When it comes to feeding my kids, I want the absolute best and most nutritious things for them! My journey with cooking for my kiddos started in 2020 when I decided to make my daughters baby food myself instead of getting the store-bought stuff. I won’t even get started on what things they put in some of the store-bought stuff to preserve them or even if what they put in it is real. For me, I didn’t want to question what I was giving my kid. A good balanced diet is so important for a child’s development, and I wanted to make sure that was something I took seriously. Not to mention, it’s seriously sooooo much cheaper than jarred baby food! Let me save you some time and money mommas!

In May 2023, I began steaming, prepping, and freezing baby food for my boys just as I did for my daughter, instead making double the batch of everything. Organic, natural, or whole foods are things I use to start my kids off with around 5 months old. To have enough stocked up over the “testing period”, I made a few single ingredient foods over a few weeks to give them a variety of options. Here, I will share what foods I made for them, how, and how I am storing them!

Important Tips:

1. Purchase a storage system with lids that will keep germs and other food from contaminating the baby food while it freezes. I chose this Baby Food Freezer Tray with lids that has 1 oz cube slots! Perfect for babies just starting solids!
2. Purchase a good blender that will puree any steamed food down to a fine and smooth consistency. This is important for beginner eaters! I love my baby bullet system! It even came with some cups and lids to store food in as they thaw or any leftovers you want to save for a meal instead of freezing.
3. Map out what you want to try ahead of time and research what foods are easy on a baby’s tummy! Cruciferous foods and acidic berries and fruits are not the first items you want to try out on your little one! Maybe save those for 7-8 months.
4. Freeze single ingredient foods one at a time. You can eventually mix ingredients but for now, keep it simple to know how your baby reacts to one food over a few days’ time period.
5. Get you some gallon food storage bags and a permanent marker for when everything is frozen and ready to store. I only store mine for up to 6 months.

Foods to Start First:

• Carrots
• Zucchini
• Sweet Peas
• Green Beans
• Sweet Potatoes
• Butternut Squash
• Pumpkin
• Yellow Squash
• Bananas
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Peaches
• Pears
• *Organic Oatmeal mixed with fresh breast milk or water
• *Organic Rice Cereal mixed with fresh breast milk or water

Directions

1. Take your single ingredient food and steam is until it falls apart with a fork piercing it. An exception are bananas because you can simply blend them and freeze them! (Easy peasy!)
2. Add steamed food and water to the blender and blend to a smooth and thin consistency for first timers and a thicker consistency for the 7-9 month old kiddos.
3. Add the mixture to your freezer storage tray and freeze for 4 hours. Remove the frozen cubes and place them in a storage bag labeled with the date on them and place it back in the freezer.
4. Place a cube or two in the microwave for 30-40 seconds, monitoring how hot it is before feeding it to your baby. Feel free to mix fresh breast milk with it to encourage your nursing baby to eat it.

*Oatmeal or Rice Cereal can be prepared with warm water or fresh warm breast milk and simply stirred and transferred to the freezer tray and frozen for later!

Once my kiddos showed no signs of adverse reactions to these foods, I then started mixing a few cubes of different foods together or even making a concoction of 3 ingredient mixes and freezing those. But for now, I wanted to get you started with the essentials.

Cooking is one of my favorite things to do! But when it comes to cooking 2-3 different meals in one night, I was not willing to play that game. Prepping and freezing baby food has helped me to be able to throw a cube or two in the microwave while dinner is finishing up for the last 30 seconds. This doesn’t have to be a hard task if you are efficient with your time. I started in May and my boys did not start eating solids until June/July. Give yourself some leeway and get started now to save your some time in the future! I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas! As always, share them below in the comments section!

Together, we rise!