Need Suggestions on Making My Own Baby Food

It was fun to read all the good advice on making your own baby food. Brought back a lot of memories of raising my now 24 year old, just-married daughter.

I’m sure the books teach you not to add salt or sugar, and to NEVER add honey, as babies aren’t able to metabolize the botulism spores that exist in honey until they are at least a year old (maybe older), and is suspected in some cases of sudden infant death syndrome. I’m an RN, by the way. Always, always put your daughter down to sleep on her back, with no toys/blankets/things that can smother in her bed, as well.

Congratulations on being such a conscientious mom! I, too, determined that I would go the all-natural route, as much as was possible at that time. I used only cloth diapers (unless traveling), breastfed for a year, during the day, and until she was 18 mos. old at night. Carried that breast pump, cooler and all the paraphernalia to work every day for a year! :-) I would have loved to have had the wonderful baby food cookbooks back then, and I remember mashing sweet potatoes and other foods with a fork. I used mainly the jars of squash and spinach, which my daughter loved! No kidding! I recently bought a mini food chopper or grinder, which would work wonderfully for making your own baby food. The KitchenAid model is called the 3 Cup Chef’s Chopper, and I’ve seen them clearanced at Target and other stores for around $20, regularly $40.

I would add that you need to use glass and ceramics, such as Corning Ware, as much as possible, with your baby and your family. Research is now proving that many plastic baby bottles leach harmful toxins into formula/breast milk when heated and that microwaving foods in plastics or covering with plastic wrap while heating leaches the plastics into the foods. In fact, it seems that anything that warms up while in plastic is dangerous, such as leaving bottled water in the car, where it gets warm. Sheryl Crow states that this is how she got breast cancer. I’ve been buying up Pyrex baking dishes, pie plates, bowls at tag sales and auctions and have a wonderful collection, each bought for $1 or less. Washing and reusing plastic bottles and some plastic containers is also dangerous, so it is better to just go back to glass and ceramics, whenever possible.

I traveled all over the US for meetings with my job at least four times a year, and within the state frequently. My company allowed me to drive and to take my mother and daughter with me, so they stayed in the hotel room while I was in meetings and then we had fun seeing the sites and finding nice restaurants when I was finished with business. That little potty chair was set up on the side of the road, with the door and Mama providing privacy, all over the United States! :-)

When she was past the baby stage, I always packed zip lock bags of Cheerios with a few miniature marshmallows, and small bottles of water, for the trips. That kept her happy in her carseat in the backseat, until we just started into whatever major city we drove through. That’s when she always tuned up and started crying for Mama! :-) I learned to drive in horrible traffic and rain with a little one screaming in the backseat, because there were no safe places to pull over, and because that didn’t satisfy her, anyway, the time or two I tried it. Sometimes, you just have to drive on for ten minutes and let them scream!!! Tears your heart out, but you both live.

Speaking of potty chairs, potty training couldn’t have been easier. When she was close to 18 months, I set up a potty chair in the bathroom; and every time I went, I put her on the potty chair with a Little Golden Book. After just a few times, she went (probably accidentally) and I clapped and cheered and called Daddy upstairs and we all clapped and cheered. She loved it, and started wetting her diaper only a little at night.

However, just after this, we had to make a trip to Denver; and she caught a bug and had the vomiting/diarrhea during that trip. So, when we got home, I gave her a little time in diapers, because I didn’t want to pressure her at all; and then she kind of naturally went back to sitting on the potty chair and retrained herself with no stress. The big thing is to not pressure the little ones, just make it fun and really make a big deal out of them being successful.

For the really hard to train kids, I’ve heard of putting little toys in a clear plastic fishbowl and keeping it up somewhere like the top of the refrigerator. Every time they are successful on the potty, they get to pick out a toy. That’s supposed to work like magic.

Anyway, congratulations to all you great mothers on this site. Great mothers rock, and they truly make the world go ‘round. Try to take care of yourselves and don’t be afraid to ask for help, once in awhile, so you can refresh, restore and then get back in the game. When your little ones are all grown up and married, you’ll look back at these precious years and see that they are the best years of your life.

hello!

it sounds like you are similar to me in your approach to things, and we have used the baby-led weaning method of introducing solids. here are some links about it:

http://www.babyledweaning.co.uk/forum/index.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_led_weaning

http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedselintroductie/vast_voeds...

basically we give lucy chunks of organic food, big enough that she can't choke on them. the theory behind the approach is that babies get to explore what real food looks, tastes, and feels like, and learn to feed themselves right from the start. they control what and how much they eat, and you get to all eat together as a family rather than you feeding them. it is working well for us so far and is so easy because you don't have to puree anything (or if you want to puree, you can just spread whatever you make on a rice cake and give it to the baby, and the baby eats it herself or himself.) it has worked great for us and we know others who have done the same and have been glad they did. i know some people who also do this part of the time and purees part of the time.

good luck!!

ps we also cloth diaper! :)

S.

