For quite a few years, the baby food industry has tricked us into believing that their products are necessary for feeding a baby that has moved on to solid foods. Few modern woman realize that they can make their own baby food just like women once did in the past and women in other parts of the world still do today. It's not difficult, and with a little planning you can feed a growing baby without buying a single jar of baby food or a box of pablum.

You can start feeding your baby fruits and vegetables. To prepare them, cut them up and steam them to the point where they are fairly mushy. Put them in a bowl and puree them with a submersion blender or just a regular blender. If the food is too thick, add a little of the cooking water until you reach a reasonable consistency. Some fruit can just be mashed with a fork. Be creative with your produce choices. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean that your baby won't. Anything goes. Cook and puree lettuce if you feel like it. Feel free to mix things. Apple puree with yam puree can be a baby feast.

You can make homemade rice cereal rather easily. In a food processor or blender grind up about 1 cup of brown rice. Your processor will sound awful but it will be able to handle it. When you have a reasonably fine dust you can cook it up.

Put 1 cup of water in a small pot; then, add 1/4 cup of the ground rice. Bring it to a boil and watch it closely. When it reaches a boil it will overflow if you don't quickly remove it from the heat. Put it onto low and stir constantly for a minute or two. When the porridge thickens up, turn it off and let it cool. If it's too thick for your baby then add some water. If you start your baby with this cereal they should have no problem with it.

You can follow the above instructions with any other grains. Try cracked wheat, oatmeal, barley or anything else. Alternatively, you can just add a bunch of warm water to cooked rice or oatmeal and puree it that way. It'll take a little more out of your blender but it will work.

Your baby will probably enjoy plain yogurt, cottage cheese, cheddar, ricotta, etc. Don't worry about the fat content as babies need the fat for their brain development but keep in mind that most dairy products with the exception of plain yogurt and milk are high in sodium. Also, try to avoid the sweetened products.

When your baby is about 8 months old, it is likely they will need protein added to their solid food menu. Up to this point they've been receiving all their protein through breast milk but at about this time it's good to start supplementing it. You can rely on tofu, beans, eggs, nuts and meat.

Tofu is very easy to give to your baby. Even if you don't like it you can use it as a nice convenience food for your baby. If you buy medium tofu, mash it with a fork and spoon feed it raw. If you buy firm tofu, just cut into cubes and use it as finger food.

Beans and lentils are a great food to introduce to your baby. You can buy canned beans to rinse and serve or you can cook your own and save part of the expense. They are very cheap, provide protein when served with a grain and provide iron and fiber. They can even be served as a finger food. Mix some pureed beans in with your baby's cereal for a protein and nutrient rich meal.

You can serve scrambled eggs to your baby. This will provide them with fat and protein. Be aware that your baby may have allergies. Be especially careful with eggs along with other highly allergenic foods. After introducing such a food, give your baby a few days to show any indications of an allergy before introducing more new foods.

Nut butters are a nice addition to your baby’s diet. Add a tablespoon to their cereal. A lot of people recommend that you avoid peanut butter until they are older due to allergy risks, but this is up to you. A reasonably cheap alternative to peanut butter is almond butter (tahini). It's nutritious and has a lot of healthy oil in it. Flax seeds can also be ground in your food processor and added to food. They are inexpensive and rich in omega 3 oils.

Meat can be boiled until well cooked and then pureed. Meat is unnecessary for your baby if you are using the other protein options that are outlined above consistently. If consistency is an issue, then a bit of meat can make you feel confident that they are getting all the protein they need.

Preparing all your own baby food would seem a little daunting if you had to make each meal from scratch every time your baby was hungry. Just as you save time by making enough food to have leftovers the next day for yourself, you can prepare enough food for several meals for your baby. In order to avoid food spoilage, fill an ice cube tray with the prepared food. Freeze it, and then pop the food cubes into a freezer bag for later use. When your baby is ready to eat, choose some cubes and defrost them in your microwave. Stir well and test the temperature. You can have a full meal with 2 minutes of prep time. This method does take forethought, but it will save you tons of money and is easy to work with on busier days.

Don't feel like you need to add sweeteners, salt, or fats. Let your baby get used to the natural taste of food. If you cave in and start doctoring the food, your baby will have a hard time learning to eat the foods without the additions. Be stubborn through the food battles, and you're more likely to have a non-picky toddler. This method will probably work better if you don't supplement it with store bought baby food. This is because the store bought baby food has salt and sweeteners added. Obviously, these will be more appealing to your baby, and they may give you trouble when using the homemade food instead. If you feel that you need some prepared food then try to rely more on tofu, canned beans, unsalted whole grain crackers, dry cereal, applesauce, canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling but in the same section) and yogurt. With a little practice, you'll probably get a nice routine established. Remember, too, that the completely mashed food stage only lasts about 6-10 months. When they're between a year and year and a half, they learn to chew and are able to move on to more adult food. So, it's not that long to do this chore, but it provides you an opportunity to start your baby on great food and will save you a few hundred dollars.