Homemade baby food is a money-saving, eco-friendly alternative to the store-bought variety. It also puts you in the driver's seat when it comes to your baby's nutrition. Some research suggests that babies who eat homemade food have a more diverse diet and are less likely to be obese later in life than those who eat commercially prepared food.
While making your own baby food can be as simple as mashing up a banana, it's equally easy to whip up some healthy baby-friendly purees with a few wholesome ingredients. Read these tips for how to make baby food, then learn how to freeze it for safe storage.
Benefits of Making Your Own Baby Food
Store-bought baby food can also be a nutritious choice, but parents choose to make their own baby food for several reasons, including the following:
- Exposing your baby to a variety of flavors
- Having more control over what your baby is eating
- Saving money (DIY baby food is often cheaper than store-bought options)
- Creating a particular texture, which "offers flexibility as your child grows and is ready to move forward with thicker textures," says Amber Rodenas, a registered dietitian and pediatric specialist based out of Keene, New Hampshire
When Can Babies Eat Homemade Food?
Most babies are ready to start solids around 6 months, though it’s important to remember that every baby’s trajectory is different. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the signs of developmental readiness in babies include the following:
- Sits independently or with minimal support
- Controls head and neck
- Shows an interest in eating solid foods (they might open their mouths when food is offered or reach for food)
- Brings objects to their mouth
- Transfers food to the back of their mouth to swallow (this may look different as they adjust to textures different from breast milk or formula)
While introducing solid foods can be an exciting transition, remember that breast milk or formula should remain the baby’s main source of nutrition throughout the first year. These options have the appropriate nutritional ingredients and breakdown for infants under 1 year old. Solids can complement a baby’s liquid nutrition.
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What Do You Need to Make DIY Baby Food?
The equipment needed to make your own baby food can be as a simple as a bowl and fork for mashing. However, many parents rely on other options, such as the following:
- Food processor
- Blender
- Steamer or multi-tier steamer to make several purees at once
- Baby food maker
- Baby food grinder
- Glass or plastic jars for storage
Many of these items allow for easier blending and pureeing to create a more ideal texture for your little one. You may also choose to bake, broil, steam, or microwave before blending foods together.
How To Make Your Own Baby Food
To make baby food from scratch, start by gathering your supplies. You'll need a food processor or blender and a saucepan.
If you're introducing your little one to solids, the baby food should be thin and easy to swallow. Get the right consistency by adding 1 or 2 teaspoons of water, breast milk, or formula to the recipe. Older infants can generally handle baby food with thicker consistencies.
Start by making smaller quantities with a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables—fresh, frozen, or canned in their own juices with no added salt or sugar—along with meats. The 2020-2025 edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, recommends that parents and caregivers pay special attention to ensuring that their babies' first solids contain foods rich in iron and zinc, including meats, beans, and fortified infant cereals.
While making a variety of homemade baby foods will take extra work, think of it like gourmet tasting for your infant. It can take a baby eight to 15 tries before they develop a taste for a new flavor. Begin your baby food adventure by making more of what they like and throwing in just a few new things to expand their palate.
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How Much Baby Food Should I Make?
When making homemade baby food, be careful not to go overboard with quantities: "Parents get caught up in thinking they need large stashes of pureed baby food," says Jill Castle, Parents advisor and a registered dietitian in New Canaan, Connecticut, and the author of The Smart Mom's Guide to Starting Solids. "Keep in mind, it's not a forever thing."
Castle says that children should not still be eating pureed food when they have graduated to table food. So having a few months of pureed food at the ready makes sense, but not, say, a year's worth.
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Tips for Making Your Own Baby Food
Curious about making your own baby food? Keep these tips in mind.
Include an array of different options
While parents don’t need to stress about the perfect ratio for homemade baby food, they should include fruits and vegetables, meats, whole grains, and healthy fats for growth and development. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) recommends starting with simple items, like mashed banana or avocado. You can then slowly incorporate new foods and flavors, such as beets, broccoli, and pureed meats. Reserve chunkier textures for older babies.
Make sure to wait three to five days between introducing new single-ingredient foods so you can pinpoint any reactions or allergies.
