Do Your Part
Homemade Baby Food Is A Great Way To Do Your Part
July 10, 2008 | view all items
Today’s “Do Your Part” tip is for new moms. It will help you conserve energy, reduce waste and you'll save you money. Plus you’ll be feeding your new baby preservative free food in the process.
Homemade baby food is easy to make and it’s good for your baby too. I spent a morning with my friend Bonnie and her new baby Madelyn and she showed me how she makes a weeks worth of food for pennies on the dollar. Sweet potatoes for example are a super food high in vitamins and minerals. To make your own sweet potato baby food you simply buy a few organic sweet potatoes at the grocery store. Scrub the outside skin and pat dry. Cook the sweet potatoes however you wish – you can bake them, boil them or put them in the microwave for a few minutes. Be sure to poke some holes in the sweet potatoes with a fork if you plan to bake or microwave. Cook them until the inside is soft. Let cool for a few minutes.
Cut the sweet potato in half, and scoop out the inside flesh into a food processor or blender. Cover and puree. Stream in water while the blender is running until the mixture has a smooth consistency. Place a metal strainer over a bowl and pour in the mixture. Use a spatula to push the mixture through the strainer. You want to remove those stringy fibers which could be a choking hazard.
Scoop or pour the mixture into an ice cube tray and cover tightly with aluminum foil or clingy plastic wrap. Freeze for a few hours until solid. Remove the sweet potato cubes and place in a freezer zipper bag. Label the bag with the vegetable name and date of packaging and put back in the freezer.
Now for the cost savings comparison. We bought Earth's Best Organic Sweet Potato in a jar and Gerber Organic Sweet Potato in small plastic tubs. We paid about 30 cents an ounce for Earth’s Best, about 27 cents an ounce for Gerber and two organic sweet potatoes yielded nineteen cubes for a total cost of 18 cents per ounce. On average you will find that homemade baby food is up to 30% cheaper than store bought organic baby food. So do your part and consider making homemade organic baby food. It requires less energy and you'll save money on your grocery bill.
Homemade baby food is easy to make and it’s good for your baby too. I spent a morning with my friend Bonnie and her new baby Madelyn and she showed me how she makes a weeks worth of food for pennies on the dollar. Sweet potatoes for example are a super food high in vitamins and minerals. To make your own sweet potato baby food you simply buy a few organic sweet potatoes at the grocery store. Scrub the outside skin and pat dry. Cook the sweet potatoes however you wish – you can bake them, boil them or put them in the microwave for a few minutes. Be sure to poke some holes in the sweet potatoes with a fork if you plan to bake or microwave. Cook them until the inside is soft. Let cool for a few minutes.
Cut the sweet potato in half, and scoop out the inside flesh into a food processor or blender. Cover and puree. Stream in water while the blender is running until the mixture has a smooth consistency. Place a metal strainer over a bowl and pour in the mixture. Use a spatula to push the mixture through the strainer. You want to remove those stringy fibers which could be a choking hazard.
Scoop or pour the mixture into an ice cube tray and cover tightly with aluminum foil or clingy plastic wrap. Freeze for a few hours until solid. Remove the sweet potato cubes and place in a freezer zipper bag. Label the bag with the vegetable name and date of packaging and put back in the freezer.
Now for the cost savings comparison. We bought Earth's Best Organic Sweet Potato in a jar and Gerber Organic Sweet Potato in small plastic tubs. We paid about 30 cents an ounce for Earth’s Best, about 27 cents an ounce for Gerber and two organic sweet potatoes yielded nineteen cubes for a total cost of 18 cents per ounce. On average you will find that homemade baby food is up to 30% cheaper than store bought organic baby food. So do your part and consider making homemade organic baby food. It requires less energy and you'll save money on your grocery bill.
