Solids - Homemade VS Store bought cans...

[Taia's Mum]

Hi!

My DD is currently having 2 meals per day - lunch is easy to get down her and dinner is getting easier. I've been making her different vegi combos for dinner and she enjoys them for a few mins. but then gives up. So DH wanted me to get some caned stuff from the supermarket. So she had one of those and did really really well! Ate the whole portion I gave her (half a can) without too much trouble!

I read the ingredients and can't see any extra sugar, preservatives added etc...so is there a lot of difference between homemade food vs store bought cans?? What does everyone think about the two?

Thanks!!!

[tiffanny]

lol my DD is the opposite she loves homemade. I guess the difference between the two is taste. I tried one of DD's (I was out about town and she got super hungry after what I had given her earlier) I think it was a beef and vege and it was as bland as. My DD loves this combo pumpkin, carrot, potato, zucchini, squash, sweet potato, mushroom(only a litle bit), She loves a roast when we have them I put a bit aside with some gravy. Sorry- going off on my own lol

I guess the best part of doing homemade is you know exactly what and how much is in it. Saying that though DD luurrrrves the desserts and gels.

[lilima]

Yep - as Caro says there is a lot of water in canned stuff. Go out and get a good recipe book. Then make them up and freeze in cubes.
Here is a nice recipe to get you started. It comes from my baby recipe book and James loved it when he was little.

Chicken with Rice and Leeks.
3tbsp of rice
300 mls water
1/2 small chicken breast cubed.
1 small leek

Wash rice in a sieve.
place in saucepan with water
Boil and reduce heat.
Cover with lid and simmer for 5 mins
add chicken and leek and simmer for another 20 mins.
puree till smooth.
Freeze in cubes.

Hope that helps.

[MantaRay]

I went to a talk by a paediatric dietician and she said the cans/jars etc aren't too bad as a sometimes thing (like when you're out), but shouldn't be used as the main food source. I have always preferred giving my boys home made food. If your DD preferred the can, maybe try making your food more like the same consistency and see how you go. Or just keep trying different things. She doesn't really need food yet so I wouldn't be too worried about her not eating much.

[Taia's Mum]

Yep I have a good recipe book that I use and I make her food up in batches and freeze it. Maybe I should just keep trying different combinations till I find something that she will eat enough of!

She loves her tubs of yoghurt as well as fresh mango and banana mixed with baby rice which is a great start! Will work on combo's or maybe mix some canned stuff into the stuff I make and see if I can transition her that way!

[ShootingStar]

DS refused any of my homecooked foods until he was 1.. so he had canned. Every midwife, doctor and health person i have spoken too said they are just as nutricious as home cooked foods. The only draw back is the cost. There is nothing wrong with my DS, mentally & health wise.. he met all his milestones and is a regular little boy.

[Taia's Mum]

DS refused any of my homecooked foods until he was 1.. so he had canned.

Ok that makes me feel like a better mum! phew! I'm not the only one that this has happened too!

Going to try some homemade chick and veg tonight so fingers crossed!

[Beach Mama]

I've found that Izzy prefers them too! I alternate between bought stuff and homemade stuff. At the moment she eats 2 ince cubes max and sometimes not even that so I find I chuck a bit sometimes too. I've been using the sachet type ones too in the fridge section that have things like lentil and vegetables, and chickpea and pumpkin and are organic, all natural and dont have any yuck stuff in them.

Can anyone recommend a good baby/kids recipe book or website because as she starts eating more and more I would like to make more of it? Sorry to semi-hijack!

[Taia's Mum]

Tan - I was reading another thread about this today...and the Womens Weekly one was pretty popular

[Rouge]

Paris preferred the tins and Seth wouldn't dare touch them.

I honestly prefer to give my children food I would eat. And I don't know about you but I've tasted that stuff out of the tins and its foul.

I think with Paris I really didn't know what to make. But with Seth I experimented more and wish I had done that with Paris. I also think I had more confidence with Seth.

It really is quite easy to make it yourself and with a bit of herbs and some a variety of vegetables you can have fun with it Not just that but if the ice block thing doesn't seem to be your thing you can use the small take & toss containers and they worked a treat.

The motherly cubes I found to be fantastic and I tasted them and they did taste exactly like home made baby food. They were awesome. I continued to use them when I was make more thicker solids, on those days when food was too hot a potato/broccoli/carrort frozen cube would be all that was needed to cool down a meal to the perfect temperature.

No one is a bad parent for using the tinned stuff, but I have to say I did get more enjoyment out of knowing that the food being consumed was made by me

Funnily enough Seth is now a very fussy eater, he lives for my cooking, and turns his nose down at any processed foods, so it could be my curse LOL!

[Beach Mama]

Thanks Nat!
What is a motherly cube Cai? Did I miss something further back??

[Rouge]

If you google "Motherly Cubes" It should come up straight away. Its homemade baby food in cube trays ready for you to pop out and heat when needed Brilliant invention. I used to get annoyed though as not all the stores stocked them.

[Olive]

sophie prefers homemade!!

CARO hienz make a baby custard powder, in the same sections as the baby rice, just mix with milk and or fruit!! easy!!

[{sarah}]

I know they say no preservatives, but I wonder how they can last so long in a can without any preservatives IYKWIM.

Anyway, the two times I tried Zander on cans he threw them up!! A bit like Seth, he wouldn't have a bar of them.

[Lucy]

The texture seems to be the difference for my babies......the canned/jarred stuff is somehow shinier/stickier, whereas homemade is a different texture........all 3 of my kids turned their noses up at shop bought (apart from Motherly cubes!) adn I am sure it was the texture they has a problem with.........

[christy]

Yeah Jovie isn't keen on the canned stuff, but at first it was good. I still occasionally use the golden circle fruit puree on her weetbix in the morning. They aren't bad.... they don't have any preservatives in them. The one thing I've learned in my search of preservative free food & chemical free food is that the tinned food will also have all bits, so seeds & skins included in the puree and that sometimes there are chemicals on the skin etc....

BUT that is food in the purest form. We love having the occasional tin in the cupboard to get us through a busy day.

[Karina]

We use a little bit of both. I do cook most of Claires food myself and freeze it in cubes, but I also have a few cans for if I have had a really busy week and havent had the chance to make a new batch of food for her. I do find the texture to be different and Claire is fussy with her foods. She is having mush still and prefers it to be a certain consistency otherwise she will spit it out. I think there are certainly advantages for both types. I like that I know exactly what is in the food I make. They also taste so different as well. I once bought a chicken and sweet potato tinned food and i didnt like it at all, but when I mke the same thing myself, it tastes nicer. Claire LOVES the Only Organic Apple Custard! We have a Womens Weekly baby nd toddler cookbook nd I've tried a few things from there which Claire has enjoyed eating.

[Ozziehoffy]

Natty... Oskar didn't like the homemade veg as much at first either... but I think it's because it's not as smooth. He liked carrot on it's own cos it's very smooth.. now it's ok and he loves it.. I make potato, sweet potato, cauliflower, brocolli, beans in one batch.. then plain carrot in another and plain butternut pumpkin in another... so then he gets more of one veg rotated... so 1 cube of each plus 1 extra of one of them if that makes sense. Fruits I buy as I find that easier with the combinations (he does eat some fresh fruit as well - not pureed but in his mesh bag). He HATED a tin of chicken and noodles which was given to me but not that I blame him it was awful!! lol. Bottom line though, some people like blander things than others... babies are no different.

Ohhh there is a food in a pouch in the fridge section at the shops that is very good, he didn't mind that and actually tastes quite good. Can't think of the name right now.