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Top parenting stories this week
Making Your Own Baby Food
It's easier than you think. Here's what you need to get started.
by: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers
In This Article
Homemade Baby Food
- Making your own baby food with fresh fruit and veggies preserves color and taste.
- Processed baby food is developed for the mass market and can be limited in variety.
- The average baby in the U.S. consumes about 600 jars of baby food a year, which can cost up to $600 compared to the lower cost of preparing food at home.
- It's easier than you think–and because you can freeze it in single servings, you only need to make food once or twice a week. See recipes below.
ntroducing solid foods is an important step in your baby's development. While there is nothing wrong with feeding your infant jarred baby food, many parents don't realize that making baby food at home can be easy and less expensive. Other benefits include:
Having control over what your baby eats
Processed baby foods may have added water, sugars or starchy fillers that could dilute the nutrient content of the actual food. The foods are also cooked at high temperatures to kill bacteria so they can be stored in jars at room temperature. This process can also destroy vitamins and nutrients, which then need to be re-added by the manufacturer. When you make baby food at home, you can cook it quickly. This process not only preserves the color and taste of the food, but maximizes the foods' nutrient content.
