Stage 1 Baby Foods

If you are interested in tackling the task of making homemade baby food, this is the post for you!

First, here is a list of the Stage 1 vegetables and fruits that are suitable for babies 4-6 months (please be sure to receive pediatricians approval before introducing foods): 

When you start introducing baby to foods, the general rule of thumb is to make sure baby can sit up assisted (Bumbo or equivalent), can hold small objects in hands and manipulate them, and seems interested in foods. You will also want to try one food at a time to watch for allergies, and if the particular foods seems to cause distress or discomfort. 

Our pediatrician suggested for us to start with one tablespoon a day, and then add to it until day four. On day four, we could give her a 2 ounce portion at a time, twice daily. 

My goal is to make a months worth of a variety of baby food, and, based on my calculations, I will need around 124 ounces. How did I come up with this? Bean is eating two, 2 ounce meals a day (4oz) and there are typically 31 days in a month: 4x31 = 124 ounces.

When you create your own baby food, you can either refrigerate it for up to four days, or 4 months in the freezer, if packaged correctly.

LET'S GET STARTED!!

What you'll need: blender, 4-10 ice cube trays, permanent marker, freezer bags, measuring cup, and veggies of choice.

(Veggies pictured: 1 bag of frozen squash (12 oz), 1 bag of fresh butternut quash (16 oz), 2 bags of green beans (16 oz each), 2 bags of carrots (12 oz each), 2 sweet potatoes, and a 2lb. bag of sweet peas).  

Directions:

• Microwave your veggies for about 3 minutes. You want to defrost, not so much cook to the point where you would serve them for dinner.
• Next, place the contents of the package into your blender, and begin blending. 
• Some vegetables already have a watery consistency, so how much water you will add at a time will vary. I have noted that butternut squash, yellow squash, and green beans have thinner consistencies than, say, sweet peas. 
• Keep adding water until you have reached your desired consistency (stage one is pureed). 
• After blending, use a tablespoon to scoop the mixture from the blender and place into ice cube trays.
• Fill each slot to the top without overflowing. A fun fact is that each ice cube slot equals 1 ounce of baby food, so no measuring is required!
• Once the trays are filled, place the trays into the freezer and freeze for about an hour or two. 
• I remove the trays once they are pretty solid.
• Take your permanent marker and label your freezer bags with the vegetable, date, and the use by date (3-4 months from the day you make your food).
• Store in the freezer and take out what you need.

I take out lunch and dinner cubes the night before, and place them in the fridge. I heat, when needed, for about 10 seconds to take the chill off of the food.

#BrooklynApproved

*Always check the temperature of your baby's food before serving!  

I made 146 ounces of baby food (roughly 36 days worth of food) for $11.61. That's around $0.07 an ounce. Compared to Gerber, 4 ounces is $0.98, and further broken down is almost a quarter per ounce. A thirty-six day supply of Gerber baby food would typically cost $35.28! I was able to save $23.67 by taking an hour and a half out of my weekend and making her food!

**One thing that I will be changing next round is purchasing butternut squash and yellow squash in the produce section. I believe that I will be able to get more ounces (and spend less money) by going the produce instead of frozen route on this. 

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Whether you choose to make 146 ounces of baby food at one time, or you are wanting to test the waters and prepare 36 ounces of food, here is how you can organize the amount of food you prepare so baby isn't eating the same foods over and over! Here is a sample menu that I made for Bean (Brooklyn).

I print and place the menu on the fridge, and highlight her meals day-by-day, to keep track of her feeding schedule.

(Note: You can keep the same menu, or create a new one every time you prepare the next batch of foods.)