1 Month of Homemade Baby Food, 1 Hour, $20

Thank you so much for the awesome feedback (and pins!) on this homemade baby food post! For even more recipes, be sure to check out homemade baby food round 2. xoxo

One month of healthy, homemade baby food--quick and inexpensive! fitnessista.com #homemadebabyfood #babyfoodrecipes

Feeding and making solid foods for Livi to try continues to be one of my favorite things. I really looked forward to introducing solids to Liv, especially during my breastfeeding woes, and it’s just as fun as I thought it would be.

homemade baby food

At first, while Olivia was just getting the feel for swallowing food (instead of pushing it out with her tongue), she would only eat a few bites unless it was an avocado. I figured she wasn’t super hungry or ready for solid foods yet -breastmilk/formula is the main source of nutrition for the first year, solids are really just “for fun” and getting into the habit of eating- and continued to try to feed her different things that I had made. I would usually just offer one food at a time, she’d take a few bites and that would be it. I figured she was just still satisfied from the bottle she had an hour or so beforehand, and was still getting the hang of it.

Sweet potato for baby

Then when I was a little under the weather, I made some soup, threw it in the food processor and she GOBBLED it up. For the record, it was probably the best soup I’ve ever made- she absolutely loved it. I quickly learned that little miss likes combos– if it’s one food at a time, she’ll eat it, but if I mix different flavors and a combo of sweet and savory, she goes crazy for it. I also figured out she likes a lot of the robust flavors I love and ate while pregnant. I always joked that she’d come out a spicy meatball since I love spicy foods so much.

Happy baby ready to eat

We picked up a few of these baby food pouches to travel with to Las Vegas, and she slurped them down.

Happy Baby pouches

For the trip and convenience factor, they were awesome. On the plane, I would offer Liv a bottle to clear her ears, and if she didn’t want it, she would eat some fruit/veggie from the pouch and wash it down with some water. It was perfect.

I love the ingredients, they’re all organic and BPA-free packaging, but they’re expensive for what they are. Almost $2 per pouch, and even though we could stock up and mostly feed her those, I’m always looking for ways to save money, and I enjoy taking an hour or so to make her food for the month.

The Vitamix even gives baby food that silky smooth texture:

Bnut baby food

So instead of $120 per month on pouches (that’s 2 pouches per day), here’s a month of baby food I made in a little over one hour for $20–a much more cost-effective option!

Baby food ready to freeze

Homemade Baby Food Combinations for This Month

Pumpkin and banana

Oats (apple, pear and banana)

Butternut squash

Sweet potato

Broccoli and apple

Spinach, peas and pears

One Month of Healthy Homemade Baby Food Recipes

Blend these homemade baby food combinations well and thin as necessary with water or breastmilk–especially necessary with starchy mixes.  

1. Pumpkin and banana: 1 can of organic pumpkin and 1-2 banana(s). If you’d like to make your own pumpkin, check it out here. 

2. Oats: Split your oats into thirds and blend 3 batches–one with steamed apples, one with steamed pears and one with banana. 

3. Butternut squash: Just a steamed or baked butternut squash. (Tip: Trader Joe’s makes this one super easy, as they sell ready-to-steam peeled and cubed butternut squash.)

4. Sweet potato: Use the flesh only of baked sweet potatoes.

5. Broccoli and apple: Defrosted broccoli and one steamed or boiled apple. Note: Many of the packaged baby foods will have a ratio of about 2/3 to 3/4 fruit with 1/4 to 1/3 veggie, so they’re very sweet. I try to flip it and do mostly veggies with a smaller ratio of fruit, just to cut the bitterness. 

6. Spinach, peas and pears: For this one, I’ll steam the peas and peeled, chopped pears together, then blend up with defrosted frozen spinach. As in #5, I’ll do more veggies and less fruit (like 1/2 bag of organic broccoli and 1 apple, 1/2 bag of organic spinach wilted down, 1/2 bag frozen organic peas and 1 pear), but see what your baby prefers.

Make Healthy Homemade Baby Food in Under an Hour

Follow these steps for efficient homemade baby food prep!

-Pre-heat oven to 375. Wash and poke the sweet potatoes with a fork. Get the sweet potatoes in the oven. These need to bake for about 50 min, flipping halfway through.

