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Baby food

Recently we went out to dinner with our friends and they told us that they make food for their infant daughter themselves vs using canned products.... I feel really guilty that i don't do that. I'm actually trying to make an effort and give it a try! Does it really make a huge difference whether you give your child steamed vegetables or premade earth's best products?

8 comments so far...

My kids are now teens. However, we rarely bought baby foods. I used our blender quite a lot to puree whatever we were eating. I would even take our left overs, puree it, and then freeze it in icecube trays for those nights when I didn't cook!

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Karen on 24th April 2008
In a perfect world we would all do this!! I didn't have the time with twins. Don't let anyone stress you out! Trust me it isn't worth it and there are other things to worry about! That being said, we have always bought organic. Once they moved up past stage 1 foods I was able to start incorporating fresh foods that I mashed myself: bananas, sweet potatoes.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Jill on 24th April 2008
As mothers we have so many other things to feel guilty about - don't spend your energy worrying about this. When Aidan was little I felt confident in giving him trusted Gerber and Beechnut . . . .

HOWEVER, my MIL gave me this great book by Vicki Lansky called "Feed Me I'm Yours". It's baby food made easy! Delicious, nutritious & fun things you can cook up for your kids.

I used it now and then to make finger foods for Aidan (i.e., cereal sticks, oatmeal bars, super cookies, uncandy bars). It also has a section on homemade vs. store-bought baby food (how to start, methods of pureeing, storing foods, freezer options, working with meats and fruits, etc.)

It even included info for older kids (beyond the baby food stage): afterschool snacks, pizza for breakfast, birthday party planning, kitchen crafts and practical tips for parents. It's cute!

So if you are giving the homemade thing a whirl, you definitely need to check this book out from your library! Good luck!

Flag as inappropriate Posted by VickyandJen.com on 24th April 2008
Definitely don't stress over making baby food if it doesn't fit into your schedule. It is not a requirement!
I chose to make my son's food because it was fun for me. The downfall was that it did take more time, but steaming a few foods, pureeing and freezing them on one night a week made it simpler. I wasn't doing it for any particular reason other than I knew what was in the food I gave him if I did it myself. One of the things I noticed is that there is a lot of sugar in some of the Gerber dessert foods that you can buy. By pureeing foods myself I didn't have to add the sugar and my son learned that the food tastes good without it. If there is one thing that you wanted to try on your own, definitely try bananas. Just mush it up with a fork until it is the consistency you want. Add a drop or two of whatever milk your child is drinking to thin it out if needed. For 19¢ a banana vs 50¢ or more a container, plus no additives to keep it preserved, I couldn't resist.
My absolute favorite tip is to purchase the applesauce in the regular canned fruit aisle vs the baby food section. You can buy a bunch of unsweetened applesauce there. Watch out for the no sugar added label- make sure it isn't a fake sugar additive. I get the good ole apples only kind which usually has ascorbic acid for preserving it. It is a lot cheaper. If you look around there are a few other mixed fruit sauces that you can find in that same section of the grocery store.

Whatever it is that your child enjoys eating, and allows you to also enjoy meal time - that is what you should do!

Flag as inappropriate Posted by asoulm8 on 24th April 2008
I think the most important part of feeding a baby solid food is that your baby has fun and enjoys lots of new foods. However you accomplish that is just fine. well, hold off on the Cheetos for a few more months but you get the idea. :-)

Your friend is saving money by using canned puree instead of the premade. If you have the time and inclination, give it a try. Or if you need to economize, that may be a place to look. But if it's not your thing, don't fret it. There hasn't been a study yet that says jarred baby food lowers IQ points and if one comes out you have my permission to laugh and ignore it. (And then watch the fun as the baby food companies fight back.)

This won't be the last time that someone will seemingly out-mom you. Just as you need to not compare one child to another, you can't compare one mom to another. We all excel at different things. And we're all doing the best we can.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Jenns on 24th April 2008
To me, it's whatever floats your boat (as they say). I knew a couple of moms who did their own, but with working, I simply didn't have the time, and quite frankly, the inclination, to be bothered with it. Besides, at that age, they don't know the difference. She did just fine with Gerbers and Heinz until she started eating regular people food.

The one thing I did learn from one of our baby classes before she was born was NOT to buy the baby apple juice, and that was simply because of the expense. The nurse said to simply take regular apple juice, half it with water and then half it again. Same thing and WAY less expensive.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by JKLD on 24th April 2008
I hope not, because I'm definitely not making my own baby food!

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Amanda on 24th April 2008
I made homemade baby food for my first born and it was alot cheaper and more healthier. It was quick as I boiled the veggies and pureed them in the blender.

I also bought jar food for my other children and they did very well.

I believe it's a matter of choice and one shouldn't be goated into making baby food or buying it just b/c someone else is doing it.

All 4 of my children are doing fine.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by caramelsugarberry38 on 23rd April 2008