Making your own baby food may be the best smartest step you take to help your child develop healthier eating habits for life.
This post is from Sara Boisen Schwertfeger, RD, who prepares homemade baby food for Trey, her 9-month-old.
Baby food manufacturers may make it seem like preparing nutritious baby food isn’t easy, convenient or safe in a home kiatchen. I’m here to tell you that’s just not the case. I think it’s almost easier making my own and believe that parents should at least give it a try.
While there’s nothing wrong with commercial baby food, making it from scratch means you have 100% control of what goes into it. I know mine contains no added sodium, sugars or preservatives. Ever! Since eating habits are developed at a young age, research shows that babies given the most fruits and veggies at six months old actually ate more produce when they’re seven years old. Even though baby may reject your efforts, just keep trying. Studies also show that it make take 10 or more times presenting a novel food to your baby before he accepts it.
I received a baby cookbook, The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet, which has been a nice guide for how to store, freeze, and 
schedule. It also has some great recipe ideas for combining ingredients when babies are ready. There are oodles of websites devoted to homemade baby food, so there’s no lack of resources to get you started.
For more information about infant feeding guidelines and baby food storage and safety, check out this resource.
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Here are a couple of my Trey’s favorites:
Zoom Zoom Zucchini
1 small zucchini
1/4 C breastmilk, water, or formula
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Creamy Butternut Squash Puree
1/2 small butternut squash
2 T breastmilk
Steam veggies or roast in oven till soft. Allow to cool. Puree in food processor, baby food grinder, or blender. Add breastmilk to reach desired consistency. Serve!
You can handle that! Baby food recipes can get slightly more complex, but nothing that parents can’t tackle. I make a big batch by doubling, tripling, or quadrupling recipes during a free moment (naptime) and freeze in ice cube or baby food freezer containers. Now I have food whenever I need it!
First Food Resources:
Homemade Baby Food for recipe ideas
HealthChildren.org to learn about when and how to start solids
Momtastic for a quick guide on how to get prepare
