babyfood homemade vs shop brought

Sarah - posted on 06/03/2010

I make everything for Zoe- I have the Beaba Baby Blender- it steams and purees- LOVE IT. She was a preemie- 3.3 when she was born and 4.8 when I brought her home- now she's 8 months and over 20lbs! I am 100% sold on homemade- even the doctor is amazed at her weight gain!! And she loves food, hasn't rejected anything-and now she eats using the Masher as well as her purees. :)

Chatty - posted on 06/02/2010

I made all Roxanne's first foods from scratch.....big batch at a time and froze them in ice-cube trays! She's only had store bought baby food a handful of times! It was fairly easy and much more cost effective...

Amanda - posted on 06/02/2010

We used store bought ones for Gavin, and will probably do the same for this baby too... I don't even like making dinner half the time, much less having to mash up baby food all the time lol Gavin never seemed to mind the taste at all, he loved everything except peas, but he doesn't like peas now either, which I can't say as I blame him haha

Amber - posted on 06/02/2010

Store bought, but only before he could have any solids. We also had a "Masher" you put fresh fruits and veggies in a mesh bag and they can chew on it through the bag.
But he had 2 teeth by six months and 4 teeth by seven months. So, he was eating soft solid foods pretty early and we didn't need baby foods for long.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 06/02/2010

My daughter has never had baby food in a jar. She only ate purees for a short time and then went to table food. She eats all kinds of things I would never imagine her eating. I didn't want to worry about recalls and extra stuff they put in jar foods.

Terri - posted on 06/02/2010

Gosh thats a no brainer! Why give your baby bought preservative filled muck when they can have fresh home made stuff?? Nothing healthy in a can or jar!! And talk about the expense! And the taste is disgusting. Fresh is best!!

Celia - posted on 05/11/2010

I make all his food and blenderize it into a puree when he was younger and chunkier now that he's almost 9 months. It was so easy to cook a bunch of carrots or squash and puree it then freeze portions for later. Now that he eats our food I can introduce him to curry or thai food that we cook for ourselves and you just cant buy that in cans!
I did buy him a puree once when we were stuck but I tasted it and blegh, so bland and the chunky bits were hard and tasted like raw potato :p Needless to say I dident feed it to him since I hated the taste.

Alison - posted on 05/11/2010

I didn't really like using too much shop baby food because it's costly and I liked the idea of freshly made food better, but I found it useful when we were out and about.

Susanne - posted on 05/11/2010

i tried making my own but my three wouldnt eat it they prefered the store bought jars

Pam - posted on 05/10/2010

I had always made my own because my kids would not eat the store bought stuff the only thing I would buy was the custards and then I would add them to pureed fruit which I made, I found it easier to puree the veges that I was cooking for tea that night anyway. I am not knocking those people who use store bought stuff only, it really is a personal preference. I felt lazy because I just used what I was cooking anyway

Kristin - posted on 05/10/2010

Both, depended on the situation and the time I had available.

April - posted on 05/10/2010

i have a hand held blender...it is so much easier than a food processer. very easy to clean. the only downside is that it doesn't make juice. it's good for smoothies and applesauce, etc...

My son never got into eating store bought jarred baby food. He was never a fan. In fact, he didn't enjoy food at all until he was able to pick it up himself or feed himself with a utensil. He's 16 months and JUST getting into wanting to eat solids.

Jocelyn - posted on 05/10/2010

Store bought. I'm way to lazy too make anything. One of the reasons I breastfeed as well! Rofl :P
Really, my son didn't spend too much time on the jar foods, maybe 3 months and then he was into big people food, so I didn't really see the need to make my own. My daughter is 7 months and I tried yams (to no avail) that were store bought, but I think she may be one of the EBF until they are a year babies....woo... lol. And if that's the case I just won't need baby food at all!

Andriea - posted on 05/10/2010

sorry i confused you it wasnt my intention sometimes i mix topics. the question still remains the same baby led weening has just managed to slip in. i was talking to am mum once at a play group i go to and she was saying 'to give your baby a carrot for example and let them feel it taste it and play with it sometimes it will end up in the toybox but the method works.' sorry for the confusion.

