This page is dedicated to my personal adventures in making my own baby food! After lots of research and encouragement from some good friends I made the choice that I wasn't going to buy baby food for K. These days it costs so much and there's so many preservatives and extras added into their food that they just don't need. So I went out and stocked up on some good 'first foods' and got started. The page is broken down in 3 sections, basics that I feel everyone should know before getting started, recipes for the foods I've made so far, and lessons that I've learned along the way!
I'm excited to share my adventure in playing "baby chef" to all those out there who may be interested in making their own food for baby. Feel free to ask any questions you may have, I'll be happy to give you advice based on my experience. I will tell you right now that I wish I had remembered to take pictures every single time I made K's food but I failed at that so don't be surprised when some posts come without pictures!
I'm excited to share my adventure in playing "baby chef" to all those out there who may be interested in making their own food for baby. Feel free to ask any questions you may have, I'll be happy to give you advice based on my experience. I will tell you right now that I wish I had remembered to take pictures every single time I made K's food but I failed at that so don't be surprised when some posts come without pictures!
Section 1 - Baby Food Basics
- Most of the purees you'll make can be frozen for 3 months or kept in the fridge for 3 days.
- Some say you should always thaw your baby food in a bowl of warm water, honestly I use the microwave. I never have the forethought to get the food out early enough to let it thaw at room temp.
- I froze almost all of my daughters baby food in ice cube trays. If using this method a general rule of thumb is each cube is approximately 1 ounce.
- When starting solids they should be thought of as dessert. Breast milk or formula should be baby's main source of nutrition, after that he or she can have as much baby food as they want.
- When introducing a new food I always followed the "3 day rule". After giving K a new food I give it to her 3 days in a row to make sure it didn't upset or tummy or give her an allergic reaction. That way I always knew what food was the culprit.
Section 2 - Baby Food Recipes
Starter Foods (4 or 6 months; whichever you choose to 8 months):
Section 3 - Helpful hints I've discovered along the way...
- When cooking your veggies or fruits always remember to save your cooking water in case you need to thin out your puree. A lot of the nutrients come out into the water when your cooking and it's better to replace those than to add tap water. Breast milk or formula also works well for thinning.
- There are a million products out there for storing baby food but the best thing I found is ice cube trays. Each cube in a tray is approximately 1 ounce so you still know how much baby is getting just like with the special containers. After your food is frozen just pop out the cubes and put them in labeled freezer bags. I always put the date that I made the food on the bag so that I know how long it's good for. Of course you should buy ones to use specifically for making baby food our you'll have ice cubes in your water that taste like squash! YUCK!
- When I started feeding K I started with once a day and slowly worked our way up. At 8 months she still only eating about twice a day most days of the week. Sometimes she wants a 3rd meal, sometimes she doesn't.
- Listen and watch baby's cues when your feeding her. If she acts like she doesn't want it then stop feeding her. Even if there is "just one more bite" in her bowl.
- Be aware that baby's have appetites that vary day by day just like we do. If she eats 2oz for dinner one night and only wants 1oz the next night that's OK. Just roll with it.
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