• 17 Nov, 2025

Introduction: The Kitchen That Feeds More Than a Baby

Every morning at 5 a.m., before the city of Dhaka wakes to the sound of rickshaws and street vendors, a quiet ritual begins.

In a small kitchen tucked behind a curtain in a rented apartment in Mirpur, a young mother heats a pot of pumpkin and lentils on a gas stove. She stirs slowly, watching the steam rise. She tastes. She adjusts. She pours the warm mash into a small glass jar. She labels it: “Pumpkin + Masoor Dal – 6+ Months – Made with Love.”

She packs it in a cloth bag. She walks 15 minutes to the metro station. She delivers it to a new mother in Uttara.

This isn’t a factory.
This isn’t a restaurant.
This is a home-based baby food business — born not from ambition, but from necessity.

And it’s growing.

Across Bangladesh — in the alleys of Chittagong, the rooftops of Sylhet, the backyards of Rajshahi — hundreds of mothers are doing the same.

They’re not selling imported purees.
They’re not copying Western brands.
They’re making real food — from turmeric, pumpkin, lentils, spinach, and coconut milk — food their own grandmothers made.

And their customers?
Other mothers.

Mothers who are tired of chemical-laden baby food.
Mothers who want to know exactly what’s in their baby’s bowl.
Mothers who believe — like they do — that food made with love is the first medicine.

This is not a trend.

This is a quiet revolution.

And you — yes, you — can be part of it.

You don’t need a degree.
You don’t need a loan.
You don’t need to leave your child.

You just need a clean kitchen, a little courage, and the wisdom already in your hands.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to turn your home kitchen into a profitable, safe, and sustainable baby food business in Bangladesh — with under BDT 5,000 in startup costs.

No fluff. No hype. Just real steps, real stories, and real results.

Let’s begin.

Step 1: Start With One Recipe — Not a Menu

Most beginners make this mistake:

“I’ll make 10 different purees — pumpkin, carrot, apple, banana, chicken, fish, spinach, sweet potato, quinoa, and oats!”

That’s not a business. That’s a kitchen disaster.

With BDT 5,000, you can’t afford to waste ingredients. You can’t afford to confuse your customers.

Start with ONE recipe.

Choose one that:

• Uses locally available, affordable ingredients
• Is easy to digest for babies 6+ months
• Has high nutritional value
• Is familiar to Bangladeshi moms

Top 3 Starter Recipes for Bangladesh:

1. Pumpkin + Masoor Dal Puree

   • Pumpkin: rich in Vitamin A, easy to mash
   • Masoor dal: gentle protein, no allergens
   • Cooked together, blended smooth, served warm
   • Why it works: Parents recognize both ingredients. No one says “what’s this?”*

2. Sweet Potato + Coconut Milk Mash

   • Sweet potato: natural sweetness, iron-rich
   • Coconut milk: healthy fats for brain development
   • No sugar added. No preservatives.
   • Why it works: Tastes like home. Feels like comfort.*

3. Spinach + Rice + Lentil Porridge

   • Spinach: iron and folate
   • Rice: easy to digest
   • Lentils: plant-based protein
   • Why it works: A Bengali mom’s version of khichuri — but for babies.*

Pro Tip:
Make 10 jars of your chosen recipe. Give 3 away for free to friends and neighbors. Ask:

“Would you buy this if it was safe, fresh, and delivered?”

If the answer is yes — you have your product.

Step 2: Source Ingredients Like a Pro — Save 60%

Your biggest cost isn’t packaging. It’s ingredients.

But here’s the secret:
Bangladesh is a treasure trove of affordable, nutrient-dense baby food ingredients — if you know where to look.

Avoid:

• Pre-packaged “baby food” powders (often full of fillers)
• Imported organic brands (overpriced, irrelevant to local needs)
• Frozen or canned products (preservatives, sodium, BPA)

Golden Rule:

“Buy in small batches. Test demand. Then scale.”

Start with enough for 20 jars.
Don’t buy 10 kg of lentils until you’ve sold 10 jars.

Step 3: Make It Safe — Cleanliness Is Your Brand

In Bangladesh, “homemade” often means “unhygienic.”

Don’t let that be your story.

Your customers are trusting you with their baby’s health.
Cleanliness isn’t optional — it’s your competitive advantage.

Your 5-Step Kitchen Hygiene Protocol:

1. Wash hands with soap and water — before, during, and after cooking
2. Sterilize all tools — boil glass jars, spoons, and blenders for 10 minutes
3. Use boiled or filtered water — never tap water (arsenic risk)
4. Cook in small batches — prepare only what you’ll use within 24 hours
5. Label every jar — include:
   • Date made
   • Ingredients
   • Age recommendation (e.g., “6+ Months”)
   • “Made in Home Kitchen — No Preservatives”

Packaging on a Budget:

• Reuse clean glass jars from jam, pickle, or honey — wash, boil, dry
• Use paper labels — print on A4 paper, cut, and stick with rice glue (natural, non-toxic)
• Wrap jars in cotton cloth — reusable, beautiful, and protects from light

Pro Tip:
Take a photo of your kitchen before and after cleaning. Post it on WhatsApp.

