Four Reasons You Should Make Your Baby's Food | mom so hard, Guest Blogger

guest blogger: LaTayia Treff of The Treff Tribe

My husband and I have 3 children combined and I don’t care what anyone says, kids can eat. 

And eat

And eat. 

No matter how resourceful you are, sometimes it takes all you can pull together funds to cover the grocery bill. Whether you are pulling from child support, government assistance, maybe your a coupon queen, or your groceries may come completely out of pocket; either way, when you have multiple children in the house, a grocery bill can be painful on our checking accounts! 

​This is especially true if you buy a wide variety of foods for them other than just "chippies" (chips). 

After realizing this, I took it upon myself to start making my son, Arthur’s food. On occasions, I will purchase emergency food and jars that I would not puree like Pumpkin or meat.
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This might seem like a very long task to try to do every day, but that’s why I don’t do it every day. After trial and error, what works best for me is to work a week ahead. 

I have a problem with procrastinating but I'm working on it. People think I’m a superwoman for raising 3 kids and still having time to maintain the house and make baby food, but the reasons to make it outweigh how I get it done. 

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Four Reasons to Make Your Baby's Food:

1. I know exactly what he is eating when I make it. 
   Baby food brands say that it is just bananas or just apple, but the way it can last for months without rotting makes me wonder. Even though they seal it, it is still very hard to believe that it is only bananas. 
2. We get to switch it up and mix ingredients together without buying a ton of single jars. 
   This week, my son tried broccoli and he loved it. So now, I put sweet peas, broccoli, and spinach together for him. Jarred baby foods range from $.80 to $1.43 so you can spend $15 (or more) for a week’s worth of jarred food or $15 for a month or more on fresh or canned food, that’s up to you!
3. It's fun trying different recipes that I think of or find online. 
   I love creating mixtures for my baby and seeing the smile on his face when he tries and loves a new taste. I think that’s enough reason right there. 
4. Possible savings! 
   The price of twelve, 2.5 ounce jars runs at about $24. For $23.14, I buy four, fifteen ounce jars of green beans, four cans of sweet peas , four cans of corn, four cans of carrots, a twenty three ounce jar of oranges, and a twenty three ounce jar of pears. One jar of food fills up three, two ounce containers. That is major savings!

My Tips for You:
AND, HOW NOT TO GET BURNED OUT!

1. Find a day each week that suits you and STICK TO IT! 
   Since I have a top freezer, I don’t have a lot of space to store food so I prep it every week. If I had a side freezer or a deep freeze, I would prep one day for the entire month. I do every Sunday after grocery shopping, I lay everything out and then go one by one. Fruits first because the blender is easier to wash and then veggies. The first time I prepped this way, I prepped for two weeks and put some in the fridge and some in the freezer. 
2. Be resourceful. Try to find someone selling baby food containers or 4-ounce containers instead of purchasing them new. I use the OXO tot baby food containers that I got from a lady on Facebook and I really like them. The lid snaps on securely, so I know the food isn’t going anywhere. 
3. Another way to save more money, is trying to get your baby on the same foods that your family is eating. Example: If I cook sweet peas for dinner, I will make enough to pull out for them to make a couple of days worth, especially if my prepped stash is getting low. 
4. Bananas and apples don't keep. Generally, I only prep his breakfast fruits if it is pears or another fruit like that. Bananas and apples turn brown fast, and I didn’t like it anymore so I didn’t feed it to him. ( Yes, I try my son’s food before I give it to him. If I don’t like it, he won’t either. Learned that from experience)
5. What I buy: 
   Canned: veggies like carrots, green beans, corn, sweet peas; fruit such as pears, applesauce, pineapple, peaches and oranges. 
   Fresh: sweet potato, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, apples, bananas, and other foods that obviously aren’t canned.
6. Don't spend extra on blenders. 
   Don't believe the people that say you have to use a baby blender, please. The only difference is that the baby blenders have a cute face on them! I use a regular Hamilton Beach Blender with the food processing attachment and my baby hasn't complained about it yet. 
7. Make sure to write the dates on the containers. 
   Take a sharpie and write the dates on it. I simply put the date number, because it is only for a week. The dates don’t really matter, just something I do to keep my head straight on what I used for lunch when it is dinner time.

I know making food seems like a crazy task, especially if you have other kids to take care of, but while they are independently playing, take advantage of that! Write your blogs, wash your hair, make your baby’s food, paint your toes. That is your time while they are still being stimulated by something.
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Our latest independent activity is pictured above, it was supposed to be their learning board, but it is what it is!

If you liked learning about how to make your baby's food, then like and share this with your mommy friends!

​Do you make your baby's food? Why do you and what are some tips that you could give moms that want to start? Comment below! 

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The Treff Tribe

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