Unimpressed with Heinz

[mummy of many]

Giving your child a tin of custard from time to time is not going to create an obese child,it`s not like your going to be force feeding them uh! Next time you reach for a glass of wine,or that yummy piece of chocolate,you might have to think twice before you eat it, oooh.....,you might just end up OBESE!!!! like with kids and adult all in moderation........ just my opinion.

[totalbabe77]

We have got a large scale advertising campaign coming up regarding 'best practice' infant nutrition..this will be released later in the year, but will explain the importance of starting single ingredient 1st foods, from 6 mths and that bubs don't actually need juice, dessert etc..that they are not 'everyday foods'..we hope that by taking the best for bubs approach we will be trusted by parents..although i fully expect we won't profit like perhaps we could.but being a mum i couldn't live with myself if we were profiting to bubs detriment..glad to hear from so many informed mums BTW

[Willow]

I do understand what you are saying and agree to a certain extent, but I really do think the ultimate responsibility lies with the parent - I just can't accept that people aren't informed enough (or choose not to inform themselves) about what's best for their babies??

Having said that - I think my DD ate one of those caramel custards once - shock horror!! Her grandmother had brought it for her for a treat, she was a lot older than 6 months (probably around one) and as a once off, I really didn't have a problem with it.

I make all of my own baby food, save for some items for convenience (single vegies or fruit mainly). I don't see a massive problem with a baby (albeit an older baby) eating custard every now and then.

As Mum of Many said, it's about balance and moderation. My kids eat the very best I can give them probably 98% of the time - I can live with the other 2%.

[totalbabe77]

i agree..but the message needs to be that they aren't everyday items..you really would be surprised at the number of un-iformed/misinformed parents!At the pbc expo we were blown away by the number of parents who really didn't know what they should be feeding bubs..obviously not the girls on belly belly!!but there really is a need for more info from what i've seen..

[visitor1]

I must be a norty mummy...i fed the caramel and choc custard to DD1 when i first discovered them around 8 months old. Was a once a week kinda thing and she enjoyed it, and it beat having a kid that refused all food...so i at least knew she had, had something....even if its not 'so good' for kids!

[Becci]

Like they say, everything in moderation.

A healthy diet is at least 80% good foods and then 20% not so good foods, so they say. Well that's for healthy adults anyway.

Gawd people think custards are bad, what about those so called healthy fruit bars? They are 75% sugar!!! And they market them to babies and kids!!

[MantaRay]

I can't believe I have missed this thread, this is a pet hate of mine.

I do agree that it is ultimately a parent's responsibility, but the truth is that many parents do not know what is and isn't good for their children. I would go so far as to say that most parents would not be aware of the sugar and salt content of most of what their child is eating. Most of us know that sugar and salt is bad, but are being misled by money hungry multi-nationals who have no qualms about profiting from dodgy practices.

The thing that irritates me the most, is the fact that products marketed for babies and kids are often totally unsuitable for that age group. The baby yoghurts are almost all high in sugar. The processed kids cheeses, such as cheese sticks etc are really high in salt - can be 3 times the salt in normal tasty cheese - which by the way kids can eat, they don't need kid versions, same as yoghurt. The list goes on. And don't get me started on baby juices. Babies and toddlers should not be drinking juice. But who would know that - if there is a baby juice on the shelves then it must be ok right? Same as yoghurt - there is baby yoghurt on the shelves so I must have to start my baby on that right? NO, NO NO.

And then there is advertising. Take breakfast cereal for example. How many ads do you see for breakfast cereals that talk about energy and brain food and wholegrains. Wow, how great, I should give that to my child. Again NO, NO, NO. It's fine in theory - but then you look at the package label and see the sugar and salt content. Not so healthy after all. And also things like kids snacks and fruit roll ups etc - how can things that are so bad for kids be allowed to be marketed as healthy?

I will get off my soap box now, I could go on for ages. But I do urge all of you to check the food labels before you buy anything. You will be surprised how much sugar and salt is in things - even things like bread etc that are considered a healthy option.

[Lewis's Mummy]

While I agree about the custard thing, please remember there could be reasons besides ignorance for people to choose supermarket baby food.

I would love to make food for DS when solids starts in the coming weeks - I figure just putting aside some of the veges we cook for our own dinner and mashing them up will be as good as anything. My problem is that I can't physically chop up fruit or veges for myself at the moment let alone mash them - bad tendonitis in both wrists which gets better for a few days with rest and then worse again when I try to do something new or when DS is unsettled and has to be carried more.

