Babies on a Budget: Make Your Own Babyfood, Part 2

This is the fourth post in our Babies on a Budget series.  To read more on making your own babyfood, read yesterday's post.

Tools and Tips

When it comes to baby food, follow the KISS method:  Keep It Simple, Stupid.  Anything complex might be too much for you to maintain, and as soon as it becomes a real hassle, you'll switch to pre-made puree in a heartbeat. 

The main tools you'll need are a steamer basket for your pot, a pan for baking, and a food processor.  I outlined the basics on how to get started yesterday.  When you finish making your baby food, you'll need to freeze it, so the other item you'll need are ice cube trays or some other place to store it.  If you opt for ice cube trays, then you'll just pour the puree into the trays and pop them into the freezer.  Once frozen, you can put the squares of puree into ziplock bags, labelled with the food type and date. 

Pea puree:  Doesn't this vivid green puree look much more appetizing than the dark green stuff found at the grocery store? 

BPA-Free Cups

I have to confess, I did purchase one specialty item for making baby food. You probably know I've got a few idiosyncracies, like my insistence on peanut butter with no hydrogenated oils, jelly without high fructose corn syrup, and organic whole milk for my toddler. While I'm quite frugal, there are areas where I don't mind spending extra money for what I consider to be better health for my family.  One such area is BPA-free products. 

I find the amount of BPA in our daily products to be more than just a little bit disturbing. I know I can't possibly save my family from all the BPA out there, but I can at least store my child's baby food in something without BPA. I looked for BPA ice cube trays, and there were very few to be found (especially for less than $20). I did find several types of containers specifically designed for storing baby food.  I finally settled on these great little containers from One Step Ahead.  I still use them for storing tiny snacks for the kids, like raisins.

Baby Food Cookbook

Another tool I made use of was an incredible baby gift from a friend.  Without knowing that I intended on making my own baby food, she purchased a book for me called Cooking for Baby.  This cookbook does keep it simple.  It categorizes the recipes according to age of introduction.  Each section for a new age group introduces the peculiarities of that age group, such as a desire for texture or flavor.  Then the recipes are given on separate pages, often with pictures.  They always include cooking times, because one veggie may require 6 minutes of steaming while another requires 12.  I  loved my baby food cookbook and found it very helpful.  

Baby Food Recipe Website

Had I not been given this cookbook, I would've found everything I needed on the WholesomeBabyFood website.  Their site has great recipes and instructions for every imaginable puree.  I also loved the charts that show when foods can be introduced.  I printed a copy of the master chart, with every food and age group in small print.  As we were eating dinner, I would often wonder if Isabelle could enjoy some of our meal with us.  I consulted the chart and would discover that yes, she could have cheddar cheese or baked beans, and that was the start of feeding her table food.  By the time she turned one, she was eating mostly table food, and I wasn't making purees anymore. 

Tips for Saving Money and Keeping it Simple

Wait until 6 months (or later) to introduce solids, especially if you're nursing.  The APA's new guidelines on nursing recommend waiting until 6 months, probably because it is now thought that a baby's gut is not completely matured until 4-6 months, and waiting until 6 months can possibly prevent food allergies.  We did this and while at 8 months, Isabelle was not eating as much food as other babies her age, it eventually evened out.  Breastfeeding longer will also save money and time.  Nursing is so convenient, unlike baby food.   

The only food I bought for my infant was rice cereal, which I introduced at 6 1/2 months of age.  You actually can make your own rice cereal, and instructions are given in Cooking for Baby.  However, even the cookbook itself advises against making your own cereal.  Why?  Store-bought cereals are fortified with iron, unlike the homemade variety.  Once your child reaches 6 months of age, he no longer has the iron stores from the womb and will need to get these vitamins from food, either from nursing or from baby food.  So you probably want to buy your cereals, if you use them at all.

Shop in season and look for free or inexpensive food sources.  Stock up on sweet potatoes around Thanksgiving.  You can also grow some of your own veggies for baby, like we did with yellow squash.  A friend also found out that I was making baby food and offered to give me some of her home grown pears.  I expected one or two grocery sacks full of pears, which would've been wonderful.  Instead, she gave us three large boxes full of pears, more than enough to make pear puree to last through the rest of the year, and extras to make pear jam.  At the time, Isabelle did not like applesauce but loved pear puree, so this was a great blessing and a big money saver.  Find out from friends if anyone has any produce they would like to share with you. 

You can travel longer distances with homemade purees if you pack a very small ice chest.  When you arrive, either freeze the puree or if it has already begun thawing, leave it in the refrigerator for future meals.  You can also stick with bananas, avocados, and cereal and just pack these with you on your trip. 

Consider Baby-led Weaning (BLW).  Basically, BLW skips the purees and takes your child straight to feeding himself.  Sounds nice, doesn't it!  I loved this idea after my first baby and eventually, I used it for my second and third babies too.  It's so much easier than spoon feeding a baby, but just as cheap. 

Thoughts, questions, ideas?  I'd love to hear them!