Solid Foods: Making Your Own Baby Food

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

16 Aug 2006 06:30 AM

We talked about making your own rice cereal yesterday and Valorie brought up the key point that it's a lot cheaper to make your own than it is to buy the store bought baby food. She's right, nine times out of ten, doing it yourself can cost you a lot less in pennies on the dollar, but it's also important to keep in mind that making your own baby food can be time-consuming. So let's take a moment and talk about why you should make your own baby food.

Why should you make your own baby food? Home made baby food:

• Can stay fresh for two weeks or so in the fridge and longer in the freezer
• Can give your baby a lot more options in flavors and textures
• Can be made Kosher for families who follow that
• Is not likely to contain glass or other contaminents
• Can be adjusted easily for diet or allergenic concerns
• Is less expensive than buying the same amounts in the store

The drawbacks to making your own baby food is that:

• It's a time consuming process
• It requires a dedicated preparation and understanding of the recipes
• Is harder at first, but becomes easier with practice
• Requires the resources and the knowledge to do it

On the whole, I think making your own baby food if you can take the time and can find the recipes is going to provide you with a lot more pluses than minuses. The reality, however, is that some parents will not have the time or the resources to do this - for those parents, I'll be doing some reviews of services that provide home made baby food for delivery. We'll also be providing some recipes and resources where you can find more to experiment with.

Tell me, have you made your own baby food and how long did it take you to adjust and learn?

Related Articles:

Solid Foods: The When

Your Baby isn't Reading the Book

Help! What do I feed my Baby?

5 Cultural Myths About Starting Solids

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger

Valorie Delp (49340) 16 Aug 2006 11:42 AM

I loved Annabel Karmel's baby food book. Then again--I like being in the kitchen! Great article Heather!

Heather Long (16954) 16 Aug 2006 02:25 PM

Thanks Valorie! You might want to review that book by Karmel if you still have it. I'm sure it would be great for others!

Valorie Delp (49340) 16 Aug 2006 03:14 PM

That's a great idea Heather! I borrowed it from the library--but I can borrow it again!