-Start boiling the water for the 1.5 cups dry oats, according to package instructions, and another pan for anything you want to make on the stovetop.

-Peel and chop the apples and pears.

-Steam one bowl of apples and one of pears in the microwave: Add about 1 inch of water to the bottom of a glass bowl along with fruit. Microwave each bowl for 2 minutes. You could also boil in water for about 7 minutes instead.

-Defrost the spinach, broccoli and peas (either in the microwave or steamer).

-Microwave the butternut squash (or you can bake it in the oven, cut side down with the sweet potatoes), then the pears, then the apples in a little water with a moist paper towel on top (that’s optional, but definitely helps with a squash). We use this handy electric steamer.

-Scoop out sweet potato flesh.

-Start blending and storing.

How to Store Homemade Baby Food in the Freezer

I like to use the Baby Bullet storage containers, and ice cube trays work well, too. I couldn’t find ice cube trays while we were at Target, so for now I’ll just pour whatever’s left into freezable BPA-free ziploc baggies and lay flat in the freezer. Put a couple servings in the fridge, the rest in the freezer to defrost as necessary.

*Baby food in the fridge seems to last max 3 days over here before I toss it out, so only keep what your baby will eat over the next day or so in the fridge- everything else in the freezer.

Homemade baby food in the freezer

Just for Fun Baby Food Extras

-Little Ducks snacks, avocado, mashed banana, bites of whatever I’m eating to try (brown rice tortilla, egg yolk, lentils, beans)

-For breakfast, she’ll usually have fruit/oatmeal and for dinner, I try to mix up one of the sweeter veggie options with a starchy option (like sweet potato or butternut squash with a greens/fruit combo).

-While I heat up her food and make myself something to eat, I’ll give her something in the mesh feeder to keep her busy until the main course is ready. She especially loves crispy apple, cantaloupe, or bites of whatever I’m eating. The mesh feeder has been great for restaurants, and one mom gave me an awesome tip: keep a garlic press on hand to instantly puree whatever you’re eating while out and about.

Shopping List for One Month of Homemade Baby Food

-2 organic sweet potatoes

-1 can organic pumpkin

-4 bananas

-2 C oats

-4-6 organic apples

-a pack of frozen organic spinach (or you can use fresh and wilt it down in a little olive oil, which is what I did)

-pack of frozen organic peas

-4-6 organic pears

Baby food 5

Bonus recipe: Livi’s chicken soup = $20 for 3 huge adult servings, 4 baby servings

*Keep in mind that I’m not a baby food expert or baby nutrition specialist in any way- these are just the foods that Liv likes and an inexpensive list of combos. Always check with your doctor regarding the best method for feeding your baby. Baby led weaning works really well for many of my friends, but doesn’t seem to be the best method for us right now. For now, we’re pureeing most of Liv’s food and she loves it.

Do you have any fun baby food combos to share? Easy methods of preparing baby foods? Something unique that your little one surprisingly loves?

xoxo

(Affiliate links are included, which do not impact purchase price but allow me to earn a small kickback. Thank you so much for your support!)

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178 Comments

  1. Nikki on September 19, 2012 at 9:06 am

    I love the ideas shared here. As a mom of two kids under 2 it is sometimes easy to loose motivation! My baby is allergic to most bottled baby foods on the market which means ur post has come to my rescue. Thank you for taking the time and sharing. Nikki

    • Fitnessista on September 19, 2012 at 10:56 pm

      thank you nikki! keep up the amazing job raising those kiddos 🙂

      • Christy on April 27, 2013 at 8:54 pm

        I didn’t make my own baby food with my first child. I’m now pregnant with my second and have been thinking about wanting to make my own baby food this time around. After seeing your post, it made me realize how easy and actually how little time and inexpensive it is to make your own baby food. Thank you for taking the time to share this with everyone. Now anyone can feel that this seemingly daunting task can be done with ease.

  2. Kate on September 20, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    Thank you for these! I always stick to the basics, so combos are helpful! Question….did your pumpkin/banan freeze ok? Does the banana brown? That might be a stupid question, but I figured I’d just ask! Thanks!

    • Fitnessista on September 20, 2012 at 3:42 pm

      nope, it was totally fine!

