We starting giving Sophie food at 4 months old. We started with rice cereal with breast milk. Now we're doing a combination of baby led weening and purees. This week I tried making my own squeezy pouches. I've wanted to make me own baby food since before I got pregnant. I thought it was would cost efficient, fun to do and a lot better for my baby since a lot of baby foods and pouches have extra ingredients and preservatives.
I found Moss & Fawn's baby feeder which we loved taking with us to jiji's and granny's house. It was great when we thought she was teething (still no teeth here) as well as an easy way to introduce new foods without making a total mess... I loved using this feeder instead of fully baby led weaning because it was easy and like I said less messy. Three cheers for anything less messy! You can add fresh or frozen fruits and veggies. We still use this occasionally especially when we're not home or giving her something that may be a little harder for her to grip.
When I first started making my own food I used breast milk but then I wasn't sure how to get around freezing the baby food if the breast milk had already been frozen...? So I would only make a enough to keep in the fridge for a few days. Then I transitioned into using water instead of breast milk so I could make bigger batches and freeze them. When I can actually remember to meal prep I try to make food for Sophie & food for Jeff (since he's working from home)
There are so many ideas & recipes on Pinterest. But some of my favorite combinations to make are:
Sweet Potato & Applesauce
Sweet Potato, Banana & Avocado
Sweet Potato & Spinach
Banana, Yogurt and Strawberries
Banana, Raspberry & Spinach
I make baby food once every two or three weeks. Usually I use one large sweet potato, whatever berries I have, a handful of spinach and some organic unsweetened apple sauce (I'm going to try to make my own next) I tend to make 3 or 4 different types at once so my freezer is stocked with a variety.
I LOVE my Infanso baby food maker. It steams the food, purees it and disinfects itself. Its very affordable and a lot less hassle and mess than boiling food over the stove, draining it and throwing it into a blender or a food processor. A lot less dishes too! I store my baby food in 4oz mason jars. They're of course glass, easy to store, easy to heat up and easy to clean.
Making squeezy pouches is way more affordable than buying them in the story. The average pouch costs $1-3 per pouch... The Infantino Squeeze Station makes making your own food fun and really easy. You can buy 50 disposable pouches for $16 or buy a 10 pack or reusable pouches for $10. I personally love using the disposable so I can just throw them away when we are out and don't have to worry about remembering to wash to them or worry about them getting cleaned properly. You can also buy special toppers for your pouches like a spoon attachment or a topper so it controls how much comes out.
Sophie is loving food so far! She especially loves french fries like her mama. Making baby food has been so fun, really convenient and a huge money saver! I love knowing every ingredient she's eating and that is fresh and safe. Plus is so fun coming up with and creating new combinations. Any other mamas make their own food and have a favorite recipe or trick?
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