Babies on a Budget: Fantastic Food

Parenting on a budget? Hey, it's 2024. Who isn't?!

This month, we have a series of blog posts to help you save money and stress less while raising your beautiful babies. Last week we shared some simple and practical changes to make. This week, it's all about food.

1. Leave the skin on your fruit when pureeing. It saves so much time, beefs up the quantity and keeps all the goodness in.

2. Make your own roll-ups! Perfect for toddlers to teens. Here’s a super easy recipe that I love.

3. Invest in some reusable snack bags. They are worth their weight in gold over time. Make sure the brand you choose uses food-safe materials.

4. Drink water. Not only cheaper than manufactured drinks, water is a healthy habit to expose children to early.

5. Cook in bulk. Purchase veggies on special and pre-cut and freeze them ready to pull out for a meal.

6. Feed the children (and yourself!) before heading to the shops. This limits impulse food purchases.

7. Eat seasonal produce. This has the dual benefit of lowering the grocery bill and exposing children to lots of different foods and tastes at an early age.

8. Grow as many of your own vegetables as possible. If you don’t have a big yard (or any yard at all), you can grow spinach, lettuce and herbs in pots or foam boxes on your patio. Here are my tips for growing food in a small space.

9. Make your own baby food. This can be done specially, or you can lay aside excess from the family meal and pop it through the blender.

10. Create a meal plan and purchase your groceries accordingly.