Make Your Own Baby Food and Save

Is your little one starting on real (I use that term loosely) foods in addition to breast milk or a bottle? If you have been to the grocery store lately you are well aware of the sticker shock that awaits on those tiny little jars of baby mush. There is a better way, it is easy, cheap, fresh, and you will know what's in your child's food. As a mother of twins I am always looking for ways to save a little money here and there while still giving my children the best I can, this is the best of both worlds.

If you have a blender, food processor or even a "Magic Bullet" type processor you can make your own baby food (on a personal note I loved the "Magic Bullet" for making baby food, it was so easy). Some items you can even boil down and mush with a fork. It is important however to note that you should follow your pediatricians directions as to what your child can or can not eat. And you need to introduce foods slowly to check for allergies. Check with your pediatrician if you have any questions.

The easiest one to make of course is the banana. All you need to do is peel it then run it through a food processor/blender and voila, you have your own homemade all natural baby food. It takes about 1 minute including peeling time; it does not get faster or easier than that. You can also mush vegetables such as green beans, peas, & carrots (boiled first to soften). As well as fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, peaches etc.. Remove all seeds & skin from any fruit before pureeing to prevent choking. Fresh fruit does contain higher acidity levels and if you give them too much it can result in diaper rash, so start slow and experiment with different combinations etc....

If it is not blending well you can add a small amount of water, formula, juice, or breast milk to reach the consistency you are looking for. Some can also be frozen and thawed later if you want to make a bigger batch, just pour the rest in a clean ice-cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, pop them out of the tray and put them in a labeled, dated freezer bag.

When you child/children have moved on to the "meat" section of their diet you can also process it in the same way, just add some type of liquid to thin the texture. You can mix chicken or turkey and potatoes (all items need to be cooked prior to pureeing). Corn and ham, pasta, the possibilities are endless, and inexpensive. I have even added some of their rice cereal to it with great results, however I would not freeze anything with the pre-packaged cereal in it.

The only way to be sure your child is getting the freshest fruits and veggies is to make it yourself, but you don't need to slave away all day to do it. This way you can feel good about what they are eating and save some money at the same time. Have you ever smelled the baby food? Would you eat it? Yuck! It smells and tastes better when it is fresh. So experiment in the kitchen a little, and introduce your baby to new tastes and foods.