Pureed baby food is bad for baby
Categories: Eating & nutrition, Media
I'm surprised that Generation X made it out of childhood. Our parents strapped us into adult seatbelts, or careened down the highway with us in their laps. We were just as likely to be formula fed as breastfed, and our canned baby food contained salt, sugar, artificial preservatives and even lead and pesticides. Awesome.
The truth is, parenting in the late seventies and early eighties seemed a lot more freewheeling than it is today. Today's babies are carefully strapped into cars with latch systems and five-point harnasses. Moms hear repeated whispers of "breast is breast, breast is best" from the time of conception to two years post-partum. And almost all baby food today is made without preservatives, as naturally as possible. Even though we fluked our way through our childhood, let it be said that Gen X's babies are very harnessed and educated and well-fed.
Except, that last part might not be so true. A leading UK Expert is saying that pureed baby food -- even the organic, free-range stuff -- is unnatural and could be bad for babies.
Unicef's Gill Rapley says that babies should not be fed anything except breastmilk or formula prior to 6 months of age. After that, she says, they are capable of eating solids themselves -- and there is no need for the artificially mashed up stuff. She makes the argument that babies fed pureed food have little control over how much food they ate -- making them vulnerable to constipation and pre-disposing them to fussy eating.
Huh. Interesting. I've never been a fan of canned baby food -- it always smelled of rotten cat to me, and I struggled to make Nolan homemade baby food, and I do understand what Ms. Rapley is saying. But what does she suggest as a replacement to mashed food? A hunk of apple? A cucumber sandwich? Nolan only had a few teeth at 6 months and I can't imagine him able to do anything but gum a sandwich and give it to the dog at that point in his life. I'm just glad he is two and can share his pasta with me now, because that smashed squash wasn't doing much for me, natural or not.
The truth is, parenting in the late seventies and early eighties seemed a lot more freewheeling than it is today. Today's babies are carefully strapped into cars with latch systems and five-point harnasses. Moms hear repeated whispers of "breast is breast, breast is best" from the time of conception to two years post-partum. And almost all baby food today is made without preservatives, as naturally as possible. Even though we fluked our way through our childhood, let it be said that Gen X's babies are very harnessed and educated and well-fed.
Except, that last part might not be so true. A leading UK Expert is saying that pureed baby food -- even the organic, free-range stuff -- is unnatural and could be bad for babies.
Unicef's Gill Rapley says that babies should not be fed anything except breastmilk or formula prior to 6 months of age. After that, she says, they are capable of eating solids themselves -- and there is no need for the artificially mashed up stuff. She makes the argument that babies fed pureed food have little control over how much food they ate -- making them vulnerable to constipation and pre-disposing them to fussy eating.
Huh. Interesting. I've never been a fan of canned baby food -- it always smelled of rotten cat to me, and I struggled to make Nolan homemade baby food, and I do understand what Ms. Rapley is saying. But what does she suggest as a replacement to mashed food? A hunk of apple? A cucumber sandwich? Nolan only had a few teeth at 6 months and I can't imagine him able to do anything but gum a sandwich and give it to the dog at that point in his life. I'm just glad he is two and can share his pasta with me now, because that smashed squash wasn't doing much for me, natural or not.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
hp 6-20-2007 @ 12:42PM
At six months, my son liked gumming up banana chunks, steamed-to-death green beans, and steamed-to-death asparagus. (Those were the weekly introductions from 6m1w through 7m.) During his 7th month we introduced steamed-to-death carrots, broccoli, and peas; and raw pears and mango (both pretty soft fruits once the peel is removed). At 8m, we introduced baked & shredded chicken, low mercury fish (correctly cooked fish just falls apart on its own) and Cheerios. He also started grabbing various sauted and baked veggies off our plates.
He was not a fan of pureed baby food at all--nobody could get it into his mouth. I made some homemade stuff up for daycare and their depression at their daily failure to get it into his mouth was kind of hilarious.
Now, at 11 months, he completely self-feeds and eats many table foods. He's learning how to use a spoon himself.
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CeeBee 6-20-2007 @ 1:11PM
Maybe this is why so many kids hate vegetables -- their first experience was yucky pureed peas, carrots, broccoli, etc.
