With our 1st child I spent hours in the kitchen each week preparing, cooking, and pureeing baby food, then freezing it in ice cube trays or small plastic containers. It was exhausting, messy, and required a lot of cleanup.
On occasion, we splurged and purchased baby food pouches. These things were a godsend! No jars or bowls to scrape or wash. Just squeeze straight into the spoon…or baby. No fuss, no muss, but at $1.50 a pop they were a luxury.
By the time baby #2 was ready to try solids, the pouch craze had peaked and was becoming more accessible. I decided to try the Infantino Squeeze Station. This system enables me to make my own baby food and stuff it into pouches myself. Very little muss, but still a bit of fuss.
A few months ago I started researching juicing…for myself. We ended up purchasing a Nutri Bullet as a starter juicer and it just so happens that it is also a great tool for making baby food!
The Nutri Bullet allows me to feed my baby whole raw fruits and veggies…peel and all. If the recipe gets too thin, I just mix in a little steamed rice, quinoa, or organic rice cereal. It’s also great for pureeing steamed or cooked foods.
Teaming the Nutri Bullet with Infantino Squeeze Station makes baby food prep, storage and feeding NO muss, NO fuss! And, if you’re brave, you can even let baby feed himself from the pouch.
Of course, some foods don’t require any special preparation at all and can be served straight from your plate. Once baby can tolerate a bit of texture, rice, quinoa, banana, avocado, potato, and applesauce are great on-the-fly foods for when you’ve not had time to plan ahead. No fuss, but maybe a little muss.
I also use a few strategies from the book Baby-Led Weaning by Tracey Murkett. A cleaned carrot and frozen peas can offer an entire mealtime of enjoyment for a teething baby. Following this method can also be no fuss, mo muss. Baby eats what you eat.
Now for the adaptive part…
The Infantino Squeeze Station is a great piece of adaptive equipment. The entire system is usable for those with limited mobility. However, the plunger makes a very tight seal when pressing the puree into the pouch and is hence a bit difficult to remove one handed. I have a Swedish Cutting Board with a gripping vise that I use to adapt tasks such as this. Cleaning is a bit tedious because there are 6 pieces, but all are dishwasher safe.
The Nutri Bullet is another effort saver. This is one of those rare times when healthier is easier. Most veggies just need to be washed, cut, and tossed in. Fruits may require pitting and peeling, but some can be left intact. If you’re new to whole raw diets, be sure to do your research before diving in. Cleaning is also simple, just 3 pieces to rinse and put in the dishwasher.
Here’s the bottom line…
The Infantino Squeeze Station and Nutri Bullet will cost you a one time total investment of $143
Empty single use pouches are $17 for 50 pouches (reusable pouches are also a great option, but not compatible with the Squeeze Station) vs. about $75 for 50 commercial baby food pouches.
Knowing everything that goes into your baby for a control freak like me…PRICELESS!
What’s your favorite way to feed your baby solids?
