When it comes to what to feed your baby EVERYONE has an opinion. The range of baby food available is confusing and often contradicts alot of things that not only plunket says but also online blogs etc.
I have three children and have always made their food right from 4 months. Simple reasons for making my own:
- I know exactly what goes into it
- I can add extra fats or meats if I like, usually a bit of butter or chicken/mince
- It is ALOT cheaper
- It actually tastes yum!
Dont get me wrong Im not against supermarket baby food at all but I do strongly think that it should be a "moderation" food. I used to also do my own fruits but I do think that the options for fruit if you get the 100% natural/organic ones are perfectly ok.
There are a couple of options or ideas that can help you make your own veges but in a very quick and convenient way.
Freezer Cubes
Pick a day in the week that you have some time to yourself and get all the veges you need to make a variety of mashes/purees. Boil or steam the veges up in seperate pots then mash or puree and put teaspoon full into ice cube trays, freeze then pop out and put into a snap lock bag labeled with the date and what is in it. This is a great option when they are little as they dont eat a lot. You can then go into the freezer grab a cube of maybe pumpkin, corgette and carrot and mix it with some boiled water and rice or have it as is and defrost in the microwave.
Mash or Puree in the fridge
Boil or steam up a pot of veges - you can make a mixture of either what is in season to keep the cost down or what your wee one would like. Drain then mash or puree and store in air tight container in the fridge. I then use this for lunch and dinner along with sometimes a bit of meat in it and then finish the course off with some pureed fruit or yoghurt. This usually lasts 2-3 days and by then I usually get some different veges and make another one.
Having the fresh veges just seems to fill them up better and I have had a few days where I havnt been prepared and used the pouches and its the nights that they have usually woken up for an extra bottle.
I did my veges for next few days this morning and it was an interesting comparison with a jar of baby food I had in the cupboard for emergencies.
Watties Jar - Cost - $2 each - One serving (170g)
Vegetables 61% Chicken 10% Brown Rice 8% Cheese, Cornflour, Water 21%
Home Made Mash - $5.20 - 5 Servings (870g)
(pumpkin out of season so was expensive)
Parsnip 30% Pumpkin 40% Carrot 10% Corgette 20%
So if you havnt all ready give your own baby food a go! It is also quite rewarding and Im sure your wee one will love it!