One of the most costly things that infants need is baby food. Those tiny jars of preprocessed carrots and peas can quickly add up to a large chunk of your grocery bill. It can become even more maddening when you read the labels to see they are mostly fillers and preservatives. Is there a more cost effective way?

Many parents are taking their hand at making their own baby food. It is much cheaper than the commercial baby foods out there and it gives parents greater control over what their child is eating. This can be a huge benefit for parents who are also worried about potential food allergies or who want their child eating natural foods without anything added to it.

Making your own baby food is much easier than you might imagine. Most people already have all the tools necessary to create food processed down for their young infants. Start by choosing what food you are going to use and baking or steaming it down. Once the food is soft use a blender or food processor to puree it. Be sure to add in the liquid that the food was cooked in as it contains many nutrients. Add the liquid in little by little as you are puree the food until it is the desired consistency.

You can make large batches of baby food to save time and money. Simple filled ice cube trays with the pureed food, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze. In a standard ice cube tray each cube will equal out to one ounce. Once frozen you can store the single cubes in small bags in the freezer. If you are making many different kinds be sure to label each bag with what flavor or food they are. The cubes of baby food should last for up to one month, so be sure to write a date on the bags to keep track of their age. Once you have your frozen baby food cubes you can simply thaw out the desired amount, reheat, and feed your baby knowing that he is getting whole food that you made yourself. And for a fraction of the cost of buying it at a store.