Help me learn to make my own baby food

murfygirl · August 2010

OK I want to make Silas' baby food, but all I have is a blender and I am not looking to buy more kitchen gadgets since we live in a 600sqft house! Can it be done with just a blender?

Is it cheaper or more expensive? Any good book recommendations for it?

shelbyluvschachi · August 2010

I don't know if it's cheaper or not because we make all of DD's food and I've never priced jarred baby food. Depending on what you want to make, you'll need to steam it first. But fruits like peaches, blueberries, apricots, apples, etc. you can just blend without steaming. A lot of veggies -- asparagus, peas, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc. -- will need to be steamed before you puree them. After we make a batch, we freeze them in covered ice trays then when they are frozen, put them in plastic baggies in the freezer. When it's time to eat, we take 4-5 of the cubes and defrost them. It's working out great for us. Check out www.wholesomebabyfood.com for more ideas. GL!

Hollywood214 · August 2010

https://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/

This website is great!!! GL Dominic hates homemade baby food. I don't know why? LOL

jdouglas84 · August 2010

I agree with the PP's, wholesomebabyfood.com is a great resource. I have a Ninja that I use to blend baby food, I would imagine any kind of blender would work fine.

murfygirl · August 2010

Hollywood214:
https://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/

This website is great!!! GL Dominic hates homemade baby food. I don't know why? LOL

Does he like the jarred kind? I have been doing jarred baby food for almost 2 months and Silas LOVES all food! He loves, bread, all jarred food, oatmeal the list goes on I am waiting for a food this kid doesn't like!

murfygirl · August 2010

I am very curious do you think its cheaper or more expensive?

I spend about a dollar a day on baby food I would say. I feed Silas breakfast and dinner

beckyanddon · August 2010

I love that website and I just use my magic bullet. No need to buy books or fancy stuff....use what you have it will work!

lite-bright · August 2010

I think it's cheaper, but even more, I appreciate the variety of things that I can make for my girls that I would never be able to find in packaged/jarred foods.

I have a blender and sometimes use that, but I personally think my food processor does a better job without getting gummed up. It can certainly be done with just a blender, though.

I like Annabel Karmel's books, especially Super Foods for Babies and Children. For unique/unusual baby food recipes, I like the Williams Sonoma book Cooking for Baby.

murfygirl · August 2010

lite-bright:
I think it's cheaper, but even more, I appreciate the variety of things that I can make for my girls that I would never be able to find in packaged/jarred foods.
I have a blender and sometimes use that, but I personally think my food processor does a better job without getting gummed up. It can certainly be done with just a blender, though.
I like Annabel Karmel's books, especially Super Foods for Babies and Children. For unique/unusual baby food recipes, I like the Williams Sonoma book Cooking for Baby.

I was noticing that and definitely way more variety.

lafelts80 · August 2010

I made green beans, sweet potato, and butternut squash today. So easy! I steamed them all in the microwave (my book told me how long to do them, etc) and then pureed them up. I tried to just use my blender but it didn't do well with the green beans.

Also, it was definitely cheaper. I spent 99 cents on the green beans and got about 17 oz out of them. I think that the two pack of gerber rectangle ones are about a total of 4 oz and cost 94 cents.

jwthoms1 · August 2010

Definitely cheaper! It costs about 5-10 cents per ounce to make your own. I steam or bake mine and then puree in a Magic Bullet but a blender works fine too. Then just freeze in ice cube trays and put in ziploc in the freezer. Easy peasy!

meghann0409 · August 2010

Yes cheaper, yes easy - just jump in to it, and you'll do fine! Too thin? Thicken with baby cereal. Too thick? Thin with BM/formula. Do the thinning/thickening when you are feeding, not before freezing.

Don't waste $ on containers to freeze or store in - plain ice cube trays work fine, and then plastic baggies. I also use recycled baby food jars and the take-n-go plastic tubs with lids. Works like a charm! I have run out of time before a trip and wound up making food at our destination - steam in the microwave, fork mash, microwave again. Didn't even need a blender!

It's not rocket science! )

murfygirl · August 2010

meghann0409:
Yes cheaper, yes easy - just jump in to it, and you'll do fine! Too thin? Thicken with baby cereal. Too thick? Thin with BM/formula. Do the thinning/thickening when you are feeding, not before freezing.

Don't waste $ on containers to freeze or store in - plain ice cube trays work fine, and then plastic baggies. I also use recycled baby food jars and the take-n-go plastic tubs with lids. Works like a charm! I have run out of time before a trip and wound up making food at our destination - steam in the microwave, fork mash, microwave again. Didn't even need a blender!

It's not rocket science! )

Can I freeze everything according to that website some is best if fresh and to be honest I don't have time to make fresh every day for him. I wish I did but we have a busy schedule.

meghann0409 · August 2010

murfygirl:
meghann0409:

Yes cheaper, yes easy - just jump in to it, and you'll do fine! Too thin? Thicken with baby cereal. Too thick? Thin with BM/formula. Do the thinning/thickening when you are feeding, not before freezing.

Don't waste $ on containers to freeze or store in - plain ice cube trays work fine, and then plastic baggies. I also use recycled baby food jars and the take-n-go plastic tubs with lids. Works like a charm! I have run out of time before a trip and wound up making food at our destination - steam in the microwave, fork mash, microwave again. Didn't even need a blender!

It's not rocket science! )

Can I freeze everything according to that website some is best if fresh and to be honest I don't have time to make fresh every day for him. I wish I did but we have a busy schedule.

I haven't heard of anything you can't freeze! I wouldn't freeze banana cause it turns brown and looks gross, lol, and it's easy enough to fork-mash half a banana in the morning.

I've frozen mixed berries, peaches, pears, mixed veggies (canned, boil, drain, puree), carrots, sweet potato, chicken with black beans...

What did it say you shouldn't freeze? Yes - in an ideal world we'd all serve fresh foods. But, that's not reality. )

Piranha54 · August 2010

I think it's definitely cheaper to make your own - some things more than others of course, and depends on how much organic you buy etc. I've loved the wholesomebaby food site as well, and this one is also great: www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com - DD loves the banana oatmeal bars!

I just make things while cooking dinner for DH and I - we usually eat after DD is in bed, so for her it's often frozen or for the next few days. Tonight I cooked a sweet potato and some cauliflower while making our dinner. Plus, your LO is probably getting to the point of liking finger foods and that makes it all even easier.

jkylie · August 2010

great post murf! luv ya.

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