If you’re a new mom, you want what’s best for your baby. A healthy baby begins with good nutrition. Supermarket shelves are loaded with prepared baby foods of all types and descriptions. But have you stopped to read the labels on these products? Many have significant amounts of added sugar and salt to add flavor and help preserve them. Not only is a diet high in sugar or salt not healthy for a baby, babies exposed to it early in life develop a preference for sugary and salty foods. Do you really want to turn your baby into a sugar and salt-loving child?
When you give a baby a sugary or salty diet, you’re creating a “taste” for these foods that can stick with them into adulthood. Food preferences are formed early in life! Diets high in sugar are a contributing factor to childhood and adult obesity.
What Else is in Commercial Baby Food?
Salt and sugar aren’t the only problem when it comes to commercial baby foods. Many store-bought baby foods contain fillers and thickening agents like chemically-modified starches that have little nutritional value. They’re there to give the food more texture and mouth appeal.
There’s another reason to consider giving your baby homemade baby food. According to the Mayo Clinic, babies that eat a nutritious diet of whole foods rather than processed ones during their first year of life may be at lower risk for food allergies later on.
The Benefits of Making Baby Food at Home
Why not make your own homemade baby food instead? When you make your baby’s food at home using a baby food maker, you know exactly what your little one is getting and don’t have to worry about added salt, sugar or fillers. Plus, you can use organically-grown fresh fruits and vegetables to add antioxidants to your baby’s diet. Homemade baby food is fresher than packaged foods that set on the shelves for long periods of time before your baby eats them.
Another advantage to making baby food at home is that it’s more economical than buying pre-packaged food. You can even use fresh produce and meat that you already have on hand to make your baby’s food using a baby food maker. If you grow your own fruits and vegetables the savings are even greater. Homemade baby food is infinitely customizable.
The Bottom Line?
More nutritious and more economical? These are a couple benefits of making your baby’s food at home. Plus, you get the reassurance of knowing exactly what’s going into your baby’s body. Preparing nutritious baby food at home get your child off to a good start in life – and isn’t that your goal?
