Baby Food Recalled After Glass Found In Jar. That’s certainly not what any parent wants to hear when they have been serving their child store-bought baby food, but unfortunately, that is exactly what happened with Beech-Nut baby food back in April 2015. And sadly, that isn’t the first or last time that an incident like that will happen, but all of us DIY baby food parents don’t have to worry about that! We know exactly what goes into our baby’s food and it makes the extra bit of effort of making it 100% worth it. I know we are all busy and it seems like a hassle to make baby food, but if you can set a couple of hours out of one day a month you will be set. Here’s a quick guide to homemade baby food.

Quick Guide To Homemade Baby Food. Great step by step guide to making baby food. Pureeing and storing baby is actually very simple and easy!

Benefits:

Healthier!

Who knows what is in the store-bought foods? We all know fresh is better and it tastes better too. Yes, I have tasted both. If I wouldn’t eat it, I am not giving it to my precious baby.  My little girl is almost a year and a half old and she has been mildly sick once.  Fresh fruits, veggies, and meat help to boost children’s immune system.  This will set them up for a longer, healthier, life. The jarred food has preservatives in it that are potentially harmful to developing babies. Here is an amazing article by The Alpha Parent discussing the truth about store-bought baby food.

Saves money!

For example, one small bag of carrots will cost you $1 and will make roughly 12 one oz. servings, compared to the store-bought baby food that is about $1.5 for a 3-ounce serving.  It’s crazy how much they charge.

Less chance of LO being a picky eater

Jarred baby food tastes horrible and bland.  Is it surprising when kids grow up and only like bland foods? Chicken nuggets and french fries are almost tasteless and have almost no nutritional value, much like the baby food they are used to. I made my LO’s baby food and now she eats anything I put in front of her.  The extra work of making her food has definitely paid off.

Makes you feel like you are doing the best you can for you LO!

I know personally it is a big confidence boost to give your baby homemade baby food. It is easy for good parents to get down on themselves so it’s nice having obvious positives to bring you back up.  I feel guilty a lot because I am a single mother doing it all by myself and it’s hard to juggle everything.  But it’s nice having a list of the good things I have done for her.

How To:

•Mash a banana or other mushy fruit or vegetable and serve.

•Pick a fruit of vegetable (apples, carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and peas are good to start with)

•Steam them for 20 mins. I use this steamer from Amazon and put it in a large saucepan with some water.

•Let it cool.

•Put into a food processor to desired thickness. I use a NutriBullet and it works very nicely.

•Spoon into ice-cube trays with lids.  These are great.

•Freeze.

•Put cubes into Ziplock bags.

•When ready to serve, pop a cube or two into a microwave safe bowl for about 20-30 seconds

•Stir thoroughly and CHECK TEMPERATURE to make sure it is not too hot.

•Serve!

Ayla’s Favorite Recipe

It’s so simple, but she loves it. Two apples and two pears steamed. Blend with about four strawberries. And that’s it. It tastes really good. I eat it with her sometimes.  I freeze a lot of this because she is always ready for strawberries!

My friend bought me a book off of my Amazon baby registry called Top 100 Baby Purees. It is full of so much great advice and awesome recipes for every stage. And it’s not like you have to make baby food forever. I started at 6 months and stopped almost completely at about 9 months because I started feeding her what I ate. I used to chop up her food really small but over time, the pieces get a bit bigger. It’s better for them to eat foods that help them learn to chew when they are able to. Every baby develops at a different rate, but a good indicator that they are ready for chopped food is when they start using their thumb and index finger to pick up the pieces.

Related: 13 Tips To Help You Spend Under $4000 On Babys First Year

Do you think that you will start making your own baby food? Do you have any other tips for making baby food a quick and painless process? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Quick Guide To Homemade Baby Food. Great step by step guide to making baby food. Pureeing and storing baby is actually very simple and easy!

Love this article? Share it with your friends on Facebook.

This post may contain affiliate links. Products ordered through this link may result in a commission, which helps to keep the content on this site free.  The opinions expressed in this post are my own.  Any health advice that may be in this post has not been evaluated by the FDA. The products and methods recommended are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease, nor is it intended to replace proper medical help. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Pin It on Pinterest