Do you make your own baby food?

AnnP84 · January 2014

I've been making my own and buying baby food from the store. Just wondering what you do and why. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it to make my own when the food at the store is perfectly fine. Thoughts?

CNJ4EVA · January 2014

It's only slightly cheaper to make my own, based on cost of products. If you factor in the time spent, it cancels out the savings. I enjoy doing it though, so there's that.

bumpuser3155624 · January 2014

I make LO's. Party to save money but I also like knowing exactly what she is eating.

Schell2013 · January 2014

I buy the organic fruit purée's for her oatmeal cereal and its nice to have when I go to someone's house cause I don't have to worry about keeping it cold. But I make all my own veggies and meats.

kmcd23 · January 2014

I do both. Store bought for convenience and homemade for control and savings.

ZeeSunflowery1 · January 2014

After it taking 3 hours to make apple puree (~2.5cups), I've been sticking with Ella's kitchen and Gerber Organics. If I had the time to make her food, I do it. But, I don't.

Lolalipsy · January 2014

I do both. I buy the toddler meals though so she has to chew them.

kmcd23 · January 2014

ZeeSunflowery1 said:
After it taking 3 hours to make apple puree (~2.5cups), I've been sticking with Ella's kitchen and Gerber Organics. If I had the time to make her food, I do it. But, I don't.

What took so long? I peel, chop, boil for 10 minutes, drain, and toss the in the blender. Start to finish is 25 minutes tops.

motang · January 2014

I make it. I have found it to be cheaper, I enjoy doing it, and I like knowing what's in there.

jayro10 · January 2014

I make it. I enjoy doing it.
I did just buy a pouch of prunes because she has been a little stopped up, and there was a sale on the Plum Organics pouches (buy 3, get 1 free) so I bought some interesting combos to see if she likes them.

ZeeSunflowery1 · January 2014

@kmcd23 My mom thought she was doing me a solid and got me a beaba, which has a smaller capacity than a pot and blender (both things we have). I don't know why I hadn't thought about your method... Sleep deprivation, maybe?

(side note: Do you steam or boil? I thought boiling takes out nutrients in the fruits and veggies)

KLJ3 · January 2014

I barely make food for myself.

Besides, there's something magical about standing in front of an entire wall of fun little baby food containers, coupons in hand.

emmy236 · January 2014

I do both. For the first 2 months I made all of my own. Now he does do a lot of BLW food and I try to have him eat what we're eating but I'll be the first to admit I was wrong when I thought I could always make my own. I'm pretty sure I owe an apology to someone here when I said id never use the pouches. My mom bought them for R and he liked them. It's easy for when we go out. I am still a little weirded out by the puréed meat in a jar or pouch. I'm not sure why. He looooves his puffs and Cheerios too

TrulyBlessed22 · January 2014

I make my own, it is time consuming and to be honest I really don't like cooking but it's funny because I enjoy making her food. I guess I just like knowing that she's getting the food and nothing else.

I know someone who works at a warehouse and he told me not to by baby food, even before I was pregnant, when I asked why he explained to me that it sits in their warehouse forever before a store requisitions it and then who knows how long it sits there before we but it. Basically they just dust all the jars off. It makes me wonder how it can last so long with no problem. Anyway, I figure she has the rest of her life to eat processed foods so for now I'll make it.

I should add that I wasn't able to Breastfeed (long story) so I guess I made myself feel guilty about that too and this is a small way to make me feel better lol.

BC&LM · January 2014

We make LO's food. I just like the idea of him having everything fresh and without preservatives, and there are some things we can make him that I have never seen in store-bought baby food (although not much with the variety of organic pouches they have available now!) We also have more freedom with making different combinations that aren't available in the stores. I also like knowing exactly what is going into his food. Some things are cheaper to make, like bananas, while others are not, like organic blueberries. I also feel like homemade baby food often ends up being a bit more flavorful. Finally, breastfeeding didn't work out for us, so I feel like this is something healthy that I can do for him since I wasn't able to breastfeed.

