To think pouches are awful?

[AIBUnamechanger9]

I have two DCs and have never fed them from pouches. I see babies and toddlers sucking on them everywhere and it seems horrible for their teeth? Also for having a routine of eating at mealtimes or teaching them to eat properly. I recently spoke with a friend (who I am quite close with and believe she’s a wonderful mum) and she told me her 8 and 10 yo children still eat from pouches, especially if they’re on a day out, etc.

AIBU to despair at the prevalence of pouch feeding?

I couldn’t get upset about pouches, they’re convenient, easy to carry and store. I tried making my own baby purées a couple of times but I preferred jars and pouches because I prefer to be out and about to standing over a stove cooking minuscule portions of stuff.

What a surprise OP has vanished
goady bullshit to get people frothing
plus ca change

Does the pouch claim that there's no added water and that it contains 100g pureed vegetables. Otherwise I can't see how it's a scam .

I gave my son pouches when we were camping - he would have a combo of finger food versions of what we were having and a pouch. Super convenient when camping for a long time!

Other than that, I prefer to do just finger foods/mushed up whatever we were eating (without salt etc natch). But then I was a SAHM, with plenty of support so I was in a fortunate position!

i found them a super useful “out and about” food. You can just chuck it when you are done. Saves you crying into your lunch coz the kids haven’t eaten your hard made lunch.

Also gave an opportunity for some mothers to feel superior to me if they they needed it.

Talk about judgy. Why don’t you mind your own business? How do you know that all these children eat is pouches ALL the time?

I have always cooked from scratch for my kids and at home they ate what we ate. They ate from bowls and plates with age appropriate cutlery.

On a day out, as a baby, they might have had a jar or a pouch for convenience. Much like we would eat a sandwich for convenience.

I still buy Frube yogurts for lunch boxes because it’s less hassle than taking spoons. Sometimes I freeze them so it’s like an ice cream.

Why do you care so much what other people do?

I dont think it’s judgemental to point out the environmental / dietary reasons why one might not use pouches.

Most anti-pouch posters (myself included) are saying they recognise the convenience and the usefulness for eg travel.

But looking at the bigger picture, are they a good thing?

Extra packaging - yes
Less nutritionally dense - yes
More processing of food, salts and fats and preservatives - yes
Less use of proper recognisable whole foods in our diet - yes.

I realise that “sometimes, depending on which you buy” could be added to all of the above.

I didn’t have time so we used jars and pouches - worked our way through the age ranges. Regardless of whether you make homemade food or use pouches, your DC’s will still eat McD’s, pizza and chips on a regular basis.

If you go into a restaurant and order a fruit juice, you expect it to be poured directly out of the bottle or carton. If they serve you half a glass of juice diluted with 50% water you'd probably complain. The wording on pouches makes parents believe they're getting 100% vegetables but they are actually only getting half of that, and the rest is bulked out with water.

This study explains it much better than I ever could. Some of the pouches are so watered down they don't actually meet the nutritional density required for toddlers to grow:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59f75004f09ca48694070f3b/t/5a93f885085229b264ff6086/1519646858256/Baby_Food_in_the_UK+_2017.pdf

Relatedly, I find the marketing of Huel - the shake-style adult nutrition meal replacement sinister. Pouches for adults. Who wants to slurp down a pre prepared slurry rather than whole foods that you can chew and taste?

Texture, mouth feel and chewing are part of forming your palate and understanding satiety levels.

And your precious non pouch eating smug superior children will one day be teen agers mainlining on maccies and greggs
and all of this will seem like kissing in the wind 😂😂

Reminds me of the mum in my post-natal group who faux-innocently asked if anyone knew if the food in pouches was pasteurised. She could easily have checked herself. She used to get up at 5am to cook for her baby. Same mum who later saw nothing wrong with not letting her kid drink anything after 4pm so she wouldn’t wet the bed, just so she could say her two year old was dry at night.

We’re all fucking up in some way so why waste time and energy making other people feel bad just so you feel better?

How did you use them out and about?

Unless you never eat a pre packed sandwich, buy all your fruit and vegetables loose (preferably organic, even better if home grown), cook all your meals from scratch (with aforementioned fresh foods), have your own solar panels for generating your heat to cook, never get takeaway food delivered (just think of the CO2 from the delivery vehicle petrol - unless you demand on bicycle delivery only), drive an electric vehicle and never ever fly abroad, then you’re entirely hypocritical to judge anyone else for their nutritional or environmental choices.

If that's you though, go ahead and judge, you’ve earned the right. You are better than everyone and have earned Mumsnet best parent in the world title. Unless you actually have kids. Because that’s bad for the environment too, remember.

No 😂But are you really arguing about water? Do you not let your baby/toddler have sips of water? These pouches are actually great for hydration in the summer.

Sorry, but it’s utter bollocks arguing this. A baby, past weaning, who has 100% vegetable (+ water! 😂) pouches such as peas, brocolli, sweet potato, prune, alongside other foods like bananas, scrambled egg, porridge, etc is perfectly healthy. The fact the OP is SEEING these pouches being given means it’s out and about - cafes, parks. Firstly, there is nothing to say these children aren’t given other food at home (and of course they are in 99% of families). Plus it’s the kind of places where a young child might be given a pack of “baby biscuits”, baby puffy crisps, etc. But instead, they’re being given a blend of pear and broccoli plus water (water! Oh no!!) and NO added sugar and preservatives. Which is infinitely better. And THIS is the battle that judgey mums on this thread are choosing to fight?

And for those suggesting “just give them a banana”, you can’t give your baby or toddler endless bananas because this makes them constipated. My babies and children have always had a banana at breakfast, so you
can’t just ply them with bananas through the day. A pureed pouch of vegetables with no additives is a perfectly balanced snack, and if you really
want to keep arguing this then take a long hard look at yourself.

I don't feel the need to judge how other parents feed their children so YABU

As an aside we did BLW with both of ours.
However we found the fruit pouches a easy and reliable way to get liquids into them both when it was hot and we were on holiday as they would refuse water and feeds.

It’s not lazy to use pouches - it’s lack of time. With DT’s and both parents with full time careers. No way was I spending what little free time I had making up home made baby food. I preferred to spend that time with DT’s and give them pouches and jars. Perfectly healthy.

Plus bananas do not travel well. Unless horror of horrors you buy a PLASTIC banana guard!!!Think of the landfill! Not to mention those non recyclable stickers on every banana!

Me too

The bags are rubbish, contents are much better 😉

Don't like them don't use them! My son wouldn't eat anything else for a while so they kept him alive for a few months.

Of all the things in the world to despair about, you choose fruit pouches.

I think it's safe to say that anything which comes inside a brightly coloured package with a marketing & advertising team behind it can't be as healthy as something you make in your kitchen. This is absolutely not a problem if parents are aware of it and take that into account the same way an adult might grab a sandwich or cereal bar whilst on the go. Give me a Pret anyday over heating up some leftover homemade food in the office 😂

But it's shocking how many posters genuinely believe that a pouch is an identical substitute for the same ingredients listed on the packaging. And the stubbornness at which they defend the product label of "100% peas" without applying some bit of critical thinking (or research, like the study linked above) at how food labelling and marketing works.

I find this need to judge other women (let’s face it, it’s ’parents’ But it’s really the women) really really really BoRING.

OP, get a life!

It's ironic that people are being judgy over pouches, at this time of year especially. I wonder how little chocolate their children got treated with.