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anderson_michelle_lee 6-20-2007 @ 1:47PM
I will have to say that as a baby my parents we into the lets give them the stuff we eat. I was one of the pickiest eaters anyone had ever seen, they even took me to the doctor to figure out what was wrong with me and why I would not eat. I have my sons, two very different eaters, one will eat anything, though sometimes he complains about it, he will eat it. and the other is his mother reincarnated. (he looks, acts, and eats just like me). He is a fussy eater. We did jar baby food for both. That is what the doctors said to do. They told us that was already full of the nutrition our babies needed. I did not know otherwise. I would have to say that the kids are the eater that they are. The Baby, he is just not an eater, and when he is hungry he will eat, all we have to do is make sure there is something out for him. and the elder of the two, well we never worry, he is a good weight, and a very healthy eater. I guess what I am saying is that you never know what causes a child to be how they are. Every person is different. And I am finding that all processed foods are not good for you. So maybe we all need to reevaluate what we are eating.
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Kathleen 6-20-2007 @ 2:13PM
Well of course, EVERYTHING is bad for us! I started my daughter on pureed baby food at 4 months because that was when she showed signs of readiness and indeed she grabbed the spoon and put it in her own mouth with the first bite. We had NO problem getting her to eat, she understood how from the start. However at 7 months she would no longer let us feed her and she proceed to only real food and has stayed that way since (she's 17 months)
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Sabrina 6-20-2007 @ 2:27PM
My son is 11 months and shows absolutely zero interest in self-feeding, he just plays with whatever I put on his highchair tray, puts it in his mouth for a moment, then takes it out to play with it some more. He actually prefers to be spoon-fed pureed/mashed foods. I make some at home from what we're all eating for dinner, and when we're out and about we used jarred food. Then again he doesn't drink juice or water, from a bottle or a cup either. He's finicky already. He really loved nursing, and still loves his bottles. His sister was the exact opposite, she picked up the cup early, loved it, weaned easily from the bottle, and always enjoyed self-feeding. She was eating cheerios and other finger foods at his age with no problems. I think it's different with each child. However, now that she's 2.5, she's shunning vegetables. I usually give her hummus to dip her chicken in, and mix extra veggies in her spaghetti sauce because then at least I know she's getting some in her system. She usually just picks at/plays with the veggies I still try to serve her at dinner. She used to eat them so much better as a baby!
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Stephanie 6-20-2007 @ 6:00PM
My kids were quick to learn to prefer the food I mashed up in my food grinder. I can't blame them as the taste was so much better. I just cooked a lot of dinners in the crockpot.
However, neither had any trouble with the jarred foods, which were easy to start with. They both adore green beans, which were also the first jarred foods we gave them. Except now they like them fresh.
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Uly 6-20-2007 @ 8:05PM
My nieces never had pureed anything. They started out on bananas and avocados - nice, soft fruits that don't have to be cooked, and can be gummed down.
They moved onto steamed, but not pureed veggies - again, things that can be gummed into submission if you lack teeth. My older niece had a lot of sweet potato. My younger niece, eating in the summer, got a lot of fresh, ripe, soft fruit.
When they had spoonstuff (oatmeal, lentils), they fed themselves.
So yes, she does suggest a hunk of apple or some bread as a substitute for purees - foods your kid can and will eat themselves, no matter how few teeth they have.
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Carrie 6-20-2007 @ 9:41PM
I KNEW it! I've never used baby food. I was too lazy and too cheap. I just handed the kid a banana or some soft cooked peas or carrot or avocado or whatever when he/she was 8 months or so. Worked for 4 kids... and none of them are picky!
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rebecca Biernesser 6-20-2007 @ 10:00PM
I love hearing about all the great moms that make their own food, blah, blah, blah....
We started with jar foods to make sure the boys were okay with them and moved on...My youngest is a year old with like 5 teeth, so he gets some table food or something he can pick up with his fingers, but I still use jar foods. I buy both fresh and canned fruits and veggies. If it's canned I pour out the juices and wash whatever is in the can, be it peaches or carrots. Both my boys are healthy and not overwieght and do not over eat. In the end that's all that matters anyway.
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rachel 6-22-2007 @ 11:59PM
This is pretty much what I did with my son by default- he hated the pureed baby food, even the "desserts". So once he was old enough he got soft pasta, bananas, mushy carrot, etc. He's now a great eater (at 2.5) who will try anything once, and likes most foods (even ones that I don't, and I'm a grown up).
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