Baby Food Adventure

In an effort to save money with baby number 2, I have started by making my own baby food! And what fun it is! I love it! I love that I know, I mean, KNOW, what Addison is eating. I also love that I am finding more variety than the standard jarred baby food. I have made Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Pears, Peaches and Plums. I am debating making Mango’s or Nectarines next. I started her on the Sweet Potatoes and she loved them. We moved onto Peas but they were not liked and they gave her a belly ache. I am holding on the veggies till her system is more used to food. Addison will gobble up whatever I put in the spoon! Here are a few lesson’s I have learned so far in making the baby food.

- Don’t add breast milk or formula to the food. Especially formula. Yes, I know that Doctors recommend it but I found that adding the formula alters the taste of the food, especially the fruit. Also, if you are making a bulk at a time and freezing it, by the time it thaws or you get to it, the formula has gone bad. Formula and breast milk are only good in the fridge for 24 hours.

 

- Cook your fruit like the peaches and plums in the microwave. Twice I have burnt the bottom of my pans because the water has steamed out. This past week when I made the plums, it was much easier to cook them in a Tupperware dish with a bit of water in it, in the microwave.

 

- Freeze the food you make in ice cube trays. One ice cube is about equal to one Stage One size baby food jar. Plus they stack on each other so they are easier to store.

 

Here is an approximate break down of the pricing for the food I have made including the trays compared to the jarred baby food I would have bought.

- I have spent about $3.00 on the fruit and veggies I have needed to get to fill a tray. The ice cube tray cost me $1.29. Total is $4.29.

- Each tray has 18 ice cubes in it, so that would be 18 servings of Stage One baby food. It is about .50 cents for a single jar. Total is $9.00

I save about $5.00 every time I make my own food. That may not be a whole lot to some people, but in my family, it adds up!

 

*I am not a Doctor nor a food professional. Please consult your Doctor and do your own research before you make your own food!