People often ask me why I obsess and make my own baby food and I usually rattle off a list a mile long – homemade baby puree tastes better, you know what is in it, you get to take pride when your baby devours an entire jar of it, you get to make your own combinations of fruits, vegetables and grains. But the one thing that most people don’t realize is how much money you can save making your own baby food. Sure, it takes a couple of hours of time and a little bit of planning, but to me saving a ton of money over the course of your babies life on baby food is a no brainer [I would for sure rather spend that money on a new pair of shoes, for both of us].

So stick with me while I crunch some numbers for you.

Let’s talk produce.
The numbers below are based on what I spent on Organic produce at Whole Foods. Yup, one of the most expensive places to shop. But there is a store very close to my house and I am lazy. So, if you are smart and like to shop for bargains then you can probably save even more then I did.

As for time, these 3 purees took me about 2 hours to make from start to finish. 2 hours! That’s it. You can make them at night when the kiddo is asleep or on a lazy Saturday morning. I would dare to say that you can find 2 hours roughly once a month to make some baby food.

Apple Puree

Homemade
Apple + Pear + Cinnamon = $0.23 an ounce

Store Bought
Sprout Organic Apple Puree = $.50 an ounce

I usually make my apple puree in 6 pound batches which makes me roughly 82 ounces of baby puree. For the homemade puree it will costs $18.86 but for the store bought it comes to $41.00. That is a savings of $22.16!!

Pea Puree

Homemade
Zucchini + Peas + Mint = $0.22 an ounce

Store Bought
Plum Organics Just Sweet Peas and Mint = $.60 an ounce

I tripled this recipe, and I got 60 ounces of puree. It will cost you $13.80 for the homemade puree and $36.00 for the store bought, which comes to a savings of $22.20!!

Sweet Potato Puree

Homemade
Sweet Potato + Curry = $0.14 an ounce

Store Bought
Happy Baby Sweet Potato = $0.52 an ounce

I like to use 5 large sweet potatoes for this recipe which gives me 65 ounces of baby puree. It costs me $9.10 for the homemade puree or I can purchase the same amount for $33.80. That gives me a savings of $24.70!!

All store bought prices I found on Amazon.com and I didn’t factor in shipping. 

If you total it up, buying the ingredients costs you $41.76 (again at Whole Foods) while buying pre-packaged purees will run you a whooping $110.80. So by making these 3 simple and easy homemade purees you could save $69.04!! Or you can save 62% off your baby food.

Save $69.04 or 62% on baby puree by making your own!!