Homemade Baby Food and Baby Food Recipes

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By making your own homemade baby food you will not only save money but you will make your baby very happy! And I know what some of you must be thinking, "Who has the time to make baby food?"

It doesn't have to take up as much of your time as you would think. In the end it is worth every bit of time you spend. The health benefits to your baby are tremendous.

I started making homemade baby food when my daughter was around 5-6 months old. It all started with a bout of infant constipation . It was partly suspect that the constipation was being caused by some of her baby foods. But there were several other factors that helped me come to the decision. At first, like many other moms, I thought I would never have the time to prepare all those meals. I barely had enough time on my hands as it was let alone to add another obstacle to the equation. But the cost factors paired with the health factors pushed me to at least try.

Make your own baby food and reap the benefits

* Save money by making smart decisions in buying the right baby food items, finding the bargains, and storing your food correctly.

* Feel good about feeding your baby the most healthy diet possible

* Go green. Make foods with organic and locally grown fruits and vegetables

* Do away with the finicky eater syndrome by introducing your baby to a world of variety in foods early in life

You also need to keep a good stock of fresh fruits, vegetables, and proteins on hand. I like to wait until certain meats and poultry selections go on sale and then I buy them up while they are cheap. I keep a supply in the freezer and take out what I need to cook a couple days before hand. Buying your veggies and fruits from a local vendor, or fruit stand can save you a ton of money as well. It is also environmentally friendly to buy locally grown produce.

There are a couple ways to save time for Moms on the go. One way to do it is to pick a certain day of the week to cook a whole weeks worth of meals or more. Store a couple days worth in the fridge and the rest in the freezer.

What I liked to do is coordinate cooking meals for the family with cooking for the baby. This way I was not only getting the baby's meals out of the way but I was forcing all of us to eat a healthy diet. I would simply make extra meats and veggies so that I would have leftovers to store for the baby. At other times during the week I would designate an hour during the morning or afternoon, about twice a week to make a few days worth of food. I wasn't a fan of freezing the baby food. I used these designated times to make all of the foods that required cooking. Breakfast foods were easy as I usually made fresh fruits and cereal only, so I would puree it on the spot.

Every family is different and will find different ways to fit time for preparing meals into their schedule. Once you get the hang of it it will be easy.

So get out your fruits, veggies, and proteins and let your imagination go wild. With a little thought and creativity you will come up with many food combinations that will delight your baby. Here's a few I make for my baby to help get you started...