To Gerber or not to Gerber...

By: Danie

That is the question! For all of you moms to be and new moms, there comes a time when you have to decide how you will approach solid foods for your little bundle of joy. I am a chronic over thinker and I like to plan ahead and RESEARCH! Many hours had gone into trying to decide if we would go Gerber or homemade. My final decision was to make our son's food myself and the major contributor to that decision was the fact that a jar of baby food has an extremely long shelf life. We have been trying to cut down our consumption of things that come out of boxes, bags and cans i.e. things that have preservatives, so once we made that switch jars of baby food were really out of the question.

Making my sons baby food has been very rewarding, I feel like I am getting him off to a good start and it has been surprisingly easy. It has given me the opportunity to introduce seasonal fruit and vegetables into the little ones diet. For the first few months (4-6 mons) it is super simple- pureed veggies with water or pureed fruits with water. You should always mix fruits with cereal when you feed it to your little one. Then as you progress you can start to mix different vegetables (make sure that you have tested both veggies individually for allergies) start them on meats and even add some seasonings.

I use the Beaba Babycook it is an all in one steamer and processor. If you plan on making a large quantity, the steamer is not ideal however I usually make smaller quantities so it works for me. Since the little one isn't eating as much right now I also use covered ice trays to store, these are the least expensive that I have found. The wells are exactly 1oz, if you freeze your food in the tray then transfer the cubes into Ziploc freezer bags you have perfect servings and you don't need a lot or freezer trays. Veggies and fruit can last in the freezer for about six months.

Making your own baby food is a fun and rewarding activity. It may not be ideal for the mom that is constantly on the go but if you have the opportunity to do it even every once in a while, go for it! There is nothing wrong with using Gerber if you decide to go that route but always keep in mind that there really is nothing to it as far as making baby food if you have the time and tools.