jars and sachets - MIL is disgusted

[Murphyslaw21]

Bit of a back story...

My house we bought before baby is very old, found out I was pregnant so did bedrooms, and living room. We have no heating or water, having run out of money we have had to put kitchen old hold.

House is warmed by a wood burner. Now my kitchen is disgusting. Mould, damp no water (outside tap only). We only use it as necessary. Pots and pans are washed in bucket with kettle water. Therefore I only give baby jars and sachets. Now I spend a fortune she has mango breakfast, porridge, roast dinners all fruit and veg. I wash her pots and sterilise them. I would not think of risking cooking as I'm not convinced pots and utensils are clean enough. We won't be doing kitchen until next year as we have to put in heating in this year. We don't have a dishwasher as no space for one.

My MIL has raised concerns and insults that it's because I can't be bothered to cook and that the jars are full of preservatives and additives. But I read them and they are 100% organic with nothing added. I'm so cross.

I give baby 3 good meals a day. I would love to cook but it's an awful kitchen. When we go out with her and I pull out a packet I get rolling eyes and sarcastic comments. The other day I said well buy me a kitchen then. And she moaned that I spent the money on doing bedrooms first. But my logic was baby needs a nice clean bedroom . We had been sleeping for six months on an air bed. Not fun whilst heavily pregnant.

I'm so angry but I'm wondering if the jars and sachets are bad.

Potterings post is a prime example of such snobbery

No its not. Its an example of reality and common sense. Ready prepared meals are Ok as part of a wider diet but not Ok as the main source of food.

What about some of the excellent suggestions pps have made about better ways of cooking for you all?

I second the makeshift kitchen plan - slow cooker would also be an excellent idea. You can do quite a lot with your microwave too.

Alternatively could you batch cook a load of meals at MIL's or a friend's and freeze in small portions?

There's nothing wrong with some jars but they really aren't ideal as her sole diet.

Baby food processor:
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B003MAJ5OC/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1451815109&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=baby+food+processor&dpPl=1&dpID=41qforsH62L&ref=plSrch

Yes, expensive, but expect they're much cheaper on eBay and given that jars will be costing you at least £1 each, it won't be that long before it pays for itself. You can puree fresh fruit in it, and just add that to ready brek for her breakfast.

Oohmavis actually OP does say no water- she says there is an outdoor tap only.

Problem is you might be creating a rod for your own back for the future. The jars are pretty sweet (sweetened with fruit - but still sweeter than regular food) and have an odd texture. Once you're back up to cooking - baby might still demand the jars.

I have a 6 month old in a house with a nice kitchen. Through choice I feed her:
->microwave cooked green beans.
-> banana
-> unsalted rice cakes
-> raw carrot and apple chunks
-> spooned out microwave jacket potatoes
-> lumps of chicken salvaged off whole chicken cooked in slow cooker.

I don't do purées other than when we're out (when I do jars). I have given her finger food from the outset - and kept it very simple. The mess can be ungodly - but we all eat together sociably - and the prep is easy.

Ok I have to say thank you for all the suggestions on finger food ideas and I think I will get a gas camping burner . Very helpful

To all those people that think that babies bedroom was not necessy to do please take a look at photo and tell me that I was wrong for doing it.

Can you tell us exactly what you do have, is it just the microwave? What about a kettle? You can do the pack of dried noodles with a kettle and put ready cooked chicken and steamed veg in.
Swede/potato and bags,of veg can all be done in the microwave and again you can buy ready cooked meat from most supermarket got counters.
Couscous, rice and quinoa can all be done with the kettle and microwave as some options.

There really isn't anything wrong with jars and pouches, they go up to toddler sized meals. She could be eating a lot worse so I wouldn't worry too much but maybe try and do a mix of home cooked and jarred food.

The OP didn't ask for opinions on which order to have done her house renovations in. She is obviously doing the best she can and asking for advice on meals so people need to be supportive and leave the sanctimonious crap at the door. The suggestion that this is a child protection issue is laughable.

I know many land rover-driving yummy mummies who have perfectly decent kitchens who feed their kids organic pouches of food and guess what? their kids are healthy and thriving! Who knew?

Empty calories in baby food - mostly water, have a look at the calories content. Jars are ok occasionally but they are nutritionally inadequate & you're really not getting your baby off to a good start feeding her such processed food. This is not a third world country.

Buy yourself a slow cooker as above & make proper food for all of you.

What's the point, btw, of "spending a fortune" on jars when you can cook yourself & save ?

Microwaved food doesn't have to be unhealthy, though. Steamed veg, scrambled and poached eggs, sauces, fish, rice - all can be made in a microwave.

There are loads of recipes based around microwave cooking on the internet that might surprise you

Some really nice and helpful comments. Thank you

Some really nasty comments - F Off !!

We had problems and a kitchen out of action for a year once (our first flat, no dc).

We setup a corner of the living room as a mini kitchen. Fridge, Microwave on top, small table with hot plate, boxes instead of cupboards and made reasonable meals, baked potatoes, fresh veg, sandwiches, toast etc there.

Only giving your baby jar or packet food is not ideal when you do have other options.

Perhaps, but they'll also be other babies (like my friends dc) who fail to thrice because they're not getting enough calories...despite have 'a main & pudding jar' !

In your shoes I would get a cheapy slow cooker and get used to slightly bland food yourselves in the interest of family dining!

Slow cooker is good idea, with that and an electric hot plate the only thing you are missing is an oven (some microwaves have oven type functions in them, don't know if any good)

Of course you are doing the best you can in very difficult circumstances, and it must be hard for you. But living like that isn't sustainable.

When my mum was very elderly and had osterporosis, she could not bend down to a cooker. We took it out and bought her one of those things that plugged in on a work surface. It had two electric rings and an oven. She could produce a roast dinner on it. That might be worth thinking about. And foil trays so you can chuck them out- no washing up. Not environmentally friendly I know but it is short term.

Some jars are full of preservatives and additives and thickness. Try to stick to Ella's as they are the only ones that I've come across that contain nothing by food

I would be more upset by not having water in the house- is that not more difficult to manage?

Slow cooker - didn't think of that. Thanks

Sometimes I really think I should not of asked as some of you are really fucking nasty

Baby is healthy happy and loved! I'm doing everything I can to keep her that way! You make me sound like a terrible mother!

HV is happy as she can see that her environment is very good! It's one fucking room and I'm doing everything I can to make it adequate for her. I spend a fortune on these jars etc so she don't miss out!

I'm doing my best I can. If I could put a kitchen in I would. We have a water supply to house but no tap in kitchen. Cold water upstairs so toilets flush .

If you don't have any supportive things to say then please don't comment!

Can't believe the sanctimommy flamings you are getting on here OP!

I have a fully functioning kitchen yet my incredibly picky two year old probably eats less than your child...yet somehow, she is surviving.

You are obviously doing your best. There's some good suggestions here such as microwave and slow cooker (we use our SC around 3 times a week and it's brilliant) and some punches and jars will not kill her. Also a mini fridge? Get MIL on board dropping food round too I say.

Good luck!