The debate about what baby food should be like never ceases. Every parent considers their opinion exclusively correct, whether they choose homemade purees or jarred ones. There are pros and cons to both, whether they are industrially manufactured or homemade. It’s worth talking about it in more detail.
What kind of baby food is the best?
First of all, it’s important to understand that industrially produced baby foods are not harmful. They can be easily used on a par with homemade, natural products. So the question is not “what kind of baby food is better?” but “Which one is more convenient/acceptable for you to use?”. Everybody picks the option that’s more acceptable and convenient to them personally.
Decide on your feeding strategy in advance, before the birth of your baby. Both jarred foods and homemade products equally meet your little one’s needs, whether they are healthy or suffer from digestive issues. The most important thing is to choose the right food and products and trust your gut feeling. Only you know better what’s right for your baby.
Homemade baby foods: pros and cons
There’s no denying that homemade purees made using fresh produce are the best. As we know, most of the nutrients and vitamins tend to lose their useful qualities after a very short period of time. However, supporters of natural baby foods should ask themselves a few questions. Can you always be sure that the products you get in a local store or market are 100% organic and GMO-free? Can you be sure how exactly they were farmed and processed?
When it comes to a homemade diet, there are a few clear pros and cons.
Pros:
- The taste is more intense which might make your child like this type of food more.
- Cooking at home is cheaper, especially during the first week of complementary feeding when all your baby needs is only one spoonful.
- It helps form a deep emotional bond between you and your child as you communicate with them while feeding.
Cons:
- It’s time- and energy-consuming, especially when a large amount of work has to be done for the sake of one spoonful.
- There’s a risk of selecting poor-quality products and making it not that useful.
- Minimal shelf life: purees spoil quickly, especially in the heat.
Industrially manufactured foods: pros and cons
If you’re tired of cleaning, cooking, and blending, you might be considering buying ready-made baby food pouches or jarred purees. It’s convenient and you can be sure that it has been prepared in an impeccably clean kitchen. If you plan to travel with your child, it definitely makes sense to buy jarred products because homemade purees can quickly go bad, especially during hotter months.
Pros:
- It’s a time-saver (those jars, pouches, and baby snacks are always at hand).
- Production control at all stages, high-quality, organic raw materials (vegetables, fruit, cereals, dairy products, and meat).
- Sterile vacuum packaging preserves food for a long time and reliably protects it from germs.
Cons:
- Not always cost-efficient (during the first days of complementary feeding, babies don’t eat the entire portion. This means you have to dispose of quite a bit of food unless you eat it yourself).
- The cost of industrially manufactured products is slightly higher than the cost of purees you cook yourself.
It’s impossible to say with any kind of certainty what’s best for your baby. The choice is yours and both canned and homemade foods are safe for children. Some mothers will be more comfortable buying jarred purees because they can afford it and it’s more convenient and easier. Others will prefer cooking their babies’ food themselves. All of them are right in their own way and the choice of products entirely depends on your mindset, lifestyle, character, and attitude towards your baby.