The many benefits of freshly made baby food from scratch are well known amongst health conscious parents:  pure ingredients, less sugar and salt, no preservatives, better nutrient retention, better flavor and control over texture. However, the process of preparing homemade baby food has often come hand in hand with lots of chopping and peeling, multiple dirty pots and pans, and a myriad of questions including portion size, flavor pairings and meeting vitamin and mineral daily intake goals. 

With 8 kiddos between the three moms who make up the FoodieKid team, we know our way around a good shortcut to get a healthy homemade meal on the table ASAP.   We thought we’d share a few of our favorite ways to make homemade baby food easier and less worrisome:

1. Cut out the prep work:

Use prepped ingredients for a shortcut, and if not in season or not accessible, use frozen produce as a substitute.  Flash freezing captures and preserves food at the peak of their freshness and nutrient content so you can be rest assured your kiddos will be getting as close to peak nutrition as possible.  FoodieKid’s Simple Starters are flash-frozen organic baby meal packets of prepped and portioned ingredients with nothing added.  Simply empty a packet of Simple Starters into a pot with a steamer basket or a baby food maker like the Béaba BabyCook, steam according to instructions and puree to your desired texture.  No peeling and chopping, and no worrying about portion sizes.  

2. Batch cook and freeze:

To avoid the possible grind of daily prep, make baby food 1-2 times a week and freeze the food in small portions. It will go a long way in making future meal planning a breeze.  We love the Béaba Multiportion Silicone Trays for babies who are eating 3 or more oz at a time.  Food can be stored for up to three days in a refrigerator and three months in a freezer. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator and then serve either at room temperature or warmed to your preference. Add water to thin puree if necessary.

3. Spice it up with what you have on hand:

Using aromatic herbs and spices to flavor foods is an easy way to add variety for babies without using a lot of added ingredients. Carrots with a pinch of cinnamon can be used on one day, and flavored with a mild paprika the day after. Incorporate leftovers from the fridge like shredded chicken or beans for an easy way to add protein.  Grains like cous cous or brown rice are healthy and hearty add ons as well as a good source of fiber. We are also big fans of using small amounts of olive oil as a source of calories. 

4. Take advantage of tools and hacks:

Baby food makers like the Béaba babycook are a great tool to make your life easier and are handy to have in the kitchen even after you have young babies!  FoodieKid Founder Christine says: “I used the Béaba Babycook obsessively with both my babies for the first few years of their lives. We even used it as an adult steamer for smaller portions”.  As for kitchen hacks, there are a million out there, but a few of our favorites include putting a few ounces of water and a drop of soap in a blender for a few seconds to make cleanup minimal and using parchment paper lined baking sheets when you roast your veggies to have one less pan to clean.

For more information on Béaba Baby Cook click here.

And for FoodieKid’s Simple Starters Organic Baby Meals click here.