| |
redshoes73
PeaAddict
PeaNut 439,705
September 2009
Posts: 1,445
Layouts: 4
Loc: DFW, TX
 |  Posted: 11/17/2012 8:27:30 PM
My little guy is almost ready for baby food and I'm considering making my own. Any tips for me or websites or books that you recommend?
| |
|
Monklady123
AncestralPea
PeaNut 475,028
July 2010
Posts: 4,494
Layouts: 0
Loc: Northern VA
 | Posted: 11/17/2012 8:31:54 PM
No need for recipes or books... just blend up whatever you're eating. Or just mash it up. I used to make extras of certain vegetables -- sweet potatoes, peas, and carrots were my ds's favorites -- blend, then freeze in ice cube trays. Then I could pop one out for meals.
|
|
|
2peafaithful
People not perfection
PeaNut 35,457
April 2002
Posts: 27,819
Layouts: 0
Loc: Right where I should be
 | Posted: 11/17/2012 8:39:51 PM
I made my own and loved doing it! Get some good ice trays, steamer, good blender and freezer ziplock bags. I would steam, cook or puree the food, freeze it and than pop it out and put a bunch in a labeled bag. It worked beautifully and was SO much cheaper and healthier. If you have a library I would suggest going there to check out some books and that way you don't have to buy them. I just went to the library or read some of the books at the store and took notes. If you have any specific questions let me know and I will try to answer.
Baby food
Book
Style Berry Blog post on baby food
Eco Crazy Mom post on homemade baby food
Another blog post on baby food
Homemade baby food recipes
| |
|
ca angel
PeaAddict
PeaNut 400,602
November 2008
Posts: 1,513
Layouts: 16
Loc: So Cal
 | Posted: 11/17/2012 8:43:20 PM
I can't remember the website exactly but I think it was something like wholesomebabyfood.com . I used it for both of my kids.
Ca angel | |
|
scrap-up
PeaNut
PeaNut 16,299
June 2001
Posts: 264
Layouts: 2
Loc: Milwaukee, WI
| Posted: 11/17/2012 8:45:01 PM
I made my own for my youngest. I used any fresh vegetable or fruit. Steamed and used the magic bullet (not the baby one, just the regular). Once she was ready for meats I did the same with what we were eating. |
Julie
Mom to a Peanut, a Slugger, and a Boo. | |
|
|
peaname
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 510,579
June 2011
Posts: 2,446
Layouts: 0
Loc: The Land of Steady Habits
 | Posted: 11/17/2012 8:50:20 PM
The only thing I remember is that you should stick with jarred carrots because of potentially high nitrate levels. |
| "People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character." - Ralph Waldo Emerson | |
|
|
VexedAngel
Cold Pea on a Cracked Plate
PeaNut 156,343
July 2004
Posts: 5,091
Layouts: 46
 | Posted: 11/17/2012 8:55:51 PM
We threw steamed veggies into a food processor and added water until the consistency was where it needed to be. Then poured in ice cube trays and then freezer bags. Then we would package into little baby bowls with lids as we needed them and stuck them in the fridge to thaw. That way we could take them out with us or to daycare or for dinner at home, etc.
