6 Simple Reasons to Make Your Own Baby Food  

Nothing beats homemade food. But, with everything the busy new mom does, adding yet another line item to her ever-growing to-do list might seem simply exhausting. However, making your own organic baby food has never been easier, more economical or better for baby.

It is Simple & Easy

Baby food is essentially steamed, baked, cooked or blended foods - That’s it! The key to making the process quick and painless is batching the food prep rather than making it every. single. time. Pick one day a week to devote one hour or less to cooking his/her favorite foods for the upcoming week.

Making your own organic baby food starts by softening the vegetable by steaming, baking or boiling. We recommend steaming to increase the amount of nutrients in the final product. Baking or boiling for longer periods of time tend to dissolve the foods essential nutrients.

Take the cooked vegetables or fresh fruit and add them to your food processor. You can even make do with a simple Magic Bullet Blender!

Pro tip: Instead of throwing out any liquid used to steam the food, set it aside and add it as necessary to get the consistency just right. Not only will it help the texture, but it will also supply nutrients back into the food that may have been otherwise lost in the cooking process.

 Saves Money

Let’s do a quick cost comparison…

A 4-ounce jar of Gerber organic sweet potato baby food is about $1.39 at your local grocer. If you get two meals per jar, the cost per meal is .69. One organic sweet potato at Whole Foods is about $1.50 and can make anywhere from 6 to 8 servings. That is a per serving cost of only .18 - .25 cents. At 3 servings a day, 365 days a year, making your own organic baby food can save more than $550!

Peace of Mind

There is nothing quite like knowing exactly what is going into your little one’s belly. And providing them with an abundance of fresh, antibiotic and chemical-free, organic food will supply a continuous stream of fuel for their all of their adorable growing parts from their brain to their tiny little toes. Making your own baby food ensures you know every single ingredient that goes into baby’s belly and gives you one less thing to worry about!

 More Nutritious

Store bought baby food alternatives often have additives and extras to extend their shelf life. Opting for made at home organic baby food ensures finger-licking goodness powered by mother nature.

Healthy Habits

Making your own food at home sets the standard for not only baby, but everyone in your home. When people in your family see you going the extra mile to provide fresh and healthy nutritious options for baby, it will reaffirm a sense of responsibility to take care of themselves. With staggering obesity rates due to the abundance of quick, simple meal solutions on every corner, this could make all the difference.

 Environmentally friendly

Out of sight out of mind, but everything we throw away must go somewhere. Cutting down on disposable packaging is essential for saving our environment. DIY organic baby food is up there on the list of powerful little things we can do to help ensure a better future for the next generation.

Not only have we put together 6 simple reasons to make your own organic baby food, but check back next week for Part 2 in our Baby Food Series as we unveil 3 powerful tools for making homemade baby food a cinch and our favorite organic baby food recipes little Jack or Jill will LOVE!