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Parenting

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Original poster

Do you give your children pre made meals/pouches?

82 replies

soapylaces · 27/07/2021 16:26

Wondering if you give your babies/toddlers the pre made baby meals from pouch or tray? I do, as it's very convenient. My dd loves them too!

I'm feeling a bit guilty about it as a conversion came up about it with friends and they've never bought them. I just don't know how they do it without, even on the odd occasion.

If you do, how frequently do you you use them?

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bookh · 27/07/2021 20:08

Yes absolutely. I do a mix of finger food and spoon feed with my children.

Pouches are particularly handy for ice lollies, quick meals, and when out and about.

Haven't done many ready toddler type meals but only because nowhere really sells them round here. Did try them on holiday.

Fankehxudb · 27/07/2021 20:13

My toddler hasn't had a pouch or ready meal. We also did BLW so just had what I had to eat and if I want something really quick and easy or if we are having a takeaway later etc then I do something like scrambled egg on toast which takes 5 mins. Also have a stash of batch cooked meals in the freezer if I need something quick

Megan2018 · 27/07/2021 20:13

DD has whatever we have (we did BLW) but she is also rather fond of the frozen Annabel Karmel curry so we always have a few in for emergencies-she may have one once a month (or every sodding time we are self isolating pending Covid result and have no food in).
To be fair though she only eats at home 3 days per week as nursery do all meals 4 days.

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Truenorthmum · 27/07/2021 20:19

Yep we do, we keep a stash of the trays and pouches for eating out, they are a god send for allergy babies/toddlers.

There's absolutely nothing to feel guilty about, they exist for a good reason!

Ozanj · 27/07/2021 20:23

I did blw but now he’s 19 months I do buy the Ella’s toddler meals when we’re out and I know the local food won’t be appropriate. I try not to do it often as he doesn’t enjoy them (he has always eaten a little salt / flavouring with his food) but they are so convenient; and when he’s hungry he’ll eat anything lol.

Quietcrown · 27/07/2021 20:25

My youngest has them at tea time maybe twice a week, And the odd prune or pear pouch if she gets constipated. There are some quite nice ones now like curries and risotto and things.

With my oldest it was just cow and gate jars and they even smelled awful!

Cosybelles · 27/07/2021 20:25

Oh yes an Ella's pouch (pouch of neglect) was a life saver if we were to be out all day/over lunch and needed something convenient. You will have the last laugh though, imagine never having enjoyed the convenience of a pouch of neglect, those poor sods.

CrabbyCat · 27/07/2021 20:37

We did babyled weaning but sometimes had them when out / on holiday with my eldest as a lazy option. With DC2 and 3, we already had to come up with a meal plan for the older one(s) so I don't think they ever had pouches, they just got whatever the plan for their siblings was.

Parker231 · 27/07/2021 20:43

Hated the idea of blw so used jars and pouches. They are brilliant - a great range of tastes and flavours and so easy. Bought them by the trolley load!

jinglejangle6 · 27/07/2021 20:45

I cook everything from scratch. I do a lot of batch cooking these days!

3womeninaboat · 27/07/2021 20:51

We had reusable pouches that I put yoghurt in because they were so motivated by being able to eat them on their own.
We did BLW at home but as it’s not a religion we gave them pouches when out and about, they are really useful. They are too old for them now but I give them an apple one when they are ill, which they like. Both great eaters so the pouches don’t seem to have done any damage.

TheCraicDealer · 27/07/2021 20:51

Yes probably about 70% of nearly 2yo DD's meals were pouches or jars, with a sprinkling of what we were having or BLW added in. She's bang on height and weight wise, and her nursery tell us she's one of their best eaters. She had a mussel and clam off my plate last night, would take your hand off for a bit of olive or smoked salmon.

There's an air of snobbery about them which I don't get. I'm not immune from it, it's the one thing I felt "mum guilt" about. I went back to work when DD was ten months old and didn't have the time or energy (or freezer space!) to batch cook. DH was a SAHD until recently and was he bothered about giving her pouches? Not a chance!

MamaEs · 27/07/2021 20:54

Yes we do. LO has a mix of everything, home cooked, finger food and the ready made jars/pouches. Eldest had the same and it hasn't harmed her in the slightest

Totally agree there is an air of snobby around it. No idea why.