I make my own baby food. It is super easy and actually cheaper than buying the canned stuff. Basically, you peel and steam all of the vegetables and fruit and then throw them in the blender or food processor with a little bit of breast milk or formula (or you can use the water that you steamed them in) after they are soft. Then, you freeze them. Some good first food starters are Sweet potatoes, apples, bananas (you don't have to cook them first), and avacado (don't have to cook either). You can buy organic and then you don't have to worry about what is going into your baby's tummy. (By the way, I steam in the microwave by adding a little bit of water and using a glass pyrex bowl with a lid).
A few words of advice that I have learned:
a) We started with veggies first because some babies don't want to do veggies after they have had the sweeter fruits.
b) if your baby gets constipated (often happens after starting solids) try giving prunes in the morning. NOTE: you need to soak the prunes in hot water for about 20 minutes until they are plump (or steam them in the microwave) and then throw them in the blender.
c) Peas and green beans are kind of hard. You have to cook them longer so that they are really soft and they really only break down properly in a blender or grinder.
d) Buy a couple of silicone mini-muffin pans to use in the freezer. They are a life-saver and work much better than ice cube trays. They are really easy to pop the food out after you have frozen it.
e) as your baby gets a little more used to the food, you can start making it thicker and adding less breast milk or formula. Check out this web site for some sample recipies and other info:
http://www.superbabyfood.com/recipes.htm
Good luck!

buy ripe, fresh fruits and vegetables and cook and puree. i cut up fruit/veg into smaller chunks and cooked in microwave with no water. then, when cooked so soft when pierced with a fork, put in cuisinart to puree. i rarely needed to add water. you'll see the first ingredient in jarred babyfood is water so your child will be getting more vitamins and the fruit/veg when you make homemade. i would buy lots of fruits/vegs at once (costco or stanley's) and then spend a few hours cooking, pureeing, freezing, cubing and then you will have a supply in the freezer for awhile. i bought babyfood trays -- essentially ice cube trays with lids. once the food is frozen, pop out and put in ziploc bag in freezer. i warmed the cubes up in the microwave on the defrost setting. once your baby can take pureed foods, you can not blend as much to make it chunkier or use a hand masher (like for mash potatoes) to make it chunkier. if you want organic, just buy organic fruits and vegs. you can also add cube of pureed fruit or veg to baby cereal to flavor it and sneak in health. i thought it was really pretty easy. if certain fruits/vegs aren't in season, buy them plain frozen (trader joe's is good). good luck!

I use a book called "Top 100 Baby Purees" by Anabelle Karmel, there are so many yummy foods in there and they tell you which to introduce first and then tell you if you can freeze the recipe or not. The combinations are so good, I just did the chicken, sweet potato and apple, I wanted to eat it.
Good Luck!

First of all, congrats on your decision to provide teh VERY best for your daughter, your milk!!!!

As for making your own food, I did it and LOVED it! I recommend the website, http://wholesomebabyfood.com It is WONDERFUL! Almost everything you need is there. I also used super baby foods later on, but it didn't tell me much more than the online searches. All you need to get going is some fruit and veggies, a food processor of some sort, a stove or oven, ice cube trays and freezer bags. It is very rewarding and worth the time. And you save money and they have SOOO much more variety! If you have any specific questions, message me and I will help you out! Congrats!!

I love the classic book The Natural Baby Food Cookbook by Margaret Elizabeth Kenda and Phyllis S Williams. I got my copy for next to nothing on Amazon.com

Strongly suggest getting the book Super Baby food. I LOVED IT!! It tells you so much, what months to try what, how to make and store food. It also gives you ideas for when your child gets older, making play dough, etc. I made my own food with twins and it really is so easy.

Good luck!

I did the same thing with my two little ones - 1.5 year old, and 3 year old. I found it easiest to steam and puree organic foods, then freeze it in ice cube trays. That way you have small portions ready to be thawed and eaten. Hope that helps!

"Super Baby Food" was wonderful. Easy recipies that start with first feeding and goes up to toddler years and beyond. Really great for setting up a healthy diet.

You need to consider buying the new cookbook that is out by Jessica Seinfeld priced around $18 called Deceptively Delicious. It is awesome! It has recipes and breaks down step by step on how to do so many things....freezing, puree, recipes, measurements, nutritional values, etc...worth looking at. Target has it-

I've been making my daughter's baby food from the start and it's so easy. I really enjoyed reading 'First Meals' by A. Karmel. Also, we get an organic food delivery every other week that has fresh fruits and vegetables, and a beef and chicken box every couple of months. It's great because you get what's in season and a nice variety. The company we use is Timbercreek Farms. Every Sunday I make a couple vegetables and a meat, then puree and freeze in ice cube trays. Good luck!

We only did about 4 containers of baby food. We are doing the same stuff as you with our daughter. We just gave her the soft, blander food that we were eating or bananas or other fruit/veggies. We didn't start until our daughter was 6.5 mths old. Don't stress, baby food isn't a necessity.

