Homemade Baby Food – Storage, Tips & Advice!
As adults, we out so much time and thought into what we eat. Most of us without a doubt prefer a home cooked meal over a ready made meal from the supermarket. Not only because it tastes better, but because we know what is in it and can avoid the nasty additives, added sugar, preservatives etc that we know are in ready-made food. So, it makes sense to put the same, if not more time and effort into ensuring that homemade baby food is just as nutritious!
Why should i make my own homemade baby food?
1. Healthy Meals
Baby food doesn’t always have to come in jars. You can make your own at home, and it’s not difficult. Serving fresh food from the very beginning will help your baby be more open to tasting new flavours and types of food. When you make baby food at home, you can choose your baby’s favourite fruits, vegetables and meats, steam and puree them using a food processor, and freeze them in convenient portions. With just a little effort, you can make fresh food for your baby alongside healthy meals you prepare for the rest of your family. Best of all, you’ll know exactly what you’re feeding your baby.
2. Cost Savings
Money is one driving force behind deciding to make homemade baby food. Healthy, tasty baby food can be made for far less than what you would have paid in the grocery store. Making baby food at home is extremely cost-effective, as food may be purchased either in season or on sale. Studies have shown that you can save 50% or more when making your own baby food depending on the brand, the age of your baby and the amount of food consumed. You can also save money and your time by buying in bulk. When you buy in bulk, you buy food without the extra costs for packaging and marketing. If you focus on buying bulk goods you can store or freeze, you can save thousands on your annual grocery expenses. The more you buy, the more you save, but make sure you’ve got the place to store them. Another way to save money is to make baby food in large quantities and freeze it in single servings. Let’s take a look at carrots. On average, four carrots will make 170g of baby food. If your baby is a big fan of sweet potatoes, an organic sweet potato costs $1.50 per 500 grams and makes ten servings, or $.15 per serving. Cheaper than buying a ready to eat in jars that costs $1/serving. Again, place in food processor and puree into reusable food pouches and freeze.
3. Environmentally friendly
When deciding on making your own baby food, you also need to consider where to store them. You will not only avoid feeding your baby with fillers and additives, but you will also be helping the environment by eliminating the need for excess packaging used for processed baby food.
Now that you have made your baby food, you want to store it in the most sanitary yet convenient way possible. To ensure that the food is safe for your little one, follow these baby food storage tips:
1. Selecting
Always begin with good quality ingredients and food containers. It’s best to use fresh and organic food whenever possible. Seek out BPA-free containers. Wash your hands and any equipment used to prepare the food. Make it a habit to always wash your hands before starting any kitchen task. Keep towels, cloths and sponges clean.
2. Preparing
You can steam, blend and puree meats, veggies, grains and fruits of your choice, knowing that your baby is getting the best baby food ever for less than half the cost of store-bought foods. Use a food processor, and for large quantities of food, a blender or food processor is invaluable. Aside from making your baby food preparation easier, most parents also find that using a baby food steamer and a baby food blender is a safe way to make baby food because you get to monitor the process yourself and know what is going into the food you make your child. One of the keys to making the process less time-consuming is to prepare baby’s foods in bulk and portion them into clean and empty reusable food pouches or containers.
3. Storing
Once you have whipped up your baby’s food, you can choose to preserve it by refrigerating or freezing. Refrigerated baby food should be consumed within 48 hours. On the other hand, frozen food should be consumed within three months. Never refreeze meals that have already been frozen and reheat foods more than once. To freeze prepared baby food safely, put it into sealed, labelled and dated containers. Reusable food pouches are an easy way of storing and serving your baby’s food. Just fill them up, label and either refrigerate or freeze, serve and reuse.
4. Defrosting
This is as easy as placing the frozen food pouches in the Cherub Baby food pouch warmer. It does a fantastic job of defrosting your baby’s food and all without batteries or electricity! Perfect for parents on the go.
You can also defrost the food by microwave or running the baby food pouch under a hot water tap or immersing the pouch in hot or warm water.