Making homemade baby food is something wonderful you can do for your kids. It allows you to know exactly what goes into every meal and more importantly, what doesn’t. Even if a jar says “preservative-free” or “all natural,” that still means the once healthy whole fruits and veggies have been super-heated and processed beyond recognition, removing tons of nutritional value and flavor. If it was simply a nutritional benefit to make baby food at home, that would be enough of a reason, but it is also a huge financial benefit! In the beginning, you may think a $1 jar of store baby food bananas is way cheaper than getting set up with steamers, blenders and a month supply of organic food, but that’s not the case. Places like Pish Posh Baby and others have all of the products you need to get set up at amazing prices. It’ll only take you a month or two to save the money you would have been spending on store bought foods, especially if you planned to buy organic baby food. Here are a few saving tips to turn you into a baby food pro. Soon your friends will want to know all of your secrets:
– Plan ahead buy seasonal items in bulk to prep and freeze. Organic strawberries get very pricey certain times of the year stock up when they are on sale. Experiment with local, fresh fruits and veggies. You’ll be surprised to see all the foods your baby is willing to try, and love!
– Ice trays, aluminum foil, and freezer bags these are some of the cheapest things in your grocery store and they will save you a fortune. Spoon your delicious purees into the ice tray, cover tightly with foil and freeze for a couple hours. Once solid, pop the cubes into a labeled and dated freezer bag and you can take out one or two at a time. Fruits and veggies will keep 4-6 months when frozen this way. Just remember to press as much air out of the bag as you can to preserve the flavor.
– Bananas and avocados some of the most expensive baby foods to buy organically and the easiest to make. You can get three 2 ounce servings from one banana. Please note, these don’t freeze well so just mash and serve.
– Picky eater? No problem! Just put baby spinach in all of your purees. Baby won’t notice the flavor and they’re getting tons of vitamins and minerals.
– Start out with one-ingredient purees bananas, apples, carrots and sweet potatoes are safe beginners. Talk to your pediatrician about possible allergens and how to introduce one new food at a time. As baby gets older, get creative. For instance, try apples, zucchini and spinach all pureed together.
It may seem like a lot of information and effort at first, but it won’t take you long to decide you’ll never buy jarred baby food again.
About Julie McCaffrey
Parenting expert Julie McCaffrey is a proud mommy to 3 kids and owns BabyNav Baby Planners where she offers personalized consultation to new and expecting parents along with functioning as the Chief Brand Officer at PishPoshBaby.com the high-quality baby store that supplies the facts and advice, along with the right choice, to parents who are completely lost in the whirlwind of baby gear. She loves to help moms and dads navigate everything from baby gear, preparing for multiples, getting back to work and getting the whole family on a routine.
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