Homemade baby food and/or starting table food

My boys are now starting the Stage 2 foods and beginning to eat larger quantities. As I was walking out of the grocery store last night after spending $45 dollars on baby food, I wondered "could I make my baby food" and "when can they start eating grownup people food"?

So, I'm wondering if any of you make your own baby food and at what age did you start? Do you have any good tips/recipes for making the food and how do you store it? Is it ok to just mash up a regular banana or buy a jar of natural applesauce and feed it to them?

Thanks for your help!

 

A friend made all her baby food. She just pureed it with a splash of water & her kids loved it. So I have tried green beans & sweet potatoes pureed while we were eating them for dinner. It is all that baby food is made up of anyway. Just try things that theyre used to. I have read where as long as you buy the veggies with no salt added & applesauce with no sugar added its the same as jarred baby food. But I forget were I read it. Maybe babycenter.com??

 

I am making most of mine. I use the baby food prunes and pears right now, and I have a backup stash of other stuff for convenience when we go out. Otherwise it's all regular stuff that I cook and/or mush up.

applesauce: just buy a plain organic/natural adult applesauce. look at the ingredients - if it only contains apples, water and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), then it's exactly the same as baby apples and way less expensive. I have also bought one that's apples and apricots - yummy.

Bananas - just mash up a ripe one. I cut them in 1 inch pieces and freeze. Then I pull out 1 chunk at a time, microwave for 30 secs to thaw, and then mash. That way I'm not wasting a whole banana when they only eat a tiny bit.

Avocado - just mash up a ripe one.

I have a bag of frozen organic peaches in my freezer that we're going to try this week - I plan to just cook them until very soft, and then puree.

Other veggies - squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, beans - just cook the veggie (fresh or frozen) and mash or puree it. I make lots at once and freeze in cubes - then taking a cube out of the freezer is just as easy as opening a jar. but you can just do a little at a time and put in the fridge for a few days.

Tofu - buy a soft one, and must mash it up, or press through a sieve for finer consistency

With any of it - you can thin with a little breast milk (or formula) or water if it's too thick.

We're starting to do combinations - it's as simple as mixing together a few of the things above - a few I've tried so far:
- any of the above mixed in their cereal - applesauce and oatmeal is a favorite lately
- avocado, banana and pears all mashed up together. I think this combo tastes really yummy.
- prunes and pears
- sweet potatoes and squash - they love this!
- peas and carrots

Check out www.wholesomebabyfood.com - it's a great resource. You don't really need recipes - just ideas, and what sounds good to you. So much less expensive, and it really tastes a lot better.

 

Try looking at Wholesome baby food website. It has lots of great info and recipes too. GL!

 

QUOTE(Leighann @ Apr 8 2008, 08:18 PM) [snapback]712511[/snapback]
Try looking at Wholesome baby food website. It has lots of great info and recipes too. GL!
Great site! I made almost all of my own baby food, and loved it!

 

i like that website. lots of great info.
but a question i still dont get...
if i buy a bag of frozen fruit i dont need to 'cook it" do i? just toss in the blender, puree it ice cube tray it

but for bag of frozen vegi i have to cook it then blender then cube it right?

thanks

 

I love that website. I have done pretty much all homemade since 5.5 months, it was just getting too expensive. The only thing I buy is prunes, and I have a few backup jars just in case. It is so easy and once it's made you just pop the cubes in the microwave, takes no time at all.


And yes, frozen fruits and veggies should be cooked before pureeing, and be careful b/c alot of veggies have salt added to them so be sure to check the labels.

Here's a link to how I make it:
http://bbrsbaby.blogspot.com/2008/04/baby-food.html

 

Bananas and avocados are among the few fruits that don't have to be cooked, that's why they are so great as quick foods. But other fruits and veggies do need to be cooked, even if frozen.

wholesomebabyfood.com tells you which things need to be cooked and which don't.

 

I have made most of my own food aside from the meats, prunes and some random jars for when we go out.

Mine love butternut squash and sweet potatoes. They are so easy to make too!

Once a month I spend about 3 hours making enough food for the month. It really is quite relaxing.

Give it a try!