The Pros and Cons of Homemade Baby Food
As moms, we want what’s best for our babies and that includes the very best food. When that fateful day rolls around and your little one is ready to start on soft foods, it’s an exciting time. A major milestone. But that excitement can be dulled pretty quickly when you take a close look at the ingredients in some of the mass-produced jar food. And then there’s always the horror stories floating around about mold inside of some. Don’t even get me started on recalls. So, what’s the alternative? Make your own healthy baby food, of course! But, like anything, there’s always pros and cons. I’ll go over the most important ones, so you can make your decision with confidence.
Cons
Shorter Shelf Life
This one should be obvious. The canned, jarred, and packaged baby food on the shelves has a long shelf life. Some a few months, and others as much as two years. But do you really want to be feeding your baby food that had been processed in a factory two yeas ago? Yes, homemade baby food will only last about a week in the fridge, but if you only make enough for a week there’s no wastage.
Time Consuming
Sigh. I know this is a major con for most moms of infants. Our time is precious, what little there is. But if you can set aside an hour each week to make enough food for the next seven days, you should be fine. But, yeah, prepare for peeling, chopping, steaming, and processing fresh ingredients. Don’t forget the time it takes to jar them.
Pros
Healthier
Of course! Fresh ingredients, no additives, etc. Store bought stuff is often chock full of sugar, too. When you make your own baby food, you can rest assured that your little one is getting the healthiest you can provide.
No Preservatives
Store bought baby food contains additives and preservative in order to maintain that long shelf life. While everything passes the food safety tests, it’s still best to avoid it all if you can.
Total Control
When making your own baby food, you get 100% of the control of exactly what’s in there. All the best fruits and veggies, no sugar, etc. And you can custom tailor the flavors to your baby’s favorites.
Personalization
Touching back on my last comment, by making and preparing your own, you can mix it up. Personalize it to what your little guy or girl likes best. My kids went through a phase of sweet potato, but I didn’t want them to miss out on the other nutritious veggies. So, I hid small amount of kale, spinach, carrots, and other yummies in with the sweet potato. They had no idea and ate it up!
Cheaper
And, last but not least, the icing on the cake. Making your own bay food can save you big bucks in the long run. Especially, if you grow your own fruits and veggies!