There are a lot of strong opinions on whether or not new moms should be making their baby’s food homemade instead of buying it off the shelves. There are some advantages and disadvantages to both. In the end, it comes down to the mom or dad and what she/he thinks is best. Doing research on brands or homemade recipes is a great place to start deciding what you want to do.
Store-Bought Baby Food
Pre-packaged baby foods are typically cooked with extreme high heat in order to kill all the bacteria that could make your baby sick or make the food spoil more quickly. This process can also dull or eliminate some of the nutrients that the food offers. Packaged baby foods also have some added preservatives to give the food a longer shelf life. Store-bought food does follow guidelines for high quality and safety to ensure that the product is safe for babies.
Store-bought food is high in convenience and comes in disposable packaging which can be a huge time saver and makes traveling easier. Not having to plan or make baby food homemade and puree all the veggies and fruits cuts down on time which is a huge benefit in already busy lives. The disposable packaging can be considered a negative element though, because it is not eco-friendly.
Many well known baby food brands are a great choice for your baby and are completely safe and nutritious. Even if you sometimes use store bought and sometimes make homemade food for your baby, you can be confident in the pure quality of the food.
Homemade Baby Food
Making baby food from home can give peace of mind to parents because it allows you to know exactly what is going into your baby’s mouth. By steaming or microwaving the vegetables you can retain the nutrients they have naturally (instead of boiling them). This allows for better nutrition for your baby.
It is nice for parents to be able to choose what fruits and veggies your baby is receiving and what combinations to make. Not all fruits and veggies come in pre-packaged formulas and by feeding your baby fresh fruit and veggies you can give them what goes well with what the rest of the family is eating.
Some important things to remember if you choose the homemade approach is that it will be time consuming to prepare the purees for your baby. Homemade baby food also does not store as easy or as long as store-bought. Homemade purees will need to be stored in the fridge or freezer which can take up a lot of room if you are making much in advance.
