Essentials for Making Baby Food
When it comes to making baby food there are some basics that every mama needs in order to make delicious, wholesome food easily and hassle free. Perhaps two of the biggest reasons why mamas don't make their baby's food is because 1) they don't realize that you really can do that and 2) they think it is much easier to just buy store bought food.
Making baby food is extremely easy, even for the mama who is no kitchen wizard. To make baby food you don't have to be a good cook, you just have to be a dedicated mama. All it takes is a few hours one day a week to make about one to two weeks worth of food. There are many options available to look at when it comes to making your own baby food regarding appliances and storage.
Some mamas don't waste money on fancy baby food makers, as the whole purpose of making baby's food is usually to save money, so why go out and spend money on an appliance geared specifically for that? Many mamas can get by with a blender, food processor or even just their own Bullet system. Steam bags make steaming veggies easy these days and then of course there is Pampered Chef who has some nifty little steamers and choppers.
If you are the mama who wants a fancy little baby food maker, you may find that your baby food making experience is especially hassle free. Many baby food makers are now one step, meaning you place the chopped food in there and push just one button and the appliance will steam AND blend the food accordingly. This is what makes the experience SO easy for mamas, especially working mamas. Sure you have to pay a little bit for these appliances, but with shower registries and baby presents, hopefully one can weasel its way into your kitchen cabinet.
Next you need the produce, that's a no brainer. Whether you choose fresh peas or frozen peas and whole mangoes or organic blueberries, you have the ability to pick whatever piece of produce that floats your boat. Go organic, go local or just pick up a bag of frozen peas and you have the food on hand to create a wholesome meal for baby. You have the power to know and decide on exactly what goes into baby's food as well as the ability to control the environment in which that food is made.
Finally, you just need a good stash of baby food storage containers. There are several possibilities when it comes to storing baby's homemade food. Many stores now carry many options as homemade baby food is becoming increasingly popular. You have the option of freezing your food in ice trays and then popping out the cubes to then store in ziploc bags for optimizing freezer space. You have the option of using fancy freezer safe glass jars or containers and you even have the option of silicone ice trays with snap on lids that are perfect for storing food for about a month. Just pop out a cube as you need it! Finally, there are many companies that produce safe plastic containers that are free of common plastic toxins and lastly, the easy to grab and easy to self feed food pouches. Yes, you can now make your own food pouches!
As far as recipes are concerned, most baby food makers come with a quick recipe guide and there are also numerous baby food recipe books available. Creating recipes is so much fun and doesn't always take a book. Mama always knows what is best!
Below are some popular brands and products when it comes to making homemade baby food:
1. Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker // 2. Baby Cook One Step Baby Food Maker and storage trays // 3. Baby Bullet // 4. Standard Blender // 5. Avent // 6. Sage Spoonfuls // Innobaby Glass Storage Containers // 7. Nuk Smoothie and Baby Food Maker // Recipe Book // Oxo Tot Containers // Wean Green Glass Containers // Infantino Squeeze Station // Ice Trays
We have the Baby Brezza and LOVE it. I highly recommend this product as it makes the job so easy. I have an assortment of storage containers from Oxo Tot to Baby Brezza containers and Nuk silicone trays to Innobaby glass containers. I even recently picked up some miniature glass mason jars to try out for freezing food. I recommend having enough containers to store about two weeks worth of food, unless of course you're going to utilize the ice cube and ziploc bag method. I rely on the little recipe guide that came with my food maker for cooking times and use my imagination to create wholesome recipes for baby.
Making baby food is and can be a very simple and fun task. With a small investment in a few products, you'll see yourself saving money and making tasty purees that Gerber couldn't even lay a hand on. It's up to you on how much you want to invest into this system in terms of appliances and containers. In the end, you'll find yourself saving money and having a blast when it comes to feeding baby. Who knew that cooking could be SO much fun?
Check out my post on Why Mama Made Baby Food is Cool
Remember to check my recipe section frequently for new Mama Made baby food recipes!
Remember to check my recipe section frequently for new Mama Made baby food recipes!
Thanks for reading, Sasha