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Offer iron-rich foods
Rodenas encourages parents to include sources of iron in their homemade baby food. “As babies grow and depend less on breast milk and formula, it's important to add in sources of iron. Parents can do this through adding pureed spinach, fortified products like oatmeal or other whole grains, and/or pureed meats.”
Give your baby time to accept new foods
Repeated exposure is important for babies as they're introduced to new flavors and textures through solid foods. The AAP acknowledges that it can sometimes take a baby 10-15 tries before they'll accept a new food, and this can be normal.
Don't shy away from allergenic foods
For infants at low risk of developing food allergies, research suggests early exposure to common food allergens, such as eggs, dairy, soy, peanuts, or fish. Testing for peanut allergy is recommended for babies with severe eczema or an existing egg allergy, so discuss this with your child’s doctor or care provider.
Don’t over-season baby food
While babies can have some spices and herbs, be careful not to over-season foods as their taste buds are sensitive and still developing. Avoid adding salt to baby food because their kidneys can't process it yet.
Homemade Baby Food Safety
Ensuring that your workspace and supplies are clean is key to preparing baby food that's free from germs and contamination. But don't worry, you don't have to go overboard. Follow these tips to make sure your homemade baby food is safe for your little one.
Be vigilant about cleanliness
Keeping a clean kitchen while you cook is crucially important for your baby's health. Babies' sensitive immune systems make them more susceptible to food poisoning than adults. Here are some tips:
- Fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed and peeled if appropriate, especially those that are grown close to the ground, like strawberries, carrots, and potatoes.
- Never use outdated canned food or dented, rusted, or leaking cans or jars.
- Keep work surfaces, cutting utensils, and your hands clean.
- Use separate cutting boards for meat, poultry, and fish.
- If a spoon goes into the baby's mouth and then touches the food, that food should not be saved for later.
Cook food safely and until tender
Steaming fruits and vegetables with a small amount of water will retain vitamins and minerals. After warming solid foods, be sure to mix thoroughly and recheck the temperature, so as not to burn the infant’s mouth.
Babies are especially susceptible to food poisoning caused by eating undercooked meats, poultry, and eggs, so make certain that all meats and fish are cooked to proper temperatures:
- 145 degrees F for fish, raw ham, and whole cuts of beef, bison, veal, goat, lamb, and pork (steaks, roasts, chops)
- 160 degrees F for ground meat and sausage, plus egg dishes like frittata
- 165 degrees F for white meat poultry and all leftovers
Remove pits, seeds, or bones
Removing pits, seeds, and bones helps prevent choking or injury. Grapes, hot dogs, raisins, nuts, raw vegetables, and other foods that pose choking hazards should be avoided. You can soften hard fruits and vegetables by boiling, baking, or steaming them before pureeing.
Toss contaminated leftovers
Any food served to your baby but not eaten should be tossed after the meal. If a spoon goes into the baby's mouth and then touches the food, that food will be contaminated with bacteria from their mouth—in other words, it's not salvageable.
Avoid off-limits items
Babies under 1 year old shouldn't consume honey or cow's milk.
How to Store Homemade Baby Food
Proper storage is important for homemade baby food. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests storing leftovers for one or two days in the fridge.
When choosing storage containers, the AAP recommends that parents avoid plastics marked with recycling codes 3 (phthalates), 6 (styrene), and 7 (bisphenols, including BPA), unless they're marked as "biobased" or "greenware." The organization recommends using glass or stainless steel containers when possible.
How To Freeze Homemade Baby Food
If you don’t use the prepared baby food within a few days, plan to store it in the freezer for up to three months. "You can freeze pretty much anything," says Castle.
A simple way to freeze baby food is by spooning it into clean ice cube trays. After it has frozen, store the cubes in clean, airtight, freezer-safe containers. Rodenas also suggests freezing food directly in glass baby jars, and when ready to use, placing food in the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
You can also plop single-serving food portions on a clean cookie sheet and freeze those. After they're frozen, transfer them to clean, freezer-safe containers. Or, skip the cookie sheet altogether, and place food into reusable pouches.
Clearly label and date the tiny meals in the freezer. For the best quality, Castle recommends they be consumed within three months. Once defrosted, the pureed food should never be refrozen.
Additional reporting by Katherine Lagomarsino
