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I have been making my own baby food since my oldest daughter started solid foods. Most store bought baby foods have added sugars, salts, and preservatives. I prefer to make my own so I know exactly what is going into them. Over the past two years I have learned a few tricks to making your own baby food simple and healthy.
Things you need:
- baby food maker :: I use the Baby Brezza Glass Baby Food Maker
and absolutely LOVE it! It steams and purees all in one. All you have to do is wash and prep the veggies, fill the water tank, and set the timer. I first had the Baby Brezza Food Maker
and loved it, but the plastic container broke and it was too small to make larger batches. Baby Brezza Glass Food Maker is much larger, with a 4 cup capacity, and is made of glass so it won’t leach any chemicals into the food. The water tank also detaches, which makes it easier to clean. *The Baby Brezza can be a little pricey if you are on a budget so you can always steam food on the stove and put in a blender to puree. Anyone can make their own baby food and you don’t need anything fancy!*
- glass storage containers :: I have Sage Spoonfuls Glass Baby Food Storage
containers; they are super easy to clean since you can put them in the dishwasher. They have a screw top lid so the jar doesn’t leak. You can also freeze them when you make large batches of food. They even come with labels so you know what’s in them and when the food was made. You can put them in the microwave to heat them up, although this is something I stay away from because microwaves change the composition of your food. I put boiling water in a larger bowl and leave the glass jar inside to warm it up. Just make sure to run the jar under water first if you are getting it straight from the fridge, it will crack if you put it directly into the boiling water. Always thaw out the frozen jar in the fridge before you heat it.
- silicone freezer tray :: I have the WeeSprout Silicone Baby Food Freezer Tray
. The tray is used to store baby food in the freezer so you can make large batches and save them for about a month. This cuts down on the time to make baby food, simple freeze the food, pop out of the tray and store in a labeled container. I originally used an ice cube tray, which will work as well if you do not want to spend the money on this freezer tray. The only thing I didn’t like was I had to keep using a large plastic bag to cover the ice cube tray while in the freezer and it was really hard to pop out the food. This one is made of silicone so it pops out super easily and comes with a cover.
- reusable food pouches :: Most parents know how much babies and toddlers LOVE their pouches. They are super convenient, but have added preservatives and can be expensive. Especially when you buy organic, they can range from $1.20-1.80 each. I do keep a stock pile of store bought pouches for when we are going out. It can be hard to keep reusable pouches refrigerated when you are out and about. I mostly use them while I am at home. The pouches I use are WeeSprout Double Zipper Reusable Food Pouch
. When my toddler was younger and hadn’t mastered feeding herself with a spoon, I would add my homemade baby purees into the reusable food pouches and give it to her that way. They even sell a silicone topper to the pouches so they will not spill when little hands squeeze them. I got these tops recently and my toddler no longer needs it, but my 9 month old will definitely use them!
and absolutely LOVE it! It steams and purees all in one. All you have to do is wash and prep the veggies, fill the water tank, and set the timer. I first had the 
and loved it, but the plastic container broke and it was too small to make larger batches. Baby Brezza Glass Food Maker is much larger, with a 4 cup capacity, and is made of glass so it won’t leach any chemicals into the food. The water tank also detaches, which makes it easier to clean. *The Baby Brezza can be a little pricey if you are on a budget so you can always steam food on the stove and put in a blender to puree. Anyone can make their own baby food and you don’t need anything fancy!*
containers; they are super easy to clean since you can put them in the dishwasher. They have a screw top lid so the jar doesn’t leak. You can also freeze them when you make large batches of food. They even come with labels so you know what’s in them and when the food was made. You can put them in the microwave to heat them up, although this is something I stay away from because microwaves change the composition of your food. I put boiling water in a larger bowl and leave the glass jar inside to warm it up. Just make sure to run the jar under water first if you are getting it straight from the fridge, it will crack if you put it directly into the boiling water. Always thaw out the frozen jar in the fridge before you heat it.
. The tray is used to store baby food in the freezer so you can make large batches and save them for about a month. This cuts down on the time to make baby food, simple freeze the food, pop out of the tray and store in a labeled container. I originally used an ice cube tray, which will work as well if you do not want to spend the money on this freezer tray. The only thing I didn’t like was I had to keep using a large plastic bag to cover the ice cube tray while in the freezer and it was really hard to pop out the food. This one is made of silicone so it pops out super easily and comes with a cover.
. When my toddler was younger and hadn’t mastered feeding herself with a spoon, I would add my homemade baby purees into the reusable food pouches and give it to her that way. They even sell a
Resources:
There are so many great resources for baby food recipes, from Pinterest to baby cookbooks. Below are some of my favorite websites and books.
- Wholesome Baby Food is an amazing website all about baby and toddler foods, I like that they suggest foods to give your baby by age.
- Baby Foode is my personal favorite, this website is dedicated to all things baby and toddler foods and the pictures are beautiful
- Whole Food Baby: 200 Nutritionally Balanced Recipes for a Healthy Start by Michele Olivier
- 201 Organic Baby Purees: The Freshest, Most Wholesome Food Your Baby Can Eat!
by Tamika L. Gardner
by Tamika L. Gardner
