˄

5.7.13

Honestly, Jessica Alba’s brand new book confirms everything we suspected about this naturally gorgeous mommy: she’s the real deal. And her commitment to an all-natural lifestyle is something she’s not joking around about. This mama has the in on creating a non-toxic home environment and knows how to pull it all together with style.

As co-founder of The Honest Company and creator of some of the cutest natural baby products around, it was no surprise to flip through Jessica’s new book, The Honest Life, and find practical, yet beautiful guidance on all things green. This recipe for DIY baby food is one of our favorite tips for home and kitchen from the book.

Follow Jessica’s simple-as-can-be recipe and make a week’s worth of homemade baby food in the blink of an eye. The idea might seem daunting at first, but, in her signature style, Jessica breaks the whole process down into just one weekly stint in the kitchen with a few organic veggies and a blender. The simplest route is to make a few of these batches at once and freeze them up, freeing up priceless time and keeping the whole process convenient enough to keep up with it. We encourage you to play around with a few of these flavors til you find a few that your child really loves!

Green shopping note: The adorable, green glass containers pictured are by Wean Green and are a green mommy staple! Swipe up your own set here.)

  • Jessica Alba's Homemade Baby Food Recipe

  • Ingredients

    1 pound of any fresh or frozen organic vegetable, peeled and roughly chopped (carrots, squash cauliflower, broccoli, or any blend thereof)
    3-4 cups chicken stock*
    1 small clove garlic
    1 tsp fresh ginger, diced
    1 tsp sea salt
    1 cup unsweetened apple sauce* or 1-2 bananas (use as much or as little as you like to sweeten baby food)
    1 tsp olive oil

    *Applesauce and stock recipes included in book!

  • Directions

    Bring broth to boil, add vegetables garlic, ginger, and sea salt, and simmer until veggies soften--around 20 minutes, or longer if needed.

    In a blender, puree veggies and stock together with the applesauce or banana and olive oil (work in batches if necessary).

    Store in reusable glass jars or containers so you’ve got a week’s worth of meals ready to go! These also freeze well.

  • Reprinted from The Honest Life by Jessica Alba. Copyright (c) 2013 by Jessica Alba. By permission of Rodale Books. Available wherever books are sold. 

  • Honest Giveaway!

    We're giving away one copy of The Honest Life to a lucky reader! Tell us one of your best all-natural and time-saving tips below and may the best reader comment win!

Bottom banner image
From our friends

Comments


  1. On Sundays, I collect all the fruit I have left in my kitchen and measure and set aside individual fruit smoothie serving sizes and put them in the freezer so they are ready to go throughout the week! Saves time during the week and makes yummy, healthy, natural snacks!

    Andrianna | 05.07.2013 | Reply
  2. To save time and use natural ingredients, I make homemade lip scrub with sugar and honey to remedy chapped lips!

    Alex | 05.07.2013 | Reply
  3. Meal planning and food prep is the way to go! To keep from overspending or eating out, we plan out two weeks worth of meals and on Sunday afternoons a lot of food prep gets done. Cooking chicken and dividing it up, slicing up the less delicate veggies/fruits, freezing homemade baby food, etc. One slightly busy afternoon is better than an every night dinner-panic.

    Tate | 05.07.2013 | Reply
  4. Simply commit to putting nothing in or on your body, and those you love, that you wouldn’t eat. So a local, farmers market-centric approach includes homemade soups, coconut oil-based deodorant, hair conditioner, body moisturizing, plus great treats from appetizers to desserts. That’s why I love Jessica Alba’s approach – and of course am dedicated reader of the Chalkboard! (and Pressed Juicery…okay, i’ll stop. It’s truth, not sucking up!)

    tazan | 05.07.2013 | Reply
  5. After I purchase produce, I wash before I put away. Having clean fresh fruits and veggie ready to go when I need to cook saves tons of time. I also tend to cook multiple servings enough to have leftovers for an additional lunch or dinner. I also purchase food items that have multiple uses to save time and money. For example, I use organic coconut oil for cooking as well as hydrating my hair and body. I also use dried flowers for teas, bath soaks and facial stems.

    Pamela | 05.07.2013 | Reply
  6. To save time and give an example of a healthy lifestyle, I make going to the local farmers market a fun outing for my children. On Saturday mornings, while eating a healthy breakfast, we plan the next week’s meals and make a list of items we need. Then, as a family, we head to the farmers market and make games out of picking up the ingredients. This way, my kids learn how to eat naturally, healthy, and locally – and we turn an activity that needs to be done (grocery shopping) into a family-fun outing!

    Marilyn | 05.08.2013 | Reply
  7. As a family we try and eat as healthy and local as possible. We soak black beans, garbanzo beans and almonds over night and the next day is filled with making raw almond butter, raw almond milk, hummus, and black beans for meals throughout the week. It is fast because we use the Vitamix blender for everything. It’s fun because we enjoy this way of eating.

    Heather | 05.08.2013 | Reply
  8. An all natural and time saving tip that I will use a banana peel as a natural and gentle face exfoliant; this is how I would equate “nose to tail” for fruits and vegetables, waste nothing! 🙂

    Josie K | 05.08.2013 | Reply
  9. I love to throw all of my fresh fruit in the blender in the morning and make a yummy breakfast smoothie…it’s quick and a great way to start my day off right. I do fresh strawberries , blueberries, banana, mango, pineapple, almond butter, chia seeds, and fresh spinach and toss them in my Ninja and voila! Brekkie!

    Emilee Lowe | 05.09.2013 | Reply
  10. My best all-natural and time-saving tip is using vinegar at home for cleaning basically everything! i put it in a spray bottle with water and leaving everything sparkling and disinfected!

    miriam andrade | 05.10.2013 | Reply
  11. Figure out all of those natural cleaning recipes and start doing it! It is easy, cheap, and makes you feel good about how you are taking care of your family and home.

  12. Nothing groundbreaking but I’ve recently started washing my fruit & veg before putting it away. It does take a little time but means I don’t have to worry about washing anything when I begin my food prep. Also green smoothies for breakfast are a great way to get a serving of greens & fruit first thing in the morning.

    Miriam | 05.19.2013 | Reply
  13. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS AND CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER, EMILEE!

    The Chalkboard | 05.29.2013 | Reply
  14. It’s so simple, but it works so well for me. I wash my face with raw organic honey. It exfoliates, moisturizes and cleans all in one step. I don’t use any other facial care products and my skin looks better than ever. I am being kind to my skin, the environment and my purse.

    Jennifer | 09.27.2013 | Reply

Leave A Comment


*