As you may recall, I made 99.9% of my older son's baby food. I really enjoyed the process and appreciated that I was able to ensure he was getting healthy nutrition and a wide variety of flavors.
That said, Buddy Man also had some tummy issues. Early on, he was switched to soy formula. Despite that change, however, we had some projectile vomit issues on a fairly regular basis, and because of those issues, I was pretty cautious about his food. Each food was given for a week before we tried something new, and even though I was giving him a variety, it didn't feel like it since I was so careful to isolate new foods. I never made any "fun" combinations of foods and was hesitant to incorporate herbs, spices, and new flavors.
Dutch, on the other hand, doesn't appear to have any of these issues. He's happy as a clam, and while he could easily be called a "spitty" baby, he certainly is not like his older brother! At three months I started him on rice cereal once per day, with his morning bottle. He's gearing up toward needing the cereal twice per day and dropping his fourth (bedtime) bottle now that we're approaching the four-month mark. And, with that milestone and plenty of practice with a spoon under our belts, I'll be moving toward making baby foods again! I'm excited to restart the process and once again fostering an adventurous palate with my children (probably even moreso since my now two year-old is entering a picky stage...or maybe he's just too busy to eat!).
As I look to the future and baby food prep, I am forced to remind myself of a few things, though. First, and most obvious, is that I need to revisit some of my favorite resources for age-appropriate foods. It's so hard to remember what fruits and veggies should not be offered until certain ages! I'm a more "seasoned" mommy now, and not as paranoid as I once was about certain things. I'm more willing to take "risks" and break a few of the rules (strawberries before the first birthday, anyone?!) but I need to refresh my memory on those things that absolutely need to be avoided for a while yet! Secondly, I have to remind myself that I'm about to be a full-time student again. My time will be short. I'll need to plan ahead a little better so that I have a stash of food prepared in advance. Additionally, I'll have to rethink how I introduce new foods, since the day care center will be feeding Dutch the majority of his meals. I'm very fortunate that they will feed him whatever I bring in, and follow my lead on things. So I'm still free to make my own foods and am not backed into a corner with a certain brand or store-bought anything unless I want to be. But I still want to witness Dutch's "firsts". I still want to be aware of any reactions he might have first-hand, rather than a secondary report from daycare. Thirdly, my two boys are very different! Dutch doesn't give any indication of tummy issues. So I'll be able to blend flavors and provide more "meals" than I could before. I can combine fruits, veggies, grains, and meats. I'll probably be able to mix things up a bit to add variety to the daily diet.
And that last point is really the point of this post. I'm looking for variety. I'm looking for good combinations. I'm looking for healthy vitamins and minerals. So what am I doing? I'm shopping for baby food! That's right, you heard me correctly. I'm actually doing research, looking at jarred foods at the store and online and getting inspiration. I'm writing down combos that the big name companies create in the processed baby foods. I'm considering in-season produce versus frozen. I'm thinking about prep time for washing, peeling, and preparing the foods for puree. I'm contemplating storage and transport to daycare. I'm factoring in first introduction to fruits and veggies and then combining the two into more robust dishes at the six-month mark. I'm debating meat possibilities, remembering that meats were the biggest hurdle with my oldest son.
And yes, I even stopped to think that perhaps it would be just the same if I bought jarred baby food. Yes, it's a little more expensive. Yes, there's more uncertainty of exactly what is in each dish. And right there is where I stop myself and remind myself that making my own baby food is the best choice for my family. I willingly will sacrifice my own time to provide the best nutrition for my kids.
So, in light of all that, what are your favorite baby food brands? What combos did your little ones enjoy the most? What were your favorite food storage methods or systems? Did you freeze homemade baby food successfully? How? Help a mama out and let me know what worked for you! Because, even though this ain't my first rodeo, sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago when I was doing this very same thing the first time around!