We have a NUK Freshfoods baby food maker that both steams and purees. For things like avocado and bananas, though, we just use this mashing bowl that we have.

amcongdon · January 2014

Call me psychotic but I grew all his veggies and some of his fruits. Basically anything I could. My step mom canned applesauce for me due to time. I dug the sweet potatoes and potatoes our family has eaten for the last 6 months. I sourced most of our meat too because we can. I've bought puffs for some variety for him but otherwise I made everything. Now he basically eats what we do for dinner and I pack his lunches for daycare. I make about a weeks worth of food each Sunday and set them up in containers so it's grab and go. Usually only takes an hour or so each week.

pnutg · January 2014

I do both. Make some and buy pouches for when I'm tired, we're traveling, etc.

john5111 · January 2014

I made a ton and froze it this summer, alot from our garden and some stuff from the local farmers market. We are just getting to the end of our supply which is good bc he will be 9 months on Friday and now wants to eat what we are eating. Hes not much for mush anymore haha:) I have recently bought those little apple sauce pouches for when we go places and they are awesome!

AnnP84 · January 2014

Do you ladies always buy fresh veggies when making your own? Do you ever buy frozen veggies and purée those?

emmy236 · January 2014

Depends on what I want. For sweet potatoes, green beans and carrots I buy fresh. Broccoli I do the frozen florets because it's easier than cutting it up. I really like getting berries frozen right now and throwing them in with a lot of things. Bananas, apples and pears all fresh. Peaches/mangoes frozen because they aren't in season

CNJ4EVA · January 2014

AnnP84 said:
Do you ladies always buy fresh veggies when making your own? Do you ever buy frozen veggies and purée those?

I buy fresh butternut squash (although I cheat and buy the pre-peeled and cubed) and carrots. As far as fruit, sometimes I buy fresh and sometimes I buy frozen to save myself prep time.

kmcd23 · January 2014

ZeeSunflowery1 said:
@kmcd23 My mom thought she was doing me a solid and got me a beaba, which has a smaller capacity than a pot and blender (both things we have). I don't know why I hadn't thought about your method... Sleep deprivation, maybe?

(side note: Do you steam or boil? I thought boiling takes out nutrients in the fruits and veggies)

I steam veggies, but I boil apples, just because that's how I've always done it. I'll probably try steaming next time now that you mentioned it.

That's funny about the beaba!

TrulyBlessed22 · January 2014

kmcd23 said:

ZeeSunflowery1 said:
@kmcd23 My mom thought she was doing me a solid and got me a beaba, which has a smaller capacity than a pot and blender (both things we have). I don't know why I hadn't thought about your method... Sleep deprivation, maybe?

(side note: Do you steam or boil? I thought boiling takes out nutrients in the fruits and veggies)
I steam veggies, but I boil apples, just because that's how I've always done it. I'll probably try steaming next time now that you mentioned it.

That's funny about the beaba!

I use the crock pot for apples and pears and bake the squash etc. For veggies I steam them.

Shoegal36 · January 2014

I make everything except for meat.

I have a hand blender, and don't find it time consuming at all. It's also making H and myself eat more fruits and veggies which is a good thing too.

I use a combination of fresh, frozen (peas) and even did a few canned (peaches, pears). When I make them fresh I steam everything.

My reasons for doing it, is that it works out to be cheaper for us, I do enjoy doing it, and also the fact that I've tasted the jarred food and it tastes nothing like the actual fruit/vegetable. I had a spoonful of carrots and it tasted like tomato soup to me.

BC&LM · January 2014

AnnP84 said:
Do you ladies always buy fresh veggies when making your own? Do you ever buy frozen veggies and purée those?

We only buy frozen when we can't find fresh. The only frozen we have done so far is peas.

motang · January 2014

AnnP84 said:
Do you ladies always buy fresh veggies when making your own? Do you ever buy frozen veggies and purée those?

I do fresh and frozen, depending on what it is. I always do frozen peas and usually green beans too. Things like bananas, apples, pears, sweet potatoes, squash, etc I use fresh. For me, it depends on availability.

watuzzigal · January 2014

I make mine in a Bullet or by mashing. Both let me leave chunks. I usually put pieces of whatever I make out for her, and she gnaws on that first. I steam everything.

I use mostly fresh, but I've bought frozen organic mango and blueberry because they were on sale.

I store in jars or put it in reusable pouches.

I do it because I like to. I think that's why my answer sounds so robotic. I thought by writing it out I would figure out why I like it. I guess that I just do. :P

MAdams728 · January 2014

I make all of her fruits and veggies. I have the time, and I am super obsessive about food, period, so it works for me. We are just now starting chunks for her to pick up, but she's mostly still eating purees. I steam everything, and pretty much everything is fresh except for frozen peas.

I bought some of the Earth's Best pouches for on the go days, which are few, and she hates them. She will only eat one kind, Apple Cranberry Pumpkin. The rest she gags on.