4 Reasons to Make Your Own Baby Food

With my first child, I decided I wanted to make his baby food. When it came time to feed him, I bought a couple of Plum pouches thinking I would start to make his food slowly as he got used to eating. That did not work out well for me. He hated everything I made! I was totally offended and gave up after trying to make a number of foods only to end up giving him the pouch he wanted. The story was completely different with my second and third. I was determined that I was going to make their food, so I started them with food that I prepped. I am proud to say that they loved my food, and I never spent money on baby food from a jar or pouch. I promise you there is no judgment coming from me if you decide to buy your little one’s food pre-made! Every mom is different, and that is totally fine. I thought I would share a list of reasons I loved making their food, and why I plan to do the same for baby number four. If you are trying to decide how you will feed your baby, maybe this will help you choose if making your own baby food is right for you and your little one.

Save Money– My goodness baby food is expensive! I was shocked to see that one pouch of organic food could cost $1-$2. My son would plow through 4 or 5 of those in a day once he got used to eating. I was pretty surprised to see how much one tiny person was adding to my grocery bill each month. Plus with my first, I had to supplement my breast milk with formula, so add that scary cost in and yikes! I was able to see a huge difference in grocery spending with my second and third because making a giant batch of baby food from one bag of apples was ridiculously cheaper. Most baby food can be made, portioned out, and frozen to last a while. It also cost nothing to take a small portion of the meal I made for the rest of the family, blend it, and serve it to baby. I consider that free baby food. If you are on a budget, making your own baby food can help your money go to places you need it more.
Know Exactly What Baby is Eating– I hate when I see recalls on baby food. I get that things happen, but the thought of my kid eating mold or worse from a package I can’t see through makes me want to vomit. I also really love having the control of what is in the food. I buy butternut squash, I cook it, I process it until smooth with water or breast milk, and I store it. This means I know that the baby food has butternut squash and milk or water. That is it! I don’t have to read through labels and wonder what certain words actually mean.
Feel like SuperMom– Feeding my children healthy has been a priority from the moment I decided to become a mother. I knew that making meals for my kids would be something I would put time and effort into. Every time I made a batch of baby food I walked away feeling like I did something special for my child. And my goodness if there was breast milk in it, I probably did an actual happy dance. I think it is only fair that I tell you I love to cook! My love for it probably adds to the enjoyment I get from this whole process. If you enjoy picking out your baby’s food at the grocery store, you are Supermom too!
Feed Your Baby & Other Children with the Same Food– I learned quickly that my toddler, and then my little kid also loved the food I was making for baby. It turns out mango baby food is just like handing your toddler an applesauce. Papaya baby food mixed with pomegranate juice makes the most amazing slushie! Get creative and find ways to make your large batches of baby food work for more than just baby in your home. One of the number one questions I get as a mommy blogger is, “What the heck should I feed my toddler?” You have endless options if you use different ingredients to make “baby food” as a side for your toddler or child. Raise your hand if you have ever eaten the leftovers on your toddler’s plate because you didn’t have time to feed yourself. My hand is high in the air! I used to make enough blueberry applesauce for me to have it a few times during the week too.

Good luck feeding your little one no matter how you decide to do it! Try to find ways to enjoy it. Know that there will be plenty of battles over food, but you will find ways to work through it. Go Momma Go! Send me a message if you have any questions.

Ninja Food Chopper Express Chop – This was great for processing and blending baby food in small portions. It was a must have for the moments I threw food from our meal in to blend for baby.

Ninja Professional Countertop Blender– And I love my large Ninja when making bigger batches of food to freeze and store. This one comes with two smoothie cups too, which are awesome for smoothies for your kids or yourself, small portions of baby food, or some iced coffee which I need more often than I care to admit!