Wednesday, February 10, 2010

WFMW--Homemade Baby Food

It's that time of the week!

My Works For Me Wednesday helpful tip is all about making homemade baby food.

Mmm, the good stuff.

You know the kind:
-no dyes!
-no fillers!
-no chemicals!
-no preservatives!
-no artificial ingredients!

Just honest to goodness pure, nutritional food for your little one!

This stuff is a cinch to make, and once s/he gets a taste of it, your baby will thank you!

Here we go:

1.  Buy food of choice.
Aside from mashing up banana, avocado and kiwi, I've pureed pears, peaches, apples (sauce), beans, peas, squash, pumpkin, spinach, chicken and pork.  I prefer to use fresh food, but if you buy canned fruit, be sure to select the healthiest choice of fruit in juice, not sugary syrups.




The largest bowl for my food processor is a 16 cup capacity, so I used two 28 ounce cans of pears.  It was mid-winter when I made this batch, so I opted for canned instead of fresh.

2.  Put food in processor and add water if needed.
If I have to cook the food before processing (most veggies, meat), then I reserve water from the cooking process and use that so that I can utilize the nutrients that end up in the water.  In this case, the pears came with their own juice and so no water was needed. 




3.  Puree!
Depending on the type of food you are pureeing, you may need to do it in small batches or stop and stir it halfway through.




4.  Spoon out food into ice cube trays to be frozen.
I don't care how cute and fancy the baby-gadget-makers make food storage.  I'm not falling prey to their marketing schemes when I can buy an ice cube tray for $1.50 at the store and use it well after my kids have outgrown eating homemade baby food!  




5.  Freeze.
Be sure ahead of time that you have a flat, clean space in your freezer to store these trays until they are completely frozen.




6.  Store.
I prefer large ziploc type bags, so that I can fit it into the freezer wherever I have room, however I need to!  I like to label things, and the bag serves that purpose, too.  I recommend labeling the food both for what it is and when you made it.  




7.  Take Pride!
Buying jarred food isn't necessarily bad for our babies, but there is a sense of pride and accomplishment when we can prepare flavorful, nutritious foods for our children, knowing that the only thing in it is what it was intended to be, along with some homemade love.  


Disclaimer:
This is something that I enjoyed doing for both of my boys.  It wasn't a chore for me, but I realize it may be for some.  Please do not feel like a "bad mom" if you don't want to or cannot make your own baby food.  If done with joy, it can bring great pleasure and satisfaction.  If done with dread, it's not worth it.  There are many ways we all can be the moms we want to be, and if this isn't one of them, don't sweat it!  


For more Works For Me Wednesday tips, visit wearethatfamily.com!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am hoping to make food for my little girl once she starts eating it. :) Thank you for your post! You certainly make it look pretty easy!

Brooke said...

Are these old pictures or do you have something you need to announce? hahaha...hope you're doing well :) Brooke

No I wasn't Sleeping said...

When baby #2 came along I was blessed to have a good friend who had a boy with in weeks of me. She decided to make her own baby food, so I gave her money each week, and she made double- enough for both of us. It was awesome. Especially since finding a variety of baby food for vegetarians is nearly impossible.
if only I could find some one for this new baby...

suzannah | the smitten word said...

my first babe had digestive issues and pretty much just nursed until she was ready for table food, but i'm looking forward to making purees for my new baby.

i read recently about how bpa is in the lining of canned foods. we replaced our bpa-filled bottles and sippies, and we're trying to get away from canned goods.

good post:)

The Knapp's said...

So glad y'all liked this post!

KP--you'll have to let me know how it goes (is going?) when you start making it. I hope it's as easy for you as it is for me.

Brooke--no news.....yet!

Teaching Money--that is awesome! What a great deal you found! I popped over to your site and just had to tell you that we are huge Dave Ramsey fans as well!

Suzannah--yes, BPA is a huge reason why I don't do a ton of canned foods. That, and just the fact that fresh (or frozen) is plain better for us! We've switched our bottles and food storage all to glass and have the boys using Thermos sippys. I love knowing that leached chemicals aren't getting into their precious little bodies (well, as much as possible)!

Dr. Entertainer said...

Yummy..

buy rift platinum said...

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Unknown said...

interesting food .

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