How to Make Homemade Baby Food

Store bought baby food has two disadvantages – it is often expensive and some of it contains preservatives you may not want your baby to have. Some parents prefer to give their baby organic items. If this is the case, you can save money and give your baby healthier food by taking the time to make your own delicious baby food.

What you will need to make your own homemade baby food:

A steamer. It will be better to steam the baby’s vegetables rather than boil them. When vegetables are boiled, many of the nutrients are taken away. With steaming, it leaves in all the vitamins and minerals the baby needs.

A food processor. While you may be able to use a blender for some foods, you will probably find it does not puree the food enough for the baby. Plus, a blender is often more messy than a food processor.

Ice cube trays, freezer bags, and space in your freezer. To prevent from cooking and processing food each day, you will want to make up several days then freeze it. That way, you will be able to put the food in the microwave to warm it easily. Using ice cube trays allow you to make small, convenient sized portions.

Before you start, make sure you wash the fruits or vegetables carefully then remove the skin. If you dislike the skinning and peeling, you can purchase prepared foods at the grocery store, such as baby carrots. Cut the item into small pieces.

Next, if you are dealing with vegetables, you will want to steam them. After you steam them, retain the water. It can be used later if the food is too thick. If you are cooking meat or pasta, cook it as you normally would but remember to avoid oil or spices. Even salt and pepper should be avoided. If you have leftovers from your dinner, you can save them to make baby food as well.

Once you have steamed the vegetables, you are ready to process them. Most fruits do not need to be steamed before they can be processed. Put the items in the food processor and puree until it has the smoothness for which you are looking. You may want to stir it with a spoon to check for lumps.

After pureeing the food, you will need to store it. Food that you plan to use immediately or within the next day or so can be stored in the refrigerator. But, if you are making up a batch for a later date, you will need to pour it into an ice cube tray then freeze it.

After the portions freeze, you can remove them from the ice cube trays then place about four cubes in one freezer bag. You may want to keep the different types of items separate at first, but later on, you may want to combine veggies and meat or pasta in the same bag to provide a balanced meal.

Once you are ready to feed the baby, simply pop one of the cubes into the microwave to heat it. If you don’t have a microwave or don’t want to use one, you can heat it up by placing the bag in saucepan full of hot water.

With just a little time and effort, you can have flavorful, nutritious, inexpensive meals for your baby.