When my little guy got old enough to start experimenting with solids, I could not believe how easy it was to make my own baby food. I knew it would also be much more affordable and healthier since I could control exactly which ingredients I used. But I expected it to be kind of hard to make. Then, I started making it and I was blown away by how simple it was! In this post I’m going to give you all the details you need so you can make your own simple and cheap baby food.
How to make your own simple and cheap baby food
This post may contain affiliate links.
Making your own baby food just sounds complicated.
There are so many products out there that seem essential to the process. Of course, most of them are super expensive and unnecessary.
And we probably have some well-meaning moms in our lives that tell us we don’t want to fuss with trying to make our own baby food.
“Just get the jarred stuff,” they say. After all that’s what you ate.
I’m here to help you cut through all that noise.
If you’re wanting to make your own baby food, I want you to know that YOU CAN DO IT!
And I’m telling you mama, it is so much easier than you think!
Baby food basics
Let me start by saying that you do not need all those expensive products that are marketed for making baby food.
You do not need a baby food maker.
You don’t need a special machine to cook your baby food.
All you really need are a few simple things:
- Some kind of blender or food processor – I use this little one
- Containers to hold your baby food in – I LOVE these jars
- Bonus: you might want a freezer tray to freeze portioned servings.
That’s it!
Here’s the simple process
You cook the food that you are making for baby just like you would normally cook it.
You can steam it or boil it on the stove, bake it in the oven, or even cook it in the slow-cooker.
For veggies, I usually steam or boil them.
Then, once they’re soft, I strain them and let them cool.
When they’re totally cooled off, I drop them into my mini food processor with some water and blend them.
You can use breast milk or formula in the place of water if you’d like, but the food won’t keep as long.
The amount of liquid you add isn’t an exact set amount. It depends on how thick or thin you want the baby food to be. And it depends on how much food you’re mixing it with.
When your baby is just starting on solids, you’ll want to make the food thin and soupy by adding more liquid and blending longer.
As baby grows and gets used to solids, you can gradually decrease the amount of liquid and blend the food a little less.
I put the food into my food processor and then add water one jarful at a time until the food is my desired consistency.
After I’ve blended up my batch, I distribute it into my Jervis & George baby food jars and put any extra into my freezer tray.
(By the way, the sweet folks at Jervis & George generously sent me a box of my beloved baby food jars when they heard I was writing a post that mentioned how much I love them.)
How often do I need to make baby food?
I only make 2-3 batches of baby food each week.
I’ll store the jars of food I’m going to use for the next few days in the refrigerator and I’ll freeze the rest in my freezer tray.
The frozen food can be defrosted in the fridge if you take it out of the freezer the night before serving. Or you can just take it out of the freezer in the morning and let it sit on the counter until it thaws.
By making a larger batch and freezing the extra, I don’t need to make baby food every day.
How long does it take?
It only takes a few minutes to puree or blend up the baby food once the foods are cooked.
It literally takes me less than 5 minutes to mix up a batch.
Maybe a few more minutes to but it in containers and I just freeze whatever I’m not going to use in the next few days.
You can do it!
If you’ve been thinking about making your own baby food and feeling like it’s too hard or complicated for you to be able to actually do it, I hope I’ve convinced you that it can be super simple!
I’m not an expert chef or a wiz in the kitchen.
So, hear me when I say if I can do it, you can do it!
Keep Reading:
7 Frugal Habits that will save you Thousands
How to use Coupons without being Extreme
6 Best Money Hacks of all time
Leave a Reply