It’s also pricy. I mean, you’re paying 50 cents to a dollar for four ounces of mediocre mush. Make your own food, and you can serve organic baby food for half the price of standard store bought. It isn’t really hard to take matters into your own hands, though. Even though I work full time and have three kids, I found it pretty quick and easy to whip up my own concoctions for my babies. Some of their favorites were mango canteloupe baby food and banana pumpkin baby food.

The ultimate Web resource before you start is Wholesome Baby Food. This site features tons of information on getting started, homemade baby food recipes, and which foods babies can eat at each stage. Before you start, you should also consult this list of homemade baby food DOs and homemade baby food DON’Ts.

Photo of canteloupe © Erika Thorpe