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How to make homemade baby food part II. Making your own baby food is a great way to save money and know what is in your babies food.
View Part I here.
Here are the foods that I recommend starting with:
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- Apples
- Pears
- Sweet Potatoes
- Butternut Squash or any Winter Squash
- Pumpkin
- Bananas – They work pretty well. Leave them in their peel. They will turn black in the slow cooker. This is fine; once you peel it the banana is nice and mushy inside. If it is too thick, you can add water, mix well and then freeze in cubes.
- Zucchini and summer squash Make sure to strain seeds.
Some foods that needs a little more attention:
- Green beans – These work, but you really need to blend well and then strain them.
- Broccoli – Somewhat difficult as the stems are very stringy. Make sure to strain.
- Stone Fruits such as Peaches, Plums and Nectarines – These are also stringy and need to be strained.
Foods to avoid:
Carrots – I was told that they are high in nitrates and should be avoided when making at home. When you purchase packaged carrot baby food they have been strictly tested by the FDA.
Additional Tips:
Feel free to add spices sparingly, but never add sugar, salt or honey to baby food. Also, if you choose to thin your baby food with breast milk instead of water, make sure to only do so when you are ready to use the food. It is best when the breast milk is fresh and not frozen.
Freshly made baby food should be refrigerated and used within 3 days. Frozen food should be used within one month.
This post was written by Laura Butts. Laura is a wife, mother, crafter, scrap booker, beginning sewer, and sometimes preschool substitute teacher from Orlando who loves being able to stay at home with her two children!
If you are new (or even experienced) to freezer cooking:
How to Freezer Cook Series – Part 1 – Sample Menu and Getting Started
How to Freezer Cook Series – Part 2 – Why Does Freezer Cooking Work
How to Freezer Cook Series – Part 3 – Planning Your Meals
How to Freezer Cook Series – Part 4 – Tips and Tricks for Freezer Efficiency
How to Freezer Cook Series – Part 5 – What Can You Freeze?
How to Freezer Cook Series – Part 6 – Freezer Storage
How to Freezer Cook Series – Part 7 – Tips for Thawing Your Meals
How to Freezer Cook Series – Part 8 – Make Your Own Freezer Pancakes
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I too am very passionate about feeding my children homemade organic baby foods. I as well, made all of my son’s baby food (he is now a very healthy 2 year old and great eater as well!) and plan to with my 4 month old daughter wen she starts solids in a few months. One tip I may add, from research I have read, carrots are also a great food to make at home. But, yes true they can be high in nitrates from the soil they are grown in. To eliminate this issue, steam your carrots but do not reserve the steamed water for thinning/ puréeing. Use fresh water to thin. Same instructions for beets as well. All other fruits and veggies, if steaming, is best to reserve the water and use it for thinning as it contains many nutrients from the veggies. 🙂
I made carrots for both my kids with no issues. Baking them is also a good option if you are worried about nitrates. Personally, I would trust something homemade in my own kitchen before I would trust anything tested by the FDA.