Just a quick tip.... it's very easy to make your own baby food and keep it healthy. You can purchase frozen veggies and steam them, then throw them in the food processor or blender with a little water (this takes some trial and error cuz some veggies are more water-logged than others when cooking). You could do the same with fruits (buy fresh or frozen). You can also buy canned fruits and veggies (carrots, beans, peaches, and pears work well) and puree them. After processing the food, you can divide the food up in an ice cube tray and then freeze. Once frozen, pop out and put in freezer-safe containers or bags. When you want some food, simply take out how much you want and thaw. And just a reminder that unsweetened applesauce and mushed up bananas are also really quick, easy, and nutritious options. No prep involved! Hope this helps!

"Super Baby Foods" is a great book which will walk you thru how to make your own healthy baby food. It is awesome!

Just an added tip that I wish I had known... if you do the ice cube tray method, make sure you use enough added water because if you don't, the cubes don't just "pop out" as others have said. I tried baking sweet potatoes this weekend and now I have ice cube trays full of frozen sweet potato rocks stuck in them so I will have to defrost the entire tray and scoop it out. what a disaster! It was easy, up until I tried to put them in freezer bags. Other than that, my son LOVED it and he seemed to love it even more than the jarred stuff (of which he has eaten A LOT).

Hi...I am planning on making my own baby food as well and I had read an article from an organic mom in LA. She said she just buys organic veggies and fruits, boils them until they are soft and then purees them in the food processor. This is what I was planning on doing and then I read the article so I guess that is how to do it. Then to store it she pours it into ice cube trays just for the baby and freezes them and pops a couple in the fridge the night before for the next day. I hope this helps you!! =]]

Congrats on making your own baby food! My daughter is such a good, enthusiastic eater--and I think it's cuz she never ate that jarred slime, she knows what real food tastes like. Super Baby food is excellent, I also recommend the Dr. Sears Family Nutrition Book. Good Luck!

I'm assuming that you and your husband eat healthy, too. So just take whatever you are eating at a meal and either fork-smash it or puree it. I've used the Magic Bullet when my other kids were babies and will be digging it out and using it again for my 4 month old. There's no reason to hassle with special 'baby food recipes' or procedures. Quick snacks are fork-smashed bananas and avacados, cheerios, rice krispies, kix or other quick-to-disolve cereal or peas. Meals are whatever the rest of the family eats. Breakfast can just be normal oatmeal (the nothing-added kind from the canister). My older kids were eating whatever we were eating at mealtime at around 6 months and were completely finger-feeding themselves our food by 7-8 months (anything is a "finger food", even applesauce at this age). :-) We just cut everything up into pea-size bits and let them eat. Neither one got a tooth before their 1st birthday (babies don't use their teeth to eat since very few have molars for chewing). Neither one went through the 'picky-eater' stage, either.... our pediatrician says it's because they had a larger variety of food as babies than most kids get.

I have a great book that will walk you through everything, I used it with both my girls. Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. I know it will help.

Bottom line, invest in a good food processor/blender (I'm sure other moms can recommend their favorites - while mine is okay, I'm still looking for the ideal one!). Then, if your family is already eating healthy, you can puree up whatever you are eating to serve your daughter!

Now, that said, I know in the beginning you will want to start with one new food at a time and more simple foods. After rice and other grains, apples, sweet potatoes, squash, peas, bananas (no need for a processor, just mash with a fork), and pears seem to go over well.

Making the food itself is super easy - just cook the fruits/veggies until extra soft, blend in the food processor with just enough water to get the right consistency, and there you go! I'd always make a large batch, then freeze in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop out into zip lock bags to keep handy in the freezer. Most trays equal about 1 ounce per cube.

Yes, there are a lot of "make your own babyfood" cookbooks out there, and if you have time you can find some good recipes. But the easier route is to start with single foods, then once you realize she tolerates things, you can even puree up your own "adult" dishes. Chicken/rice/veggie casseroles, spaghetti and meat sauce, whatever your favorites are (many of these can be frozen in ice cube trays as well)! Making it organic can be easy as well with all the organic items available now.

I made my own baby food with both boys, and plan to with the next as well. Feel free to contact me if you have more questions or need more specifics! Good luck!

get the super baby food book, it was excellent help!

Hi K.,

I made my own baby food for my two oldest sons and will be making it for my third baby in about a month... A friend of mine recommended a book called Super Baby Food and I loved it... It not only has great ideas for making your own food, but it also has great recipes for the older kids too... Something that worked really well for me was making things in a larger batch and then freezing what we didn't need for that feeding in an ice cube tray, then when I wanted to give my baby let's say sweet potatoes I would just pop it out of the tray and thaw it out. I think first step ahead carries baby food trays for making your own food, but the cheap ice cube trays worked for me. Another thing I found valuable was my food processor, a blender works great, but the food processor was a little better...

Good luck.