Reason 1: They may contain fillers and water that do not contain any nutrients.

Commercial baby foods contain ingredients that are not nutritionally dense. These include: chemically modified food starch (often called Tapioca), flours, sugar, and corn syrup. Typically, the "first foods" for infants are more nutritious because they actually contain the real food and not a lot of filler. You do, however, end up buying a jar filled with a lot of water which is added during commercial processing. As your child grows, commercial baby food companies sell "second" and "third" stage foods. These can be far less nutritious because they contain even more of the starches and sugars mentioned above. Nutritionists believe that introducing these ingredients at such a young age can contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic.

Reason 2: Overcooking can result in the loss of nutrients.

Research has shown that cooking certain foods makes certain nutrients more bioavailable. For example, we know that carotenoids are more bioavailable when cooked, so steamed carrots are nutritionally superior to those eaten raw. Gentle steaming does actually begin the process of digestion, and that's especially beneficial for infants (0-12 months). Prolonged cooking at high temperatures is an entirely different story. Many valuable nutrients can escape into the atmosphere or be cooked away, and we're concerned about nutrient density!

What you may not know is that research has shown that processing foods in the Vita-Mix machine releases nutrients normally "locked" within the cell walls. Studies have shown more that more nutrients are present in Vita-Mix-prepared food than food that is cooked, juiced or eaten raw. Releasing those valuable nutrients can mean a healthier baby!

Reason 3: You can't control ingredients in processed food, and that's essential when dealing with allergies.

Nothing can scare a parent like an allergic reaction! When you find that your baby has an intolerance or true allergy to a certain food, avoidance can be life saving. Controlling your combinations of ingredients becomes essential, as well as taking care when preparing foods.

Many food companies process baby food in facilities where a variety of foods prone to triggering allergic reaction, such as peanut butter, may be prepared. You simply don't have those same risks in the comforts of your own kitchen. You've read about how inexpensive and easy it is to prepare your own foods, but if your baby has an allergy, making your own baby food may be the only option you have-and the Vita-Mix can be a real life-saver. For example, if your child has an allergy or intolerance to dairy-and many do-you can use the Vita-Mix to make your own rice and soy milks as non-dairy alternatives. It's very inexpensive, easy and delicious.

Foods that pose potential health risks to babies and young children:
• Eggs (Yolks can generally be introduced sooner than egg whites)
• Peanuts/Tree nuts and nut butters
• Dairy products (Allergy is often outgrown)
• Shellfish/fish
• Soy (Allergy is often outgrown)
• Wheat (Allergy may be outgrown, but an intolerance called Celiac disease is not a true allergic reaction, but must be managed carefully with help from your health care provider, as this is not outgrown)
• Chocolate
• Citrus fruits
• Commercial canned foods-not recommended due to high sodium content
• Beets, spinach, collards and turnip greens (and other root vegetables)-- not recommended because they have higher concentrations of naturally-occurring nitrates which can reduce hemoglobin in babies less than 6-8 months of age. After 8 months of age the baby develops the stomach acids necessary to fight the bacteria that can cause nitrate poisoning.
• Honey - not recommended for children under the age of one year due to potential risk of infant botulism

Reason 1: You save approximately 70-80% per serving! First and foremost, you're not spending your money on water!

We all need water and its really important keeping us healthy, but you shouldn't pay for jarred foods that contain 50% water! Not only that, you will benefit on the food savings altogether. Let's say that two sweet potatoes may cost $2 on the high-end. From those, you get an average of 15 servings! The economics are astonishing. Your Vita-Mix-made baby food will pay for your Vita-Mix machine investment almost 3 times over in the first year alone!

WE DID THE MATH: cost/serving/commercial baby food = $.60 x 7 jars/day x 365 days/year = $1,533
vs.
cost/serving/Vita-Mix baby food = $.133 x 7 servings/day x 365 days/year = $340. SAVINGS: $1,533 - $340 = $1,193 saved per year!)

Reason 2: Organic baby foods is much more affordable homemade and much easier to make than to find in the store!

Buying jarred organic baby food is really expensive! Up to $1.50 per jar! Making organic foods in the Vita-Mix machine is more economical because you buy your ingredients, or even grow your own! You won't need to worry about pesticides, genetically modified foods, growth hormones, or antibiotics. And when considering potential allergic reactions to various foods, you have the ultimate control! You-and only you--decide what goes into your mixtures. Now, that's ease of mind!

Reason 3: Making is easier and more convenient than ever with the Vita-Mix machine.

Batch cooking foods may seem daunting, but if you do it for just an hour or so just one day per week, you'll realize it isn't! Steaming a couple pots of food is simple enough to do. For most, that is the easy part. But when you own a Vita-Mix machine, you know the easiest steps are yet to come! Just place your steamed foods in the Vita-Mix container and processing for only 30 seconds. The pour spout makes it so simple to just pour your silky smooth purees into ice cube trays for freezing.

You can store storage bag after storage bag of frozen food cubes that should last months! Talk about convenient! And truly the best part is the clean up. You're not saving time and energy if you're cleaning up appliances with pieces-parts and compartments with sharp blades. The Vita-Mix has no attachments, so you never touch the blades, and it cleans itself in 30 seconds flat! That's it, it's that's easy!

Reason 1: Adding texture is the key to transitioning from pureed foods to table foods.

Using the Vita-Mix machine to finely chop foods and mix them into purees is so easy! You can process vegetables, pastas, beans, and fruits then stir them into your toddler's favorite baby food puree, and presto, you're done! It's far healthier than commercially prepared toddler meals, because you're using whole foods, not fillers.

Because toddlers sometimes don't eat much at one sitting, being sure you give them the most nutrient-dense meal is essential. The nutrient-deficient modified food starches in processed meals will not give your toddler the nutrition-or the taste-you'll get with Vita-Mix-made meals Try one or two things to start and marvel at your toddler's reaction to these new tastes and textures! Get your camera ready!

Reason 2: Starting healthy eating habits from birth encourages a lifetime of healthy eating.

Consuming whole foods on a regular basis helps your children avoid excess sugar, sodium and the addictive substances in processed foods-and that's all good! Let your child develop a taste for fruits and vegetables as they were intended to be eaten, not processed, modified and refined. Your child will naturally tend toward healthier alternatives throughout their life if that is what they've been taught to enjoy! You're doing your child a world of good by starting him or her out the best way you can! Who wouldn't give their child the very best?

Reason 3: The power to make whole foods fun and yummy for a finicky toddler is right at your fingertips with the Vita-Mix machine.here's how:

A toddler's taste buds change more often than the weather. It's frustrating and can lead to three "stops and starts" in just one mealtime! That's where the Vita-Mix machine's "stealth health" comes in to play. Adding a couple carrots or chunk of cabbage to a strawberry-banana smoothie adds extra nutrients and fiber.

You can also finely chop or puree veggies and mix them into homemade soups or pancakes. It's so easy that you will want to start adding his kind of "hidden nutrition" to your family's pasta sauces, breads and even ice cream! It's amazingly easy!