Making Homemade Baby Food
Charlotte Hudson
When I think about being a "green" mom, I first think that "green" applies to me because I am a new mom. Everything with my 9 month old is a new experience and I feel quite green behind the ears.
But I am striving to do everything possible to raise him to be as healthy and happy as I can, which often coincides with trying to live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. Every day, I try to make good choices on his behalf -- about what he eats, what he plays with, how much time he spends outside (in the shade!) -- but these choices are not without their dose of reality.
The truth is that I work full-time in Washington, DC. Balancing home and work is challenging -- to say the least -- and that doesn't even count trying to manage caregivers, grandparents, the grocery and the laundry. We are all busy. We all wish we had more time for both ourselves and our families, so when someone challenges us to make our lives and the lives of our children a little greener, my first thought is… of course, but who has the time?
Luckily, I feel like making greener choices is often just as easy and inexpensive as we would make anyway. I feel like this is especially the case with the foods we choose to give our children. When I tell my friends that I have been making my son's organic baby food, their facial expressions reveal both awe and concern. Am I crazy? Who has that much time to spend in the kitchen?
The little secret is that it is really EASY and in many cases, less expensive. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to feed my son organic food -- at least as long as I could -- until he learns the word for "Happy Meal."
My husband and I love to cook, so it just seemed like the natural thing to do. I had no idea how to start until a friend introduced me to the book, Super Baby Food, by Ruth Yaron. It's a great reference book, and assumes you don't know a thing about cooking (always helpful), and the best thing is that you can choose how much to make yourself, and then just buy the rest.
The basic principle is that you cook whatever food you are preparing (carrots, peas, broccoli) and then throw it in the food processor (or a food mill), blend (or turn the handle) and "poof," there is your baby food -- all natural. Most of my friends make batches and freeze it in ice cube trays, which are handy because each cube is approximately 1 ounce, and you can keep track of how much your child is eating as he or she grows.
I have used organic frozen vegetables that I steam on the stove (or even in the microwave) and then blend. With items that are a little thicker, I usually add a little water to make them easier to blend.
Of course, I am not a pediatrician or nutritionist, so please consult a book or your doctor when making choices for yourself, but I never would have gone this route unless someone had told me how easy it is. Now, every time I put a spoon in my son's mouth, I feel good about what I am giving him. Plus, since I operate under the theory that I should taste everything he eats -- I know what I am eating, too !
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That was beautifully put. I think most people just don't realize that it's not THAT hard or time consuming to make just a few changes. Every little bit helps! And starting with our children is the best place to start. Great ideas here!
We plan on making our baby all her food- blending and freezing. The only thing on my mind NOW is what kind of icecube tray is safe and won't leach chemicals into her food? What about those flexible silicon trays? Are those safe? I am so anti-plastic.
I think its great. I try to make my own babyfood when ever possible and basically only if I'm in a jam will I use jared. I use either a strainer and spoon or a tomato press and don't bother using electrics at all..hence, greenmomma.tv..check me out
I'd also like to add that using icecube trays are a bad idea if you are concerned about dioxins. I like to use old babyfood jars and just store them in the fridge. I haven't tried freezing the babyfood jars.