It’s an exciting time when your baby starts eating solid food. Most parents start their kids on solids when they reach 6 months of age. You might choose to feed them baby food or do baby-led weaning.
If you’re planning on using baby food, then you might be looking for ways to save money. In this post, I’ll outline some simple ways you can save money on baby food.
Let’s jump right in
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How to save money on baby food
Make your own baby food
One of the easiest ways to save money on baby food is to make your own. Making your own baby food has many benefits. The first is that you don’t need to add preservatives to make it shelf stable.
The second is that you’ll know exactly what type of ingredient is in your baby food. Most commercially produced baby foods have preservatives and unrecognizable ingredients.
The third benefit is that you’ll save a lot of money. Buying fresh produce in the store and blending it into baby food is cheaper than buying individual jars of baby food.
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How to make your own baby food to save money
Watch this video to learn how to make your own baby food
Equipment for making your own baby food
Use a Vitamix
Baby food is not complicated to make. When my kids turned 6 months old, I bought a Vitamix from Amazon which I used to puree all their fruits and vegetables.
The Vitamix will still be useful after your child graduates from baby food because you can use it to make dips, spreads, smoothies, and sauces.
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Use a baby food maker
Another common way parents make their baby food is with a baby food maker. One of the most popular brands is the BEABA Babycook Duo 4-in-1 Baby Food Maker.
I know a lot of parents who swore that this baby food maker made their lives much easier. You can steam or cook anything in less than 20 minutes. It has the ability to make smooth puree or chunky puree.
Baby food storage containers
After you’ve made your baby food, you’ll need to store it in small containers that are freezer safe. This will allow you to use the portion you need without having to defrost the whole thing.
I prefer the Sage Spoonfuls baby food storage container from Amazon. They’re made in the USA so you know the materials are safe. It also comes with reusable puree squeeze pouches.
Other ways to save money on baby food
Practice baby-led weaning
Another way to save money on baby food is to practice baby-led weaning. Baby-led weaning is the practice of giving your baby the same food you eat without pureeing them first.
It can be scary for most parents starting out to trust their baby to eat table food because of the fear of choking.
The truth is that there are ways to protect against choking in infants. You can also learn infant CPR so you’ll know what to do If choking does occur.
Baby-led weaning has many excellent benefits. The first one is that you’ll be saving a lot of money and time because you won’t need to make special baby food anymore.
Your kids eat what you eat. Besides cooking their food a little softer, there’s no other prep required. Check out my other blog where I post all my baby-led weaning recipes.
Another benefit is that it prevents kids from becoming picky eaters, and protects against excessive weight gain later in life (source).
I used baby-led weaning on all my kids and they are great eaters today. They’re not picky at all.
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Use WIC or other state-funded programs
If you make below a certain income, you may qualify for state assistance like WIC. They will provide you with baby food each month to accommodate your growing child. This could be a great way to save money on baby food.
Head over to the USDA website to see if you qualify for your state’s WIC program.
Local food bank
Food banks sometimes carry baby food. If you have a food bank in your area, then you should take advantage of it for saving money.
Even if they don’t carry baby food, you can get fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables that can be pureed into baby food. This way you’ll be indirectly saving money on baby food.
Buy baby food when they’re on sale
Buying baby food when it’s on sale will help you save money. I recommend stocking up on all your favorite flavors when they go on sale. This way, you won’t have to pay the expensive price for one can of baby food at a time.
Buy large quantities at a time
Consider joining a membership store like Costco. They sell items bundled in bulk. These items usually cost less than individual items you’ll buy in a store.
The same goes for baby food. If you buy it in bulk from these membership stores, you’ll save a lot of money.
Buy store-brand baby food
Store-brand products have the same quality as name-brand items in my opinion. If your local supermarket has store-brand baby food, then I recommend you buy it to save money.
Store brand is cheaper than name brand because they don’t have to worry about advertising and other costs associated with name-brand products.
A lot of store-brand products are actually made by the same companies that make name-brand products.
For example, Costco’s Kirkland diapers are made by the same company that makes Huggies. That’s how you know they have the same quality.
So don’t be afraid to buy store-brand baby food to save money.
Use coupons
Coupons could also be a great way to save money on baby food. Collect as many as you can from your favorite store and use them when you shop. Couponing will help cut your grocery bills in half.
Remember that the coupons don’t have to be for baby food. They can be for fresh fruits and vegetables used to make baby food.
Conclusion
Getting baby food for your child doesn’t have to break the bank. There are many ways to save on cost, which I have listed above. I hope that this article has helped you learn how you can save money on baby food.
What other ways do you use to save money on baby food? Please comment below and let me know.
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