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?

Okay here is where we are at crossed purposes. No one is feeding their toddler on 100% watery fruit and vegetable pouches. And actually I think you are being disingenuous to state this is what you believe.

The pureed organic fruit and veg pouches are exactly what they state on the pouch, for 6 months +, first tastes, and supplementing alongside breastmilk/formula (as all food before 1yr is).

No one, and I repeat no one, is only feeding their growing toddler pureed vegetables from a pouch. And that’s where the research is spurious. The thread started as a discussion about making your own baby
food in the kitchen vs buying pouches. Of course it’s absurd for a toddler to only eat puree, and this applies equally to only feeding a toddler boiled carrots, or pea puree you’ve make in your kitchen, but no one is doing that.

Ella pouches as a snack for a 6-18 month old, or as lunch for a 6month-1 year old, are totally fine, healthy even. A pureed fruit pouch or yoghurt as a snack on the go for older children is also fine and healthier than most alternatives. All this chat about high water content and nutrients being lost by blending is just pure judgemental bollocks, and being a sneery mum when you see a kid sucking a pouch in the park. You actually aren’t better than that mum, sorry.

I’m so sorry you felt like that, I was exactly the same even contemplated jumping from a bridge at one point. Your baby got fed, all that matters x

I was more than happy to feed DT’s pouches like this katsu curry and yes I can read lists of ingredients!

Organic curry sauce 49% (water, organic tomato puree, organic cornflour, organic herbs and spices: curry powder (black pepper, cinnamon, clove, coriander, fenugreek, ginger, nutmeg, onion, turmeric), cumin, ginger, allspice, coriander, sage, thyme) | organic cooked rice 15% (water, organic rice) | Organic carrots 12% | Organic chicken 10% | Organic potatoes 7% | Organic onions 3% | Organic swede 3% | Organic raisins <1% | Organic extra virgin olive oil <1% | Organic garlic <1% | Other stuff 0%

Is this an April fool’s joke?

Pouches seem convenient but not that great for the environment. The variety of yoghurts, vegetables etc are quite extensive and some delicious. I think using jars and reusable containers is less wasteful.

I see that you can purchase pouches in which to put your own home made food, and that they are reusable.
Reusable containers with lids are easier to wash though. The pouches are easier to eat when on long car trips in traffic; they are perfect for times like that. I don't know any one who uses pouches every week, personally. They are expensive.

I make sure I have one on hand when I, rarely, travel by train with a small child.

It's puréed organic vegetables/fruit. Nothing else. Identical to pureed veg/fruit at home. Some of them have a drop of lemon juice as a natural preservative but that is it. Just because it's in !shock horror! A packet does not make it junk food for heaven's sake. 🤦‍♀️
This reminds of that thread recently where the poster tried to argue that Radishes were junk food because they come in plastic packets at the supermarket 😅

It's so easy to puree some veg, maybe add a little grated cheese or diced chicken, I couldn't see the point of pouches other than laziness.

I know, right!? And when your toddler wants a toast, what kind of lazy mums take store bought bread, when it's so easy to just mill the flour, get your sourdough starter on and churn some butter?

I was so excited when someone gave me one of those plastic banana guards 😆

Was jars in my children’s day & I did use them as a supplement to home cooked purée. I didn’t know about upf then - no-one did - now I’d look at ingredients more but I’d still use for convenience I’m sure if they were fairly upf free.

Agreed, when women state other mums are “lazy” for not cooking baby food from
scratch, it’s often code for “I have lots of spare time because I don’t have a life”, isn’t it. I wonder if they wash their clothes with a mangle too.

What’s wrong with being lazy?

Not that they are used because of laziness. They are used for convenience.

But lazy all the way here.

I’ve noticed in some areas they are hugely prevalent, and in others almost never seen. There’s areas of London where every mum will use them, and areas I don’t see them. Locally they don’t even have that many in the shop.
Just observing trends

When my DC were babies I had a pouch filling device with reusable pouches. I puréed my own food for her (usually with homegrown veg as I grow my own anyway). I presume you would 'despair' at this also? Presumably my homegrown, home cooked food transformed into junk food as it was plunged into a packet

Sick of this judgey nonsense on here

The British Dental Association have criticised baby food manufacturers on account of "obscene" amounts of sugars in many of them:

The British Dental Association has warned that obscene levels of sugar in popular baby food pouches underline the need for wide-ranging government action across the early years' food and drink sector.
Despite widespread claims of 'no added sugar' in these products, dentists have stressed that as far as teeth are concerned there's little to no difference if the sugar is added or naturally occurring.
Market analysis by the British Dental Association of 109 pouches aimed at children aged under 12 months indicates:

