Babies: 6 - 9 Months

Buying or making your own baby food?

I am debating between buying or making...ugh!

Pro's Buying: Organic brands available, easy!, convenient

Con's Buying: Jars' lids have BPA :( , Are the plastic pouches safe? 

Pro's Making: Control, no packaging

Con's Making: Pesticides, More work!

What do you do?  Obvously BPA and pesticides are a concern for me...I have a boy which I know are more suseptible to these things. I read that jar organic has less pesticides than fresh organic because of the rigorous cleaning they go through.  I do not know if I could accomplish the super clean veggies and fruits from my washing in the sink.  I read tha earth's best jars are no longer lined with BPA, however I called the company and they said that the BPA jars could still be on the shelf and there is no way of knowing which are which...great!

Re: Buying or making your own baby food?

  • Not a big deal :) I've been making my son's food - carrots, sweet potatoes, avacado but I work full time so there is not always the time. I used some organic babyfood brand of carrots last night so doesn't really matter.

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  • Based on your post, I think making your own might make you insane. You'll be worried about cleaning them enough, then about cooking them to the right temperature, cross-contamination of your cooking implements with foods that he may be allergic to, then about if you're storing them adequately or using them up in time. Nevermind the whole nitrate issue with homemade spinach/carrots/etc. If you buy, then all of those concerns are considered for you and all you have to do is open and serve. 

    That being said, I make my own because I like being able to control the chunkiness, as well as provide seasonal produce that may not be available pre-packaged. But like PP said, go with what's easiest for you and your family. 

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  • You can buy organic foods for the dirty dozen, wash and peel everything else.
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  • imagekalette:
    You can buy organic foods for the dirty dozen, wash and peel everything else.

    This!  I also read that no matter what food you buy there can still be trace amounts of pesticides on them. So don't go nuts over trying to find the PERFECT food.  Its just not out there, but you can do your best with what you have. 

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  • Gerber food all come in plastic containers.  We were planning on making it, but buying it is so cheap - the Gerber (non-organic) food is about $1 for two 4 ounce containers - and with working full-time and having the two of them it's just so much easier.  We have mostly used Beech Nut that we got for free from my sister (she bought WAY too many) and now I ordered a bunch of Earth's Best because my cousin works for that company so I got those cheap.  I'm not worried about the BPA on the covers at all.
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  • I'm making all of Olivia's baby food, it's cheaper and I know exactly what's in it.  I typically make a ton of it at once and freeze most of it since it keeps for a month in the freezer. It might be an hour or so of washing, peeling, chopping, boiling and pureeing but then I'm set for a while,
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  • image526SadieSadie:
    I'm making all of Olivia's baby food, it's cheaper and I know exactly what's in it.  I typically make a ton of it at once and freeze most of it since it keeps for a month in the freezer. It might be an hour or so of washing, peeling, chopping, boiling and pureeing but then I'm set for a while,

     This. 

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  • i made my own for level 1 foods...because those were easy..carrots, sweet potatoes, apples, ect....but level 2 I buy earth's choice. DS eats anything and everything I give him. I just don't have the time to make the level 2 foods myself, with meats and rice, ect. Just have to do what you think is best, and what you have time for. I originally wanted to do ALL homemade foods..but realistically I don't have the time.
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  • I went back and forth about this too...and then I went back to work a couple days a week. Sadly I just couldn't juggle everything, but I found Plum organics. The twins eat every bit of the pouches,sometimes 2 of them (I empty the pouches out into a bowl..from the pouch is extremely messy with four hands in the mix). The purple carrot, blueberry and pear cannot be beat in our house. I do also buy the beechnut 2 to 2.5's.

    I think I'm more concerned about the report about Rice today, than whether or not to make my own food. Good thing we switched to oatmeal...lol.

    I say make whatever you feel you can keep up with. :) Good Luck!

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  • imagekbruington:
    I really think you are overthinking this! Calm down!! Do whatever you have time for and what is easy for YOUR family. Your baby will be ok if you give him jars of baby food. I use Earth's Best and I'm not worried in the least. There are much larger things to worry about :)

    This... if the food wasn't safe they wouldn't sell it. I got all whipped up about food too and I was determined to make everything... well I don't really have time for all that so if we're eating something he eats, I put it thru the food mill, if not I open up a jar/pouch/tub and he eats that. I just bought an ice cube tray so I can freeze extra of things I don't make a lot (unseasoned chicken, beef, etc) so I can give him that... whether I'll really have time to follow thru its questionable. Just do what works.

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  • imageMariJ1008:
    i made my own for level 1 foods...because those were easy..carrots, sweet potatoes, apples, ect....but level 2 I buy earth's choice. DS eats anything and everything I give him. I just don't have the time to make the level 2 foods myself, with meats and rice, ect. Just have to do what you think is best, and what you have time for. I originally wanted to do ALL homemade foods..but realistically I don't have the time.

    All of this exactly. She never showed any preference for what I made her over Earth's Best anyway.

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  • we just started solids and have been making our own... we have a "baby chef" (check amazon) and it seems to work great. We go to trader joe's and get frozen peas (organic for $1.39) and buy organic sweet potatoes etc... it takes 45 minutes to an hour every week but we have time and don't mind. once we make the puree, we put it in silicone ice cube trays, freeze it and, once it's frozen, pop the cubes out into a tupperware jug and keep in the freezer... the cubes stay separated and easy to thaw... however, we do have a stash of pre made food, just in case we're on the road, or whatever (e.g. prunes in case of constipation). it's really up to you, you have to make the right choice for all of your family!

     

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  • We do both. I typically make all of the veggies that LO eats and get more of the fruits in the jars since they have so many different mixes. We get vouchers from WIC so we use those and the jars of food do come in handy if we are going out of town or will even be away from the house at a feeding time.
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  • imageSandAndsSea:
    I was going to make my own, but then realized that I don't have time for it and I'd rather spend my limited time playing with DS. nbsp;I don't see how the jar lids having BPA is a problem as you never heat them so it wouldn't leech into the food. nbsp;We've used Earth's Best jarred foods and it's been great. nbsp;It also gives us a large variety of organic foods to eat that I'm not sure I would have made DS on my own. nbsp;Also, we travel quite a bit and it's nice to not worry about having the food refrigerated and keeping it fresh. nbsp;And, it's much easier to send to DC with DS and give them a couple of extra jars to keep just in case DS is hungrier one day or in case we forget to send food with his bottles.


    The BPA from the lids could leech in transit if the food sits in a hot delivery truck.

    OP, it seems to me, based on your level of concern, that you'd be better off making your own food. The preservatives in storebought food alone is enough for me to make my own. My suggestion is to buy organic produce, wash with an organic vegetable wash and store in glass jars or containers that are BPA free.
  • i make all of our daughter's food home made. one its soooooo much cheaper for us. which seems like cost might be nothing to you lol but it is. pears at the market are 69 cents a pound wear the pouches for 4 are almost $3. i can make a whole weeks meal off of that. i use the baby bullet which is great comes with containers that we can change the date and a freezer containers if you made a lot. yea some days i don't feel like it but now i just pick one day a week make a weeks worth and it last until the next week. or you could do like my friend does and as you are making your dinner make hers too but without the extras (salt, pepper, etc.) i don't do a good wash b.c we peal everything no skin at all which i think the jars do to not sure. plus after a while you just get use to it. i personal think homemade food is better because it does goes bad. i don't understand how the jars say organic and all natural when they have no exp. date? hmmmm lol good luck
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