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"Making your own baby food is the hottest trend, because it's incredibly simple to do," explained Carley Roney, editor-in-chief of TheBump.com. "It actually makes sure that your baby is eating the purest food because you are controlling everything that's going into their mouths, and it saves you money. And in this economy, everyone wants to save a little bit of money."

According to Roney, parents can save anywhere from 70-80 percent off the cost of a jar of baby food by making their own. One sweet potato, for example, may cost about 50 cents – and can provide five servings, so 10 cents a serving is quite a bargain.

Another perk, it's incredibly easy, says Roney, and parents can pretty much use any fruit or vegetable to make the food.

"The best vegetables to make are squash, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, even zucchini, and avocado, too," she said. "They are very easy to prepare. These are the best veggies to start with. When you move on to fruits, the best are pears, a universal baby favorite, apples, bananas. But very low key, you don't want to use fruits that might be allergens – no strawberries, mangos, or things like that."

Roney says to start simply by cutting up the ingredients and putting them in steamer on your stovetop. If you are using squash or sweet potatoes, you should bake them in the oven. Once they're soft, let them cool, peel off the skin, and use a hand mixer or food processor to blend it to the right consistency.

"It needs to be smooth enough for the baby to eat it," Roney said. "Almost soupy when the baby is first starting. And a great way to do that is to mix in breast milk, freshly expressed breast milk, not frozen because that will taint the ability of it to freeze for a long period of time, so fresh milk is the best."

Over time, you can introduce different consistencies to slowly prepare the baby for table food.

Once blended, scoop it into baby freezer trays, which you can find at most baby supply stores. Later, you can transfer the cubes in freezer bags, so you can reuse the tray.

Baby food is good for only three months, so it's very important before you put it in the freezer that you label the container. This way you'll know exactly when it will expire.

For more information on homemade baby food, visit www.thebump.com, because giving your child the best nutrients, while saving money, is the perfect formula.