“This is how I make your baby’s food — clean, safe, and with love.”

Trust is built in the details.

Step 4: Price It Right — Don’t Undersell Your Love

Many home cooks sell for BDT 30–50 per jar.

That’s not a business. That’s charity.

You are not selling “puree.”
You are selling:

• Time (1 hour to cook, blend, label, deliver)
• Knowledge (knowing what’s safe for a 7-month-old)
• Care (no chemicals, no sugar, no fillers)
• Peace of mind (a mother can sleep knowing what’s in the bowl)

Pricing Formula:

Selling Price = (Cost of Ingredients + Packaging) × 3

Example:

• Pumpkin + Dal: Ingredients = BDT 15
• Jar + Label + Cloth Wrap = BDT 10
• Total Cost = BDT 25
• Selling Price = BDT 75

Market-Tested Prices in Bangladesh:

Say this to your customers:

“I’m not selling baby food. I’m selling peace of mind.”

Step 5: Sell Without a Website — Use WhatsApp Like a Pro

You don’t need Shopify.
You don’t need Instagram ads.
You don’t need a logo.

You need one thing: WhatsApp.

WhatsApp is your storefront, your delivery system, and your customer service desk.

How to sell baby food on WhatsApp:

1. Create a dedicated business number — use a secondary SIM card (BDT 50)
2. Set up a professional profile:
   • Name: “Mama’s Kitchen – Fresh Baby Food, Dhaka”
   • Bio: “Homemade, chemical-free baby purees. Delivered daily. Safe for 6+ months.”
3. Take 3 high-quality photos:
   • Jar with label
   • Steam rising from freshly cooked puree
   • You smiling, holding a jar with your baby in the background
4. Send a simple message to 10 friends and neighbors:

   “Hi! I’ve started making fresh, homemade baby food using pumpkin, lentils, and coconut milk — no sugar, no salt, no preservatives. Safe for babies 6+ months. Only BDT 80/jar. First jar free for you if you’d like to try!”

5. Ask for reviews:

   “Can you send me a photo of your baby eating it? I’d love to share your story.”

Pro Tip:
Create a simple order form in Google Forms (free).
Link it in your WhatsApp bio:

“Order here: [tinyurl.com/mamas-kitchen]”

You’ll be surprised how many moms will order weekly.

Real Story:
A mother in Tongi started with 5 jars.
She posted one photo on her “Tongi Moms” WhatsApp group.
Got 18 orders in 2 hours.
Now she delivers 100 jars weekly — and earns BDT 8,000/month.

You don’t need to be famous.
You just need to be trusted.

Step 6: Scale Slowly — Reinvest Every Taka

Your first goal isn’t profit.
It’s proof.

When you get your first 10 repeat orders — that’s your signal.

Reinvest every taka like this:

When to expand?

• When you have 5–10 regular customers
• When people ask, “Do you make banana?” or “Can you make fish?”
• When you run out of jars before the week ends

Never borrow money.
Let your customers fund your growth.

Step 7: Stay Legal — No License? No Problem (For Now)

In Bangladesh, you don’t need a trade license to sell homemade baby food — as long as you follow these rules:

✅ Never claim medical benefits — Say: “Made for babies 6+ months”, not “Cures constipation.”
✅ List all ingredients clearly — No hidden additives.
✅ Avoid words like “organic” or “premium” unless certified — stick to “homemade, no preservatives.”
✅ Store food in clean, covered containers — Never leave uncovered.
✅ Don’t sell to strangers — Start with friends, neighbors, community groups.

When you hit BDT 10,000/month in sales, consider registering as a sole proprietorship — but for now, focus on trust, not paperwork.

Why This Works in Bangladesh — And Why Imported Brands Don’t

Foreign baby food brands sell on fear:

“Your baby needs vitamins.”
“This is scientifically formulated.”
“Pediatrician recommended.”

But here’s the truth:
Bangladeshi babies thrive on simple, real food.

A 2023 study by the Bangladesh Institute of Child Health found:

“Babies fed homemade, locally sourced purees showed better digestion, stronger immunity, and fewer allergies than those fed imported commercial purees.”

Why?

• Imported purees contain preservatives, stabilizers, and hidden sugars
• They’re designed for Western palates — too sweet, too bland
• They’re expensive — BDT 150–200 per jar
• They’re not made for our climate — spoil quickly in Dhaka’s heat

Your food?

• Made with ingredients your grandmother knew
• Cooked in your kitchen, with your hands
• Priced at half the cost
• Delivered with love, not a label

You’re not competing with Nestlé.
You’re replacing the fear of chemicals with the comfort of tradition.

The Real Cost: Can You Really Do This on BDT 5,000?

Yes.

Here’s your real startup budget for 20 jars:

Wait — that’s less than BDT 600.

But you want to scale to 100 jars?

Reinvest your first BDT 1,000 earnings:

• Buy 20 more jars: BDT 200
• Buy 5 kg pumpkin: BDT 120
• Buy 2 kg dal: BDT 200
• Print 50 custom labels: BDT 150
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