Homemade Baby Food

The last few weeks have been filled with research on high chairs, making baby food, and what to feed our little guy. Of course, much of my research is conflicting…

The books that I’ve read include Super Baby Food, Superfoods, and Top 100 Baby Purees, not to mention all of the other childcare books that have feeding hints and tips in them as well — as it seems every ‘childcare expert’ has an opinion. I’ve read many of them, numerous blogs, several online articles, and a plethora of websites.

All my research has helpful hints and tips but a few authors are a tad overzealous. I’m all for a healthy, happy, well-nourished baby but just the thought of feeding my child a few of the Super Baby Food‘s makes me sick. Like brewer’s yeast – YUCK! (But I did like the book for it’s information about first foods, the quick reference for foods in the back, and the preparation and freezing techniques.)

You’re probably starting to think that I’m a bit overzealous about baby food… And I guess in a way, I am. I want Bo to eat healthy, mostly organic food. I want him to have the best chance to be healthy and smart. I want him to have a healthy relationship with food. I don’t want to be one of those mom’s who never gives their kids sweets — but I also don’t want him to think that donuts are a breakfast staple… And we definitely won’t be joining the ‘clean plate club’ around here. Therefore, I figure it is best to start young and build from there.

We decided to start rice cereal at the 4 month mark. We are using Earth’s Best Whole Grain Organic Rice Cereal. We did only plain rice cereal at the dinner time feeding for about a week and a half. Then we added the breakfast feeding with banana. I am meeting in the middle and trying each new food for 5 days before moving to the next food.

Bo’s feedings look like this right now:

At some point during the night – breastfeed (this morning this wasn’t until 6:15!! woohoo!!)
8 am – breastfeed and cereal and banana (1 side, rice cereal and banana, other side)
11 am – breastfeed (expressed milk on work days)
2 pm – breastfeed (sometimes expressed milk — depending on how late I work — good thing I’m a master pumper!!)
5 pm – breastfeed and avocado (1 side, avocado, other side)
8 pm – large bottle of expressed milk (usually 9-10 oz.)

I plan to wait another week or two before adding in a solid food feeding at lunchtime. I want to space out the introduction of each meal but we also have to wait until our highchair* arrives so that we can take the travel seat to Mom’s house for the lunch feedings she will take care of during the week. Once all three solid feedings are established then I will start lengthening out his schedule. First to 3 1/2 hours and then to 4 hours. Right now our 3 hour schedule is working so well though that I am afraid to change it!!

This weekend I tackled my first attempts at making homemade baby food. I made avocado, sweet potato, and carrots. So far it is really easy and appears to be cost-effective. I made over 50 servings of homemade, organic, sweet potato, carrot, and avocado for around $5.

Here are some pictures of my baby food manufacturing.