Several of my friends decided to try their hand at making their own baby food when their children started to switch from milk and formula to solid foods. I thought the process would be a little more complicated, but it turns out that it’s pretty easy and a lot of fun. Making your own baby food isn’t just a fun project however. It’s also a way to monitor the foods that your baby eats. A lot of commercial baby foods contain too much sodium and sugar and doesn’t make for a very healthy diet.

Many foods can be cooked and mushed easily, but you can also make pureed foods with a food processor and store them in your freezer for later use. Before you start, you should check out some of the best foods for babies. Some of these include:

• Sweet potatoes
• Avocadoes
• Pumpkin
• Peas
• Mangos

When you have a good assortment of foods, begin the cooking process. The healthiest way to cook the food is to steam them. This will allow the food to become soft and still retain their nutrients. After the foods are softened, put them in a food processer to puree them. If you want, you can also add some spices to add a little flavor and introduce your baby to some new tastes. Some of the best spices to add include:

• Vanilla
• Pepper
• Lemongrass
• Rosemary
• Basil
• Ginger

If you use vanilla for seasoning, never use pure extract because it has a high alcohol content. Use vanilla beans instead. Also, children should be at least eight months old before they start eating spices, and when you feed your child something with spices, don’t use new spices for four days. This will give you time to see if they upset your child’s stomach or if they have an allergy. Also, talk to your pediatrician before introducing spices.

When you know spices are safe, add a small amount to the puree and mix it together. Then spread the puree in an ice cube tray to freeze them. After this, the food can be stored in freezer bags until they’re ready for use. Use the food within a month of freezing.

When you feed your child, thaw out the frozen cubes and if you would like, thin the puree with water, formula, or even breast milk. Each ice cube is about 1oz of food, so freezing and storing it this way is also a great method of portion control. 

Source: Wholesome Baby Food. (2013, April 15). Easy homemade baby food & baby food, solid food tips & more. Wholesome Homemade Baby Food Recipes.