Making your own baby food is cheap, easy, and cuts back on a ton of packaging waste.
Just think of how much money you're spending every time you buy a pouch of the pre-made stuff.
It's as simple taking your favorite (baby-approved) fruits and veggies, tossing into a blender, and pureeing them.
Babies can eat the purees right away — or if you make a bigger batch, you can freeze and store the leftovers in ice cube trays, then thaw as needed.
We used these silicone ice cube trays — that are bendable and lidded — but any will work. When you're ready to use the pureed cubes, simply pop them out and thaw them in the fridge or microwave. Just remember to completely cool them before serving. (For more on how long purees will last in the fridge and freezer, click here.)
So, how do you do it? Here are the steps:
Just cook (if needed), purée, and freeze. It's that easy! These trays measure out to about one ounce per cube.
Ready to DIY your baby food? Here are five ideas to get you started:
Note: Organic produce is recommended when making baby food, especially when using produce from the dirty dozen.
1. Strawberry Puree:
What's in it: 1 cup of strawberries
2. Peach & Banana Puree:
What's in it: 2 peaches + 1 banana + ⅓ cup unsweetened apple juice
3. Carrot & Sweet Potato Puree:
What's in it: ½ cup boiled carrots + ½ cup boiled sweet potato + ½ cup unsweetened apple juice
4. Green Apple & Spinach Puree:
What's in it: 1 green apple + ½ cup baby spinach + ½ cup unsweetened apple juice
5. Blueberry Puree:
What's in it: 2 cups of blueberries
Those are just some of the flavors you can make. You can also try your own combinations and play around with different ice cube shapes to keep it exciting:
We used these adorable trays trays shaped like hearts, stars, and seashells.
Let's eat!
