Baby Foods

My Mommy fed me...



BEETS!!!

I've had so much fun going to the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market this summer. I've been cooking up a storm in my kitchen making lots of baby food! So far I've made:

Pumpkin
Apples
Pumpkin w/Apples and Cinnamon
Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli with Apple Juice
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Peaches
and Beets!

This post won't pertain to many of my readers, but if you have a baby and are interested in making your own baby food, let me know. I'd love to share some easy recipes with you!

I choose to make homemade baby food mainly because I enjoy doing it, but here are some other good reasons to go the homemade route:

Cheaper
Making homemade baby food is significantly cheaper than buying baby food.

Healthier
Homemade baby food is healthier for your baby. First of all, you are in control of what spices and sugar you put in your childs food, if any. That means you ensure the food is healthy for your infant and doesn't add extra calories from a lot of sugar. You also don't add preservatives, know where the vegetables and fruits came from, and how they were prepared. You can even alter ingredients to create specialized foods for your baby that you might not be able to find pre-packaged.

Tastes Better
Have you ever tasted the store-bought baby food? Some of them can taste pretty nasty. I'm never afraid to try a bite of the baby food I make. It tastes great! I was tempted to pour myself a bowl of the cooked apples after making them for my baby because they tasted that good! :)

Freezes Well
Homemade baby food may be made in one afternoon and then stored in the freezer in ice cube trays. It freezes well and you will find that you can spend a few hours making baby food and then have it for weeks on end. Most frozen baby food stays good in the freezer for up to 3 months.

*I am not against the store-bought baby food at all. It is perfectly healthy for your little ones. I still buy some to have on hand and it's much easier to use when traveling. However, if we are home, you can bet my little one is eating the homemade stuff made with love from her Momma!