those that make their own baby food

bingham101

I just started tonight. How do you do it to keep a variety? Do you pick 4 or 5 foods for the week and prepare on the weekend or do a ton of just a couple foods each week and freeze a bunch? I am trying to figure out the best method. Plus how to store everything. So far I have about 20 storage cups but I think I am going to need at lease double that number.

jgallegos0316

I have been making my own food since my Lo started eating solids ad he is now a year old... I picked several veggies and steamed them. I used my baby bullet to puree it and then i froze it in ice cube trays.... I emptied the trays into freezer zip lock bags, after they were frozen, and then kept it in the freezer.  I did do three or four veggies and a few fruits all in one day, usually a weekend day, so that i wouldn't have to be doing it during the week after i would get home from work. Even when i would spend 3-4 hours on a weekend doing it, it only lasted about a week and a half...Not sure if it was bc my little man is such a eater or if i just needed to make a larger batch.... Hope this helps you out... Also steaming is safer than cooking in the microwave and make sure if could boil veggies you make sure which ones are ok to add the liquid you cooked them in, to the actual puree.... like i think you aren't suppose to add the liquid that you cook carrots in, to the carrot puree for some reason..cant remember...

TUGOsQueen

For all 3 of my kids, I did pretty much what the previous poster did. I have 12 ice cube trays or so and would freeze in those which are much easier than they little baby food containers.

For day care I would portion out frozen cubes in with pureed brown rice/flax seed in a small tupperware type container and the cubes would be defrosted by the time for lunch. 

I followed the Super Baby Food book which has tons of ideas. 

 

Wipz

3 tier electric steamer, magic bullet...and small tupperware cups from Walmart.  I usually fill all 3 tiers and I use the top compartment freezer on the fridge to store his food and just got a new upright freezer for ours.  We have green beans, peas, chicken, squash, potato, pumpkin, carrots and sweet potatoe and some banana, apple, peach and pears. 

He just started eating lumpy stuff without gagging and throwing up so we'll be adding more variety soon.

BreandMikewedding

When I started I would make just a few portions of each kind of food to make sure my son wasn't allergic. Now that I know what he likes, I make HUGE batches of it and then freeze it. If you get the baby bullet it has a silicone freezer tray. I freeze it in there and then pop it out into a zip lock bag. I'm sure you could find other silicone trays to freeze portions in. I also store portions I know I will use somewhat quickly in any plastic storage container I have handy. I try to make as much of one type of food (ie. Carrots or spinach) at one time as I can so that I can cook it all together and blend it all without having to wash the blender in between. My son eats a ton and I can make 2-3 weeks worth of food in an afternoon.

bingham101

Thanks ladies. I think each week I am just going to do a ton of one food then the next week a ton of a different to get some variety in. I noticed 5 small apples gave me about 3- 4oz servings. I am going to need a whole lot more than that!

Mama2TwoBoys

bingham101:

Thanks ladies. I think each week I am just going to do a ton of one food then the next week a ton of a different to get some variety in. I noticed 5 small apples gave me about 3- 4oz servings. I am going to need a whole lot more than that!

I did huge batches when making baby food. Sam's Club was my choice for getting large bags of food, like 5lb bag of apples, 5lb bag of frozen peas, 4lb bag of sweet potatoes. I'd peel/prep the food, put in a big stockpot with an inch or two of water, set on low and forget about it for a few hours.

I never bought any baby bullet or anything special. My blender did just fine. I did buy the Mumi & Bubi baby food trays, at first for freezing breastmilk. But also used regular ice cube trays. Fill them up, then the next day pop them all out and put into ziploc baggies to help organize your freezer.

You can help with the variety thing by making lots of different combos, too. I have blogged a TON about my adventures in homemade baby food, mostly because I was so intimidated by it and wanted other moms to know how easy it really is, and wanted to document it for when we have another baby. https://craftywimama.blogspot.com/p/baby-food.html  (I hate it when others plug their blogs, but hoping it can help you to see pictures and better detail of how I've done it!)

I meant to keep this reply short, but wanted to mention.. now that my baby is on stage 3 foods, I've found that I don't even need my blender anymore. This past weekend I roasted a butternut squash in the oven for 2 hours until it was super soft, then scooped out the "meat" into a big bowl. A couple minutes of mixing it thoroughly with a spoon was all that it needed, and it has a great advanced eater texture. Yay for less dishes

Rhonda6754

I have bought organic produce and steamed the majority of the produce and then use an immersion blender instead of having to buy anything new.  I did buy some cheap BPA free ice cube trays at walmart and have then used ziploc bags in the freezer.  There's a really great website that will help you with the best foods to introduce at different times as well as how to cook different fruits and veggies and combo recipes:  https://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/babyfirstfoods.htm

 I usually make as much as I can on the weekends but end up making different fruits / veggies during the week as well.  I have twin 9 month old girls who love to eat so it seems like we are always making something.  I feel much better about making their food at home and they like it much more than the jars.