Best store brought baby foods?

[trrk]

I have been making my own purées alongside offering my DD (6.5 months) some finger foods. We are travelling soon and would like to bring some baby food with us for use while travelling. Which store brought baby food is closest to homemade stuff and not too sweet? I know Ella’s kitchen are pretty popular but read mixed things about how healthy they are.

Ella’s kitchen are good - google the ingredients - all good stuff. DT’s were weaned on jars and pouches.

Have you done your trip yet @trrk? Which make did you decide to use?

We haven’t gone yet but plan to try some Ella’s kitchen pouches.

Ellas are fine! Pouches are better than jars if it’s for travelling since they take up less space and can’t smash. Just watch some of the Ella’s 4+ months ones that have some weird fruit/veg combos e.g. pears peas broccoli because they can have an unexpectedly high sugar content from all the fruit. The 6 months ones that resemble normal meals are fine though!

Try to select singe vegetable ones. Ella's pouches tend to add sweet fruit or sweet vegetables (sweetcorn, carrots, sweet potatoes, ....) to make it more palatable to children. This artificial sweetness, even if 100 natural, organic, or whatever marketing crap, will make it very hard in the long run for a child to accept the real taste of vegetable. The high pressure and heat also alter the taste. I think jars are better, because the kid will see the colour of food, or if using pouches, empty it in a bowl.
Most kids' meals do not resemble normal meal, because the added sweetness makes combination which are not repeated in real life. Who eats spinach mixed with blueberries?
Careful with the baby junk food. All those puff, crisps, rusk, rice cake are highly palatable. Give the hard end of a baguette to a child to suck on.

How long will you be travelling for ? Is it just for the journey or for the stay as well? Would you have access to a microwave ?

Thanks for the info! Will definitely look out for the vege ones. It’s mostly for the journey (it’s almost 40 hr door to door so probably need to bring some food). We are staying with family so hopefully will have the chance to prepare food most of the time but might have to rely on convenience food if out and about some days.

We have another trip planned at 9 months which is only 5 days but no microwave though hoping DD can eat some of our food in a restaurant by then if we order carefully.

40 hours!!!! Don't be too picky, take whatever will make you survive the journey!!
Everyone will be cranky, so for once, sweet stuff for everyone (especially the mum!) is well deserved!!

40 hour journey?! Take whatever baby will eat and will keep them quiet for as long as possible! That’s exactly what the convenience stuff is for, don’t give it a second thought.

Thanks! I’m probably overthinking this. At the moment she is eating veggie purées (single veggie or mixed) and occasionally fruit ones but I’m trying to stick to the less sweet options. Haven’t tried any store brought stuff (apart from melty puffs once) yet so not sure if she will like them and I don’t want to get her into the habit if only liking the processed stuff. I have also tried finger food most days but we get a lot of gagging at the moment so probably wouldn’t try that on a plane or in the airport.

Melty puffs, cheerios, smoothie melts etc. are bloody brilliant on flights because it takes up a good amount of time to eat them 🤣

Don’t overthink it, you wouldn’t be worried that baby will get a taste for being cuddled on the flight and won’t every be put down again after landing.

Thanks for the advice! I was thinking more if I introduced those foods at home and tried to get her to drink out of the pouch to reduce mess before we travel she might get used to them.