How Teja Makes Homemade Baby Food Every Day

Who cooks and eats here: Teja Ream, Neil Collier, and family
Where: Los Angeles, CA
See Teja’s Kitchen: Teja’s Family Kitchen
Rent or Own? Own

When Teja’s first child was born, she dove into the world of creating her own baby food. Teja worked full time after a short maternity leave and it was her way of connecting with her child, to spend some time in the mornings preparing her purees, blends, and other infant culinary delights. With her second baby, she’s become a downright pro at whipping up fresh foods for baby.

To make baby food, Teja is very devoted to her Béaba Babycook, which is an all-in-one tool that steams and blends vegetables. “You steam and puree the meals all in the same device which makes clean-up a breeze,” she says. “I am a full-time working mom, and it is great to have a time saver like this.”

There are many ways of making baby food, of course — steaming on the stove or roasting in the oven, blending in the food processor or a food mill — but Teja found that this particular appliance has made it easier to make fresh food every day. “I have a lot of friends who haven’t fallen in love with these devices as much as I have,” she says. “But I really appreciate the time savings, and since I prepare baby food almost every day in the morning, the Béaba’s ease of use and clean up has streamlined my morning routine.”

Teja appreciates being able to control the nutrition and balance in the food she feeds her children, and how homemade baby food can gently introduce flavor — this is important to Teja as she wants to develop her children’s palates.

Teja also feels that this little appliance is more cost effective; it’s much cheaper to buy fruits and vegetables the whole family can eat, and steam and puree just enough for the little one until he can join in the family meal.

And it’s not just used for baby food in her household; it’s good for grownups too. “I wish the container was made of glass instead of plastic, and I say this because not only do I use the Béaba to make baby food but I have found it to be great preparing some marinades as well,” she says. “Some of the purées that I have made are delicious for all members of the family when swirled in oatmeal or yogurt.”

• More about the Béaba:

  Babycook Pro by Béaba at Béaba’s website
• Find it: Babycook Pro by Béaba, $140 at Amazon

So how does Teja fit making homemade baby food into a busy schedule? She begins each day by choosing some fresh ingredients to make a puree for the baby. Today she is using Vietnamese spinach and Japanese eggplants, both of which she grew herself.

“As I am getting ready in the morning I will prepare the foods I am going to steam, toss them in the Béaba, hit the button to steam and go about my morning,” she explains. There’s no flame on the Béaba so Teja can set it up and leave it unattended. “In a few minutes when it is done steaming, I put the foods in the basket into the main container, hit blend and I’m done.”

The Béaba can also reheat purees, which Teja finds useful, since she doesn’t own a microwave. “I rely on water baths, the oven, and now the Béaba for reheating.”

Thank you so much for letting us peek into your kitchen, Teja!
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