    • Nicky on March 11, 2013 at 4:01 pm

      I have not made a pumpkin blend yet, but whenever I put bananas in the freezer or fridge they do turn brown. That is normal when they are cold. They are still fine. It freezes just fine. 🙂

  3. Kim on September 23, 2012 at 11:30 am

    Hey Gina! Love the baby food posts! Just a quick question–what kind of apples do you use?

  4. Trista on September 25, 2012 at 8:54 pm

    This is great! Thanks for sharing! I did mostly homemade with my first and am now expecting my second so I’ll have to bust out my baby bullet again in the near future! We did lots of squash and sweet potatoes, but never thought of pumpkin! By the way, we also have a Vitamix and it is the best!

  5. Phoebe on September 27, 2012 at 1:12 pm

    OMG trader joes sells ready-to-steam peeled and cubed butternut squash??? THANK YOU for the tip! I am so excited to get some 🙂

    • Fitnessista on September 28, 2012 at 12:12 am

      yes!!! makes life so easy 🙂

    • julie on March 5, 2013 at 10:51 am

      i’ve also found it at costco, organic and ready to go

  6. Ami on September 27, 2012 at 9:36 pm

    What I have found works great for storage is freeze them in cupcake tins then pop them out and keep in a ziplock…regular size cupcake tins are just about 3.5 oz ( 1 container of gerber stage 2 purees) and mini about 1.5oz( 1 container of stage 1). Im all about shortcuts so I opt for frozen veggies, a bag usually makes 6-8 servings !

    • annie on December 12, 2012 at 9:25 am

      That’s a great idea!!!! I never thought about using cupcake tins!! Random – do you use anything in the tins or just straight into them?

  7. Jess on October 1, 2012 at 6:46 am

    Wow – this is awesome!! I’ve also just found that Cherub Baby (in Australia at least) makes reusable baby food pouches, I haven’t used them yet but can’t wait to try them when my youngest is old enough http://www.cherubbaby.com.au/feeding_accessories/on-the-go-baby-food-pouches-20-pack

  8. Tiffany on October 2, 2012 at 6:27 pm

    I’m glad I was able to find this post again. I had jaw surgery yesterday and don’t think I’m going to be able to survive on soups and protein shakes alone. These options will definitely help me expand my choices while my jaw is wired shut!

  9. Heidi on October 11, 2012 at 12:41 pm

    Enjoyed your post! Excited to try the pumpkin banana recipe. Thank you. My daughter’s name is Liv also! Out of curiosity… do you pronounce it Leev or Liv?

  10. Christa on October 20, 2012 at 8:39 am

    Thank you for some new ideas! You are right, what you have been eating has affected her tastes. The flavor of your milk actually changes with the foods you eat. Eating a good variety of foods while nursing will cause you daughter to be a better eater and more accepting of new flavors! Good job! A few other combos I like are sweet potatoes, apple and chicken and carrot, pear and turnip. My little guy is just starting dairy so I also do yogurt, apple sauce and a tiny bit of cinnamon and egg yolk with fruit purée and a bit of cheese

    • Christa on October 20, 2012 at 8:41 am

      Sorry, I meant veggie purée lol!

  11. Jessica on October 22, 2012 at 1:52 pm

    Thank-you SO much for the grocery list and even the step-by-step when wanting to cook and try them all! My baby eats all of these in the Plum pouches and THREE a day! This will not only save some cash but make me feel better about making her food. 🙂 THANKS!

    • Jessica on October 22, 2012 at 1:53 pm

      Also – any chicken recipes?

      • Fitnessista on October 22, 2012 at 1:57 pm

        sure, i can do some chicken recipes! 🙂

    • Fitnessista on October 22, 2012 at 1:57 pm

      hope she loves it!!

  12. Melissa on October 25, 2012 at 1:27 am

    How many ounces of food does each baby bullet storage container hold?

    • Fitnessista on October 26, 2012 at 12:10 am

      i should know and don’t :/ anyone else have an idea?

      • lindsay on October 30, 2012 at 1:40 pm

        2 oz.

  13. Tara on October 29, 2012 at 10:33 pm

    Thanks for the ideas! I plan to use them. Just had a question please. How old was your baby when you started to give her broccoli?

    • Fitnessista on October 29, 2012 at 10:43 pm

      pureed, 5 months or so. i didn’t start giving her chunks of it until a few weeks ago

      • Tara on October 30, 2012 at 11:38 pm

        Thks! My son is 7 months but gets too gassy with green beans.

