To give my baby some sauce from a jar?

[crazypenguinlady]

I was supposed to be making salmon with sweet potato and broccoli for dinner but I've come down with an awful cold which is affecting my asthma slightly and DS also seems to be sniffly and looks like his first tooth is coming through. He's actually in a happy mood but we've also been hit with baaaad seperation anxiety and gets cross if I so much as turn my back. I had planned on using his nap to make food but I still need to put shopping away, the house is a mess and need to sort laundry, which I will now need to do once he's asleep.

I'm already struggling as I feel so rotten. I now cannot be bothered to cook the meal I originally planned so was thinking of throwing together some pasta with a sauce from a jar. Can I give some to DS? I'm worried about the salt content.

For context, today he's not eaten much - half a slice of toast with banana, small handful of Cheerios, yoghurt with mixed berries, tiny bit of jacket potato with tuna mayo. Normally, nearly everything is homemade, even chips so only traces amount of salt.

So, AIBU to give him a tiny bit of a ready made jar of sauce for dinner? He's a few days shy of 9 months.

Oh and sorry for the novel, I also needed to vent

God, of course you can. at those going No! Just shake some parmesan on it!.

Do you know how much salt is in that?

I cannot see the problem. Mumsnet is a weird world. A bit of salt? So none of your babies eat food from restaurants when you go out? That'll be FULL of salt. As an occasional thing it's absolutely fine.

Yes of course it's ok, you sound very caring and thoughtful about his diet, so don't worry. My DC would love pasta at that age, just with a bit of cheese grated over ( so not much at all) or some pesto (if he can have that?). FWIW mine are both strapping teenagers now and in spite of all my early efforts will still eat plenty of junk when they can!

The problem is that until a first time mum gets chance to hang out with some mums who are on their second or third child the salt thing seems like a massive issue. It did for me and I would agonise daily counting up the salt content of each slice of bread and making special meals for DD.

Thankfully SIL who has a baby the same age but also two older children snapped me out of it when she happily gave hers a baked potato with cheese and beans and I was making poor DD eat hers plain.

She pointed out that A) they never eat the full portion anyway so counting every milligram of salt is pointless
B) unless you are making them drink gravy and eat ready salted crisps all day it's probably not a problem if they have cheese or beans or fish fingers occasionally.

DD now has the same as us but I will just make sure she doesn't have loads of gravy, or the lovely salty chicken skin etc. Because that will always just be for grown ups

Depends on the sauce, but once likely won't hurt

"Likely"

It "likely" won't hurt OP but have the emergency services on standby just in case.

his IQ will drop by 30 points instantly if you don't feet him baby-led-weaning-organic-hand-made-knitted-tofu.

also will acquire autism, peanut allergies, etc.

so yabu

Just give him plain pasta or with a bit of cheese.

You know that cheese has added salt right? Along with bread and all sorts.

You are overthinking this OP

Some of the responses have made me giggle.

Thanks for the reassurance. Yes, to answer a few PPs, he is my PFB I think because the salt thing is constantly shoved in our faces, I guess I do worry a bit unnecessarily sometimes. I'm not too vigilant though, at times. I've found him at least twice eating stray Cheerios off the floor

Anyway, I'm watching TV while he's sat next to me taking wipes out of the pack and chewing a spoon. Meh.

It will be fine. The amount of sauce will be tiny and the amount of salt will be fine if he doesn’t have it for every meal every day.

No , he’ll die

Whoops excuse me, meant to say is this a new type of middle class contest ?

OP, don’t beat yourself up, it’s fine for every now and then!

Remember, babies slept in drawers for hundreds of years and we have a thriving population of their ancestors!

—also— —DS— —loves— —Lloyd— —Grossman—

Here's what I do – and bear with me because it's pretty complex:

Look at the label

Oh my god give him the fucking jar.

What is WRONG with people?! (not you OP)

Yep, pasta sauce for him, lens up for you, everyone lives to fight another day. Get well soon!

*lemsip

*otherbrandsareavailable
*ihateautocorrect

Are you seriously asking?
Honestly, nobody but you cares what you feed your child so just get on with it.
I'd have laughed in their face at anyone offering opinions on my parenting abilities as it's really none of their business.
FWIW, I did the organic homemade faff when DS was weaning until he was about 2 and became a fussy eater and then I gave up.

Come on OP you already went through this debate with yourself when you bought them, right?

Otherwise they wouldn't be at hand. Give yourself a break. They're not rat poison

It will be completely fine. For the future, there will be plenty of occasions when you're too tired/poorly/busy to give them something lovingly handmade, or they're poorly and you want to give them something you know they'll eat, so it's a good idea to have some staples in the cupboard that aren't too unhealthy. Find the ones that work for you and keep them in stock for days like these!

She DID stock up for bleurgh days Mother. That's why she has jars in.

I really want to say 'eyeroll FGS I daresay he'll live' but you sound so lovely OP. Give him ANYTHING that fills him up, and put your feet up, pour a brandy, and get better soon.

I just wouldn't put any sauce on the pasta, but then my dc preferred plain foods and jars of sauce usually have a strong flavour.

Mumsnet is crazy.

No don't use the jar. Just give plain pasta.

Bleurgh. Who wants plain pasta.

Cream and peas?!

Bit of cheese?

Bloody hell most jarred sauces will contain 1/5 a day. It's not cocaine.

Meh. It won't harm him........but pasta with butter and cheese stirred through is even quicker.

Piggle some people do prefer the plain pasta- my daughter definitely does. Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t (or shouldn’t).

OP- do whatever is easiest whilst you’re unwell.