Baby food: Reasons to contemplate making homemade options.
Baby food. Until it’s time to start feeding your baby solids it seems like a pretty simple topic. Get some food, put it in their mouth, they eat it, done, check, awesome right?… Unfortunately it’s not usually that easy. What foods do you feed them? What consistency is best? Is pre-made or homemade better? What’s the cost? What do you feed them with? And the questions go on and on and the information on the internet to answer those questions is endless. I think all 2021 parents have felt these sensations of overwhelm trying to figure out what to do – so, I’m here to help. My family went through this process and ultimately fed homemade baby food (with a few exceptions) due to the ability to incorporate many more flavors and nutrients, cost savings, environmental impact and the ability to eliminate any unknown or unwanted ingredients in the food. And once we got into a rhythm, we really enjoyed it. It has become a passion and I’m so happy to be able to share it; what I learned, what worked for us and how to accomplish it without losing our minds. As with anything in parenting (and as a matter of fact life), the “best” thing isn’t the best thing for everyone and nothing is all or nothing – so always keep that in mind.
What foods do you feed them? I think this may be one of the easier questions at the beginning of the solid food journey (later on as they eat more this becomes a bit more complex – the menu is more diverse). Truly the options are plentiful. And don’t worry on the blog I’ll provide you with inspiration so you don’t have to hunt it down. Typically, starting with single flavors not to overwhelm the little one’s palate and this new experience is a good way to begin. Then, moving to combinations, once they have mastered several single foods is a fun step. Most pediatricians will recommend introducing new foods every 2-3 days to be able to recognize any allergic reactions and easily identify the source. As far as allergen introduction, unless there is a strong family history of severe reactions, it is recommended to not delay the introduction of high allergens foods (eggs, dairy/milk, shellfish, fish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans).1
What consistency is best? There are a few schools of thought to feeding infants solids including purees only, baby led weaning (where you offer the infant cooked, easy to handle pieces of food) or a combination of both. I am a huge fan of moderation and everything in life comes with pros and cons. Some studies have shown that there is not an increased risk of choking with baby led weaning, however certainly still not an unreasonable concern if you feel fearful. Purees come with the benefits of allowing a large diversity of flavors as well as variety of consistencies options. Other factors to be considered at the ability to given baby all the required nutrients, for example iron, when only offering foods that can be consumed safely via baby led weaning techniques. There has not been enough formal data to prove nor dispute this.2 I felt that I could incorporate more into the diet with purees in a less worrisome way than with strictly baby led weaning.
Is pre-made or homemade best? As I said, “best” is a strong word. There is always room for give and take. The obvious benefit to pre-made baby foods is the convenience. Sometimes life can get in the way (we have all been there) and fed is best! Let me say that again, fed is always best. Homemade food allows you to know everything that you are feeding your baby. No preservatives or additives, just wholesome fresh food of your choice. Homemade baby food does require more labor initially but the ability to prep and freeze the food makes many days minimal stress. See my post on how to accomplish this!
Environmental impact is another consideration to add to your thought process. Homemade food can be prepped, stored and served in all reusable materials, minimizing the waste of single use bags, endless glass jars or shipping impacts from fresh food manufacturers.
Flavor and nutrient limitation. There are about a million baby food companies (something that you will surely find out about me is that I love to exaggerate) and many product options available by each – but there is a finite number of options available. Making your own food allows for customizable options with a trillion possibilities (see, another exaggeration), of not only flavors but dietary benefits to allow baby to get diversity of nutrients they need.
What’s the cost? Costs are another factor to consider. Babies are expensive. They require many things for safety, entertainment, hygiene and the list goes on. Cost is an important factor. Let’s break it down with an example.
Fresh Pre-prepared Sweet Potato, 4 ounce – $1.37-3.00 depending on the quantity of portions purchased
Organic Sweet Potato Jar, 4 ounce – $1.29
Homemade Sweet Potato Puree (Quantity: 1 sweet potato, 0.66lb = ~10ounces total puree) – $1.31*
I am not naive to some of the costs that go into your setup for cooking your own baby food, although many things you likely already own. Despite this, the ultimate cost benefit is still present.
The ability to regulate portion size is another huge benefit to creating your own food. You can store (and freeze) the food in whatever portions you so choose. There is nothing worse that the feeling of diving into a jar of baby food to have your babe not eat one bite. It can be even more soul crushing when you make it yourself (we’ve all been there, it’s not you and you’re not alone)- but a bright side is that you can control how much you waste and have it only be 0.5 or 1 ounce compared to a 4 ounce jar if you make it and portion it yourself.
For the last question, what do you feed them with?, check out my post about my favorite items for infant and toddler feeding.
Homemade purees is what we did with Poppy. We chose to incorporate some baby led weaning elements such as the bottom of a banana, also known in this household as the “baby banana popsicle” (peel left in place for better grip with approximately 1 cm of the peel removed at the top for eating) and slices of ripe avocado where our go-tos initially. We were able to incorporate so many different foods, spices and progressive consistencies which I think has made our girl a fantastic eater thus far. Of course the journey was, and is not, without ups and downs, but don’t worry, more details are ahead to keep it smooth sailing.
Good luck and enjoy! Don’t forget, the joy is in the journey too – not just the outcome.
Let’s talk soon,
Al
PS: If you have any concerns about your baby’s development, weight gain, readiness for solids or any other safety information regarding baby food, always consult your pediatrician as a trusted reference.
References:
1. Infant and Toddler Nutrition. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 11 Dec. 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/InfantandToddlerNutrition/index.html. Accessed 29 May 2021.
2. D’Auria, Enza et al. “Baby-led weaning: what a systematic review of the literature adds on.” Italian journal of pediatrics vol. 44,1 49. 3 May. 2018, doi:10.1186/s13052-018-0487-8. Accessed 29 May 2021.
Photo Credit:
https://unsplash.com/photos/73kiJztTAuY?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink
*Prices obtained May 2021 from Whole Foods Market, Pittsburgh PA and averages of online baby food services
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