  14. Nici on October 30, 2012 at 10:01 pm

    Love this, thanks so much for sharing! Stupid question… What’s a mesh feeder?

  15. Jenn on November 9, 2012 at 7:05 pm

    Hi! I hope that you can still see comments/questions! My daughter is 5 months and I started her on rice cereal just after 4 months. I am a first time mom so this is all new to me! =) We came back from her dr appt where her dr said that I can add veggies and fruits to her diet now to balance the rice. What do you suggest for veggies and fruits to start out with??? I’ve heard that I need to start her on less popular veggies before sweeter ones and fruits??? I would love your input. I’m also trying to make all her food.

    • Hannah on November 12, 2012 at 12:28 pm

      Start with avocado!

    • Nicky on March 11, 2013 at 4:29 pm

      I started my son out on all veggies for about two or three weeks before adding fruit. He eats EVERYTHING now! He loves both fruits and veggies. His favorite veggie to start with was peas! 🙂

  16. anni on November 13, 2012 at 5:27 pm

    Do you like your baby bullet I just got one as a gift yesterday does yours work well or have you had any problems?

    • Fitnessista on November 13, 2012 at 9:22 pm

      i actually don’t have the bullet- just the storage containers

  17. Haylee on November 29, 2012 at 10:33 pm

    This is great! I’m starting my 2nd son on food this week and love the idea of combos! I did just plain with my first. Quick question and may be a dumb one but when you say oats are you just referring to oatmeal? Old fashioned or quick or something else? Thanks so much for this great info and tips!

    • Fitnessista on November 29, 2012 at 10:53 pm

      yep! i use old-fashioned 🙂

  18. April on December 3, 2012 at 4:36 pm

    Do you put the bullet in the freezer as well?

    • Fitnessista on December 3, 2012 at 4:39 pm

      the little containers? yep

  19. mandy on December 4, 2012 at 10:44 pm

    A good combo I do and my baby LOVES is sweet potatoes, apples, and cinnamon 🙂

    • Jessica Heinze on August 30, 2013 at 6:20 pm

      How much of each do you mix together?

  20. Amna on December 11, 2012 at 8:27 pm

    Excellent ideas, I am sharing this on Facebook with my friend in Pakistan, thanks

  21. candace on December 13, 2012 at 9:05 pm

    Thank you for this… I just finished in 1 h15 m … I can wait to feed little one these great flavours !!!!
    I did everything on your list but had extra spinach left so I blended with half of the squash… looks good!!
    Thanks for the great ideas. 🙂

    • Fitnessista on December 13, 2012 at 10:15 pm

      i’m so happy that it worked for you! hope your baby loves all of the food 🙂
      xoxo

  22. melissa on December 20, 2012 at 11:58 pm

    I found my son loves cantaloupe and avocado mixed together I tried it and it is pretty tasty

  23. Julie - Claire on December 28, 2012 at 2:17 am

    Just in-case you didn’t realize it you forgot to add the butternut squash and the Broccoli to the shopping list.. and thank you so much for the recipes and tips..

  24. Emily on December 28, 2012 at 9:46 am

    Thanks for this post and round 2, I need some good recipes! With my first baby I just winged it and used what was available. . .fortunately, we were living at the time on a property in Holland that had lots of fruit growing on it, and discovered that my little guy loved the sour red and white currants that were everywhere. Some of our favorite combos were greens with fruit, which I started calling green monster food, and now I make him green monster smoothies when he’s being a picky eater just to sneak in that spinach or broccoli. Anyhow, I thought you would be interested in this: http://infantino.com/category.cfm?subcategory=5019
    We loved the pouches too, especially while traveling, but they are really expensive! I just went and bought this infantino contraption for making your own pouches b/c it’s not super pricey. My son also loves the applesauce that comes in pouches so I feel like the investment is worth it b/c I can keep using it even as they get older for snacks that are nice and portable and not too messy.

    • Fitnessista on December 28, 2012 at 11:00 am

      thanks for the heads up on the pouches!
      i love that so many babies seem to LOVE sour food. liv always wants lemon- it cracks me up

  25. lisa on December 30, 2012 at 4:11 pm

    how old was she when you started? mine is four and a half months.. is that too early?