Meghan - posted on 05/10/2010

Okay I am not sure what the question has to do with baby led weaning but at 5 months your baby is probably teething and not really weaning. But as for baby food, you generally start them before baby has a lot of teeth.... I am a little confused by that post Andreia. Also, not sure how baby led weaning would make one think it is okay to play with their food. I don't think it would.

Meghan - posted on 05/10/2010

We don't use babyfood from the store... my husband watched a documentary and is convinced that all of them are poisoned... haha but I really do think it is healthier to just give him stuff I make.

September - posted on 05/10/2010

We choose homemade foods for our son. I feel that it's healthier and I love to cook! :)

Amy - posted on 05/10/2010

We used baby food for a month or two and our son liked it, but as soon as we made some at home he refused the stuff we bought. His issue was that he liked having more of a texture, the liquid type stuff you get in the store was just not his fav. We also tried to just mash up what ever we were eating after he was introduced to enough, and it worked out great for us! To this day he'll eat anything as long as we are eating it too.

Minnie - posted on 05/10/2010

Andriea, my second didn't have a single tooth until a week after her first birthday. She was perfectly able to handle a whole apple with an empty mouth.

Lady - posted on 05/10/2010

Mostley home made, organic jars on occasion and some baby lead weaning - so a complete mixture really!!

Andriea - posted on 05/10/2010

i would do baby led weening only currrently he has no teeth and im a little nervious about just giving him a carrot inc case he chokes he is only 5months you see, does beby led weening give the child the immprestion its ok to play with there food. i did try cooking my own unfortunatly im not a domestic goddess in the kitchen lol and tend to use packet and jared sources for my own dinner which arnt sutable cos of the salt.

LaCi - posted on 05/10/2010

I would buy organic puree's when things weren't in season. I would make my own with the vegetables and fruits available and tasty.

My son is afraid of the food processor. So making my own wasn't exactly a joy. He loved green smoothies. A ton of spinach, a banana, berries, carrots, anything else I had on hand. We used to split one every morning.

Minnie - posted on 05/10/2010

I think that any sort of puree, whether home made or store bought is pointless. If baby is old enough for solids, he's old enough to pick up his food and feed himself.



So, for the purpose of the thread, home made- beans and rice on a plate with some stewed vegetables, a whole peeled apple, a small square of fish she can pick off, etc.

Sunny - posted on 05/10/2010

When he was a baby (he will be 3 in 7 days) i use to make my own but now he loves the only organic and raffys garden squeeze tube ones for a snack.
I have to admit i didnt really like making baby food.

Jenny - posted on 05/09/2010

I made lots of mine but would buy organic jars from time to time like when I was lazy.

Teresa - posted on 05/09/2010

Ditto Kati... for the most part at least. We used to blend up cans of fruits and veggies (no sugar or salt added) sometimes for the girls since it was cheaper and went further. Other than that it was all store bought baby food til they were eating pieces of stuff instead of purees.

Fiona - posted on 05/09/2010

Home made all the way. We did puree for a couple of weeks but went to baby led feeding straight from that and haven't looked back. He still likes to be fed some food (especially from chopsticks) but now (9months) just eats whatever we are having. So much easier and I like knowing that he is eating real, fresh food not just the offcuts of veges/fruits that are processed and canned. I don't like eating much store bought canned or bottled food so I don't expect my son to. Although I do buy rice crackers and rusks from the baby aisle for him sometimes.

Rosie - posted on 05/09/2010

i'm too lazy to make my own! :) store bought all the way!

Nikki - posted on 05/09/2010

I am from Australia and although our baby food is also preservative and sugar free I still make my own. I like my daughter to have fresh fruit and veggies, also it is much cheaper, and I know exactly what is going into it.

I must admit, I am already a bit over the food processing thing, but I still won't buy pre prepared baby food, instead I am going to try baby-led weaning, that way she is eating the veggies that we eat, I don't have to worry about itty bitty containers and freezing etc.

Good Day! - posted on 05/09/2010

My daughter ate store bought baby food for a few months until I learned how to make it. Once I discovered how easy it was, that's all she ate. It was cheaper and fresher.