How to Make Baby Food in Five Easy Steps

In today's fast moving lifestyle, it's really hard to keep up with the pressures of everyday life and have to worry about making your own baby food. Most parents end up buying it at the store.

Making your own baby food is definitely not hard, in fact it's actually super easy. It may take a little extra effort but in the end you'll end up with a more fresh and nutritious food that your baby will be sure to enjoy.

The benefits will also make you wonder why everyone isn't making their own baby food:

    Know exactly what's going into your baby's body.
    Freshest food possible.
    Taste the real flavors of the food.
    Saves you money.

The ingredients are common everyday items that can be found in your grocery store such as apples, bananas, pears, carrots and sweet potatoes. Wait a minimum of 3 days before introducing new types of food in case your baby is allergic. This goes for any type of baby food, including ones purchased from the store.

Step 1: Peel

This step is pretty straight forward. Peel the skin off your fruits and vegetables. There are times however that you may be able to skip this step or decide that you'd like to skip this step. Obviously, no peeling is needed on things like bananas and green peas.

On certain items you can choose to leave the skin on. The skin is packed with nutrients and vitamins, but there are some things to note. If there are any pesticide residues, it will be found on the skin. Be sure to wash your ingredients thoroughly, even if it's organic and may not have pesticides. Also the skin may unset your baby's tummy so be mindful during and after you feed them.

Step 2: Chop

Chop up your ingredients into 1/2 inch squares. It doesn't have to be exact. Just make sure that they're small enough to cook through and blend well.

Step 3: Steam

Steaming is the best way to make baby food. It is fast and it retains most of the nutrients from the ingredients. You can also bake or boil your ingredients. If you decide to boil your ingredients, just be mindful that some nutrients may be transferred to the water. Steam the fruits and vegetables until soft and fork tender (usually about 10-15 minutes).

Step 4: Blend

Blend the ingredients into a fine puree. If your baby is just starting solids, add some breast milk or formula to get a thinner consistency. If you boiled your food, you can add some of the water.

Step 5: Store

You can store the food in ice cube trays but I usually like to put them in separate 2 ounce containers. Leave in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

The little about herself and Making Babies

The Bulk Herb Store and recently published a new book and DVD set. Covers Natural fertility and natural pregnancy tips, herbal suggestions, and whole foods recipes in her new series, Making Babies.

I was, for a short moment, overwhelmed by all of the information I was given - how many pages to read and how many hours to watch. But then, when you consider that her series is meant to encourage women through preconception, conception, pregnancy, birth, and after birth, this series is perfect.

Erna Srikandine tells us a little about herself and Making Babies:

I got my inspiration for the Making Babies series from the pregnancy and birth of my first child. I loved every stage of my pregnancy and birth! I enjoyed learning and researching when I had morning sickness and when I got indigestion. Every time I was faced with another bridge, I would research, study, learn, apply, and rise to new heights of excitement. I knew everything I did, and did not do, would make a difference with me and my growing baby. It is not always easy finding good food to eat, knowing what exercises to do, and asking the right questions to the right people, but I researched it step by step and enjoyed a healthy pregnancy and birth.

I grew up in an Amish community. Talk about making babies–whoa, they make a lot! No, I am not Amish, but I am a blood-bought child of God. Twenty-five years ago my parents were artists living in Memphis, Tennessee. They wanted to raise us five children in the country so we could learn the dying art of homemaking and the skills of country living. Hard work, herbal remedies, nutritional health, home births, and common sense were all part of the lifestyle in the Amish community.

In November 2004, my husband James and I found out we were pregnant with our first child. I knew I wanted to have my baby in the soothing warmth of my own home, so I went to talk to a midwife. I had assisted in two births before I got married, and knew I wanted my children’s births to be better. With good food, the right exercises, and relaxation, the birth of Jeremiah James was WONDERFUL! The midwife that attended had been to over 350 births and said it was the best she had ever attended. Since my firstborn, I never stopped researching the wonderful world of making babies.

I have been asked many questions about healthy foods, recipes, exercises, and herbal remedies from family, friends, and customers at Bulk Herb Store. In November 2009, we got pregnant with our second child. I was so excited about my pregnancy journey. I was going to have another baby! I thought about all the horrible births I had heard about, and wanted to show women across the world how beautiful pregnancy and birth can be, so I started the Making Babies series. - Making Babies on Facebook

The DVD:

• Making Babies DVD Volume I follows through the first trimester of her pregnancy. There are countless recipes, remedies, and herb concoctions, as well as a wealth of information about fertility, conception, morning sickness and pregnancy.
• Making Babies DVD Volume II covers Shoshanna’s second and third trimester – along with plenty more healthy recipes, remedies, and herb concoctions. It also includes exercises, birth preparation, information on the birth experience and much more.
• Making Babies DVD Volume III begins with Shoshanna’s wonderful natural birth, then covers the postpartum period as she stays healthy with her new baby. Making Babies Vol 3. is also full of deliciously healthy recipes, remedies and herb concoctions. Because of the sensitivities of little Penelope (and a blessing to many others like myself), she includes many recipes that are gluten free and casein free. It includes information about birth, nursing, postpartum, losing weight and getting in shape, and much more.

The DVD set is over 7 hours of instruction and education. 

The Book:

The Book is hardback and includes over 480 pages filled with delectable recipes, inspiring herbals, and full color photographs of beautiful babies and glowing mamas. The contents are broken down into the same chapters as the DVD set:

• Making Babies DVD Volume 1
• Making Babies DVD Volume 2
• Making Babies DVD Volume 3
• My Pregnancy Cookbook
• Did You Know?
• Grandma's Remedies
• Baby Diary
• Resources

The book is really great, but the DVD really sets her series apart from others like it. Shoshanna's energy and excitement are contagious and make my limbs tickle to get into the kitchen and brew up one of her herbal tonics or delicious meals.

Not only are there beautiful recipes to drool over, tinctures to encourage healthy living, and drinks to optimize energy, but I love her continuing recipes for healthy home. They include recipes for baby balm, homemade diaper rash ointment, toothpaste, and so much more!  There is such a wealth of knowledge within this series!

I have one major critique of the series: Erna Srikandine talks about their choice to circumcise, but doesn't really give any good solid evidence behind it, only her opinion and 'opinion-as-fact'.

Beyond that, I am ecstatic for this series and so happy that there is an educational and inspirational series to encourage women during their childbearing season to be healthy inside and out.