Cereals--we just did the boxed cereals, fruits--we did a lot of applesauce or banana or mashed canned fruit, but meats we bought jarred (beans we just mashed). So I guess we just halfway did it, but with both of us working FT, Sunday afternoons were when we had time, and I felt good about what we did. I enjoyed it, too, pretty simple. |
|
|
redshoes73
PeaAddict
PeaNut 439,705
September 2009
Posts: 1,445
Layouts: 4
Loc: DFW, TX
| Posted: 11/17/2012 9:40:17 PM
thanks ya'll...i've looked at several of the websites and I have plenty to get started. I was making it harder than it needs to be, go figure! | |
|
Idahopea
AncestralPea
PeaNut 118,464
December 2003
Posts: 4,186
Layouts: 0
Loc: Idaho
 | Posted: 11/17/2012 10:53:58 PM
It has been years since I did this, but I just bought a very small electric chopper thing that was just like a food processor only smaller. I think it holds about a cup or so and I bought it at WM. It was very inexpensive and we still have it. I would just put a few green beans (or whatever) that I had cooked for the rest of us for dinner in the chopper with some water, hit the button and in less than a minute, baby food! The bowl part and cutter went in the dishwasher so clean up was easy too. Sometimes I would mix a wetter veggie with the meat once she could have meat. I did use some jars of baby food when we were out and about though. The nice thing is you can puree it a lot at first and then go chunkier once they are a little older. | |
|
CountryPeaGirl
Young Country Pea
PeaNut 203,705
May 2005
Posts: 6,512
Layouts: 163
Loc: OHIO
| |
Cariad12000
BucketHead
PeaNut 515,377
July 2011
Posts: 924
Layouts: 3
Loc: Unitd Kingdom
| Posted: 11/18/2012 6:40:53 AM
I used to cook and liquidize vegetables and put them in ice cube containers and freeze them too. Just remember not to add salt when you make baby food. |
CARIAD
http://notimeforwashingup.blogspot.com/ | |
|
|
bgpa
BucketHead
PeaNut 53,649
October 2002
Posts: 895
Layouts: 40
Loc: NorthCentral PA
 | Posted: 11/18/2012 8:12:54 AM
No need for recipes or books... just blend up whatever you're eating. Or just mash it up. I used to make extras of certain vegetables -- sweet potatoes, peas, and carrots were my ds's favorites -- blend, then freeze in ice cube trays. Then I could pop one out for meals.
Exactly. I worked as a pediatric nurse for 5 years. The doc I worked fcr said that if your child couldn't chew a food at it's normal cooked consistancy, then he or she wasn't ready for that food. Pureed baby food at an early age decreases the appetite for breast milk/formula-which is what young babies need.
Her approach was breast milk (or formula) ONLY until baby started showing an interest in what the rest of the family was eating. At that point, mash up some of whatever you are eating (barring spicey foods, allergy prone foods, etc) and give baby s bite or two. Only one food at a time to start. No need for highly processed jars or fancy equipment. |
|
|
snugglebutter
dedicated chocoholic
PeaNut 55,649
November 2002
Posts: 7,087
Layouts: 3
Loc: TX
| Posted: 11/18/2012 2:09:52 PM
I liked to roast vegetables to bring out the flavor. I even did a roasted pear sauce that was definitely a favorite. (for applesauce I just used unsweetened from Costco)
I've always kept it pretty simple. At 6 months they would get a veggie at dinner time and then pretty soon they were interested in feeding themselves some of what we were having. I never tried making meats - just too gross and they could feed themselves roast/chicken breast/etc within 2 or 3 months.
I also never did the baby cereals. Around 9 months I would make regular oatmeal with quick oats and water it down a little more. I also liked using the frozen fruit cubes to cool it off.
None of mine ever liked avocado, which is recommended as a first food. I did blend some in with fruits sometimes for the healthy fats. |
|
|
3kidmama
AncestralPea
PeaNut 268,201
July 2006
Posts: 4,918
Layouts: 8
Loc: Northwoods
 | Posted: 11/18/2012 2:44:11 PM
Keep it simple!
All you need is a baby food grinder like this. At mealtime, just take it to the table with you. Take a couple of spoons of your (baby acceptable) food, and grind it up by turning the crank.
Feed your baby! Easy, no mess, nutritious - and your baby will LOVE eating what the "big people" eat!
 | |
|
![](<div align="center"><a href="http://kaylaaimee.typepad.com/scarlette/scarlettes-birth-story-at-25-weeks.html" title="Team Scarlette" target="_blank"><img src="http://kaylaaimee.typepad.com/scarlettebadges/teamscarlette_4.jpg" alt="Team Scarlette" style="border:none;" /></a></div>)
