Cheap Baby Food
Posted on May 26, 2009 with
Cheap baby food is easy to find, but you need to make sure that the food you feed your baby is healthy and appropriate for them. If they don’t have teeth yet, don’t feed them things they need to chew because it can present a choking hazard.
By far the cheapest baby food for a newborn baby is breastmilk - it is completely free, full of antibodies and nutrients to ensure your baby gets the best possible start in life, and the alternative (bottle-feeding) can be very costly when you factor in the formula, sterilising equipment and bottles etc.
Once your baby is a little older he/she will be moving onto solids and cutting down on milk. This food will need to be completely pureed at first. The cheapest way to feed your baby at this point is to prepare the food yourself from natural ingredients like vegetables. Make it in bulk, then freeze individual portions which will stay fresh for longer and are easy to defrost for your baby.
From around 6 months your baby can eat what the family eats too, but you need to beware of food which isn’t suitable for your little one such as honey and excessive amounts of salt. Best to avoid food which is highly spiced or very rich as this could have an adverse effect on your baby.
All you need for DIY baby food is a cheap baby food processor, some fresh food like vegetables, some cheap baby food freezable storage pots and a pot to cook the veg in. If you can’t afford a food processor, use a masher but make sure the food is thoroughly mashed early in your baby’s development. The lumpier stuff is ok later when your baby learns how to chew and cuts a few teeth.
For ideas on what to feed your baby, Annabel Karmel has written an excellent book full of ideas, called Top 100 Baby Purees: 100 Quick and Easy Meals for a Healthy and Happy Baby.
If you’re short on time and don’t have the resources to make your own cheap baby food, jars are the next cheapest alternative. Reputable baby food companies include HIPP and Cow and Gate. Poundland often do good deals on cheap baby food, as do supermarkets like Tesco and Asda. Often discounts are available if you buy in bulk, but make sure to check the best before dates so you don’t waste any.
Ensure your baby is wearing a cheap baby bib for every meal - this way your cheap baby clothes should last longer and not have as many stains.
Above all else, please make sure that the food you give your baby is healthy and appropriate for their age range. You can get a better idea of what to feed your baby at each stage in their development from the Annabel Karmel website which is full of free tips and advice.
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