To occasionally give my baby packet food?

[Doesitgetbetter]

Is packaged baby food as bad as all that?

I am struggling to find the time in the day as a single mum to a 10 month old to make 3 meals. She still BF (a lot)! And I try to give her as much home made goodness as possible - we have not ventured into pre made food yet. But I'm struggling to fit it all in to the day - the cooking, the blending, planning all the meals. I'm exhausted. So I thought I could give my LO organic packet food once in a while.

I have tried to search for the best brands but can't really find a lot of info. So let's say, Peter Rabbit organics and Plum Organics as 2 brands I could try? Are they OK or should I not even go there?

I'm so clueless.

[Tammy1212]

It's your choice and she is still getting feed. I don't think packet foods are THAT bad but obviously not as good as fresh

[Pointlessfan]

Of course it doesn't matter. Sounds like you are doing the best for her the rest of the time. It's not as if you are going to give her a take away every night!

[arethereanyleftatall]

Have you tried blw? Much easier. She shouldn't need her food blended. One broccoli floret will have more nutrients than a packet.

[fairylightsintheloft]

there is nothing wrong with any packet / jar food at all, regardless of brand, organic or not. It is formulated for babies and will be perfectly fine. Please don't beat yourself up about it - guilt over this kind of thing makes me grrrrrr. I always used a mixture of home made stuff and bought stuff for my convenience . DD and DS liked Hipp - the puree in sachets particularly but they are all fine.

[mouselittle]

At 10 months she should be able to eat most things you eat if you cut it up enough.

[ACardiganForCat]

Mine used to go mad with excitement when I whipped out an Ella's pouch. They are fine as an occasional thing but remember that your long term aim is to get them to eat 'family foods' so don't completely rely on them.

To save time, why don't you plan your meals around things she can practically eat and save her a portion or freeze some?

[SaucyJack]

Packet foods are probably fine- but it's easiest to not bother with "baby" food at all.

I have a 8.5 month old and she just eats what we do- minus the salt.

[Littlef00t]

As with adult food, processed food is fine as long as it's not all the time. They are suitable for children, so don't worry if that's all you've got time for.

You might find by 10mo that encouraging finger foods rather than purées will save you time.

I did blw with my enthusiastic eater and it has made things easier. This weekend I found an hour to make a batch of broccoli and pepper muffins and some mini omelette things I could freeze, so that's the basis of about a dozen or more meals I don't have to worry about.

For lunch I make sure I have hummus, cream cheese, cheddar, fruit and bread in and give a variation on a theme. I'm making lunch for myself anyway.

I found the main difference was not being able to have freezer food, eg pizza, kievs as often as dd couldn't eat them, but not too hard.

[McSqueezy]

I use baby food jars, and have for all 3 of my children. I find it easier to just get on with it that way, and eventually you can move on to blending vegetables etc.

I'm not snobby about these things, as long as you don't use them for a lifetime, it'll do them no harm at all. My very tall, athletic 8 year old is good proof of that.

[lornathewizzard]

Ok, so I haven't started weaning my DD yet, but I am pretty sure that baby packet food is not the work of the devil. If its easier and helps you get things done then do it. Plenty of other kids will have had the same.

[OwlinaTree]

I try to do the saving a portion thing but most stuff we eat is one pot things with loads of stock in so unless I take a portion out before adding stock it's no good!

What age can babies have stock cubes?

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Why are you blending for a 10 month old. just chuck what you have on the high chair tray just cut up.

No need for separate cooking sessions or planning etc.

but occasionally no they are fine. But it sounds like your making it harder work than it needs to be

[AnythingNotEverything]

Owlina you can buy baby stock cubes in Boots - they're very very low salt.

OP - honestly, at 10 months most babies can eat real food. Hummus or soft cheese on toast or rice cake, cheese and low salt beans on a jacket potato, pasta (most supermarkets sell congiglietti which is tiny shells, perfect for babies). And it's fine for them to eat the same thing two days running.

It's much much less work if you just let them share your food. We make more than we need and always have a couple of portions of pasta or risotto in the freezer that DD can have if we want something really spicy or a takeaway.

