Make Your Own Baby Food

Fresh green peas, steamed, pureed and ready to freeze. One of the greatest things about making your own baby food is the complete control of what your baby eats for a fraction of the cost of buying the store-bought variety. Try reading the labels on commercial baby foods, and they often contain more water, salt, starch, and sugar than homemade versions, and there's added preservatives, and fillers and other ingredients in there as well.

Preparing your own baby food is easy, fun and healthy! Homemade baby foods contain more nutrients, and no added fillers and artificial ingredients. As a side benefit, the pressure cooker can cook several different foods at the same time.

Start from scratch, or if it's more convenient when cooking vegetables for the family meal, just set aside one or two servings for baby before adding any salt or other seasonings. Then just drop the veggies into a food processor or blender with a bit of the cooking liquid and viola -- perfect baby food!

At four to six months most babies are ready for solid foods, but check with your pediatrician for specifics on what's best for YOUR baby.

What's On This Page?

Equipment Needed

Storing Baby Food Cubes

Cost of Homemade Baby Food

Food Savings

Equipment Needed

In addition to the pressure-cooker, your kitchen is probably well stocked with everything you need to start making your own baby food. A handheld blender will make a very smooth puree. A food processor can also make a puree, its not quite as smooth, but it can also also slice, dice, chop, shred all kinds of raw and cooked foods, including meats, and that makes it a great time saver if you can only afford to buy one.

Freshness First

It is always best to use Fresh whenever possible. Frozen foods are a second best choice, but read the labels as many frozen vegetables contain added salt.

Canned vegetables and fruits are not recommended because they often contain preservatives along with a high amount of sodium, sweeteners and seasoning that are not good for baby.

The Cost of Homemade Baby Food

One of the most commonly asked questions is "Is it worth it to make my own baby food when the jars are so convenient? Have you taken a look at the cost of commercial baby food? Why does is cost so much to buy those little jars of smashed up regular food for little ones that don't quite have all their teeth?

Prices may vary, but remember that the actual cost savings is an additional benefit compared to good health and the added nutrition and peace of mind in knowing exactly what is going into your baby's tummy,

Money Savings
Just using the sale ads from a local grocery store, you can see this is a potential cost savings of hundreds of dollars annually.
Fruit or Veggie	Gerber or Beechnut 2 1/2 Ounce Jar	Homemade 16 Ounce Fresh or Frozen
Peas	$0.28 per oz $0.69 Total	$0.09 per oz $1.50 Total
Pears	$0.28 per oz $0.69 Total	$.06 per oz $1.00 Total
Sweet Potatoes	$0.28 per oz $0.69 Total	$.05 per oz $.89 Total

If you are looking for some easy variations to provide for different tastes and texture, try

Make the mixes 50/50, cook until soft, and puree to desired consistency.

Peas and Carrots	Green Beans and Potatoes	Carrots and Corn	Squash and Corn
Carrots and Sweet Potatoes	Sweet Potatoes and Corn.	Potatoes and Squash	spinach and potato
Apples & Cherries	Plums with Apples	Apples and Pears	Bananas and Kiwi
Peaches and Apples	Apples and Bananas	Pear Pineapple

Preparation

Special care should be taken when preparing foods for babies because they are more vulnerable to germs than older children and adults. Food preparation tools, ingredients, work surfaces, and hands should be as clean as possible. Raw food contains bacteria, so keep the separated and never let cooked food come into contact with raw food. Thoroughly wash cutting boards and utensils that have been used with raw foods to avoid cross-contamination.

All fresh produce must be washed, peeled, cored or seeds removed, and cut into uniform 1 inch chunks for best results. Keep it simple: no seasonings, no added salt or sweeteners or fat., and no thickeners. Babies do not need the extra flavors.

Pressure Cooking Baby Food

Using a pressure to steam foods preserves the most nutrients , and that ensures that your family and your babies are getting the best nutrition. Steamed in the pressure cooker, your baby's fruits and vegetables will have the most nutrients because the food cooks so quickly using very little water.

Researchers cooked food in four ways: microwaved, steamed, boiled and pressure cooked. Among the things they measured was the healthful flavonoids, antioxidants that destroy free radicals which can damage our DNA, possibly leading to cancer, stroke and other diseases. The results have been widely reported, with microwaving removing 97.2 percent of the flavonoids, boiling removed 66.0 percent, steaming removed 11.1 percent and pressure-cooking removed only 8.8 percent.

Cook small amounts of several different fruits and vegetables at the same time using ramekins or custard cups. Place the rack in the cooker and add 1/2 cup water. Fill each cup with different chopped fruits and vegetables. Arrange the cups on the rack, offset and stack a second and third layer [depending on the height of you cooker] of cups and cook as directed. The cups can be removed to a wire rack to cool using long handled tongs or oven mitts.

Master Baby Food Recipe

Start with my main recipe to make countless variations of this basic puree by mixing fruit and vegetable combinations according to your baby's age and needs. Mix-N-Match to vary the taste, color and texture that best suits baby's taste likes and dislikes.

Use the directions in the Cooking Time Charts for other Vegetables, Fruits and Meats to determine cooking timesto other foods.

