Getting Started: What You Need

There’s a lot of money to be made off of new parents.  When I registered for my baby shower, I remember feeling overwhelmed by the amount of junk they sell which, after doing this for a year, I realize most parents probably  don’t really need.  I would put baby food processors in that category.  There are several brands of food processors that are marketed especially for baby food.  They come with a handful of little jars and a whole bunch of accessories and they’re just plain cute.  When I first saw one (before Izzy was born) I campaigned unsuccessfully for weeks to convince Stephen we needed it.

But here’s the thing- they only make 6 jars of food at a time (my daughter can eat that much in a single day), and they’re pretty much good for one thing- baby food.  Unless you’re a seriously busy parent who only wants to blend up a minuscule amount of food at a time, this just doesn’t make sense.  I’ve found it’s easier to devote an afternoon to making big batches of food that will last 2-4 weeks.  And realistically, a baby only needs to eat pureed food for 6-12 months.  I think it’s much more cost effective to just get a food processor that you can keep using.

So what do you need to make baby food?

For preparing:

Double boiler or steamer basket  Steaming is the simplest way to cook food while maintaining nutritional content.

Food processor  Unfortunately, most blenders just don’t do the job.  We spent $30 on a basic Black and Decker food processor and have really liked it.

For storing:

There are several different ways to store baby food.  I now freeze it in used baby food jars, but for a while I froze the food in ice cube trays and then transferred them to plastic baggies.  That way annoying because it’s extra steps, the cubes get stuck together in the bags, and it’s hard to take them with you when you go places.  I think using jars is a million times easier because the food is ready to go as is.  Some of my jars I got from a friend, and some I collected myself by buying a couple jars a week.

Did I miss anything?  Let me know in the comments.