Baby Food Meal Prep
Jessica here with a super easy DIY baby food puree hack! I always knew I wanted to make my own baby food, but wasn’t sure how hard it would be. Dealing with all the post partum “blessings” that comes with being a new mom, the idea honestly felt overwhelming. So I fell down the rabbit hole of researching the best store bought baby food I could find. Many of them claim to be organic, but in reading the ingredients it was clear that was a lie… merp. The bottom line, something unnatural HAS to be added in order to give these foods a shelf life. The idea of filling my baby’s tiny body with preservatives just didn’t sit right.
So where does a mom go for advice on what to do?
Her mom.
When I was little, my mother made all her own baby food. She would freeze purees in ice cube trays, pop them out once frozen, and label them in freezer bags. Each morning she’d pull out 2-3 cubes per meal of whatever she wanted me to eat that day so they’d thaw by the time I was ready for a feeding. When fully thawed, she’d zap them in the microwave for about 20 seconds (30 - 40 seconds if still frozen) and they’d be good to go!
Let me tell you… this has been a game changer!
How to prepare:
For the squash, apples, sweet potatoes, and carrots - you’ll want to wash and peel prior to cooking. The skin on the blueberries won’t be an issue, just wash prior to cooking.
Boil each [separately] in water. Boiling or steaming holds the nutrients more over roasting in the oven.
Use either a Vitamix, blender or food processor to puree each ingredient. I’ve tried each method and personally prefer using a Vitamix because it gets rid of all the clumps and makes the purees nice and creamy. If using a blender or food processor you’ll want to add some water to help rid of the chunks and keep it nice and smooth. Be sure to only add small amounts of water at a time as to not dilute the flavor or make the puree too soupy.
Using a silicone ice cube tray, drop a spoon-full of puree into each cube.
Let set overnight.
Once frozen, pop the cubes out and drop them into labeled freezer bags. I can’t stress this step enough! Carrots, squash and sweet potatoes all begin to look the same when you’re running on 3 hours of sleep. You’ll thank yourself later!
Once frozen, your purees can last up to 6-8 months in the freezer. I’ve been prepping / freezing new batches every 3 months so I can add new foods. Once you get the hang of it, it takes a total of about an hour to prep, cook and place in the freezer. Not only are you saving a ton of money, but you’re ensuring your baby is getting nothing but nutrients!
This post has been tested and approved by Hayden, age 8 months.
