Make Your Own Baby Food

Because of Adelyn's reflux, we have gotten the go-ahead from the doctor to start solids a little earlier. We're starting rice cereal at 3.5 months and will probably start veggies and fruits in a month or two. Supposedly, the solid consistency will help keep the reflux a bit more under control. (Crossing our fingers!) With baby food on the horizon, I am super motivated to find the healthiest and cheapest ways to feed Miss Adelyn.

In a previous post, I mentioned that I had made baby food all day long.

Here's the scoop on how I did it. I got most of my information from Homemade Baby Food Recipes. I also deviated a bit from some of their suggestions and made it another way. There are a lot of different ways to make most of these kinds of baby foods so it really is your preference.

I started with a big trip to the Farmers Market. Basically, I wanted to have organic foods that were in season. I wouldn't recommend taking on this much in one day. I was a bit ambitious and by the end of the day I was sick and tired of baby food making. BUT I got it all done in one day.

Carrots

First, I peeled them and chopped the ends off.

I then laid them on a piece of foil and wrapped them up.

I baked them at 375 for about 30-35 minutes.

After they were baked, I threw them in the food processor and got them all chopped up. I then scooped them into ice cube trays for freezing. Done!

Green Beans

After washing and cutting off the ends, I boiled the green beans in a big pot of water for about 10 minutes. Basically until they were soft.

I threw them in the food processor, added a little bit of water to make them smoother and then scooped them into a mini-muffin baking sheet. (I ran out of ice cube trays). They shared it with the egg plant I had previously made.

Eggplant

Sliced it up and baked it at 400 for 20-30 minutes. Basically until soft.

After a trip through the food processor, here's what they looked like. (Pretty gross looking in my opinion).

Zucchini

After washing and chopping off the ends, I sliced the zucchini up into chunks and boiled it for about 5 minutes until soft. Threw them in the food processor and then scooped them into ice cube trays. That easy!

Butternut Squash

I bought two of these but found that one gives you PLENTY of food to work with.

I baked them whole (poke holes to avoid explosion) for and hour on 350. I let them cool, sliced them in half and ran them through the food processor. I had to add a little water to make the consistency a little smoother.

SO MUCH SQUASH!

Hope Adelyn REALLY likes squash.

Sweet Potato

Sorry, no pictures for this one. I bought about 5 potatoes, baked them at 375 for about 1.5 hours. After cooling, I cut them open, squished them with a fork and just scooped them into the ice cube trays.

I also have beets and apples that I haven't tackled yet. I'm sure more will be added to this list in the future. I'd love to hear any tips you may have on making your own baby food.