[bebe12]

Hi,

Bub is now 3 months so i am starting to mentally prepare myself for making baby food.

Is it worth getting a baby food maker or soup maker. I will be returning to work in a couple of months so thinking long term effort factor when i am time poor - ie do not want to be in kitchen for long periods on weekends etc.

Or is steaming and using hand blender the way to go?

If you use a baby food/soup maker please list pros and cons

and if using blender which one do use use and pros and cons

as i do not have a blender i will be spending money either way to make baby food, so want to understand which is best.

Thanks in advance.

[Escapin]

We used one of those plastic microwave saucepan things and microwaved food. Then used a stab blender to puree. Then smoosh into icecube trays. Once frozen, put into ziploc bags. We always had a selection of different vegies and the odd meat thing available and would just mix them up as the mood took us. Easy

[kerrie23]

I steamed and then used a fork. None of my kids had purees. I remember handing my 7 month old DD a lamb cutlet and taking video, we still watch it and laugh as she chowed down on it with a massive grin on her face and big wide eyes.

[namie]

With DS1 I steamed vegies, mashed with a fork them froze in little tubs. I then defrosted in the fridge and warmed in a saucepan. I invested in a mouli but that was a complete waste of money as the thing was useless. I've no idea why people rave about them.

I spent heaps of time making mush for DS1 and just couldn't be bothered with DS2. I'd discovered baby led weaning too late for DS1 but followed the basic principles for DS2 and it was so much easier.

Whatever I cooked for DP and I, I just dished up extra for the kids, starting with steamed vegies and adding in meats as I felt they were ready. I just didn't make things as spicy or add any extra salt and I left sauces off meats for them.

Maybe do some reading up about it (there are threads on here) to see what you think.

[imamumto3]

I steamed and fork mashed too, no purées. I would make a batch of veggies and freeze them in ice cube trays, empty them into a container or zip lock bag when frozen and do another batch of something else. then for meals I would choose a selection of meat or veggies and heat them in the microwave. by about 7 or 8 months the kids would eat what we had for dinner the night before, just cut up in small pieces. I don't cook with salt for any of us so that was never an issue.

[Jembo]

We eat steamed vegies for tea regularly so I would just cook extra and use a potato masher for it and if I needed it finer pushed it thru a sieve.

Didnt seem to take a long time as I was already doing vegies for dinner so a few extra and squashed was no hassle.

[~ky~]

For the amount of time that an infant is potentially on puree (not all will eat puree - mine wouldn't), it is not worth investing in something that would have no use later on.

I put a pot of veges on the stove, cooked them long and slow in as little water as possible then just used a potato masher to make it mushy. The kids loved the slightly lumpy but mostly smooth texture.

I'm probably a little strange, but I gave my babies seasoned food from the beginning. I'm not talking salt as that is detrimental, but a bit of pepper, herbs, spices, a knob of butter, gravy, vanilla etc. All of my children have a pretty good palate and will try anything - even my DS with aspergers although he will try it and then go back to what he prefers which is ok by me.

[icekool]

If you are buying a mixer (hand or food processor) or a steamer solely for baby food, it isn't worth it. Though it is a good excuse to buy one though. Mine now sits in the cupboard. Haven't used them in years!

[courtney-b]

I would buy a stick blender. I always made special meals for mine and really liked annabel carmel's baby food book. It had good meat and fish ideas. I would always quadruple the quantities and make about six different dishes at once. This would take a few hours, but then you have a good selection of meals for about six weeks so it isn't that time consuming or something you have to do every week. I always made massive vats of stewed and puréed fruit to add to things. If your baby won't eat something, a spoonful of puréed apple or pear added seemed to work for mine. Good to add to porridge for breakfast, too.

As my babies got older I offered steamed veggies, cheese sticks, chicken legs etc in addition to the purées and by twelve months they were mainly eating the same meals as us without salt and finely chopped or loosely blended with a stick blender. Both of my babies had good spoon control and were feeding themselves every meal by fourteen months with lots of encouragement from me. Feeding them is the most tedious part for me, not the cooking! Once they are strapped in a chair and can feed themselves, this is a window to race around and get things done!

[tenar]

Baby led weaning all the way here. I was traveling when dd1 started solids and had zero interest in messing about with mush.