Dutch, on the other hand, doesn't appear to have any of these issues. He's happy as a clam, and while he could easily be called a "spitty" baby, he certainly is not like his older brother! At three months I started him on rice cereal once per day, with his morning bottle. He's gearing up toward needing the cereal twice per day and dropping his fourth (bedtime) bottle now that we're approaching the four-month mark. And, with that milestone and plenty of practice with a spoon under our belts, I'll be moving toward making baby foods again! I'm excited to restart the process and once again fostering an adventurous palate with my children (probably even moreso since my now two year-old is entering a picky stage...or maybe he's just too busy to eat!).
As I look to the future and baby food prep, I am forced to remind myself of a few things, though. First, and most obvious, is that I need to revisit some of my favorite resources for age-appropriate foods. It's so hard to remember what fruits and veggies should not be offered until certain ages! I'm a more "seasoned" mommy now, and not as paranoid as I once was about certain things. I'm more willing to take "risks" and break a few of the rules (strawberries before the first birthday, anyone?!) but I need to refresh my memory on those things that absolutely need to be avoided for a while yet! Secondly, I have to remind myself that I'm about to be a full-time student again. My time will be short. I'll need to plan ahead a little better so that I have a stash of food prepared in advance. Additionally, I'll have to rethink how I introduce new foods, since the day care center will be feeding Dutch the majority of his meals. I'm very fortunate that they will feed him whatever I bring in, and follow my lead on things. So I'm still free to make my own foods and am not backed into a corner with a certain brand or store-bought anything unless I want to be. But I still want to witness Dutch's "firsts". I still want to be aware of any reactions he might have first-hand, rather than a secondary report from daycare. Thirdly, my two boys are very different! Dutch doesn't give any indication of tummy issues. So I'll be able to blend flavors and provide more "meals" than I could before. I can combine fruits, veggies, grains, and meats. I'll probably be able to mix things up a bit to add variety to the daily diet.
And that last point is really the point of this post. I'm looking for variety. I'm looking for good combinations. I'm looking for healthy vitamins and minerals. So what am I doing? I'm shopping for baby food! That's right, you heard me correctly. I'm actually doing research, looking at jarred foods at the store and online and getting inspiration. I'm writing down combos that the big name companies create in the processed baby foods. I'm considering in-season produce versus frozen. I'm thinking about prep time for washing, peeling, and preparing the foods for puree. I'm contemplating storage and transport to daycare. I'm factoring in first introduction to fruits and veggies and then combining the two into more robust dishes at the six-month mark. I'm debating meat possibilities, remembering that meats were the biggest hurdle with my oldest son.
And yes, I even stopped to think that perhaps it would be just the same if I bought jarred baby food. Yes, it's a little more expensive. Yes, there's more uncertainty of exactly what is in each dish. And right there is where I stop myself and remind myself that making my own baby food is the best choice for my family. I willingly will sacrifice my own time to provide the best nutrition for my kids.
So, in light of all that, what are your favorite baby food brands? What combos did your little ones enjoy the most? What were your favorite food storage methods or systems? Did you freeze homemade baby food successfully? How? Help a mama out and let me know what worked for you! Because, even though this ain't my first rodeo, sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago when I was doing this very same thing the first time around!
I made all of Jack's food that he ate at home and bought pouches from Plum Organics, Earth's Best and Happy Baby (sometimes) for on the go. Babies R Us often has sales on the first 2 brands. I love their combos and addition of grains like amaranth, quinoa and chia seeds.
ReplyDeleteAt home I made single servings of fruits, veggies and meats and froze them in Oxo Tot 2oz containers. They could be given alone, combined or mixed in cereal really easy.
Some good combos that Jack liked:
Plum, blueberry, apple, cinnamon & vanilla extract.
Beet, carrots & apple.
Kale, sweet potato & apple.
Chicken, brown rice, carrot, onion & garlic.
Beef or lamb, barley, carrot, onion & garlic.
Also, check out this blog post with info on websites and books that I found helpful! http://familyflex.blogspot.com/2013/06/gear-guide-homemade-baby-food.html
Oh man, can't believe I'll be doing this all over again too! :-)