Is there anything wrong with baby food such as Ella's kitchen stuff?

[Chocoholism]

I know some have added salts and sugars and I do plan To make my own food for my baby but I was just looking in supermarket today and read ingredients of Ella's kitchen packet and it was all organic ingredients and no extras.
Presumably that's good food then?
There are other ones I saw too such as peter rabbit. What are your thoughts

I never used jars. Vile things but I believe they have their place. They are certainly not for constant use.

I wasn't criticising BLW as a method. But trying to point out that people can sometimes become so fanatical about these things that it becomes restrictive even though it's meant to be easier. Or out so much pressure on themselves or end up upset because grand ma or nursery spoon fed their baby and they can't say exclusively BLW anymore

Weaning is weaning into grown up food. Even if you purée not everything is purees if that makes sense. Finger foods and snacks are served too.

Titles are restrictive and seek to put pressure on people when the end up in a situation where it can't e adhered to in a way you are happy with and still able to use the term.

It really is just weaning.

I agree with you giles especially the bit about the definition of weaning - it is, in short, to get a baby used to grown up food.

I do see parents still spoon feeding beyond 12 months and it does surprise me. I feel that if parents allowed a child to feed themselves more, including giving them a spoon and letting them work it out, there wouldn't be a need to spoon feed them. It's normally too inconvenient for them messy to allow the child to learn to feed themselves.

It's all about circumstances though isn't it.

I mean at home or in a family restaurant no ones going to bat an eye lid at a baby squishing some salad about or chewing and spitting out some chicken.

However if you were in town with a friend and baby fell asleep so you went somewhere "naice" for lunch , then perhaps it might be more appropriate to help minimise the mess and shove a few spoon fulls of your lasagne in babies mouth.

Had you planned it obviously, them somewhere low key and family friendly woulda been on the agenda.

You can provide the opportunity for self feeding and still spoon feed on occasion.

I tried quite a few of these things. The jars were all vile, aside from rice pudding or chocolate pudding. Some of pouches are quite nice. We particularly like Ella's zingy lamb in this house. I tried replicating it and it was rejected

I didn't use them all the time (expensive) but found them pretty useful for out and about, particularly if we're in the car over a meal time. Just hand a pouch to my toddler and it's pretty much mess-free. She doesn't like sandwiches or similar lunch items that would be easy to eat in the car.

If you want convenience then batch cook and freeze in baby/toddler size portions - muffin tray works quite well, depending on how much your child eats of course.

Baby gets fed either way, just saying that being closed off to assistance 100% could be unnecessarily restrictive

BLW is a religion for many on MN and you do realise that purées are a MN evil?!

Make your own decision. I read about BLW and decided it was not enough for my hungry baby. So I did a mixture of both - purées a la annabel karmel and finger foods. And my kids thrived on that and are both great eaters now. For me that meant offering a purée and finger food.

Second time around I was nackered and relied way more on Ellas/plum etc. I think they are a god send tbh. I agree whoever says up thread they don't contain enough fat.

Also agree that the bars etc are all sweetened with "concentrated grape juice" which isn't ideal.

first two dc had jars and are fussy eaters, third only had homemade and will eat anything.

the jars taste of nothing and imo encourage a swwet tooth.

*sweet

Some of the pouches are just fruit or veg purée. We use these for jazzing up porridge or plain yoghurt and as post-swimming snacks etc.
the ones that are more like fake meals I am less keen on but we do usually have some in the cupboard for any time we are late home and he's starving or if dh and I have a takeaway (they are def healthier than our local Indian takeaway's food!)

My DDs both had about 90% home made and 10% bought jars/pouches. Just for convenience when we were out and about.
My pair eat a good range of European style food, they're
not too keen on spicy food but they eat a much wider range of food than the children of friends who although being massive foodies themselves weaned them on nothing but jars and toast!

We use them as a back up. DS eats what we eat, but if we happen to eat something that he can't eat and there's not something we've already made and frozen, then he'll have one.

DS is only just 9 months old but has been on the 10 months plus ones for a while because the others are just too smooth, they barely touch the sides he kind of inhales it

chunderella I used your quote because if I'd have said what you had said about puree feeding, it would have been lamb to the slaughter. How an earth a method of feeding can be compared to a religion, I don't know to be honest, it was odd comment for you to make that about BLW.

