15/05/2023
Hello Moms,
Today, We will be comparing Natural meals and Store bought meals. I am passionate about healthy feeding and nutrition. Read to be informed and make a great decision for your Little One.
Natural Baby Food versus Store bought Baby Food
One of the biggest problems with food that is designed to be stored on shelves in grocery stores and supermarkets is that this food has a long shelf life of about 2 years. To make food stay ‘fresher’ for longer on the shelves, food has to be preserved and sterilized; organic as well as non-organic brands. This means that even when no additional preservatives are added, the food needs to be heated to maximum temperatures to ensure that it is not contaminated after months on the shelf. Along with this heating process all vitamins and nutrients are killed off too.
Non-organic foods also have any number of additives and preservatives added to enhance shelf life and when the food’s natural flavoring has been killed off during the heating process, artificial flavorings are often added as well to enhance the taste.
To cut costs the food is also often replaced with water or thickening agents/starches like refined rice, refined corn and refined wheat. These substances are devoid of the outer layers of the grain, with preservatives and bleach commonly added during processing and the refining of any grain reduces its vitamins, proteins and roughage.
The end result? Baby food that is as far from natural as it gets even with an ‘organic’ label.
When it comes to homemade baby food however, all of the above can be avoided. Food is either steamed, baked, cooked or blended raw, then frozen within a matter of hours. All of the natural nutrients found in fruit, vegetables and meats are kept intact, along with the tastes, color, texture and aroma. As many fruits and some veggies can be prepared without cooking, babies can benefit from completely raw foods as well, without losing any nutrients during preparation.
Here are some good reasons to consider changing over from store bought to home-cooked baby food.
1. It’s More Nutritious
Fruit and vegetables are amazing in their ability to deliver nutrition. From the antioxidant rich goodness of brightly colored vegetables, to the good source of fiber found in root vegetables and fruit, the vitamins, protein and minerals found in each type of fruit, vegetable, seed, legume and nut, these nutrients are essential to your child’s development. Children that have all of the nutrients they need learn faster, grow stronger and have far less risk of common illnesses. Preparing simple but healthy meals in advance will ensure that your baby gets the goodness he or she deserves, without all the extras that are so often found inside pre-made food from the shops.
2. You Decide and Know What Goes Inside the Food
If you are concerned about feeding your baby additives that you can hardly pronounce, you will likely take comfort in knowing that you have full control over what goes into your baby’s food. You do not have to worry about added sugars, salt, flavorings, thickeners, colorants and other scary ingredients that have no place in infant food. Instead, you will have food that is 100% pure at all times.
3. It Saves You Money
Think about the cost of a single serving of a store-bought jar of baby food. Then, multiply that by the number of meals in a day, and the number of meals in a month. It soon starts to add up. Buying bottled food in addition to buying food for the rest of the family often ends of costing a lot in the long run. With food that is made from scratch, you only need to buy the food that the rest of the family will eat.
4. It Saves You Time
Believe it or not, Cooking your baby food can end up saving you time as well. Shopping trips will be reduced without the need to read labels, decide on flavors and compare products. Feeding times will get much easier, because baby will enjoy the food far more when it is made fresh with tasty, various wholesome ingredients. You can prepare a full week of meals in a single afternoon, store in your freezer and simply pop out a perfectly sized portion to warm up in no time at all. You will feel less stressed, baby will feel less stressed and feeding times will become a lot more fun.
5. Baby Gets Exposed to More Flavors
Last, but certainly not least, another major benefit of making baby food at home is that it allows you to introduce flavors that are natural and tasty. Many store-bought baby foods are bland and unappetizing, with limited variety in combinations and flavors. Keeping the ‘4 day wait rule’ in mind and exploring with some gentle herbs and spices, will allow you to add flavors that expand your baby’s taste buds. From sweet spices to aromatic herbs, natural sweetness and tasty combinations that blend fruit, vegetables and other foods, your baby will discover a world of taste sensations as new foods and flavors are sampled.
The introduction to solid foods need not be traumatic and difficult – for baby and parents. Experimenting with the delicious goodness powered by nature will turn feeding time into something that everyone will enjoy. And for this reason especially, there are few things that can match Natural baby food.
