Homemade baby food.

I recently read this article by MSNBC, "Experts seek to debunk baby food myths" . Go read it, what a great article. A few quotes ...

I recently read this article by MSNBC, "Experts seek to debunk baby food myths". Go read it, what a great article. A few quotes from it:
~As research increasingly suggests a child's first experiences with food shape later eating habits, doctors say battling obesity and improving the American diet may mean debunking the myths and broadening babies' palates.
~"Parents have lost touch with the notion that these charts are guides, not rules," says Rachel Brandeis, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Babies start with a very clean palate and it's your job to mold it."
~In a review of the research, Nancy Butte, a pediatrics professor at Baylor College of Medicine, found that many strongly held assumptions — such as the need to offer foods in a particular order or to delay allergenic foods — have little scientific basis.
~And bring on the spices. Science is catching up with the folklore that babies in the womb and those who are breast-fed taste — and develop a taste for — whatever Mom eats. So experts say if Mom enjoys loads of oregano, baby might, too.
                             
                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Right on.

I knew from when Porter was the size of a pea in my belly, that I would make his baby food myself rather than buy jarred food. I never really looked much into it, I just knew that's what I would do. So when I felt like Porter was ready to start eating food, I started making it with my Beaba.

Now that i'm making it myself, I realize WHY it's so awesome:
~it's cheaper. all that food that I used to make 43 meals with- total cost of $14. that's 22.5 days of food. $.62 a day. Over three weeks worth of meals and it took me a couple hours (it made 86 cubes...Porter eats 1-2 cubes, twice a day).
~I can make any creation I want, and am not limited to what they make and sell in jars. 
~it's fun. it really is.
~I know exactly what is going into his little growing body.
~you know that feeling you have while breastfeeding, that you, yourself are producing your child's food? Well it feels like that in a way...i'm putting love into making his meals :)

It is SO much fun. I literally look forward to making it. Tonight I spent a couple hours, with a few interruptions, and made 5 different types of meals. Because he has already tried a handful of things, I was able to make mixtures of different fruits and vegetables as well. And I am going to start using a little bit of spices here and there too.


Right now, I buy everything organic that I use to make his food (with the exception of the Pomegranate Juice).

What I bought now:
6 Small Plums
1 Mango
1 Small Spaghetti Squash
Sugar Snap Peas
Pear Juice

What I bought the other day:
Pomegranate Juice
5 Bananas 
Baby Carrots

What I already had:
Nutmeg



Recipes:

Carrot Puree
3/4 Bag of Baby Carrots
1 Cup Water
Pinch of nutmeg

Mango Puree
1 Mango
2 Bananas
1/2 Cup Pear Juice
1/4 Cup Pomegranate Juice

Plum Puree
6 Small Plums (I left the skins on)
2 Bananas
1/2 Cup Pear Juice

Squash Puree
1 Small Spaghetti Squash
1 Bananas
1/2 Cup Water

Pea Puree
2 Cups Sugar Snap Peas (I steamed and blended the peas & pods)
1/2 Cup Pear Juice

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13 comments

  1. This is so awesome.
    I plan on making my babes food in future too (when I have one that is lol)! Oh & It really does look fun (:

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  2. I have heard that avocado is really good for babies too! And delish!

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  3. He will def try avocados...they are kinda expensive right now so we haven't bought any yet!

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  4. Hi Joan!
    I enjoy reading your blog all the way from Iceland:) I have a little girl (9months) and love making her delish food. Did you steam the mango? We tried giving her mango once....and didn't get very much sleep the night after that:) Maybe she will tolerate it if I steam it...

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  5. I didn't steam the mango, I just peeled it and blended it with banana and juice. Porter seems to do fine...why did your daughter not get sleep?

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  6. Stomach cramps I guess - it's the only food she hasn't tolerated. But we gave her only mango then, I'm gona try it with the bananas:)

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  7. New follower :) Cute little P you have! I too make my own food for our babies. It's so much better! Love your little blender there, I've seen a lot of moms using these, might have to buy one for our next baby.

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  8. Love this post! I made most of Carter's food too! I love how you compared it to breastfeeding, so true!!

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  9. My twins are now 5 and I am proud to say, even as a working mom, I made all their babyfood homemade. I saved a ton of money and knew what I was putting in their mouths. I didn't have a new style baby grinder, but a great blender and food processer. So easy and yet so healthy and CHEAP!!!

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  10. This helps me so much! My daughter is 7 months and I would love to start making her foods! Can u post more recipes or even email me some as u go? Rlpenuel@yahoo.com thanks!!

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  11. I made all of my own baby food, too, and absolutely loved it! You're freezer looks just like mine did for six months :)

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  12. Hi! So would you give your little one a fruit cube and a veggie cube at meal time? How many of those cubes do you give them in one meal time? I'm always curious about the serving suggestions. Thanks! =)

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  13. What a great post. We are going to make our baby's food when he/she is old enough. I love the recipes! Thanks for sharing.

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