[AnythingNotEverything]

Sorry, and to answer your question - no, packet food is fine. I used it in moderation, lie in cafés or restaurants if I wasn't sure there'd be anything suitable.

My biggest concern is that it all tastes quite sweet and the texture is very homogenous. Real food gives them a better experience of different tastes and textures.

[Armi]

I used them all the time. Don't worry about it.

[HazleNutt]

remember, this is MN. It's not considered home made bolognese, if you have not personally grown the tomatoes yourself.

As for BLW, yes nice idea, but my DS at 10 months absolutely refused to even entertain the though. As he was also a bottle refuser (and yes, also sippy cup, normal cup etc refuser) it was either pureed food or he would starve. Babies are different.

[Andcake]

the occasional pouch won't hurt but by 10 months old try and off more finger food (not blw as you've already weaned) also adapt what you cook for yourself and keep some aside for dc. It did mean adapting what we cooked for us a bit - homemade soups, pasta only using the twirly fussilli (sp) shape as that is the only shape ds will eat. Also breakfast is easy wheatabix, lunch an omelette to share or hummus (can be homemade and kept for a week) and breadsticks, banana, yogurt (just buy a big pot of plain) I also batch cooked things like muffins from the blw weaning cook book (get it out the library) which would provide enough lunches and teas.


I think the only key to buying pouches is to check the ingredients for example many savory flavors by ellas are nearly 70% apple!

[Outflewthewassail]

Of course it's ok! I used to get a bit of a sweat on if there wasn't an Ella's Kitchen pouch in the kitchen cupboard at all times. Give yourself a break then a pat on the back!

[Bodicea]

I don't have a problem with packet food but my lo won't touch it - so that's out. He also has multiple allergies so a lot of stuff ruled out by that.
But a few convienient hinges I have are - sandwiches -i use rye bread, whatever. Cream cheese and marmite go down well here.
If am making a bolognaise or mince for a cottage pie. I just use the kaki organic stock cubes for everyone. I make lots of individual tubs to freeze and top with mash. I make a big soup for everyone and freeze that in tubs.
Bananas are a staple- he eats then whole these days.
And if am in a hurry and no food in he gets porrige for tea - with fruit mixed in -it won't kill him.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Surely at 10 m old it's not BLW it's just weaning.

The only real.difference is in the early months when people skip purees.

by 10 m old it's all just hurled on a plate with a spoon to play with and they use their hands to eat. whatever it is.

[TurningThirty]

I'm in the same position as you with a 10mo - we do BLW (i.e. chuck whatever's in the fridge/leftover from last night's supper on DD's tray) but when we're on the move/pressed for time we use Ella's pouches. They're brilliant, organic and she's learned to suck them so no need for spoons.

I wouldn't worry about it at all. I have been known to eat the peaches & bananas pouch myself

[SpicedGingerTea]

I used baby food a lot - especially Ella's Kitchen and sometimes Hipp Organics jars.

I'm also a single Mum, first baby, found it all quite overwhelming trying to work out what to give DS, what he would like etc. It almost seemed like the more effort I put into making his food, the more he refused it at first. However, give him an Ella's Kitchen Cheesey Pie and he scoffed the lot.

I felt guilty about it too, but he is now (20 months) and a good eater. Don't worry about it, or about what other people think!

[MrsMook]

Ds2 had purees from poices for the first few weeks until he got to 6 months and could eat whole foods. I wasn't going back to the lovingly home made purees of Ds1 that mostly ended up binned because he ate our food anyway.

At 10 months introducing the same foods that you eat is the easiest option.

I didn't worry about stock. By the time one or two cubes are dissolved in a family dinner then served in a baby portion, the salt content is low enough.

[rootypig]

I think pre made baby food is a good, helpful option. (If only DD had thought the same!)

Sorry if this is stating the bleeding obvious, but do you have a decent freezer? if so, batch cooking is your friend.

[Pico2]

Go for it. My DD loved sucking food out of Ella's pouches and you don't get much mess from that.