Homemade Baby Food

Making your own baby food can save money and ensure you know exactly what is going into your little one’s body.

Chef Laura Slama demonstrates a few easy recipes for baby food using fresh ingredients.

Sweet Potato Puree

• 1 large sweet potato, scrubbed, cut in half

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees convection (425 conventional)
2. Bake potato skin side up until easily pierced with a skewer - 20-30 minutes depending on thickness of potato
3. Remove from oven, cool slightly, then peel off skin.
4. Place chunks of potato into a ricer and puree.

1 large sweet potato is will provide 4+ servings to a 4 month or older baby.

Cost: Homemade = $.75 to $1.25 (for 4 servings), compared to canned organic baby food = $1.70 to $4 on average (for one serving)

Carrot Puree

• 8 oz baby carrots, or whole carrots, peeled, evenly cut.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil
2. Drop carrots into boiling water and cook until softened, about 10-12 minutes, depending on thickness
3. Drop into ice water to stop the cooking process
4. Place in a food processor and puree until smooth.

8 oz of carrots will provide 3-4 servings to a 4 month or older baby.

Cost: Homemade = $.65 to $1.15 (for 3 to 4 servings), compared to canned organic baby food = $1.50 to $4 on average (for one serving)

Chef Laura Slama
lauras-gourmet.com