weaning and moneysaving

brownbabygirl

Is it more moneysaving to buy a weaning kit with blender and steamer etc or to stick with the ready made such as Ella's Kitchen etc? I am starting to think it is not so easy to assume ready made is more expensive or that it is cheaper to make your own because after spending money on a blender/steamer (around £50 when I checked) one still needs to buy the fruit/veg, which is getting more dear by the day! Please let me know your thoughts.

tori.k

you can get a cheap steamer and a blender for less then a tenner each fresh is always better then processed i know the Ella kitchen stuff is organic but there must be something in the packaging that keep's it fresh...the the old way we did it was just passing it thru a fine seive, i don't know how much the Ella kichen foods retail at but i dare say weight for weight you would get a lot of Fruit& Veg for the same cost

daska

Baby-led weaning is much more moneysaving. Not to mention a lot more fun and a lot easier.

pukkamum

You really do not need a special steamer or blender a pan with a seive over and a hand blender are fine, this is how i have made all my kids food.
The trouble with baby foods is that in order for them to last for a long time without preservatives they are cooked at a very high temp therefore destroying most of the nutritinal value.
Thats not to say i haven't used them i always kept some in the nappy bag for 'just in case'.

Memory_Girl

DS1 and DS2 got veggies steamed in microwave (steamer was from poundshop) and then blended with a £4.99 Mr T stick blender. Veggies were whatever we were having for tea, just cooked without salt. Out and about was a banana or ripe avocado - but TBH both kids soon went onto snacking on whatever we had on our plates too.

Still use both steamer and blender now - (DS1 goes to high school this year).

So for me - HM every time, much cheaper.

MG

browneyedbazzi

When my nephew was a baby I used prepared foods with him and I think it was quite expensive. A friend of mine has a little one and followed a baby led weaning programme...she didn't have any special equipment other than a hand held blender that was used for soups, anything else was just mushed up with a fork if necessary. She cooked meals from baby led weaning cookbooks that were suitable for the little one and the rest of the family ate the same. Her little girl ate really well, a great variety of foods (better than you could get from store bought baby foods) and it was way cheaper too. If I'd known about this way of doing things when I had my nephew I would have done the same and I will do it when I have my own.

Lemoncurd

You can get away without any of those, we just fed our younger ones suitable bits from our own meals i.e. pieces of vegetable/meat/bread/fruit etc etc anything that didn't have added salt or things that are unsuitable for babies and let them feed themselves.
It was much easier, cheaper and less stressful than making special purees which barely got eaten anyway.

Dundunbanza

I have a 6 month old and I am doing a bit of baby led weaning and blending i bought a small blender in Lidl for £9.99 works brilliantly. I think much cheaper than buying the pre made stuff also I know what he's eating.

daska

Lemoncurd wrote: »

You can get away without any of those, we just fed our younger ones suitable bits from our own meals i.e. pieces of vegetable/meat/bread/fruit etc etc anything that didn't have added salt or things that are unsuitable for babies and let them feed themselves.
It was much easier, cheaper and less stressful than making special purees which barely got eaten anyway.

In other words: baby-led weaning.

brownbabygirl

Lemoncurd wrote: »

You can get away without any of those, we just fed our younger ones suitable bits from our own meals i.e. pieces of vegetable/meat/bread/fruit etc etc anything that didn't have added salt or things that are unsuitable for babies and let them feed themselves.
It was much easier, cheaper and less stressful than making special purees which barely got eaten anyway.

my own is 6 months. at that age are they able to chew/swallow lets say bits of toast and fruit? i am scared of her choking

Gillyx

My baby is 3 months but when the time comes we will be going with baby led weaning. Can't be bothered with the faff of blending everything down and I won't be giving him packets/jars, the sell by dates on those things make me wonder what the hell is in them.

brownbabygirl - your baby won't choke if she is allowed to pick the food up and put it in her mouth herself, she may gag slightly but she won't choke as they have the ability to know how far they can put the food in safely.

Have a read herehttp://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/startingsolids/getting-started/babyledweaning/