My son will be 6 months tomorrow and will be starting vegetables soon. I plan on making most, if not all, of his food so I am in need of a food steamer for the vegetables. Ideally, I would like a 2 or 3-tier on so I can steam more vegetables at once but would still be okay with a 1-tier steamer. I would love to hear any recommendations for ones that are good and ones that I should avoid. Thanks for any help!!
You could just use a pot with half an inch of waer and a colander sitting inside with veggies and a lid. Less room to have to store if you use what you already have on hand.
I have a bamboo steamer and I love it. I'm not a big fan of plastic of any kind in the microwave. That's just me. My bamboo steamer has 3 sections that come apart and you just sit them on top of a pot of boiling water. I purchased mine at Target a few years ago but I'm sure some place like Bed Bath & Beyond will have it.
Tupperware makes a few different sizes and I've had great luck with all of them. (No affiliation to Tupperware so it's an actual recommendation, not an advertisement). I think you can view products online or find a tupperware lady. I have to say, their products do hold up better than some of the cheaper brands. Good luck!
A.,
I was in a darling little boutique called Kustum Kribs yesterday in Park Ridge. They had a vegetable steamer and puree maker that I hear works really well. It purees foods better than a blender can and also re-heats veggies if you were to freeze them. I am past that stage with my son but I wish I had known about it a year and a half ago. Good luck.
I had a gift card to Macy's, so I bought the Oster brand 2-tier steamer there. I *love* it. There was a more expensive one (I think I paid around $40, but I may be wrong), but this one works just fine. Good luck!
I have a Black and Decker Handy Steamer and love it. It was about $25-$35 (i think) at Kohls but im sure you can get it at Walmart or Target or anywhere. Its one tier and not too big so doesnt take a ton of space, and it works great and easy to use and clean. Google Black and Decker Handy Steamer and you can find out who carries it.
I have a great steamer that works in the microwave - my company sells it - it is $8 - email me a message and I can tell you more.
M. in IL
I know this isn't exactly what you're looking for, but I'm addicted to ziploc steamers! They're a ziploc bag especially made to be placed in the microwave. They steam vegetables to die for! I reuse mine over and over again... It might be easier than you think to steam your son's veggies!
The Beaba babycook looks amazing. It is pretty expensive though, at 120.00 with a 20% off coupon at BuyBuyBaby.
http://www.buybuybaby.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SK...;
I know I've made purees my self by steaming veggies, like sweet potatos or squash, in the oven. (Learned this from the deceptively delicious cookbook) Then I chopped them into cubes and pureed them in my mini food processor(or you can use a blender). That worked pretty well. Lots of clean up and prep. If you devote a certain day to do it and freeze the puree into ice cubes, hopefully you wouldn't have to do it more than once per week.
I love my Farberware stainless steel steamer pan. It's the perfect size for our family.
Hi A. I don't know too much about steamers but try puree his vegetables in a blender after you've cooked them this works out well also.
I just steamed them in a pot or in the microwave with a little water and a lid. There really is no need to buy any special gadgets to make baby food. All I bought was some extra ice cube trays.
Check out recommendations and research on the health of breast milk for the kids- you are giving him gold and it is totally adequate nutrition for at least the first year of life. So, if you want to add veggies and fruits- do it on a full belly (after nursing) so he doesn't miss out on that great nutrition! Another idea: microgreens. Those little ones don't eat that much, so if you are thinking about supplementing for health- select microgreens (one baby plant has all the superfood in a large plant)- but really, just nurse!
S. Botana
I just steamed mine in the microwave with covered Pyrex bowls.
have you ever heard of the beaba baby cook? it's sold at williams sonoma...a little pricey but you get the money back within 2 months of not using jarred food. it so worth looking into this product. i have three kids and made food for all three but with my third...i had the beaba and it was by far the easiest and healthiest way i've done it. it's very easy to steam out the nutrients when doing it on the stove top cause you're trying to get the vegetables soft enough to puree. the beaba steams and purees all in one contraption and the water from the vegetables and fruit (which contains alot of the nutrients) is saved in the bottom...and you poor that back in when you puree. also, when your baby is older, it does chicken and fish too and you can add all kinds of things...whatever you're eating that day and cook or blend it. it's really small and easy to clean up, i can't say enough about it!
also a really good book for making baby food is called Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. it's a little overwhelming at first most people can't possible follow it to the extreme but it has a good diet plan for a baby and all kinds of instructions.
if you end up looking into the beaba, message me and let me know what you think.
kasey
