Baby Food Cubes.

Since I now have a child, I think I am turning into the “food police” (not that I wasn’t already).  Because I am “in the know” of what is in our food and water supply, I am very vigilant on taking steps to reduce my child’s exposure to toxins. One of those steps is feeding her organic food and using filtered water.

Organic baby food costs approximately 89¢ – 99¢ and up, for a 4 oz. jar. Not a big deal, I thought. When items are priced under a buck, we are more apt to let go of our dollars. However, it adds up quickly. Especially as the quantity goes up as she increases her intake. Babies grow quickly! And when you look at what you get in one jar of baby food for the money, it’s not much. So I started making my own.

It’s Healthier

When making baby food, you don’t have to cook the fruit and overcook the veggies. That means more of the the vitamins, minerals and enzymes stay intact. And if you are using organic food, you know there are no chemicals, pesticides or GM (genetically modified) ingredients. You’ll notice homemade baby food is brightly colored whereas the jarred food looks dull in comparison. It’s dull in color because it is pasteurized and overcooked.

How To Make Your Own Baby Food

There are plenty of “make your own baby food” kits and products, but really, all you need is a blender, ice trays, and maybe some small containers (or baby food jars) for refrigerated leftovers. Keep it simple. First, I start with vegetables, either frozen or fresh, and steamed them with a little bit of water. From there, puree them with some, if not all, of the water in a blender (I found that the food processor leaves it too course). Then pour the mixture into ice cube trays, freeze them, and then store them in labeled freezer containers or bags. I also purée fresh and frozen fruit and cooked lentils. As your baby gets a little older to eat more complex foods, you can purée healthy meals that you are eating.

You’ll be amazed at how much money you will save by making your own baby food. For example, let’s compare a jar of organic lentil dinner to homemade. Again, it costs 89¢ – 99¢ for one 4 oz. jar. I went and purchased organic dried lentils in bulk for $3.99 per pound and there are about three cups of dried lentils in one pound. One cup of dry lentils yields 24 oz. when cooked. That’s equal to SIX jars of baby food! So in a nutshell, you can pay $3.99 and BUY 4 jars of baby food (16 oz), OR for the same price you could buy one pound of dried lentils which makes 18 jars of baby food (72 oz.). So, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that over 300% more for your money? Granted, lentils are an extreme example since they are sold dried and expand when cooked. But even with fruit and vegetables, you will still get much more for your money when compared to jarred food.

Here are some foods that I have made myself:

• broccoli
  

  Lentils, Broccoli, Green Beans and Baby Food Cubes

• cauliflower
• green beans
• peas
• spinach
• sweat potatoes
• lentils
• peaches
• berries
• mango (a little more time consuming)
• bananas
• avocado

It Tastes Better

I made it a rule not to feed my baby anything that I wouldn’t eat. What I mean by that is, if it doesn’t taste good, I’m not feeding it to her. I’m speaking of healthy food, of course. My baby eats everything I feed her, because I feed her good tasting veggies, fruit and meals. It’s important to start feeding children a variety of fruit and vegetables when they are babies so they develop a taste for them that will carry into their older years.

Now Go Do It

As always, start simple. Go buy some frozen cut up fruit or vegetables. Steam the veggies as I explained above, and/or thaw the fruit. Blend them, freeze them and you’re done. You can venture into preparing fresh fruit and veggies and more complex food once you feel comfortable. Good luck and good job! Here’s to you for putting your baby first!

Here is a tasty way to prepare zucchini. Personally, I find the vegetable kind of bland, so I wanted to make it more flavorful AND use up some produce that was sitting around (i.e. tomato and leftover red onion in the fridge). The only time consuming part is chopping. After that, you throw the ingredients into a dish, stick it in the oven, and your done. The combination of tomato, basil, garlic and onions really give it a nice zesty, savory and slightly sweet flavor when roasted. And, of course, it’s healthy.

Ingredients I used are in approximate measurements. However, you can alter the amount or change the ingredients to suit what you like. Since it isn’t chemistry, like baking a cake, you won’t ruin it by tailoring it to your liking. If you want more garlic, and less basil, go for it.

• Zucchini (4 small) – cut into quarter moons. if you like larger pieces, do half moons
• Garlic (2 cloves) – coursely chopped. if you want garlic throughout, use a press. If you really LOVE garlic, add several whole cloves. If you don’t have fresh garlic, sprinkle garlic powder.
• Tomato (1) – diced
• Onion or Red Onion (1/2 to 1) – sliced  or chopped
• Dried Basil (1 Tbsp or to taste)
• Olive Oil

Set the oven for 450º Toss the ingredients in a glass dish or something comparable. Roast for 20-30 minutes. Stir halfway through cooking. Enjoy!

