Why should I make my own baby food?

 

1. Healthy Meals

Firstly, baby food doesn’t always have to come in jars. You can make your own at home, and it’s not difficult. Serving fresh food from the very beginning will help your baby be more open to tasting new flavours and types of food. When you make baby food at home, you can choose your baby’s favorite fruits, vegetables and meats, steam and puree them using a food processor, and freeze them in convenient portions. With just a little effort, you can make fresh food for your baby alongside healthy meals you prepare for the rest of your family.  Best of all, you’ll know exactly what you’re feeding your baby.

 

2. Cost Savings

Money is one driving force behind deciding to make homemade baby food. Healthy, tasty baby food can be made for far less than what you would have paid in the grocery store. Making baby food at home is extremely cost-effective, as food may be purchased either in season or on sale.

Studies have shown that you can save 50% or more when making your own baby food depending on the brand, the age of your baby and the amount of food consumed. You can also save money and your time by buying in bulk. When you buy in bulk, you buy food without the extra costs for packaging and marketing. If you focus on buying bulk goods you can store or freeze, you can save thousands on your annual grocery expenses. The more you buy, the more you save, but make sure you’ve got the place to store them which is easy with all the baby food storage options available today.

Another way to save money is to make baby food in large quantities and freeze it in single servings. Let’s take a look at carrots. On average, four carrots will make six ounces of baby food.  If your baby is a big fan of sweet potatoes, an organic sweet potato costs $1.50 per 500 grams and makes ten servings or $.15 per serving. Cheaper than buying a ready to eat in jars that costs $1/serving. Again, place in food processor and puree into reusable food pouches and freeze.

 

3. Environmentally Safe 

When deciding on making your own baby food, you also need to consider where to store them. You will not only avoid feeding your baby with fillers and additives, but you will also be helping the environment by eliminating the need for excess packaging used for processed baby food.

 

a.) Selecting. 

Always begin with good quality ingredients and baby food storage containers. It’s best to use fresh and organic food whenever possible. Do not put any ingredients that can easily produce bacteria and can cause serious illnesses like dairy products made from raw, unpasteurized milk or food from cans or jars without labels. Seek out BPA and BPS-free baby food storage containers. A good example is the reusable food pouches.  Cherub Baby leads the industry in safe and environmentally friendly products and provides a range of BPA free range to keep your family safe from harmful chemicals found in many feeding products.

Always wash your hands and any equipment used to prepare the food.  Try to make this a habit before starting any kitchen task. In addition, keep towels, cloths and sponges clean.

 

b.) Preparing. 

You can steam, blend and puree meats, veggies, grains and fruits of your choice, knowing that your baby is getting the best baby food ever for less than half the cost of store-bought foods. Use a food processor like the Cherub Baby Automatic Baby Food Maker wherer you can steam and blend homemade baby food within one unit. For large quantities of food, a blender or food processor is invaluable.

 

 

Aside from making your baby food preparation easier, most parents also find that using a baby food steamer and a baby food blender is a safe way to make baby food because you get to monitor the process yourself and know what is going into the food you make your child. One of the keys to making the process less time-consuming is to prepare baby’s foods in bulk and portion them into clean and empty reusable food pouches.

The Cherub Baby reusable food pouches are clear so you can easily see the contents and there is a space to record the date and name of your food for easy freezer and fridge storage. They are reusable several times or can easily be disposed of when traveling with your baby or toddler.

Label the reusable food pouches with the date and name of the food so you’ll know what’s in them.  Feeding in baby food pouches allows your little one to feed himself. It helps him develop dexterity and independence. Reusable food pouches also offer great convenience because they are light and travel-friendly.

c.) Storing. 

There are many safe and convenient ways to store homemade baby food. The most common way is freezing. Homemade baby foods may spoil more quickly and require refrigeration. Freezing homemade baby food is really not a difficult thing to do. Once food has cooled down, freeze as soon as possible. It is recommended that fresh pureed homemade baby food be stored no longer than 48 hours.

Never refreeze meals that have already been frozen and reheat foods more than once. Do not store baby food in an opened jars or ice cube tray. Select safe reusable food pouches or specially designed Cherub Baby Baby Food Storage Containers for use in your refrigerator. To freeze prepared baby food safely, put it into sealed, labeled and dated containers.

Pureed Baby Food Recipes

 

Here are some simple and quick Pureed Baby Food Recipes to store in your  fridge or freezer:

 

1. Bananas Delight

Ripe bananas may be pureed or mashed and fed to your baby directly.

 

 2. Yummy Fresh Fruit

– 3/4 cup assorted ripe fruits (apple, banana, avocado). Puree in steamer and blender. Freeze and Serve.