Homemade baby food (vegetables)

I make homemade baby food all the time.

This doesn't mean that I don't buy any commercial baby food. Sometimes commercial baby food is a great option. For example, my baby loves mango smoothies. Mango's are pricey and not always ripe enough. Also, when you are on-the-go, commercial foods are great, because they are sealed and won't spoil.

For most days, it is easy and cheap to make and serve baby food at home. I usually make pureed sweet potatoes, yams, squash, green beans, and carrots. I make a lot and then freeze them for easy meals. I don't freeze fruits, because I prefer them not cooked so they retain more nutrients. I just keep fresh fruit on hand.

Here is how I prepare carrots (this method works for other veggies).

First of all, you need a steamer. I believe everyone need to have one (not just for making baby food). It is very inexpensive.

So put it in your pot and fill the pot with water until it reaches the steamer.

Peel your carrots. (I buy a huge bag of organic carrots from Costco for $5.49. And make sure you use a vegetable peeler, because it saves a lot of time)

Cut up carrots into more or less equal pieces. I didn't do a very good job this time, so it took a little longer for thick pieced to become soft. Steam the carrots covered on medium heat until they are soft. Make sure you check if you have sufficient water in the pot, because it can burn. I burned my pots plenty of times, especially when the pot was small and I was destructed by something.

Put steamed carrots in the blender and fill the blender halfway with liquid from the steamer. It is better then water, because it has some of the nutrients from carrots. Blend until smooth. While blending, you might need to add more liquid.

When it is nice and smooth, fill clean ice trays (I bought them specifically for freezing baby food) with puree and stack them in the freezer.

When it is frozen, get them out (I slide a knife on one side of the cube to easy it out) and put them into freezer bags. It is wise to write what it is and prep day on the bag. Squash and yams, for example, are almost the same color. On the picture, I have a bag with pureed sweet potatoes.

When it is time to eat, take as many cubes as you need and thaw. I place mine into a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for about 1 minute.

My baby loves homemade food. I love it too, because with very little preparation, I have healthy vegetables for my baby's meals every day.

Try it yourself.