I have recently stocked up on baby food, so I decided to inventory it all so I know what I have on hand. Not nearly as daunting a task as one would think. After about 15 min, I have a nice check sheet outlining the 121 jars that are on hand. I then spent about an hour planning out Emily’s menu for the next month making sure each new food is introduced over at least 2 days. Those jars should last me until the end of January unless she starts eating a lot more at each meal. Currently, we go through about 12 T of cereal a day, 1 1/2 jars of fruit, and 1 1/2 – 2 jars of veg.
Once we get through these jars, and move on to foods with texture, I will begin making my own baby food. Emily starts proteins at the end of the month, so eggs, cheeses & yogurt will soon be added to the menu. I already have a lot of dried beans on hand, so I will prepare those at the end of the month too. Then its on too meats. We are well stocked with organic grass-fed beef, but I need to start scoping out the sales for organic/hormone-free pork & poultry. I only have large packages in my freezer currently, so a butcher counter where I can get just a few ounces of something would be ideal.
God willing, in the not to distant future, Emily will have teeth (still nothing at 7 1/2 mos) and then we can introduce so finger foods to the mix. She is already showing interest in David’s Cheerios & cereal bars, so she is well on her way.