If you have the ability to make homemade baby food, you’ll find that it has several advantages. While there’s a lot of information on the internet about the time and storage requirements for homemade baby food, a lot of it is inaccurate or misleading. Making your own baby food is easy, healthy, and a lot more beneficial for your child.
Right around the time, you’re starting to see the signs and symptoms of teething in your child is the time you should begin weaning them onto solid food. Instead of reaching for the jarred mushy peas at the store, consider creating your own versions at home! Here’s why:
7 Advantages of Making Your Own Baby Food
- It’s nutritious
Baby food that’s bought pre-jarred from a store is frequently heated at extreme temperatures to kill bacteria effectively, but that means it’s also destroying many nutrients. By making your own, you have the opportunity to use fresh and seasonal ingredients in order to boost the nutritional value of your child’s food. You can also control what kind of food they’re getting through the weaning process, rather than only choosing from what’s pre-packaged and available to you.
- It’s delicious
Because of the loss of minerals and nutrients, processed baby food is often pretty bland. As you’re introducing your baby to real food, let them experience a variety of flavors and tastes!
- It’s not processed
While it is technically processed through the blending, it’s not anywhere near as processed as food from the grocery store aisle. There’s no need for thickening ingredients like starches or any flavor additives. It’s also incredibly easy to make because sometimes the only necessary processing step is blending the side of steamed vegetables you made for dinner!
- It’s affordable
Homemade baby food means there’s no need to pay for manufacturing, packaging, shipping, or overhead costs. All you’re paying for is the ingredients themselves. By simply adapting and blending versions of your family meals, you’re not incurring a large price difference while still ensuring a nutritious and delicious portion for them.
- It expands their palate
By working on your child’s palate early, you can avoid having a fussy eater down the road. You can control the textures and flavors of the food you give them to avoid food phobias. By giving them a greater variety, you’re opening up their food experiences early on.
- No flavor standards
Mass-produced baby food must all meet strict standards to ensure consistency throughout the product. This means every jar you get should have the same texture and taste as the next. Homemade meals have the advantage of varying a bit each time. By alternating spices and herbs or cooking methods, you can make the same recipe taste different each time. This will avoid food burnout from your child.
- Save time in your busy schedule.
By simply creating a blended or slightly adjusted version of your normal family meal to feed to your child, you won’t have to worry about preparing special meals or buying special products for your baby. You can even make an extra batch of baby purees to keep in the freezer.
Conclusion
While it can be tempting to simply throw a few jars of pre-made mushy vegetables into your shopping cart while you’re at the grocery store, it’s actually much easier, cheaper, and smarter to prepare homemade baby food for your child. All you have to do is create pureed versions of the family meals you already make in order to share a delicious and nutritious meal with your weaning child.
Resources:
https://www.kutekeiki.com/teething/baby-teething-symptoms-signs/