    • Fitnessista on December 30, 2012 at 4:23 pm

      i’d ask your ped- we started just under 6 months

  26. Lisa Fedeson on December 30, 2012 at 4:51 pm

    I love your food ideas, so far I’ve made all my baby’s food, and have given him a few of those HappyBaby pouches. I was a little confused as to what you were calling the “Vitamix”. Can you tell me what that is? Thanks

    • Fitnessista on December 30, 2012 at 4:56 pm

      it’s a high speed blender- you can use any blender, though 🙂

  27. Alicia on January 2, 2013 at 5:47 am

    My sister in law roasts, cooks or mashes each fruit or vegetable individually then freezes them in ice cube trays. Once they are hard she stores them in a ziploc bag and labels them with the fruit/veg name and date. By keeping them separate she can pull out two different ice cubes at a time and come up with unique flavor combos on the spot. Also makes it very easy for babysitters to just pull out two cubes and either microwave or let them sit until soft.

  28. lelys on January 4, 2013 at 9:59 pm

    what proteins did you start?and some recipes ideas

  29. Mom of 3 and Nana of 3 on January 10, 2013 at 9:25 pm

    Going mostly or all organic is awesome and making your own baby food is too.. But I wouldn’t use the microwave at all.. Microwave ovens kill almost all nutrition in food that is cooked in them. It is a chemical reaction that heats the food. For the most nutritious food, steam the food on the stove or in the oven..

  30. Talia on January 11, 2013 at 8:07 pm

    My 7 month old really likes combos too. Her favorites are spinach and apples, green beans, peas, and peaches, chicken and mangos, carrots and sweet potatoes, and blueberries mixed into her oatmeal or applesauce.

  31. Heidi on January 26, 2013 at 10:43 am

    I also recommend putting the frozen food in the mesh feeder. Its a nutritious baby Popsicle! Also great for teething! After I put it in the mesh, I pass it under running water so her tongue doesn’t stick to it;) Great blog post! I love the garlic press idea!!

  32. Mariana on January 28, 2013 at 3:43 am

    children younger than one year should not consume package frozen vegetables for the presence of nitrates

  33. Krysta on January 28, 2013 at 5:44 am

    We do baby led weaning with our son and it’s sooo easy! At first I was steaming veggies more than I usually do, but after a couple of months I started offering what we had! I didn’t want him to have any salt or sugar, so I have been cooking salt free and right now I’m working on cutting sugar too. Just because of him we eat healthier!

    I really like your ideas though, so inspirational!

  34. SHANNA on February 7, 2013 at 6:59 pm

    what’s baby led weaning? also, did you do the try each new food one at a time and wait three days before introducing new stuff? it’s taking forever to build up a good list of food she likes and has no allergies to. no allergies so far, thank goodness!

    • Fitnessista on February 7, 2013 at 7:04 pm

      baby led weaning is when you give the baby chunks of your own food to eat instead of pureeing. she loves pieces of avocado, banana and sweet potato to start. we didn’t wait 3 days in between introducing new foods if they weren’t highly allergenic (like most squashes, rice, beans, chicken/fish, etc)

  35. Sandy Piergrossi on February 8, 2013 at 4:03 am

    Where did you get your jars for storing homemade baby food? Love your ideas, can’t wait until I can pass them on to my daughter-in-law. I thought I would make some for her so she knows how easy it is.
    Thank you.

  36. Kat on February 23, 2013 at 12:09 pm

    Our babe loves red lentils and sweet potato. Once she was 8 months I would do 1 c. Lentils, peel a sweet potato, add garlic and or carrot and curry. Spice to taste. Cook with about 2.5 c. Water or chicken stock and mash or purée at about 20 mins. So yummy. I could eat too! Sometimes I mix in yogurt or cottage cheese when I’m ready to feed her for a dairy boost. You could add spinach or other veg.

  37. Kimspamperedchef on March 9, 2013 at 10:20 pm

    Great ideas!! Thank you so much ladies!!

  38. Brandee on March 13, 2013 at 8:12 am

    Hi, thanks for ideas! We freeze avacado too. It holds taste and color well. I just puree it with enough water to make it the right consistency and then pour into ice cube trays. We also freeze banana pureed with some type of juice. I know these two typically aren’t frozen, but we haven’t had any problem freezing them.

