Nowadays, more and more parents are making their own baby food, and who can blame them? What exactly goes into the jars of baby food we buy from the store?
A lot of store-bought baby food contains preservatives and sugars that you don’t want your baby to consume. Make your own baby food – and know exactly what goes into it – with a baby food maker. This will allow you to make delicious baby food, as easy as possible!
You can choose from a wide variety of baby food makers, so choosing the best might be challenging. The following is a list of things to consider when you’re looking for a good baby food maker.
Benefits of Making Your Own Baby Food
If you take the time to research and find the perfect baby food maker, you will reap a lot of benefits. In addition to knowing what’s in the food you’re feeding your baby, making your own baby food has a number of other advantages you might not have considered.
- It saves money. The price of store-bought baby food can be high! As the average American baby consumes 600 jars of baby food each year, it’s easy to see how preparing your own food can save you a lot of money.
- You know what your baby is eating. Store-bought baby foods are loaded with preservatives and added sugars. Pesticides and other nasty chemicals are also present. If you make your own baby food at home, you know exactly what your baby is eating. Further, you have all the quality control: who knows what type of fruits and vegetables go into the pureed baby food you can buy in the store? You can even go completely organic if you wish!
- An increase in food variety. When you buy jarred baby food at the store, you are limited to certain types of ingredients. When you make your own baby food, there is really no limit to what you can use! Dietary balance is important for everyone (especially for children). Your baby will love the delicious food you can make yourself using your favorite herbs and combinations.
- More nutritional value. The steamed foods can be preserved in the baby food maker models, so that all the valuable nutrients are maintained. Having a balanced diet and all the necessary vitamins and minerals is an essential part of a baby’s development and the role of a baby food maker will help with this.
- It’s fresh. Using 100% fresh ingredients at their prime ripeness is a great experience, isn’t it? During processing, store-bought baby foods are heated to an extreme temperature (to kill bacteria) and then sit on shelves for months and months before being consumed.
- The baby can eat the same food as the rest of the family. I love that you can start your baby off on the right path by eating the same food as the rest of the family. Taking this step can prevent them from becoming picky eaters.
Is A Baby Food Maker Really Necessary?
You don’t need to buy a specialized baby food maker if you already own a food processor if you plan on making your own baby food. The fact is you can make your child’s food 100% by hand and it will still be delicious. When it comes to all of the expenses you will need to spend on your new baby, a baby food maker is a luxury rather than a necessity.
It’s important to note, however, that an all-in-one baby food maker is an invaluable tool if you’re planning to feed mainly your own purees. The convenience of being able to put vegetables into the machine with a little water, turn it on, and have the machine make puree for you is almost magical when you have a new baby around the house. However, if you can’t fit a machine like this into your budget, it’s not necessary.
All-in-one Machines vs. Manual Food Mills
First, you need to decide whether to purchase a single appliance that must be steamed or roasted before pureeing or a manual mill that needs to be steamed or roasted before pureeing.
All-in-one Machines
All-in-one machines make it easy for parents to prepare their own baby food, which is perfect for parents who wish to be hands-off.
It is true that there are pros and cons to an all-in-one machine.
Pros:
- Pre-cooking the vegetables is not necessary. You can do that with an all-in-one machine. All you have to do is wash and peel them, toss them in the machine along with some water, and it will spit out a ready-to-feed puree.
- It is more convenient and saves time. By not pre-cooking and pre-preparing the veggies, you can save a lot of time.
Cons:
- Their size tends to be larger. The downside is that countertop space is often hard to come by, and all-in-one machines are typically larger than food mills.
- It is harder to clean up. Cleaning these machines can be difficult because more parts come into contact with food.
- It is more expensive. A budget that is already stretched might find it difficult to justify spending a lot of money on something that is more of a luxury than a necessity.
What to Consider When Shopping Baby Food Maker
- Manual or electric? — It’s important to decide whether you prefer manual or electric baby food makers. Electric models are generally faster and more efficient, not to mention easier to use. In general, manual baby food makers are less expensive, but require manual labor to operate. An electric baby food maker is better than a manual one.
- Dishwasher safe & easy to clean — Baby food makers that are dishwasher-safe can be extremely convenient. A lot of baby food makers have different parts that need to be cleaned, and putting them in the dishwasher can save a lot of time! It’s probably best to choose a baby food maker that’s easy to clean and doesn’t show smudges – chrome and stainless steel are notorious for this. It’s just something to keep in mind.
- BPA-Free — Biphenol A, a chemical compound used in many plastic food containers, is the symbol for Bisphenol A. Over the past few years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding BPA, causing parents to worry that it could be harmful to their children. You might want to opt for a BPA-free baby food maker for some peace of mind, even though there is no concrete evidence that BPA is harmful to humans.
- Safe materials — Safety is of utmost importance, so I strongly recommend looking for a model with unbreakable materials of 100 percent. If a part of the baby food maker broke and ended up in the food, it would be extremely dangerous.
- Which type of baby food maker? — Baby food makers come in a variety of types that perform a variety of functions. There are models that will do only the most basic preparation: blending or grinding the food that then must be cooked, and some models will do everything, including the cooking. Not only are all-in-one units convenient, but counter space is a precious commodity.
- Price — It can be expensive to be a parent, so consider how much money you want to spend! As with many other baby items, the best baby food maker isn’t necessarily the most expensive. Please keep in mind that you will probably only be using the baby food maker for about 6 months.
You may also want to consider features and functionality when looking for a baby food maker. You’ll need a large capacity baby food maker if you want to make large batches of baby food at once. Obviously, these take up a lot of space on your countertop.
Many parents find the steamer function useful. Steaming foods, especially vegetables, is an excellent way to preserve their nutrients, and I recommend that you obtain a baby food maker that can steam food. Besides preserving nutrients, steaming also locks in flavor, making your baby’s food taste great!
Baby food makers can be a wonderful addition to any kitchen, allowing you to prepare wholesome, organic food for your precious baby. If you give it a try, you’ll never feed your baby store-bought baby food again! You’ll love a great baby food maker if you take the time to find one. We also have compiled a guide that will help you choose baby food maker, if you are looking for the best one.
Was this helpful?
Hi there! I’m a food enthusiast and journalist, and I have a real passion for food that goes beyond the kitchen. I love my dream job and I’m lucky enough to be able to share my knowledge with readers of several large media outlets. My specialty is writing engaging food-related content, and I take pride in being able to connect with my audience. I’m known for my creativity in the kitchen, and I’m confident that I can be the perfect guide for anyone looking to take their culinary journey to the next level.