I find it interesting when I hear adults spout off with great conviction that they don’t like certain foods. Only to find out, they haven’t eaten that particular food since their childhood. Or, maybe they have only had it prepared one way, and ONLY that way. Honestly, since I am such a foodie that is willing to explore so many culinary frontiers, I find it kind of unbelievable that these people would put such constraints on their taste buds. But, as it turns out, I now live with one of “these” people, which can sometimes be a challenge if I’m doing the cooking. But I’m working on him… slowly (The key is don’t push and act like I don’t care if he eats it or not. Sometimes, I go as far as stating that he won’t like it so don’t bother even trying it. Which, of course, makes him try it. Hee, hee, hee.)

The Infamous Brussels Sprout

Anyway, let’s look at a food that is notoriously in the “I don’t like” category: Brussels sprouts. Well, I guess either one or both of my parents did not like them because I did not even know what a Brussels sprout looked like until I was in my early twenties. And when I finally did see them, I thought they were baby cabbages. Their reputation preceded them, for sure. I had always heard of this mysterious hated vegetable, but never encountered it. I bet many of you think I was lucky.

It’s All In the Preparation

Well, the day that I finally ate Brussels sprouts (notice it is plural), I really liked them. “What was the big deal?” I thought, “These are delicious! Why are these things so infamously hated?” I found out the answer to that question this last spring while being an out-of-town guest. I was not “allowed” to do the cooking. So, I torturously watched my precious veggies get cooked to death as I politely held my tongue while they met their demise in the frying pan before me. Since I touted earlier of my love of these things, I had to take a fair share when dishing them out onto my plate at the dinner table. Oh yeah… you know what’s coming, don’t you? I took one bite of this dull-colored, once-green sprout. And not only did I have to restrain a disgusted facial expression, but I had to force a smile and act as if I was delighted (I guess my acting lessons were good for something). And I thought watching them get cooked was torturous… ha! In short, they were dry, mushy and bitter. Yuck! It all made sense now… okay, I “get” it.

Cook It More. Cook It Less. Add A Little of This. Add A Little of That.

Just so you know, I quickly cook my Brussels spouts in a skillet — usually with some olive oil and fresh garlic. Sometimes I also add a splash of soy sauce, or a little bit of butter and a squeeze of lemon. They end up bright green, crunchy, and slightly sweet. Yes, I said sweet. They’re delicious. Which brings me to my point: so many vegetables taste SO MUCH BETTER if they are quickly cooked. The flavor, color, and texture, stay intact, or are “brought out.” Plus, the nutrient value is higher than over-cooked food. Some foods are even better raw. Some people prefer slightly cooked rather than raw. But I have yet to meet someone that prefers over-cooked veggies to the previously mentioned (not to say they aren’t out there). However, as always, there are exceptions. Such as potatoes and certain greens, which need to be cooked a decent amount of time to be palatable. I didn’t think I liked cooked carrots until I had baby carrots that were steamed so they were NOT mushy. Collard greens is another vegetable that needs to be cooked a decent amount of time to be palatable as well (Before I learned about them, I once tried to eat them raw… a la salad style. It was not pleasant!)

Try It. You’ll Like It.

I leave you with this: think of a food that you THINK you do not like. Now I challenge you to go try it again, but have it prepared in a new way. Who knows? You might actually surprise yourself and like it!

Garden Burger Lettuce Wrap with Avocado, Tomato, and Pesto Mayonnaise

I was routing around in the fridge today trying to figure out what to eat. I wanted something healthy, but not too complicated. And since the weather has been hot, I wanted something somewhat cold. So I came up with this veggie burger lettuce wrap thing.

I keep a stock of veggie patties in the freezer since they are quick, yet somewhat healthy, and easy to prepare. I put one in the micro for 1-2 minutes while I washed and cut the other ingredients: lettuce, tomato and avocado (I have one of those cool avocado slicers that simultaneously slice and skin it in one swipe… a wise purchase since I’m an avocado fiend).

I also found some pesto in the fridge. I recommend always having pesto on hand. Keep it in the freezer; but also have some in the fridge that is ready to use. Either buy it or make it (basically: basil leaves, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese). I mixed it with a little mayo and smeared it on the layer of romaine lettuce leaves.

Then I cut the veggie patty into strips and laid them on top of the lettuce, followed by the avocado and tomatoes. I couldn’t help myself and topped it with the remainder of the pesto mayo (not enough to save, but I didn’t want to waste it). I rolled it up and cut it in half. Granted, it didn’t stay rolled up, but I would roll it before picking it up (taco style) and it was just fine. It was delicious and just what I was looking for (well, I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for, but that is how this came to be). I recommend you try it. Enjoy!

Here’s the approximate ingredient list (I didn’t measure the mayo and pesto):

• 1 veggie patty
• 2 large romaine or leaf lettuce leaves
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 3-4 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters, or a few slices of tomato
• 1 blob of mayo and pesto mixed (1 Tbsp each?)
• here’s an afterthought: red or sweet onion would probably be good on it too