  39. rena on March 26, 2013 at 11:28 pm

    If you want the squeeze packs there are reusable ones called “Squeeze Ems” I bought mine at wal mart and they work great with pureed food

  40. Stacie on June 12, 2013 at 10:49 am

    I’m sure your little one has outgrown baby food but for future reference, ice cube trays at target are with the ziplock bags and tupperware. In my target its in the very back corner! I had to ask because I needed trays for baby food! Thank you for the great ideas for food combinations. Its really helpful! : )

  41. Ashley on July 25, 2013 at 12:18 pm

    How long does baby food last in the freezer? I love the recipes and combos thanks so much!

  42. Alyssa B on July 25, 2013 at 12:56 pm

    These are great combos, I’m going to try apple/broccoli and pumpkin/banana.

    When I’m chopping veggies to make dinner, I’ll toss some in a steamer to cook while I continue to work on dinner. I puree and freeze them before I clean everything up. I take out cubes from the freezer as needed. I also mix these single ingredient cubes them with other veggies or fruits for new combos. That’s my best baby food tip.

  43. Naomi on August 28, 2013 at 11:09 pm

    I LOVE making my own baby food. My daughter loves sweet potato, banana, and peaches mixed together. I put a little cinnamon and nutmeg in for a little punch. Avocado and banana are great ones when starting out with solids. It has a mild flavor and ALOT of benefits.

    When we store our baby food, we put most of it in the breast milk storage bags. They freeze very well and thaw well too. You can toss them in the diaper bag and not have to worry about them popping open (usually). I also microwave mine in the bags to defrost them since we have very little time to waste on letting them defrost in the fridge. Or you can put them in hot water just like you do breast milk. This is one of the best things I have found for our household!

  44. kelli on October 7, 2013 at 12:19 am

    How many months was she when you first started doing this? I want to do this with my son.

    • Fitnessista on October 7, 2013 at 12:26 am

      she was about 6 months, and i gradually started adding new foods. her first foods were sweet potato, avocado and banana

  45. stephanie on October 14, 2013 at 9:58 pm

    I cannot wait to start making my own baby food next week. I was at walmart and they actually carry the squeezable pouches. You get 2 for $8 they are reusable. I have twins so I cannot afford those really cool pouches that are pre-made but with the tips from this site and walmart pouches I can do my own!!!

  46. TJ on December 19, 2013 at 10:29 am

    How do you like your baby bullet? Thanks!

    • Fitnessista on December 19, 2013 at 10:30 am

      i actually don’t have one- i’ve used the vitamix and mini food chopper

      • TJ on December 19, 2013 at 4:57 pm

        Oh, I thought you did since the food storage bottles say baby bullet on them. They’re darling, but the reviews for the Baby Bullet aren’t so great. I think we need the vitamix! Thanks for the great post!

        • Fitnessista on December 19, 2013 at 4:58 pm

          nope, i just bought the storage containers at target but not the actual bullet 🙂

        • TJ on December 19, 2013 at 5:02 pm

          Correction, jars not bottles.

  47. Priscilla on February 12, 2014 at 8:52 pm

    My son is 7 months old and I make all if his baby food. I’ve tried all of the methods for storage you can imagine! Finally I started using the little 2 oz plastic cups with lids (like you get salsa in from a Mexican restaurant). It’s so quick and easy!

  48. shelly on March 16, 2014 at 7:10 pm

    Awesome post (part 1 and 2!) I am JUST starting to feed our baby solids and started her this week on rice cereal. I’m going to be pureeing foods this week to test out on her one at a time but can’t wait to do the combos you’ve suggested! The mesh feeder you spoke of…what is it and when did you introduce it to her?

  49. Jill Hartley on April 30, 2014 at 3:37 pm

    I love this! I’m new to making baby food… what age range do you think would be best for these foods? With the majority I know that a 5 month old could eat it but wanted to see about pumpkin and spinach?

  50. Danika on May 1, 2014 at 5:45 pm

    Did you start her on rice or oatmeal cereal prior to this??

    • Fitnessista on May 1, 2014 at 7:13 pm

      no. she hated the rice cereal and wouldn’t really touch oatmeal. we started her on avocado, banana and sweet potatoes

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