Fresh Fruits	Fresh Vegetables	Directions
cut into uniform 1 inch chunks except where noted		All the foods lisred in this chart will cook for the same so its easy to mix and match in any comtination. Place the rack in the pressure cooker and add 1/2 cup water. Add up to 1 lb. cut fruits or veggies, or combinations to a steamer basket. Position basket on the rack, above the water level. Alternatively, place small amounts of several different fruits and vegetables in ramekins or custard cups. as outlined above. Lock the lid in place. Bring to 15psi over high heat, immediately reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting to stabilize and maintain that pressure. Cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat and use the cold water release method to stop the cooking immediately. Open the lid as soon as the cooker is depressurized and quickly remove the food. Use whatever appliance you have to make a puree of good consistency for the age and needs of your baby. If needed, agd a little water, milk or formula, plain unsweetened and unsalted fruit or vegetable juice, or defatted broth or stock to thin the puree to the desired consistency. Blend the ingredients long enough to make a smooth consistency for the youngest babies, and increase the texture as babies grow. Refrigerate in a tightly closed container and serve within two days. Or pack into ice cube trays to freeze and then pop out the cubes and store in sealed plastic freezer bags and use within 1 month.
Blueberries	Asparagus
Cherries	Beans
Grapes	Beet Greens
Mangoes	Beets - cut 1/2 inch pieces
Nectarines	Bell Peppers
Papayas	Broccoli flowerets
Peaches	Brussels Sprouts
Pears	Cabbage
Pineapples	Carrots - cut 1/2 inch pieces
Plums	Cauliflower flowerets
Rhubarb	Celery
Apples	Collard Greens
	Corn kernels
	Dandelion Greens
	Eggplant
	Green Beans
	Green Peas
	Greens
	Kale
	Mushrooms
	Mustard Greens
	Okra
	Onions
	Parsley
	Peas
	Peppers
	Potatoes - cut 1/2 inch pieces
	Pumpkins - cut 1/2 inch pieces
	Rutabagas - cut 1/2 inch pieces
	Shell Peas
	Spinach
	Summer Squash
	Sweet Corn
	Sweet Green Peppers
	Sweet Potatoes - cut 1/2 inch pieces
	Swiss Chard
	Tomatoes
	Turnip Greens
	Turnips - cut 1/2 inch pieces
	Waxed Beans
	Winter Squash - cut 1/2 inch pieces
	Yams - cut 1/2 inch pieces
	Yellow Beans
	Zucchini

Storing Baby Food Cubes

Ice cube trays are perfect for freezing single servings of baby food. Fill the trays, freeze until firm, and store the cubes in a freezer bag. One or two cubes make the perfect serving size, and they can be reheated very quickly. If you do not plan to freeze your homemade baby food, make the puree on a day to day, or every other day, basis. It is recommended that fresh pureed baby food be stored no longer than 48 hours in the refrigerator. Baby food cubes may be safely kept in the freezer for 3 months, but it is preferable to use the cubes within 1 month for best taste.

Reheating Baby Food

When warming food from the refrigerator for baby, warm ever so slightly on the stove top or for a few seconds in the microwave, just enough to reach body heat. Baby's food should be only moderately warm, about 99 degrees or body temperature -- like breast milk. Stir very well to distribute any "hot spots", then test for a safe temperature by poking or swirling your clean finger throughout the bowl -- the food should feel neither hot nor cold.

NOTE: Most pediatricians suggest sticking to the basic cereal, vegetables, and fruits until the 7th month. However, I would suggest that you talk to your pediatrician to see what's the best recommendation for your baby's needs.

One advantage of using commercially prepared boxed baby cereals is the added vitamens. You can add over-the-counter (no prescription needed) baby iron and vitamins drops to make up for the lack. They are sold in any pharmacy and most supermarkets, just make sure you get your pediatrician's OK first.

Baby Oatmeal

Put a cup of water in a saucepan on the stove top to boil.

Meanwhile, take 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of oatmeal (non-quick cooking) and whiz it in the blender until it becomes a powder, stir it into the cup of boiling water, turn the heat down to low, and let cook for 10 minutes.

Stir with a whisk or fork to prevent lumping and scorching on the bottom. Let cool thoroughly before feeding to your baby.

Banana Farina

1 small ripe banana
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups Cream of Wheat farina
2 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)

Boil water in a medium-size pot. Stir in the farina. Cook until the cereal is thick (about 5 minutes). Remove from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Put cereal, banana, applesauce and sugar into a blender. Blend until smooth. If the cereal is not cool enough, let cool. Add cereal to a bowl

Apples & Chicken for Baby

1 teaspoon safflower or other light veggie oil
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced thinly
1 apple, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly
2 carrots, peeled, trimmed, and sliced thinly
1/4 cup water
2 poached chicken breast halves

Brown onions with oil over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Add apples, carrots, and water, cover and continue cooking at medium-low for 10-15 minutes or until very tender. Add poached chicken. Set aside to slightly cool, then puree in food processor. Can be refrigerated for 3 days; frozen for 3 weeks.

Chicken Dinner for Baby

1 cup water
1 chicken breast
1/4 cup rice

Simmer 20 minutes and add:

3 whole carrots
1/4 pound green beans

Simmer 10 minutes longer.

Blend or process the meat with enough of the cooking broth to make it moist. Mash the carrots and then the beans. Store separately in individual servings in the freezer sealed in plastic sandwich bags, or in a plastic ice-cube tray, which must be bagged and tied. Defrost a meal at breakfast, so it's ready to heat for lunch.