The blog title is really all there is to making your own baby food for your little one!
I swore to myself I wouldnt' be "that mom." I'm not anal about Vaught's outfits matching (I have no idea how to dress a baby, but I'm getting better). I didn't try to keep him away from everything that breathes during cold and flu season. Did he get sick? Yeah, a little. Did he survive. Yep. I don't Lysol my house every day (more like once a week, at best). AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON PINTEREST BIRTHDAY PARTIES. So, why do I spend an hour every week making and storing Vaught's solids? Because I'm determined to ensure the healthiest options for him as a baby and beyond.
Eric and I have talked about this since before Vaught was born: it's important to us that Vaught eat healthily from the very beginning. We love eating wholesome, healthy food in our home (Eric just eats a lot more than I do), and we both want our son to see us eating this way so that he'll be more adept at following suit when he's older.
Eric and I were both raised on carbs, sugar, and high fructose corn syrup, but we can't blame our parents at all. The parents of our generation weren't obsessed with their kids' diets and the pantry like parents are today. I don't think we really knew that much about what all went into snack foods and drinks at that time like we do now. We want to be sure that Vaught's getting the nutrients that he needs and what better way to do that than prepare his food myself from locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables?
There's really not a science behind making your own food for baby. Mash things up or puree them in a blender with a little water, and you're good to go! All I did before starting was a Web search on
how to properly store certain foods, like avocado, to ensure that they stay fresh and edible for baby.
I spend about $10 every couple of weeks on fruits/vegetables for his food; I haven't bought a container of baby food in nearly two months!
Blueberries
Pour 1/4 cup of berries into a bowl and add a tablespoon of water. Microwave one minute then crush and stir with a fork OR: this actually works much better when put through the blender, as it crushes up the skin better. I don't always like pulling the blender out though, so I do this with just a fork sometimes. I also like adding a bit of rice cereal to thicken.
Banana
Chop up 1/2 banana into a bowl and add water for desired consistency. Mash and stir with a fork. We freeze our banana mixture then set in the refrigerator to thaw. It can be warmed up pretty quickly in the microwave. Banana is the only thing we've tried that needs to be frozen if he doesn't eat it right away.
Sweet Potato
Microwave or bake a sweet potato and spoon 1/2 into a bowl. Add water and mash to desired consistency.
Eric and I have talked about this since before Vaught was born: it's important to us that Vaught eat healthily from the very beginning. We love eating wholesome, healthy food in our home (Eric just eats a lot more than I do), and we both want our son to see us eating this way so that he'll be more adept at following suit when he's older.
Eric and I were both raised on carbs, sugar, and high fructose corn syrup, but we can't blame our parents at all. The parents of our generation weren't obsessed with their kids' diets and the pantry like parents are today. I don't think we really knew that much about what all went into snack foods and drinks at that time like we do now. We want to be sure that Vaught's getting the nutrients that he needs and what better way to do that than prepare his food myself from locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables?
There's really not a science behind making your own food for baby. Mash things up or puree them in a blender with a little water, and you're good to go! All I did before starting was a Web search on
how to properly store certain foods, like avocado, to ensure that they stay fresh and edible for baby.
I spend about $10 every couple of weeks on fruits/vegetables for his food; I haven't bought a container of baby food in nearly two months!
Blueberries
Pour 1/4 cup of berries into a bowl and add a tablespoon of water. Microwave one minute then crush and stir with a fork OR: this actually works much better when put through the blender, as it crushes up the skin better. I don't always like pulling the blender out though, so I do this with just a fork sometimes. I also like adding a bit of rice cereal to thicken.
Banana
Chop up 1/2 banana into a bowl and add water for desired consistency. Mash and stir with a fork. We freeze our banana mixture then set in the refrigerator to thaw. It can be warmed up pretty quickly in the microwave. Banana is the only thing we've tried that needs to be frozen if he doesn't eat it right away.
Sweet Potato
Microwave or bake a sweet potato and spoon 1/2 into a bowl. Add water and mash to desired consistency.
Avocado (Vaught's Favorite!)
Cut in half and spoon one half into a bowl. Add water and mash to desired consistency. To keep it from browning, squirt some lemon juice on top of what's left before refrigerating. Try to eat avocados within a couple of days, as they ripen quickly!
All of these, aside from the banana, can be kept in the refrigerator for several days, but you will need to eat the avocado quickly. Freeze bananas then set out to thaw in the fridge. Banana can also be warmed up in the microwave pretty quickly. We're going to try some new things like papaya, squash, and pears this week!
Vaught seems to like trying new flavors, and the only thing we've discovered that he dislikes is plain mashed potato. We are trying to stay away from sugar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, and cow's milk until he's about a year old. Does this mean I'm going to wig out when one of his sneaky grandparents gives him a taste of chocolate, kool-aid, fruit juice, or ice cream? No! That's what grandparents are supposed to do! We were dining out at our favorite steakhouse a few weeks ago when I looked down the table to see my Dad giving Vaught a sip of Coke!
We're just taking the steps to keep Vaught healthy and happy. I swear I'm not "one of those moms." I'm not at all concerned about Vaught growing too fast or being "fat." He's a little boy, and he's our little boy; of course he's going to be a chunk! Our main goal is to feed him wholesome fruits and vegetables and get that little tummy ready for healthy food he can enjoy with his mom and dad!
I fully believe in always making your baby's food instead of buying it pre-made. So much better for their little bodies.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any children but I've already decided I'd like to make my own baby food when I do. Looks amazing and is healthy!
ReplyDeleteYup totally agree!!!! I am not a helicopter mom what so ever. Elliott licks the floor - no prob. He licks the dog - yup couldn't care less, he and our cats share an ice cream cone - go for it babes!!! Lolololol
ReplyDeleteBut making his food be real is important to me! I grew up on hotdogs and KD and turned out fine but if I can do (which hasn't been too hard, make some, freeze some, it's been going really well! )
Haha! Sounds like me. Vaught gets open-mouth kisses from our dog, and I don't mind a bit! As long as he's eating well!
DeleteI've been doing it! Thanks for the new ideas, I will be trying some of your homemades for sure :))
ReplyDeleteI love avocados
ReplyDeleteI am a huge believer in making baby's food! However, if you are like my family (living in an area where if the power goes, you're on your own) then it is good to have a backup when should your food run out in an emergency. However, I was still picky. I found Beechnut food to be AMAZING! The ingredients match what the food is on the front of the jar. You buy Avocado, Pear, and Banana... Ingredients are avocado, pear, and banana.
ReplyDeleteThat's so good to know! I use Beechnut rice cereal. Isn't it organic as well? We've just discovered Happy Baby organic baby food in the past few days, just after I finished writing this post. I love the squeezable pouches and they're easy to throw in the diaper bag on the go!
DeleteI pretty much always made my own baby food, although for us it was mostly due to costs, baby food is so ridiculously expensive! I would only buy a few for when I needed to take one with me on the go somewhere, but otherwise making your own is really so easy and so much more cost effective, I don't know why more people don't do it.
ReplyDeleteMaking your own baby's food is such a good idea! You have complete control over what they eat that way. So smart! No additives or anything bad!
ReplyDeleteExactly!
DeleteI don't have children yet but I want to make their food if I ever do! I'm pinning this in hopes for kiddos down the road lol
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! You'll enjoy making it yourself; it makes me feel good to know I'm doing something good for our little guy!
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