10 reasons why you should prefer “homemade baby food”

Far from the idea of starting a dispute and completely denigrating industrial baby food or wanting you to feel guilty about having your children eat them: they are often very good and popular with babies and they can often help you out.

We just want to advocate for a more controlled way of weaning babies onto solid food by presenting 10 reasons in favour of “home-made” food:

1 – Cost-effective

Do the maths! A small jar of baby food from the supermarket costs about € 1 (or a little more for “organic” ones). If you have a vegetable garden, or if you buy your vegetables, fruit, meat and fish at the market, the cost of a small pot of homemade baby food will be even less. And if you decided to use a food processor adapted to make food for the baby, your investment will quickly pay back for itself!

2 – The time

Let’s put to rest this common belief once and for all: no, it doesn’t take longer to prepare a good pot of baby food! Peeling a potato and a carrot and chopping them into large pieces will take you 2 minutes. And you have plenty of time to do something else while they are cooking! Finally, as for blending, you will not even have time to say “purée” and it will already be ready!

So forget simple jars of baby food where you take off the lid and heat them up in the microwave!

3 – The pleasure of cooking

Again, no need to be a chef to be able to make good food for your baby, who will be grateful to you! What a pleasure to see the baby enjoy a small meal you prepared with love! And even if initially you’re not keen on cooking, it can be a good way for you to reconnect with it…

4 – (re)testing

Your child does not like the latest purée you made? Never mind, try again by perhaps somewhat changing the recipe, for example with less artichokes and more potatoes and blending it more or less than you did before. Unlike industrial baby food, if your child did not like a recipe, do not immediately generalise and say to yourself that it definitely does not like fish or a specific vegetable. Persisting is the secret of successfully weaning the baby onto solid food!

5 – Creativity

Cooking is inventing! Get off the beaten track and like a great leader, do not hesitate to reinterpret classic recipes and create your own version!

6 – Choosing the ingredients/food

As with traditional recipes, knowing the products you are going to cook is important and will increase your chances of success. And you will no longer doubt of the quality of your ingredients, GMO or other preservatives. Then feel free to add or not salt.

7 – Stock up!

If some of the baby food you made is left over, divide it into portions and store your homemade baby food in suitable containers that you will put in the fridge or freezer for long-term storage.

8 – Recipes for little ones… and also for grown-ups!

Feel free to cook in larger quantities when preparing your homemade baby food. Add a grind of pepper, spice or food recommended for the baby and hey presto: you’ve prepared a meal for the whole family!

9 – Introduce your child to the pleasure of cooking

Whether you are a foodie or have little interest in gastronomy and the joy of cooking, the chance of transmitting this knowledge and interest to your child will be a real pleasure for you as well! When your child grows up, it will be a wonderful learning adventure for you to help it discover how to prepare a meal: peel an apple, cut a carrot, cook chicken breast, prepare a delicious compote, etc.

10 – Share with friends and family

There are many parents who cook as well and it will be a great way for you to share your ideas for recipes and discover new ones! Probably your friends and family have secret recipes just waiting to be tested with your child! Many forums and blogs (including this one!) will be an inexhaustible resource for you!