• Over a quarter contained more sugar by volume than Coca Cola, with parents of infants as young as four months marketed pouches that contain the equivalent of up to 150% of the sugar levels of the soft drink. Those pouches are without exception fruit-based mixes.
• 'Boutique' brands appear to have higher levels of sugar than traditional baby food brands or own brand alternatives, with market leaders Ella's Kitchen and Annabel Karmel coming in for criticism. While high levels of 'natural' sugar have been described by manufacturers as inevitable with fruit-based pouches, some brands offer products based on similar ingredients that contain around half the levels of sugar of the worst offenders.
• Some products examined aimed at four months plus contain up to two thirds of an adult's recommended daily allowance (RDA) of sugar. Neither the World Health Organisation (WHO) nor the UK Government's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) cite an RDA for children, simply stressing that as little should be consumed as possible.
• Both UK and WHO guidance recommends weaning from six months old, so no products should be allowed to be marketed as 'four months plus'. Nearly 40% of products examined were marketed at this age group.
• The sector has consistently adopted disingenuous language highlighting the presence of only "naturally occurring sugars" or the absence of "added sugars", with others making opaque claims of products being "nutritionally approved" or in line with infants' "nutritional and developmental needs". All high sugar products adopt 'halo labelling' principles, focusing on status as 'organic', 'high in fibre' or 'containing 1 of your 5 a day', misleading parents into thinking they are making healthy choices.
• Over two thirds of the products examined exceeded the 5g of sugar per 100ml threshold set for the sugar levy applied to drinks. Dentists stress expansion of fiscal measures would likely have favourable outcomes in terms of encouraging reformulation.

Source: https://www.bda.org/media-centre/as-sugary-as-cola-dentists-call-for-sweeping-action-on-baby-pouches/

I used reusable pouches... where do I fit in?!
They're a useful way of containing kids food when out and about. It's easy to squeeze a bit out for spoon feeding with less mess. I used reusable with my first as I had the time to footer about pureeing apples and she hated BLW. I am much busier with my second and if he doesn't take to BLW I'll have no shame in buying an Ellas pouch! Especially as you can recycle them now.

I was talking to my mum about these and she would have loved something like this when I was weaning. She said that she actually just didn't take me out places due to the mess. The existence of baby products that mean you can take your 7 month old to a cafe, tourist attraction etc maybe means that babies are out and about more, perhaps.

The reason why you probably see loads of parents using them on days out is because they are so useful for days out! I have home made food for the house but quick and easy pouches as a grab and go. Highly recommend!

Look at you, talking about critical thinking. Okay, so pea puree is 60% peas and 40% water, which is clearly labelled on the Ella pouches. Peas. Water.

Now what?

You’re making it sound like some posters are too stupid to realise they’re pumping their kids full of additives, sugar, and no nutrients.

But actually they’ve read the packet, and the only “issue” is the water content.

So now what? Are they still naive mums who need to do more research? Is it still “shocking”?

Get over yourself.

So here you're criticising naturally occurring sugar. So please explain how that is any different at home compared to in a pouch or tied up in a bow?! If the sugar is in the fruit then it's in the fruit whether it's in a pouch or on a plate.

I worked long hours Tbf and even with my 5th didn’t use them. Perfectly happy with a social life here!
I don’t think it’s any code at all. People are just different. For me it was the environmental aspect that stopped me. Well that and finances.
I didn’t btw spend hours making baby food. For suitable meals I’d pop out a few ingredients before adding salt and shove them in ice cube trays. Largely I just fed them what I was eating. Pouches actually seemed more faff to ensure I got them in, order specifically and go in certain shops. If I was popping in lidl or the market I wouldn’t see them, it meant specifically going to places.
The phrase ‘if you need something doing ask a busy person’ comes to mind. I certainly wasn’t wafting around the house when mine were small!

They have their place.

Unless you can buy entirely organic it may be at times better to use the baby pouches. There were studies years ago that showed that ORGANIC baby food had less pesticides than fruit/veg you buy in the shops because its tested to be at safe levels for young babies where standard food in not.

(No, I can't be bothered linking but you can look here - www.google.com)

If you like the taste then fair enough! 😁

I recently spoke with a friend (who I am quite close with and believe she’s a wonderful mum)

obviously not as wonderful as youuuuuuuu.

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

That is assuming things you choose to make in your kitchen are healthy.

@User8643733 So anything in a brightly coloured packet is junk food? Even if it says on the back that it contains just carrots and water? That's not critical thinking now is it? Come on. It's not hard