Good Like a Medicine

I originally posted this under a previous date while I was redesigning my blog. I realized that it got hidden under the archives and wanted to “live post” it here. I hope it helps someone who may be interested in making baby food for a little one.

Making baby food is a fun, educational, and valuable experience. If you are expecting a baby, let me encourage you to know that you can make your own baby food and enjoy the many benefits, which include:

• saving money
• learning more about nutrition in general
• using your garden if you have one
• knowing more about what is going into your child’s body
• using and making less material waste
• less sickness and digestive problems for the baby
• better-smelling diapers
• feeling good about doing something special to bless your child

These points could be argued I guess, but in my own experience I have seen them to be true. You can try and see if you agree and have fun while doing it! If you want to make your own baby food, there are numerous resources online and in the bookstores and libraries. My favorite “food bible” is Ruth Yaron’s Super Baby Food. It contains hundreds of content-rich information and practical tips to get going in the right direction. It also has countless suggestions for housekeeping, crafts, and recycling ideas. My only regret is wishing I had started reading it sooner. There are many aspects of making baby food, and although I’m persuaded that raw foods when possible are the best option for good health, I want to limit this article to the key ideas that make homemade baby food appealing to me. I am in my fourth consecutive year of “baby brewing,” and I’m somewhat sad that pretty soon I will stop … at least for awhile!

Making baby food is good for the pocketbook. I assume it can be compared to using cloth diapers in that it takes more work but saves money in the long run. You may not agree, but when I go to the grocery store and look at organic baby food (not to seem snobby, but I think babies are better off with the organic versions of these jars foods), my jaw drops. I calculate that a serving for my older baby (1/2 cup of grains plus 3-4 veggie or fruit cubes from the freezer) is about $.10, and it would likely cost me $1.50 from the store to get the same amount. If you are considering starting your baby on homemade food or making the switch, do some calculating when you batch cook and freeze a handful of vegetables and/ or fruits to see if you are saving money.

Making baby food is good for the mind and body.I learn so much more about which foods to introduce to my children at what stages and what chemicals, vitamins, and minerals have effects on their bodies from making their food. I know now that it is very beneficial and important to carefully introduce foods, and I personally believe some allergy and tummy problems are linked to this early stage of nutrition. I walk down the baby food aisles at the grocery stores, and I’m confused. For example, I can’t believe corn is sold as “early stage” baby food when it is supposed to be introduced much later. Nevertheless I don’t have the luxury of a lifetime of cooking experience under my belt, so doing this is proving very educational for me. Learning about nutrition and what produce is in-season is great, and, yes, my children’s diapers always smell better when they eat homemade food versus restaurant, jarred, or boxed foods. I think it’s all the preservatives, but I haven’t done any research to know. You can check that out for yourself.

Making baby food is good for the soul. I can’t explain it fully, but I feel similarly when I cook a bowl of homemade grain porridge for my infant as I do when I’m breastfeeding. I no longer breastfeed any of my children, but each week I make batches of grain porridge to supplement their diets and help them grow stronger. I know that I am working hard to provide something that is fresh and not off a shelf. I know that more care goes into my preparation than a factory’s because I am the mother. I believe God gives mothers this blessing coupled with the reward, and we can be satisfied in its recognition. My reward so far has been three children who love to eat big meals! Of course this does not mean that God doesn’t bless other ways of feeding babies - that would be ridiculous - but it is certainly an added plus to know that the opportunity to give a good nutritional habits to my child can be met with some education and choices.

“If making baby food is so swell, then how do I begin?” The Super Baby Food book and ones like it are great places to start. Pray for God to honor the decision and bless your children. It takes some extra time, but it is really worth it after you get used to it. Start planning when the baby is a few months old for batching and freezing. You can batch cook several various foods on a Saturday morning that will last for several weeks if not months. Invite another mother or grandmother to your house to help you batch and freeze, or host a batch-freeze party and let the puree fly!

Practically speaking you will need a kitchen with a few simple things: ice cube trays, freezer bags or containers, and your choice of “fridge” containers for making baby’s first grains when the time comes. Vegetables (and some fruits and juices) are frozen well for serving later. I cherish my black ‘n decker steamer which does almost all of my legwork when I’m batching and freezing, but pots and pans are just as good. Well, not all pots and pans are good, supposedly. Do some research and decide. Most importantly you need a good blender and/or juicer to puree the food. The way I make grain porridge is by grinding up the brown rice in the blender for a few minutes and simmering it in a covered pot of water that has come to a boil. Details are in these books (much like this oatmeal recipe for babies).

I can make and store dishes consisting of rice, lentils, avocados, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, broccoli, carrots, squash, asparagus, and much more for my baby. I choose what combinations I would like to introduce and when. All I need is a little time, a little knowledge, a blender, and a freezer to do this. Even my husband or a flyby babysitter can whip up a meal out of the freezer for our kids in no time, and it’s just as easy as popping a lid on a jar! You can do it, too, and be blessed in many ways.

If you make your own baby food, please share your tips and experiences!