baked beans - yay or nay?

[WibblyPigRocks]

I'm looking for things to combine with the inside of a jacket potato for my DS - 8mo and allergic to dairy.

Are baked beans too high in salt? Are the lower salt versions too high in additives?

everything's fine if you consider quantity and frequency - so baked beans once or twice a week - fine - every meal - not fine! A good source of protein and exactly what my DS had for tea on his jacket potato last night.

Many people have commented on MN that they have fed babies beans with no seeming ill effects. I'm sure in tiny amounts it won't be dangerous just not very good for them, remember to offer water after eating to help dilute and flush out the salt.

However if you are like me and worry (probably too much) about what your baby eats please note that normal baked beans are high in sugar and salt 3rd and 4th on ingredients on Heinz and salt in half a tin is 1.7g. I have a book by nutritionist Jane Clarke that states between 7 and 12 months baby acceptable salt level per day is 1g. Check labels 1g of sodium equals 2.5g of salt. So you have to use less than a quarter of the tin to have the recommended salt allowance by that reckonning!

Meantime if you have the time and I know I don't have much time with an 8mo make your own baked beans by cans of unsalted cannellini, butter or chick peas all full of lovely protein and iron, try different ones and mash up. Remember babies like bland food so don't miss the salt and sugar, if yours has a sweet tooth add some carrot or sweet potato or sweetcorn to sweeten.

If you go for the beans as MrsJamin says don't do them every day. Good luck

as an occasional food nothing wrong with baked beans for an 8 month old.

Also, you could make your own bean and sauce mix if you havce the time or inclination, haricot beans slow cooked with passata if you're really worried about the salt etc.

You can get low salt low sugar baked beans in health food shops that don't contain any artificial ingredients or additives etc.

babies don't necessarily like bland food pussface, when I used to run a babyfood catering business the best-sellers where the foods with spices, herbs or garlic added. Babies loved it (obviously no salt or sugar was ever added, but you can make tasty food without ever using salt or sugar, just herbs, garlic, strong flavoured foods etc.)

My DD loves these as a finger food. She only has a couple of teaspoons on the highchair tray and it keeps her occupied for ages .

I do find a lot of beans down the side of the chair denuded of their sauce though! Those little suckers are just so slippery.

Talking of salt content - does anyone have the recommended amounts for babies? There are loads of things I would like to give her as a main meal but I am worried about too much salt. At the moment all her food is home made so she has very minimal salt.

sorry overmydeadbody that was a sweeping statement you're right babies have different tastes just like adults. What I meant to say was that something that tastes a bit boring to you might be nice to a baby you don't have to worry about jazzing it up ie they don't need salt & sugar - but of course you can if you want to with herbs and stuff. I've used cumin, coriander, parsley etc myself. Is that okay

fizzpops see this page from the food standards agency website for details on salt intake for babies.

www.salt.gov.uk/babies_and_children.html

Thanks pussface!

Sorry everyone, I am not English and I have a question.
Is Ketchup always in baked beans?
Can someone tell me a brand of Baked beans without salt, sugar or ketchup?
My husband is English and he really wants our son to try baked beans for fun, but I don't want to give any of teh above for a long time still.
If I make them home will be just tomato and cannellini?

Thank you
Alberta