Sodium content in baby/toddler food

Rosi - posted on 04/05/2011

Hi, I have my brother fighting kidney failure for 6 years now and since then i always looked at labels since my son was born and introduce to solids i was looking at their labels i was shocked on how much sodium they have. I cook with no or little salt hardly any we dont eat out I always home cooked for my now 18 month old. Its healthier for him. I went out for lunch once with my sister and because her kids only eat mcdonalds we went there i gave my son some chicken nuggets to try he spit them out and said "yucky" he did the same to the fries i was happy and proud.

Tricia - posted on 04/01/2011

hi bridget. i know how you feel. my 20month old son was also born with one kidney. i too have been doing his meals on my own as i need to watch his sodium. it is hard for us mommies when we are in a hurry.

Tricia - posted on 04/01/2011

hi bridget. i know how you feel. my 20month old son was also born with one kidney. i too have been doing his meals on my own as i need to watch his sodium. it is hard for us mommies when we are in a hurry.

Jessica - posted on 02/25/2011

I DO!!! My son personally eats mostly whole foods (non processed) so there is little to no sodium in it BUT I babysit and the other Mom is always sending Gerber Graduate meals that have sometimes 500 miligrams per serving. That is INSANE to me!!!



It is sooooo important to read labels. These food companies today have one thing in their minds and it is not the well being and safety of our children. They have hidden ingredients everywhere.



Last week I was at Wholefoods and stopped to look at the frozen HappyBaby Selections in the freezer section. I saw a Salmon one so I took it out and read the label. Even though the name of the product was Salmon Bites....another type of fish was the first ingredient!! Salmon was really far down the list! I was amazed.



I will continue to homecook for my son! These companies CANNOT be trusted!!

Kathy - posted on 02/07/2011

I've noticed... but only after it was on the news here. We still buy them but she doesn't get them often, usually only if I'm not feeling well, most times even if I don't feel like cooking she'll have a grilled cheese or something in a pinch. But at 16 months old she hasn't eaten much baby food for a long time now.

Bridget - posted on 02/07/2011

Noreen, you are totally right! I make most of Adelines food anyway, and have changed the way I cook for our whole family- no one needs as much salt as is in processed foods anyway! I was just shocked!
Adeline doesnt go to Grandmas that much anyway- so it hasn't presented a big obstacle, I just saw the meals and thought "what a great idea!" until I realized what was in them. I felt silly for assuming they were healthy, but when I saw their contents I would never have my daughter eat anything like that!
I cant imagine how difficult it could be if Adeline had allergies like your daughter. I have tomato and peas/peanuts/beans allergies, and that presents enough challenges for me. Milk and Egg would definitely need you to be so much more aware.

Noreen - posted on 02/07/2011

I too have noticed the sodium level in baby/toddler foods. Salt is a preservative so in order for these foods to have a long shelf life, they have to have some kind of preservative in them.

I make most of Abby's food and always have. It is so easy to do so too. Bridget, you could make her food and then freeze it and then send it to Grandma's house for an easy meal.

I have several sweet potato, squash, avocado, pears, and apple cubes stocked in my freezer! Before we go anywhere, I throw in 4 food cubes into a to go bowl. My daughter has severe food allergies to milk and egg, so being able to do this makes eating out easier for when they don't have a "vegan" menu option.

Jess - posted on 02/07/2011

To be honest I haven't checked that packing of all the brands. We usually buy a brand which lists the ingredients on the front of the packet.

So if it reads Chicken, Corn and Sweet Potato then thats all it has in it. This is backed up the ingredients list also. Nothing added ! Which is lovely, its nice to know you can trust one company.

Bridget - posted on 02/07/2011

I do make her food ahead, and have actually changed our families diet but removing sodium from my recipes and using non processed foods- My daughter is home with me all the time and only at Grandmas once or twice a month and usually Im prepared! I saw the Gerber meals and was pretty excited until I looked over the nutritional content. Ive actually done some research and aparently there is a big push on Gerber to get their food healthier. I hope they work on it!

Jessica - posted on 02/06/2011

i have never paid attention to that. i figured if it was meant for babies it would be super good for them. that is a little disapointing! i would cook ahead and freeze some stuff so it is ready to go for grandma's. you could put it in a tv tray tupperware (they do make them like that) and make it like a tv dinner so all they have to do is heat it up in the microwave. that would make things easier for them and you still would be making sure her diet is safe. i would take comfort in knowing that you are feeding your daughter super healthy by making her food. i give you lots of credit!