People who BLW as a method of feeding have normally had successful results. The main benefit of it is that it is easy and that is probably why so many parents advocate it, not because of a religion but because of the ease of doing it and how much cheaper it is. No buying 5 jars for £3 or whatever, you just give the baby what you are eating. I will recommend any parenting method if it is easy, because having a child is bloody hard work For me, giving your child what you eat and leaving them to it, is a tried and test method that worked.

I did BlW with my DD however at 20mo she loves the Ella's kitchen smoothies and the fruit pouches which she'll have as part of a snack.

Loads of my friends only used pouches and jars to wean. I did once try to give DD an Ella's kitchen fish pie, she cried like I'd committed the worst sin! They don't taste great, I'd happily scoff the only fruit ones though

DS used to have them for pudding sometimes. As an alternative to yogurt or real fruit. I haven't felt the need with 9mo DD though. I think we eat more healthily now, so we usually have nice suitable food in the house for her.

They are fine except for the point that another poster made about lacking fat.

I used these a lot for DD. She is now a healthy nearly 3 year old, not a fussy eater at all (so far!), asks to try new things, eats same as us. She begs for broccoli as a snack! Ignore the doom mongers who suggest a few prepared meals are the route to a finicky child or a findus crispy pancake subsisting adult. They are fine as long as you get some fresh foods in there too and find a way to increase fat.

My answer wasn't an explanation Cinderella it was an answer to your question and wasn't intended to convince you of anything.

Your 1st paragraph of your last post makes no sense to me. I've not called anyone ridiculous, nor have I said BLW is better than puree. I've stated what I think and what worked for me. Comparing a method of feeding to a religion is still odd.

Why are you being so passive aggressive Chund? I really don't get what argument you are trying to have with me

OP asks about puree pouches.
People comment.

BLW gets mentioned as an alternative
BLW gets slagged off by being referred to as a 'status' thing, or associated with some cult or religion.
I say it isn't a religion or a status thing.
I state the baby food isn't the best (as do 90% of the people on this thread, who have referred to using it as one off, or as a snack)
You're now trying to argue with me for no reason at all.

The OP can feed her child what she feels best. But I don't like BLW being slagged off when it is mentioned as an alternative to buying jars / pouches, or doing home made puree food. It is a method of feeding that works for some people, that's it.

"Just make your own, it's so easy"

It was those kind of comments that made me feel so utterly inadequate.

With my first child, I did all of the homemade purees and he was a joy to feed. Never made a mess, ate everything I offered. Used jars sometimes for convenience but it was mainly home-made. Moved onto the different stages without problem.

My second son rejected absolutely everything I offered. Anything with any texture at all, would be spat out. Any hint of a lump and he wasn't going to eat it. He wouldn't touch finger foods, all he would eat was completely smooth mush. So yoghurts and purees.
Every attempt I made to cook, mash, puree - everything ended up in the bin. So yes, I stuck with the "processed crap", because it saved my sanity.
I didn't know at the time that he was autistic and food was a huge sensory problem for him.

No they probably not great to have all the time, but you do what works for you and don't let anyone else make you feel bad if you choose to use them.

"Just make your own, it's so easy" - YY, I hated that too and agree it made me feel inadequate. I'm not a good cook. I was a terrible cook when DD was weaning. DH had done all the cooking for years, but sod's law was working horrible hours at 6m+.

I have learnt to cook since and while I don't enjoy it, I know it is easy to make things that are healthy, to batch cook etc. But during those few months when DH was working so much, I either felt I had to spend my tiny amount of free time pureeing and blending, or I attempted to cook for me and DD. There is a time and a place to learn to cook. It turns out it is not when you have a 6mo velcro'd to your hip.

Hence we used quite a few jars and pouches.

Cooking is one of those things that is really easy when you know how but when you're a complete beginner, suddenly realising you have a small person to feed healthily and you better shape up your own ways too, it's hard when everyone says "just cook a meal and freeze it!"

I didn't incorrectly list your comment.

I don't see why I should correct myself.

I didn't make up some bull shit reason.

I'm sorry you don't appreciate what I said.

I haven't taken anything personally.

I stick to the fact that BLW shouldn't be slagged off or referred to as a religion. Parents will do what they want - BLW / home made / jar / pouch, I really couldn't give a shiny shit rolled in glitter as long as a baby gets fed.

You have made far bigger deal about this than I have.