Homemade Baby Food; Why I chose to make my baby’s food

Baby O is 6 months old! We chose to delay solids until six months of age with both the children. Now the time has come, and I have been so excited to put our new baby bullet to the test. Last week I made my son homemade baby food. I think it’s safe to say he is a fan.

He looks like he ate Shrek, but Baby O loves his homemade baby food

There is no right or wrong way to introduce solids, only when and what.

Some recommend you can start straight into fruits and vegetables. I have heard moms say to begin with vegetables first, as sweet fruit may keep babes from enjoying veggies. Others prefer baby led weaning. However, it is no longer recommended to begin with grains, especially rice cereal.

Dr. Frank R. Greer, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’s Committee on Nutrition, says that

Complementary foods introduced to infants should be based on their nutrient requirements and the nutrient density of foods, not on traditional practices that have no scientific basis.”

It is beneficial, and will soon be recommended, to skip grains and rice as a first food.

Baby can start straight into fruits, vegetables, and meats.

Two reasons I prefer homemade baby food

• It is cheaper

Given my slightly crunchy ways, the main reason I prefer my instant-granola brand of crunchiness is because it’s cheaper. A  five ounce container of Gerber peas averages to $1.40 for 5 oz. Or 28 cents an ounce.

cost comparison of commercial vs homemade baby food from wholesomebabyfood.com

Comparatively, a 16 oz bag of frozen peas is $0.99. This yields about 20 oz of baby food, which breaks down to $0.05 an ounce. Ounce for ounce (and if your baby is an eater like O, that’s a lot of ounces), making baby food is cheaper, every time.

• It is healthier

Commercial baby foods made now are loaded with filler. When you make the food, you know exactly what your baby is getting. Pure fruits, vegetables, and meats. I like to add breast milk to O’s puree’s. Water or even formula can be used as well. Either way, you won’t have to worry about any nutrient deficient fillers. Fruits and vegetables are steamed or roasted yourself. Store bought baby food has to be cooked at extremely high temperatures. This allows the jars to have a long shelf life. It also depletes the foods of nutrients.

Besides, have you ever tasted jarred baby food?

Nasty. There are entire baby shower games dedicated to guessing which food is what. No wonder we are raising generations of babies who have aversions to fruits, vegetables, and meats. The first foods we are giving our babies taste nothing like the actual thing! I will take the taste of homemade baby food any day!

Do you or anyone you know make homemade baby food? Or do you prefer the jarred food? What myths have you been led to believe about starting your baby with solids? Talk to us and let us know what you thin think!

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Lauren Lewis

Lauren Lewis is no stranger to childcare development, having spent over 10 years as a nanny or family childcare provider. She’s the wife of a travel geek, mother of two vivacious children, and has an amazing talent for trailing lost things behind her a la Hansel and Gretel. Her passion for lifting up women and advocating for children pours out in her work as a Central Indiana Event Coordinator, Writer, and Social Media Relations Director for Breastfeeding World. Her life is full of busy, crazy and LOUD. It is full of love and hope, ups and downs. And coffee, always lots of coffee- but she wouldn’t have it any other way.