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How to Save Money by Making Your Own Baby Food

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Like most mom’s I want the best for my child, especially when it comes to what I am feeding him. I’m a big advocate in making baby food, not only because of the health benefits with less preservatives, but also because you save tons of money by doing so. An individual container of baby food cost at least $1.50. If you feed your baby 3 times a day for a whole month it would cost you roughly $126. But making your own baby food would save you at least $100 a month. Below I will show you how I make baby food in bulk for the week, using the products below. Consult your pediatrician to make sure your child is ready for whole foods.  We started when Jayden was 4 months after getting the ok from our doctor.

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Ingredients:

I am a big fan of frozen veggies and fruits. They have a great selection of ready to steam veggies from peas, to broccoli, to mix blends that make great baby food. I like to blend veggies and fruit together for taste. Apples and bananas are easy fruits to blend and works well with veggies. It’s honestly personal preference and what your baby likes. Usually for every bag of veggies I mix two apples.

Directions:

1. Set out bag of veggies and let it thaw out.

2. Once thawed out blend veggies and fruit separately (I use a Nutribullet for all my blending needs)

3. Combine in large tupperware

The smaller tupperware is how I measure out how much to prepare for each meal. I fill 75mml of blended baby food and warm up in microwave or bottle warmer. I mix the food with a scoop of formula and two spoonful of rice cereal for a thicker consistency. The rice cereal is optional, but I like it because it is filling . One bag of veggies usually last him a week.

So for all you Mom’s who want to save money, save time, and give your baby the best, try it out, and let me know what you think! And if you love this simple and easy tip share it with a friend!

<3 Dawn

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Food

Protein Cookie Banana Smoothie

I think one of the hardest thing for me during my pregnancy is getting enough protein in. My first trimester I had an food aversion to meat and was diagnosed anemic due to my low levels of iron. I found myself lethargic and not wanting to do anything but sleep.

It was a new experience for me and a change of lifestyle from my fitness competition pre pregnancy days. It was almost depressing not having complete control of my body or my hormones. But as I got further along my pregnancy I began to accept the changes to my body and my new sense of taste. I found ways to get my protein in, whether it was eating beef jerky or having a protein shake.

Here is one of my favorite protein shakes. I’ve added my craving for cookies to a healthy nutritious shake. I love using Macrogreens in my shake. It’s a great way to incorporate vegetables in your diet in a tablespoon powder form.

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This shake is simple and easy to make. All you need is the ingredients in the picture below.

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Blender/nutribullet
Protein
Banana
Cookies of your choice
Milk
Ice

I love my nutribullet and for $100 is a great investment. I also prefer Casein protein at this point in my pregnancy because it’s a protein that last longer and doesn’t break down as fast giving you consistent energy through the day. The milk I use is Mootopia. I love it because it has more protein than regular milk.

First step is fill the cup halfway with ice. Add your cookies, banana, protein, and Macrogreens.

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Then fill the cup halfway with milk, and blend till a smoothie consistency.

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And you’re done! It’s that easy. Let me know what ya’ll think! ?

dawnpdarnell