Cheap Mama pt 2

Part 2 of my little mini series is also about feeding your baby. This topic was one of the reasons I wanted to write up these little money-saving tip posts, because the internet and grocery stores are trying to fool you.


Baby Food.

Clockwise from Top left: Peaches (from freezer), peas and spinach, plums (from freezer), peas and spinach, sweet potato and carrot, sweet potato and carrot, red pepper and spinach and green onion, apples and celery.

How is the internet trying to fool you? Pinterest is pretending that you need to pin all of these tips and tricks for making baby food. I think that when there is a website that trying to teach you the "easy" way to make baby food, they are really telling you that it is hard and you need some tips and tricks. 

You don't. 

Baby Vera has been interested in real human food since she was about 2 months. I'm serious. She's been trying to grab at my food and whining to try some since that young. I gave her some leeks and she loved them. HERE

All babies will reach the age of needing solid food. And the grocery stores are trying to trick you! You'll buy baby food for about $1+ per jar. But they can range all the way up to $2.50 a jar! 

Now, you may be saying, $1 a jar is not that much. And you're right. It is not that much. But when you buy the cheapest baby food at $1 and some formula for $1.50 a bottle, you're looking at (at least) 2 meals a day for $2.50. Over a month period that is over $150. Add that to your grocery bill. Does that seem cheap now?

Cheap Mama's truth about baby food.

Babies will probably eat most things (especially most fruits. Remember the Watermelon? HERE) and the more frequently you offer them the more they will like them. Babies don't just like peaches and squash. Babies can like a lot of things. 

It is way cheaper to make your own baby food, and it hardly takes any time at all.

3 methods to make baby food (now I've become one of those pins with tips and tricks for making baby food)

Method 1: Buy some extra groceries specifically with baby in mind. Make baby food out of those.

Method 2: Save scraps of fruits and veggies from the week. Make baby food out of those.

Method 3: While you are making dinner, throw a small handful of the fruits/veg you are already going to cook in a separate pot. Make baby food out of those.

Whichever method you choose, making baby food is the easiest thing you could do. If you choose method 2 or 3, it is costing you no more than your grocery bill. So if you are already going to go grocery shopping for yourself, the baby food is essentially free. 

Free.  

Free vs. $150 extra per month. I choose free.

How to actually make it.

Pick whatever fruits, vegetable, or combination you'd like.

Put them in a pot and cover with water. Simmer until soft. (Note: If you are going to add spinach just throw it in right before you take it off the stove. it doesn't require much cooking)

Drain (SAVE THE WATER -it contains a lot of nutrients)

Blend. In a food processor, blender (what I do), immersion blender, food mill, what have you. You  may have to add some of the saved water to get a nice consistency. Discard the rest of the water you don't use.

Store in clean baby food jars or tupperware. You can freeze or use within 10 days or so.

Done. No tricks or tips. It seems too easy for step by step. 

I just save all the scraps of fruits and veg and on Saturday I make a batch of different baby foods and store them in the fridge for V. It takes very little time, and even less money. 

Cheap Mama says make your own baby food! 

(Note: If you are going to add spinach just throw it in right before you take it off the stove. it doesn't require much cooking)

(Note: Celery needs to be peeled, or you can use the innermost stalks that are soft and bendy)