Back to Reality / Baby Food

So you may have noticed that I haven't posted much in the past month. You'll have to excuse my internet absence. I participate in something called NaNoWriMo where people from all around the world attempt (and at times succeed) to pen or type a 50,000 word novel (or the beginnings of one in my case) in 30 days. This happens yearly during the month of November so I have been spouting words for that particular project and haven't done much maintenance on my blogs at all. I apologize once again! Now that I am back to reality how ever I have been asked by a couple of family members who've had children exactly how hard is it to make your own baby food. Is it cheaper? So I've decided to break it down here for anyone who might be interested.

1. Is making your own baby food cheaper?
 My local grocery store sells Gerber applesauce (a 2 pack, each containing about 2.5oz) for $1.15. For $0.79 I can get a full pound of apples which, depending on size, can be 4-6 apples. making my own baby applesauce with four apples will yield me about 28 servings of 1oz cubes. So $1.15 for 5oz of food or $0.79 for five times the amount. A bit of time and you can save a lot of money.

2. It must take a long time to prepare, right?
Wrong! It can take as little as ten minutes to make, dish and freeze your own baby food. How? The microwave is a wonderful thing and since most veggies do well being steamed in the microwave it can cut down on time. Personally I steam or boil my fruits and veggies right on the stove top. It takes 10-15 minutes depending on the item and then I just pop the pieces into my food processor until pureed which is usually a minute or so. Spoon into container of your choice and place in freezer. Most things will last about 3 months in the freezer. My son eats the food far faster than that!

3. Does it take special equipment?
Popular to what the baby equipment makers want you to think, you do not need special equipment. All you need is a sauce pot, water, lid and something to freeze small portions in. That's the most basic level. I use a steamer basket, which is something everyone in my family owns, and Tupperware ice cube trays. Ice cube trays are handy because they let you freeze your food in 1oz portions (approximately). This helps to track what your baby eats and when s/he gets older you can mix veggies together to liven things up. Ice cube trays with tight fitting lids are one better since you can stack them on top of each other without any fear of them spilling, sitting in another veggie or fruit, etc. It all depends what you want to do. You do NOT need something like the picture at right. That little thing is sold for $134.00 on Amazon.com and you can only make a few portions with it. A blender or food processor will be cheaper at Wal-Mart. It won't cook the food as well like the little gadget above does but it'll be much cheaper.

4. How portable is homemade food?
Just as portable as anything store bought. I use the small 4oz Rubbermaid containers to package up portions when I head out. I know of one mom who found a dozen or so glass baby food jars on her local Freecycle site.  

5. But I don't know where to begin.
My top three picks for books to get anyone started in order!

Now all of these have the same basic information. How to prepare, cook and mix veggies and fruit for your baby and toddler. The baby and toddler has additional info which can be helpful but it is the largest of the three and most expensive.It does have handy charts in it though that show when to introduce new foods. *ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR FIRST* This is is not written by a doctor and only your child's doctor will know what they need and when. The charts are a general guideline, nothing more.

The second book is the meeting in the middle. It's a little more expensive than the  last option but more extensive as well. It lacks the in depth charts of the first but since you should be listening to your child's own physician, it shouldn't be a big deal. Plus there's always the web!

The third option on the bottom left is the basic how-to of the three. If you are the type of person that just needs a couple of quick lessons and basic recipes before you start creating your own, this is for you. The neat little thing about this book is that it tells you right on the recipe page if the item is good to freeze and if it is how long it will last in the freezer.

Added Benefits:
1. Your food tastes a lot better. ever try some of the stuff in the jar? I did....icky.
2. You know exactly what is going into your baby. Make it organic, vegetarian, vegan or kosher. You make it so the only things going in are what you put in!
3. Some babies can have bad reactions to preservatives in store-bought food. My son was. He got a nasty diaper rash from Gerber Applesauce. Go figure.


So now that I think I've covered all the bases, go out and try it! It's not hard, doesn't require special skills and tastes great to the point you don't mind finishing off junior's leftovers!