Baby Food(ie)

Reed is becoming a baby foodie.

We started solid food this month (a process that I was half-dreading). I LOVE getting to feed Reed (shocking since I wasn't sure I was going to try nursing at all. It is SO easy, WAY cleaner, and MUCH faster than trying to spoon feed a baby who lets half the food fall out of his mouth. I could go on and on about everything I love about it.) It is one of the best parts of being a mom, and I was sort of sad to start something that would eventually replace me.

I tried to get excited about it by looking into making my own food (another thing I wasn't sure I wanted to do). It is easier to buy the food at the store, but have you tried that stuff? It smells DISGUSTING! I thought, for sure I could make it taste better by making it fresh at home. My only rule was it had to taste good to me before I'd give it to Reed. My pediatrician gave me the go-ahead to give Reed anything (except honey) as long as I tried one food at a time. So I did some research for some basics and hit the ground running.

Here are the sites that I like:

www.wholesomebabyfood.com
www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com

And if you want to be adventurous:

www.weelicious.com

I like the first 2 because they tell you just how to cook certain foods and you can search by food. They also give an approximate time to introduce the foods. I liked these a lot because I like guidelines. I didn't know where to start. They have also given me good ideas for things to try next.

Ready, Set, GO!

I started with apples. It was an impulse. We had lots of apples and we were going to be leaving the state in a few days. I decided I'd try my hand at homemade applesauce. I didn't know how difficult it would be, but went for it anyway.

I had 5 apples, which made sauce for a couple weeks.

1. Wash apples (especially if they aren't organic. Apples have the highest amounts of pesticides.)
2. Peel and core apples - easy enough, until the apple slips from your grip and lands of the floor....3 times
3. Cut into smaller pieces and put in pot with water
4. Cook until soft
5. Drain, put in blender, blitz (adding water or the drained juice if needed)
6. Done? That wasn't so bad at all!

I poured the applesauce in ice cube trays (as it seems EVERYONE does) and left them in the freezer. When frozen, I popped them out and put them in a gallon size bag (with a label, of course).

It was too easy! If only Reed was more receptive to eating solid food. He eventually got it. Can you tell?

Yummy Peas!

So that was the beginning. So far Reed has liked just about everything we put in his mouth.

So far, that includes:
Sweet Potato with cinnamon
Butternut squash
Peas
Green Beans
Apples
Banana
Mango
Avocado
Carrots
Mashed potato
Egg

I will truthfully eat every one of these that I make at home. They really do taste good. I am looking forward to mixing more flavors together. (Sweet Potato with apple is exceptionally good.)

I was really wanting to expose him to different flavors, hoping to make him less picky growing up (like his father was). We'll have to wait and see how that turns out.

I was also trying to get some of those "super foods" in there.

Next up to try:
pears
kiwi
broccoli
turkey

We'll eventually try salmon (when he can eat/chew more solid foods). Not sure how I feel about pureeing fish.

And we'll try to sneak some spinach in there, too.

Well, I am happy to say that I love making my own baby food. I like it, Reed likes it, it's healthy, and I get a much bigger variety of baby food.

Yummy!

The Turners