homemade or from a jar?

[batmanandrobin]

seems to be lots of discussion about feeding and weaning at the moment. am intrigued to hear what's helped or worked for others.

i have made my own food from day one, went 2-3 months of being really funny about organic produce, but have recently started using powder mixes for lunch if i am out (find it easier to ask for boiling water than use of a microwave).

my dear friend however has only ever used jars. both babies have fairly good appetites, mine is perhaps smaller in weight however i have bf and she's only ever ff (if that's makes a difference).

is homemade best? or should i stop being so anal about what dc is eating? usually i blend mine and dh's dinner, or veg soup, fruit smoothie, finger foods are banana, a digestive bisc or rusk, apple, carrot, cucumber, roasted potatos or parsnip.

im sure you have some opinions ladies??

Whatever suits you. DC1 had organic home-made, DC2 lived on jars of baby organix porridge for a bit, DC3 and 4 got whatever was in my bag/in the fridge and could be grabbed quickly. Just chill out.

My DS was given mostly homemade till we went a bit lumpy then refused all my cooking and would only eat jars ,fruit,.. He is now a junior and eats pretty much everything , eats well and is a healthy weight.

Honestly it is a shame so many people feel the need to judge other parents for not doing it the way you think is best

Well yeah, of course home made is best! Doesn't make it the be all and end all of weaning though. DS1 was weaned mainly on Ella's kitchen and Gerber tubs and he's just fine - 3 years old, eats most stuff although not particularly food driven.

DS2 is 8 months, same thing - loves his food and gets more of a variety from the pouches.

Fresh produce is phenomenally expensive here, and organic is even worse. They're weaned for such a short amount of time before they eat finger food that I can't be worried about it.

Maybe your friend has adopted the same approach.

saw my friend today for coffee. we spoke about homemade and jar foods. she would like to start making things so i have given her a few ideas of what to make- she's a lone parent and so i think she and i talking about things helped as i have dh for that.

she agreed with many pps that jars do all share a similar flavour and so wondered if that's why her older dd was a fussy eater.

thanks to everyone for advice- it's really helped myself and my friend x

My ds now 4 was pot fed and I swear my dd isn't having any I had a nightmare time getting ds onto real food so pots are banned in my house I will use packet cereals but no pots at all

Both my dc's had nearly all jars until a year old. They are now both now fantastic eaters and eat every fruit and vegetables and they are the envy of my friends. I exclusive breastfed until a year and was so sleep deprived I found them a life saver. I hate the way mothers are made to feel like they have failed if they don't make all baby food from scratch. My friend was very high and mighty about not giving her kids jars but now happily regularly buys them McDonald's etc ( something my kids have never eaten!)