves it!
• Experiment with texture. The first few times I served avocado, I just mashed it with a fork and it was a little lumpy. She did not care for that. Next time, I pureed them and she has been happily eating them ever since.
• We have a dry erase calendar in our kitchen, and I used it to record foods as I introduced them. She has not shown any allergic reactions, but if she had, I think it would have been easier to figure out what caused it.
• Introduce new foods in the morning. If it causes a reaction, you will likely be able to get to the doctor if you need to, rather than serving a new food at dinner and discovering a reaction late at night.

Some of Raegan's favorites:

avocado

sweet potatoes

peas

banana/pear/apple blend

peaches (plain and in oatmeal)

applesauce (plain and in oatmeal)