First I'm going to blog about a way to save oodles of money on your grocery bill by making your own baby food!!
Alex's gestational 6 month bday is TODAY so I am thinking about starting with just a little bit of solid food very soon! We haven't been in a rush due to his prematurity, eczema, and adequate weight gain. Milk is still the most important.
*Some sort of blender or food processor (I got the Baby Bullet as a shower gift), food mill, or even a fork for older babies who can handle chunky foods.
*Your food of choice (avocado and sweet potato are great firsts)
*Ice cube trays (or tupperware if you prefer)
*Liquid: I used pumped breast milk.
You could also use formula (though I learned by helping a friend make food that this can be a really expensive addition) or water. You'll want some liquid initially to make the food runny enough for your baby to handle. As they get older you might not need much or any at all. The texture of your food also affects this.
Squeeze out the avocado into your blender and add some of your chosen liquid.
Spoon the puree into ice cube trays. I was reminded by a friend how little babies initially eat, so I only filled the trays up half way so as not to waste very much.
Cover your trays with plastic wrap. I've learned that tin foil isn't a good idea because it could possibly leach something yucky into your food. I don't know too much about this- but it's just as easy to use plastic wrap so might as well. Throw in the freezer overnight (or all day)!
Next day pop out the cubes! (This is my favorite part for some reason. So fun.)
Label a freezer bag with contents/date and add cubes. The general rule is that baby food will last for 3 months in the freezer (which is also how long breast milk will last in a regular freezer).
All done!!
Your only expense is the ziploc bag and the avocado (88 cents) for 28 mini cubes of baby food. Breast milk is essentially free. Use any ice cube trays you have on hand (these ones were 2 for $1 at the Dollar Tree) or buy the cutesie ones at the baby stores if you want. I have a few fun ones that came with my baby bullet that I will use once Alex is eating more.
To defrost, just take cubes out of the freezer the night before and leave in the fridge in a small container. I don't like to microwave baby food because there is breast milk in there and also because it just doesn't heat that evenly. I tend to put my container of defrosted food in a bowl of hot water to warm up a bit or you can just serve it cold/room temperature.
Avocado is for sure one of the easiest to make as it doesn't need to be cooked (just like banana). Things like sweet potato, squash, and vegetables do take longer to make because they need to be roasted or steamed first. I might throw a sweet potato or squash in the oven first thing in the morning and it cooks while we're eating breakfast and getting ready. It can be pureed up at a different time after its cooled if we are taking off to run errands or visit friends.
Additional resources:
Wholesome baby food (great to look up a certain food for nutrition, when it's appropriate to offer, and suggested ways to cook to retain the most nutrients)
