With Thanksgiving being just around the corner, food is on the mind…. Living in one of the most health-conscious areas of the country, where there are farmer’s markets galore and an abundance of locally-grown, organic and pesticide-free produce readily available at relatively affordable prices, we’re fortunate that eating healthy is not as much of a challenge as it may be in other parts of the country and the world. With the global rise of obesity and type 2 diabetes among children, it’s really important to consider what you feed your children in their early years, too. Baby food is abundant in supermarkets and they come in a plethora of flavors and sizes. The convenience of having such ready-to-eat jars of baby food comes at a price: they’re usually loaded with fillers and preservatives to give them a longer shelf life, and vitamins and nutrients are lost during the processing stage.

A couple of months ago, I was sifting through a Williams-Sonoma catalog and found what seems to be a great solution: The Beaba Babycook. It’s a French-made counter top appliance that has been used in Europe for years, and it easily steams and blends vegetables, fruits, meats, and even grains into baby food. You can choose exactly what goes into your baby’s mouth by buying your own organic produce and turn it into baby food and still retain all the vitamins and flavor! You can also freeze the excess baby food you’ve made, and the Babycook will defrost and reheat it when you want to bring it out again. It’s essentially a steamer and food processor in one, but it’s easy to assemble and wash, and creates much less mess and saves more time than having to use multiple appliances — perfect for the busy, working mom!


The appliance is BPA and PVC-free, so there is no risk of exposing your baby to toxic materials that may be detrimental to the baby’s health. It’s a little pricey for an appliance, but Dan and I both agreed that it would definitely be worth it in the end, if you consider all the jars of baby food you would buy anyway, as well as the the advantage of making sure your baby’s meals are preservative-free. We won’t be needing it for a while, since babies don’t start eating solid foods until they’re four to six months old, but it’s definitely at the top of our to-buy list!

Have any mothers out there used the Babycook before, or made their own baby food? Please let me know if you have any thoughts or advice!