SkankingMopoke · 27/07/2021 20:55

We did BLW with both DCs, so didn't use the pouches/jars except the odd prune pouch if constipated (stirred into porridge).
Once they became toddlers, they had Little Dish meals now and then if time was tight. They were very well received! DCs had (and still have!) meals cooked from scratch the rest of the time, so the odd baby ready meal wouldn't have hurt.

endofjune · 27/07/2021 20:58

Ds doesn’t eat much at all, I’ve tried the pouches to see if he might prefer them but he doesn’t!

Blueroses99 · 27/07/2021 21:04

I used pouches when we were out and about, they were very convenient as they could be eaten at room temperature. I use to mix couscous into them for extra texture and bulk them out. My DD couldn’t do BLW for medical reasons and had to be spoon fed. She had homemade purees at home, mostly.

Vooga · 27/07/2021 21:11

No never did, tried one toddler ready meal once and she wouldn't even taste it

carolinesbaby · 27/07/2021 21:24

I made all home-made purées with my first, basically cooked up bathes of everything in the Annabel Karmel book and worked my way through those. Was ok but so much work.
With my second I did a combination - lots of BLW meals at home, some home-made purée/mashed up food (he loved a mashed up potato beans and cheese, from a spoon, but the mess when eating this with his hands was horrendous) and some pouches - mainly Ella's Kitchen - when away on holiday and as back ups when out and about. No fixed rules, he's now a healthy 7 year old Who eats literally anything put in front of him, and is actually a better eater than DC1 who had all home made.

Russell19 · 27/07/2021 21:27

I did. No shame here.

readwhatiactuallysay · 27/07/2021 21:30

We never used them
We did BLW then just batch cooked things or they had some of what we were eating.

Wink182 · 27/07/2021 21:31

Yes! They’re organic and my veggies and meat aren’t organic. They’re a much cheaper way to do it!

sillytoes · 27/07/2021 21:32

Yes!

First child - everything home made

Second child - weaned on jars and pouches at every lunch time (ate what we were eating but blended on an evening).

Do not feel bad! They will soon be eating the same as you, it's just a short period in the grand scheme of things that they eat jars and pouches.

Also my mum says I was raised on them! That generation didn't get all this guilt laden on them.

waitingvpatiently · 27/07/2021 21:37

DP used to purée different veg and I'd combine them like mix and match.
We had a really good machine- tommee tippee I think that would steam veg first then purée it- all in the same container so no messing about and quick and easy to wash. I'd freeze lots of tiny pots (from Asda) and they'd last the week.

Would also blend our meals such as spag Bol or a casserole. If it was one of these I'd bulk it out with things like extra veg or mash to dilute the salt/ sugar content.

I did try some pouches as they are so convenient but dc would refuse anything other than fruit/ yoghurt type ones which I'd keep in my baby bag as spares just in case.

When older I got some little meals that you just microwave- ellas kitchen I think?? Again for convenience/ just in case. These were also refused 🤷🏻‍♀️

My siblings were raised on formula and jars- 4x a day main and pudding twice a day. They are perfect and thankfully no health issues and slim/ muscular bodies!

TheSkatesOfCoachBombay · 27/07/2021 22:12

Yes DS was practically raised on them 😂 I was working full time and on my own most of the time due to his father working away.

He went to nursery 3 times a week from 16 weeks so they gave him more of the fresh food BLW. In the evenings I'd give him a jar or a baby meal. He refused to let me spoon feed him, Mr independent so it all just used to go everywhere 😂

I resorted to near then end literally emptying the contents on to the high chair table and he would just fist it in to his mouth. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Dandy0911 · 27/07/2021 22:18

Yep! DD is nearly 9 months. At child minder 3 times a week so I always send her with an Ella's pouch, fruit and a yogurt.

At home she basically eats whatever we eat.
Mornings she will either have toast, weetabix or yogurt with a fruit Ella's pouch.

Absolutely zero shame! They've been a godsend especially when out and about.
A friend of mine is so Anti Pouches she has become quite unsocial and withdrawn now as she won't come for lunches with her friends due to her DS needing his home cooked defrosted mashed potato.

Love Ella's pouches!

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