Make Your Own Baby Food!

The Cincinnati Family Enrichment Center had asked me to do a workshop on how to make your own baby food. I am certainly not a chef, but Sharon just wanted a mom point of view! She wanted me to share my own experience and tips and tricks I picked up along the way. Since I am so passionate about child nutrition, I was excited to be able to volunteer my time and hopefully help some other mamas!

I decided to attach my "cliff notes" below so I could share them with you (and have something to reference for when I have the next one!). Let me know if you have any questions!

·     ALWAYS consult with your Pediatrician before you start a DIY baby food program.

o    The 4 day wait rule: once you introduce a new food you should wait 4 days before introducing a new food

·     Resources:

o    Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron

o    Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld

o    Wholesome Baby Food

o    Annabel Karmel

·     Equipment:

o    Steamer, microwave, oven or a boiling pot of water depending on the food

o    Ice Cube Trays (you can save on foil if you buy the trays with lids)

o    Food Containers 

o    Blender/ Food Processor/ Magic Bullet

o    Ziploc bags

·     Baby Food Hygiene

o    Always wash your hands, your utensils, & your produce before doing any cooking!!!

o    Click here for tips on how to wash your produce 

DIY Baby Food (steps based off of Super Baby Food)

1.  Pick foods based off of your babies age (pgs. 86 & 87, see handout)

2.  Prepare (wash & then steam/ boil/ microwave) produce appropriate for you baby (pgs. 424-463)

3.  Puree produce

a.   The food consistency you are trying to achieve will be dependent upon you child and their age

b.  The more water you add, the thinner the consistency. You will add less water if you want the puree to be thicker

c.   You can create a smooth puree consistency the longer you blend the food. Once your child gets a little older, you can blend a little less to create a more chunky consistency.

d.  Pour your puree into your ice cube trays, freeze overnight, & then put your cubes into freezer safe Ziploc bags! Label your bags with the name of the fruit or veggie and the expiration date.

e.   Each cube is considered one serving

DIY Baby Cereal  (p 207)

(I have found that the magic bullet is AWESOME for grinding grains!!)

1.  Brown Rice: 

a.   Measure a cup of water on the stove to boil

b.  While the water is heating up, grind ¼ cup of brown rice until it is a powder

c.   Once your pot is boiling, turn the heat down to the lowest setting

d.  Sprinkle the powder into the pot while stirring briskly with your whisk

e.   Cover the pot and cook on low for 10 minutes

f.    This will make a little more than 1 cup. This will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days

2.  You can also do this with millet (3tbs), barley (1/4 cup), oatmeal (1/4 cup). Cook as directed above!

DIY Yogurt : click the link for step by step instructions

Tips & Tricks

1.  Take the food cubes you will need for the next day out the night before and they will be thawed by the time you are ready to use them!

2.  Need food now? Take your fresh fruit, peel, core and mash!

3.  Add tofu to anything to add some protein to the meal! You can freeze tofu in ice cube trays. Once you puree it, you pour it into the trays filling them half way, cover with water and freeze!

4.  Depending on age, see handout for Super Snacks.

5.  You can mix ANYTHING into yogurt:

a.   Veggie or fruit cubes

b.  Tofu cubes or fresh tofu

c.   Healthy Extras- use dependent on age appropriateness (see below)

d.  Hummus… you get the picture! ANYTHING!!!

6.  Healthy Extras: (these can be mixed into anything! For a complete list see p. 288)

a.   Brewer’s Yeast

b.  Wheat Germ

c.   Tofu

d.  Ground Nuts

e.   Nut Butters

f.    Ground Seeds

g.  Tahini & other Seed Butters

h.  Instant Non Fat Dry Milk

i.    Blackstrap Molasses

Toddler Ideas  

 ·     Although your child is on solids now, you can keep pureeing your fruits and veggies (now you have something to do with the produce that is about to go bad… puree and freeze). Mix them into yogurt, cottage cheese, or use as a spread on bread or crackers.

·     Continue mixing in your Healthy Extras!

·     If you have a picky toddler, try putting cheese, their favorite nut butter, or healthy salad dressing onto their vegetables.

·     Batch and Freeze: Pick out a few meals every month, make a large batch & freeze using the phantom freezer method (see batch and freeze for more info). You have healthy meals for the month!

Why Make Your Own?? (natural mother website)

1.  It's less expensive. A pound of fresh organic carrots will run you about $1. A four-ounce jar of organic baby food carrots cost about $.75--or $3 a pound!

2. It tastes better. Homemade baby food actually tastes like food, and your baby will grow accustomed to the flavor of fresh fruits and vegetables, possibly making her more likely to accept those foods later.

3. You know what's in it. You know for sure that it's free of additives and preservatives.

4. You can tailor the texture to your baby's preference and developmental stage.

**You can also check out our Recipes Blog for easy baby food purees and other nutritious meals for the little ones!**