Homemade Baby Food!

We started Jacob on some rice cereal around 5 months.  We originally were going to wait until 6 months to start him on any other foods, but because he went through a couple of weeks where he wanted to nurse every hour, it just seemed like he needed a little more.  He did very well with the cereal and a little before he turned 6 months we started him on oatmeal as well.  Now that he is 6 months, we are officially starting him on solids.

I recently became a fan and supporter of those parents who choose Baby Led Weaning (BLW) as their method for introducing solids and weaning a baby off of breastmilk.  I think BLW makes perfect sense and is a really cool way to slowly switch a baby onto solid/table foods.  However, I don't think I would have the patience or support to try this method in its strictest form.  Therefore, Gabe and I have decided to try our own modified form of baby led weaning: allowing him to explore and self-feed some foods while also doing some spoon-feeding of homemade baby food.

We decided to make our own baby food for a number of reasons.  First, let me say that I do not necessarily think there is anything bad about spoon feeding a child manufactured baby food.  In fact, it was my full intention to follow this method of introducing solids, because that is what I was familiar with.  However, after much research, I decided that this may be a healthier, more nutritious and fun alternative to commerically prepared baby food.  Here just a few of the reasons I was swayed toward this choice:

1) Homemade baby food tends to retain more of the original nutrients than processed baby food.  Processed baby foods tend to be more diluted and contain lower amounts of vitamins as well.  They also contain additives to create the desired consistency, which results in lower amounts of the actual food and nutrients. 
2) There are no preservatives in homemade baby food.
3) I know exactly what I am feeding Jacob - not only the specific food, but also what vitamins each contain.
4) Homemade baby food tastes more like the actual food than processed baby food.
5) It costs less to make homemade baby food than it does to buy packs/jars of baby food at a grocery store.
6) It is more fun to make the food than to pick containers off of a shelf!  :)

These were my top reasons for deciding to make Jacob's food.  And, like I said before, even though I listed those as the pros for making homemade baby food, I really don't think it is horrible to feed a baby commerically prepared food.  This is not one of those topics that I have a very very strong opinion on...like breastfeeding, for instance.  :)

This website is the one from which I have learned most of my information and tips for preparing and introducing homemade baby foods to your child.  It is very informative and they also have a blog that I follow.  They also have some fun recipes!

Here are some pictures from my very first attempts to make baby food.  I think it went really well! :)

The Magic Bullet was a great purchase!  It works...like magic! 

Sweet potatoes!  

Once the tray is frozen, you just pop them out and put them in freezer bags!  They make for perfect 1 ounce servings - you can use as many as you need at one time very easily. 

Sweet peas!

Here is Jacob after his first few bites of sweet potatoes.

Here he is trying avocado.  He loved it!  Look at that face...so determined.

He did make quite a mess - but he look so cute!

I want to make these teething biscuits (it's the 10th one down, Try These Banana Bread Sticks is the title) next for him.  I think these would make for a great teething biscuit and would help him learn how to feed himself.  He already loves feeding himself these rice rusks. 

So far I would say this has been a success....and a lot of fun!