Mom, congratulations, your baby is six months old and she is ready to eat fruits and veggies. I know the easiest thing is going to the store and buying a whole bunch of little jars of baby food. You'll be surprised how expensive they are, especially if you want to buy the organic varieties. We all want the best for our children and thinking of feeding them a jar of something sprayed with pesticides turns our stomachs. Why not make your own baby food? It's cheaper and way easier than you think. Let me tell you everything about it.
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There are just a couple of things you need to make your own baby food. The best thing about it is that you'll know exactly what you are feeding your baby.
1. Invest in a baby food maker: You can totally use your blender, but the baby food maker's blade is usually sharper and most of them let you steam, purée and reheat the food in one machine. Some of them are pricey, but well worth it. Put it on your baby shower list!
2. Only one ingredient: It's a misconception that making baby food from scratch is difficult because you only need one ingredient. You start with fruits like apple and pears and sweet veggies like carrots and sweet potatoes. All you have to do is steam or cook the ingredient, mash it and add a little water for consistency. That's all!
3. Experiment with flavor: As your baby gets older, and you move to more complex flavors such as green vegetables your baby might not like them. Experiment and add a little natural sweetness. Add a little bit of creamed apple or pear to enhance the veggie flavor. Don't add salt or pepper because it might hurt your baby's stomach.
4. Choose the freshest ingredient: Go to the organic supermarket and buy the freshest ingredients. Don't use frozen! You want to preserve the nutrients locked in which tend to delude with frozen foods.
5. Make once, eat for a week: The best thing about making your own baby food is that you can save it. Baby stores sell BPA free plastic containers specially designed to store baby food. Don't reheat the food in the microwave since it might kill the nutrients. Let it warm at room temperature.
Image via Daniel James /Flickr
