Before I had a baby, I thought I would be the type of mum that would purchase lots of baby food because it would be convenient (because, you know, laziness and all) and I could afford it and also, seeing moms feed their babies from those cute little bottles was beautiful. So yea, I wanted to be that kind of mum, only the best for my baby.

Then I had a baby, and i actually saw how much all those cute bottles cost. Aside the cost, I was overly concerned about and protective of my baby (which is normal for a first time mum). I was interested in what my baby ate or drank or put on her skin and so it would take me an hour to shop for her because I was now checking labels.

When the time came for weaning, I asked myself, buy the bottles or make my own. I’m a DIY kind of person so I decided to make my own food to save me the trouble of worrying too much about the ingredients in the bottle.

So here are a some pros and cons i have observed about making your own baby food.

Pros

It is economical. Scratch that, it is cheap! It is way cheaper to make your own food than buying already processed food. Let’s compare.
One small bottle of purity pureed carrots (4-6 months) cost about GHS 4. GHS 4 worth of carrots will give you about 8 servings of pureed carrots (4-6 months).
One large purity bottle of yogurt and banana for an 8 month old cost about GHS 6. With GHS 2 bananas and GHS 12 yogurt, you will make about 8 servings of yogurt and banana. You might even have leftover yogurt.
You get the point. It is cheaper.

Homemade food is nutritional. When you make your own food, what you see is what you get. I have heard (I’ve only heard) that baby food makers cook these foods at very high temperatures to kill all bacteria so that they stay on the shelves longer but cooking to kill bacteria means cooking to kill nutrients.

You know what your baby is eating. When you make your own, you are in control of what your baby eats. If you want a no sugar, no salt meal, you can have it. You will also be doing away with all the preservatives and artificial thickeners.

You have variety. When you make your baby’s food at home, you have access to a variety of foods. I think i can list the different types of baby food that sit on the Shoprite shelves. They are about 6 different kinds and that’s it. There’s no way I’m limiting my child to 6 kinds of food.  By offering you baby variety, you are raising an adventurous eater who will not be picky with food in the future.

Homemade food is fresh. I don’t think I need to explain this further. Once you make it, it is ready to eat. Very fresh, no preservatives.

Convenience. There’s a perception that buying processed food is convenient but making food at home is convenient too. It might be a messy start but once you get the hang of it, it is equally convenient.

 Cons

It is time-consuming. Yes it is. you’ll need to dedicate a little extra time for cooking.You will also need to research the types of food you baby can eat and what is safe for their age group and you need time to shop for ingredients so yes, I admit it is time-consuming.

Storage space. For us working moms who will not be readily available when our babies are hungry, we will need to store up food in refrigerators and freezers. So you need to invest in a bigger freezer compartment if you want to do this. You also need a lot of storage bowls.

Food does not stay very long. You can’t keep your baby’s food refrigerated for too long. It will go bad. Remember, no preservatives. Processed store foods last longer that homemade baby food.

Conclusion

I’m sure you already know what my stand is on this matter by now. I don’t mind spending a little extra time and money to ensure my baby eats right. I’m happy to cook for my baby and so far, it is working for both of us. Once in a while, yes, I buy processed food because they don’t kill. A lot of care is taken in producing those.

Check out the recipe tab for easy nutritious recipes you can make in very little time for your babies.