also... do you freeze the food then pop it in the microwave to defrost? How many ounces are normal for a 4 month old to eat in one sitting? Thanks

I make my own baby food...it's a lot cheaper and I really like knowing exactly what Megan's eating. I use a mini-prep food processor. It's so simple and fast, but I've heard that a blender works just as well. I started dd off with applesauce, pears, plums, peaches, apricots and bananas. The bananas you can basically just mash if they are ripe. For the other fruits, I peel them, chop them up, then cook them in a little water for about 10-20 mins, until tender, then puree them in the food processor. I have microwave directions too if you're interested. I refrigerate whatever I'm going to use that day or the next, and fill ice cube trays with the rest, then transfer to freezer bags. I defrost what I'll need overnight for the next day, but a microwave would work just fine. If you have any other questions, let me know, I have two baby food cookbooks, so if I don't know the answer, I'd be happy to look it up for you! Good luck!

Thank you so much Sara.... I will e-mail you to ask more specific questions when I go to the Dr. at her 4 month check to see if it is okay to start introducing solids. I am not working now and I think it would really save $$$. I think it would be so easy to just freeze in ice cube trays and defrost when you need it. I just hate to think of all those baby food jars I would go thru in a month. Thanks again.

Sara, can you offer us any recommendations for babyfood cookbooks? Thanks!

I don't have a lot of time usually, but I do make my own baby food. I started out on veggies, first carrots then squash, sweet potatoes, peas and beans. Then some fruits apples, pears, peaches, cantalope and bananas. I peel and steam the veggies and some of the fruit, then just throw it in the blender, freeze it in ice cube trays (you may want to cover it with some cling wrap). Once it is frozen you just pop it out and freeze it in freezer bags.

My DS is 7 months old and he will eat 2 scoops of rice cereal, 2 veggie cubes and one fruit cube + 4-5 oz of formula for dinner. In the morning he just has cereal and a fruit cube + formula. I'm getting ready to introduce solids for lunch as well.
I am attaching a link to a website with tips on making baby food.
Another tip, save the empty jars of baby food if you do buy some (I always have some on hand just in case)they make excellent storage containers for the homemade food when you are on the go.
Take care
Honeybina

Here is a link that might be useful: Making baby food

I highly, highly, highly recommend Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. I love her book, it's worn and creased and highlighted and photocopied and adored in this household.

It gives you everything you need to know in easy step by step directions in making your own baby food, focusing on fruits, veggies and whole grain cereals. It will tell you which foods you can use at each monthly stage and teach you how to choose the most nutrious for your baby. The back index are very helpful, it lists every fruit and vegie imaginable and tells what to look for when buying, how to store, how to cook, and what monthly age your baby can try it.

As a new mom, this book gave me so much confidence in how to serve my family healthy meals. I even recommend this book to people without kids because it's such a good primer on how to eat healthy.

When you're a pro at baby food, go a few chapters down and she'll help you make fun & nutritious foods for toddlers, (don't have to rely on goldfish or gummie snacks--filled w/ artificial colors and preservatives, which some kids are allergic or highly sensitive to) plus fun things like homemade play dough and bubbles.

Can't recommend this book enough!!!! Any more and you'd think I was proffiting from it : ) I have profitted in that I've saved $$ on jars and toddler snacks, plus my kids are rarely sick.

Here is a link that might be useful: Super Baby Food, Ruth even answers her emails!

Also First Foods.

We started with veggies. We would either roast or cube & steam sweet potatoes, squash, etc. and then mash it. Carrots, parsnips, peas, were steamed or nuked, and then whirled in the food processor or blender. Most fruits don't need cooked, especially if you wait until after 6mo (which is what's recommended, anyway).

We made all of DS's food, and the few times we tried to give him jarred food for convience, he refused it. You can do a lot with it -- lumpy mashed potatoes with carrots and shredded chicken is "chicken casserole". DS always like a squash/apple/pasta combo.

We did large batches, froze in ice cube trays, and then popped it out in freezer quality plastic bags. Make sure to label & date your bags.

It's definately a good way to save money, and to be sure you know exactly what your baby is eating.

Yeah, whatever I am eating. At first I pureed it with the blender, but you have to make a bigger batch that way, and dd prefers the texture if I just mash it up with my fork. I have found that I'm now eating much healthier, since I want her to eat good stuff and not get used to junk.