It should come as no surprise that I am doing homemade baby food all the way. It was decided before the cloth diapers. I know, I know. Granola. I should just be feeding my son granola because I'm so dang granola. I'm down with that (but not for a few more months of course).
First up: (besides having no clue what and when to feed my son--trial and error and this website were helpful) homemade baby food smells good. As in, it actually smells like whatever it is.
That right there should make you a believer.
Peas smell like peas (oh how I love peas). Sweet potatoes smell sweet. Carrots smell carroty. If I didn't have a huge food-texture issue, I might just dig in myself, they smell so good. It's a whole lot easier feeding food to your child (who will wipe and smear it over every possible extremity) when you are tempted to eat it yourself.
Second up: It's not hard. Cook up a few sweet potatoes, throw them in the food processor (or blender) and walah! Food for many days made. I know what you're thinking: I just don't have time. You'd be surprise at how easy this is. Really.
Third up: Storage is pretty basic. I was always going to buy ice cube trays (but my lovely local market doesn't have them, and I always forget when I'm at Wal-Mart). So I use snack baggies instead. I label the date made, the amount (1/4 cup when starting out, we're up to 1/3-1/2 cup now), and the food inside (carrots and sweet potatoes look shockingly alike). Then I have a box in my freezer where I put them (an old corn dog box to be exact. See I'm not as granola as I look. The Husband loves a good corn dog).
Forth up: I believe in spices. Who says baby food must be bland? Ok, so right off the bat maybe... but two months later? No sir. Sprinkle some basil in those carrots. Add a touch of garlic powder to those green beans. Cinnamon and nutmeg makes that oatmeal oh so appetizing. No sugar, no salt, of course. But don't be afraid of making your wee one love your favorite flavors.
Fifth up: Do I even need to mention how much money you will save? I thought not.
So long story short: I support homemade baby food. And you should too.
On a totally unrelated note. I just looked around the corner and this is what I found:
I had sat him down next to his basket of toys and left the room. Looks like he knows how to get what he wants!
(ps. Note the bib. I just made him two new ones (this is one)... and I ask you, when (oh when?!) will this boy stop spitting up?? Sweet potatoes aren't as sweet when they're coming back at you! Seriously.)
11 comments:
kudos to you for being so good at feeding him properly. i was terrible with ezra and did a lot of finger food and never sat down really to feed him like i shouldve b/c i thought it was so cute to see how he would like our food..i also didn't introduce solids to him until he was 8 months after i had stopped nursing and he had 8 teeth (yes i know he had all his teeth at 18 months).. anyway now he is 2 1/2 and the worse eater ever! he is so picky and i know i'm to blame.. rylie on the other had i did a lot better and she eats everything! long story short; good for you :)
I LOVE making my baby food, it's SO easy. I never did with levi, store bought all the way because I thought it would be too much work to make my own but what did I know? Now I make big batches of his favs and freeze them in freezer containers. I mostly use these smaller Bell contianers (I hhad been using them for freezer jam) and they are great because they are smaller and good for 2-3 feedings. Way to go CJ!
We never did the baby food route. I breastfed almost exclusively for the first year. I hate feeding babies cause it's such a frustrating, messy job. My kids just eat whatever we're eating. Refried beans are excellent cause they're already mashed up and so tasty. Today, my little one ate salad with Feta and craisins and sliced almonds. Too much for Raymond right now I know. I have not found that feeding them a variety of foods when they're young makes them like more foods when they're older. Most children go through food phases. Case in point, Jeremy's first food was strawberries to the horror of my pediatrician, but he won't touch them now. Good luck. It is an adventure.
Thanks for the tips. I might have to give it a whirl with the next baby since baby food is just so darn expensive and when you combine that with formula and diapers...well it adds up. Anyway, i love the idea of putting spices in there. Mmm.
I agree that making baby food really isn't that scary. I enjoyed it this time around as well. And serisouly, I cannot wait to see that cute boy again. He is stinkin adorable sitting there playing with his toys. I love it! (and i love that his bib is orange considering I am guessing that is what sweet potatoes look like coming back up. You are funny)
We should be friends. :) I love it. I love that you're so granola. I think it's awesome. Maybe because it justifies me a little bit. :)
So, we've actually been doing store-bought baby food. Mostly because she started eating solids just before Christmas and I didn't want to deal with two weeks away from home with homemade baby food. And then… it was just really hard to change my thinking.
But the last few weeks I've been sneaking in more and more homemade things. I've been using the canned goods from my mom's garden (carrots, beans, beets) and whatever else I can think of/have on hand (peas, mashed potatoes, oatmeal, peaches, pears). And I'm starting to really enjoy it. I've done a few ice cubes of peaches and peas, but that's about all. But I want to get into it more.
But I feel like I'm stuck on the same few foods. Which is a problem since carrots and sweet potatoes have made her nose turn orange and she's very easily constipated, so no bananas, applesauce or rice. [sigh] So my question to you is, what foods do you make? My poor brain needs some ideas.
Carly-
You are so the mom I want to be when that blessing finally comes our way! I've wanted to do the whole cloth diaper, home-made baby food thing and its good to see Mom's doing it. It gives me encouragement for the future!
Aubrey
I am definitely planning on making homemade baby food for both the nutrition and the price. I can't believe how expensive baby food is.
Haha, Tasha, that would be funny if I made it orange to match his spit up! It's really a red denim (would I make any other color... especially in February??), you just can't quite tell in the picture!
This something I totally look forward to doing with my own little ones. I've got an awesome blender that will make it a cinch too! Kuddos to you and I fully support the homemade baby food!
Thanks for the inspiration and the website. I have wanted to do this with my first two babies but I was too lazy. I am definately going to try with the new one. I suggested cloth diapers to my hubby and he said absolutely not. Oh well, probably for the best, I think I would be too overwhelmed with the extra laundry. Keep sharing your "granolaness" I love learning new ways of doing things.
Post a Comment