SO like it or not, I will have to make use of some store bought baby food. Please, those of you who've been there and done the solids thing before, which brands and products can you recommend? I agree the choc or caramel custard thing is not for my 6 month old, ( I wouldn't eat an adult version myself...) but surely some brands have a 100% fruit or vege thing don't they?

I can't afford to feel guilty about giving him store bought foods and I mean that literally - the physio bill for my wrists is $46 a visit and as I've had the problem since DS was a month old, private cover won't pay anymore! So any advice without any judgements would be much appreciated.

[christy]

Lewis' Mummy - I don't think anyone would judge you for that I know I have been unwell recently & have had to buy some baby food products. BUT there is a difference on being informed & buying food that is right for your child, and buying products just because they say they are okay for your child. Does that make sense?

[Indadhanu]

I think its very much shared responsibility with the companies and the parents... I mean, yes some baby food companies are shirking responsibility to parents by advertising chocolate as ok for bubs 6 months... but then again, certain sugary breakfast cereals are advertised as healthy and most mums know thats a whole lot of baloney! So parents need to be aware too I think... Just because they say it good and nutritious doesn't necessarily mean it is, all companies want you to think that theirs is the best. They're not going to go out of their way to tell you that 6 month old babies don't need chocolate, and not many mums i know would give their kids a chocolate bar at 6 months so putting two and two together it baffles me why some mums see it as ok just because its put in a baby food jar.

But I guess the story is the same with baby food labelled ok from 4 months, 'kids' fruit juices/cheese/yogurt/milk... Yes the companies need to take some responsibility in their advertising but parents need to take some responsibility in looking at what they are feeding their kids and not just go along with advertising...

That said I don't have a massive problem with custard when bubs are a bit further along, my bro absolutely loved caramel custard with some banana from about 8 months... but its also up to parents to realise that it IS sugary custard, so probably not an everyday thing.

Not judging anyone at all. I plan to make my own food because I want to know what my child is eating, not all that preservatives and stuff. But really, I mean, the odd jar of baby food isn't going to hurt really is it? It's like buying take-away every now and then because you just can't be fudged cooking... as long as you are feeding them wholesome food most of the time and continue to teach them about good eating habits then the odd jar of custard isn't going to turn them into obese adults...

[Willow]

but the truth is that many parents do not know what is and isn't good for their children

But that's my point MR - WHY don't they know?? Just like foods for adults, how can they not know that fresh is best, home cooked is best and to check the contents of processed supermarket foods? There are even ads on TV these days telling people how many serves of fruit and vegies they should be eating! Then there's GPs, MCHN etc who do baby health checks and they've always spoken to me about first foods for babies etc etc. I'm just an average mum and I know, so why don't they?

Don't get me wrong, just like DH and I, a part of my kids' diets are processed foods - but particularly when they are so little, I do read labels and check what's in them. I just don't see why that is so hard

But I 100% agree with the 4 month labelling, that should have changed a long time ago.

[MantaRay]

LM, you could try the ones that are in the refrigerated section - I think they are called Mother cubes or something like that. I have heard that they are fresh vegies without preservatives. I think also Rafferty's Garden are the same. In terms of jars, I would check all labels for salt and sugar content. Pick the ones with the lowest amount of both!!

Willow, I do wonder the same thing. I can only think that there are a lot of people who don't see MCHNs or the MCHNs aren't giving out info. Or if they are, it's not being understood. My friend is a dietician who worked with a program where they helped parents learn to shop for kids' food and make healthy lunches. It was amazing the difference it made. These mums really did not know what food was healthy, how to shop (read labels etc), etc. And once they were shown, they were really grateful and implemented the changes. So I definitely think there are people in our communities who have somehow missed out on this basic info. And if all they have to go on is misleading advertising and labelling, then they are sadly not going to be making the right choices.

[Bathsheba]

Great discussion! I agree Haydies: caramel and chocolate are not appropriate for a 6 month old.

Single finger typing (BFing) will add more when I can...

[Willow]

MR - that sounds like a great program. Don't get me wrong, my children's diets aren't perfect and I'm sure I could use a few pointers from a dietician myself! But I think on a basic level, I'm getting it pretty right (I hope )

[MantaRay]

Don't get me wrong, my children's diets aren't perfect and I'm sure I could use a few pointers from a dietician myself! But I think on a basic level, I'm getting it pretty right.

LOL Willow, I think that describes most of us!! I am sure none of are getting it 100% right! Even if there is such a thing as 100% right!!

[Willow]

I agree - I'm struggling with DD the last few days, it's pouring here in Sydney so we're stuck inside and all she wants to do is eat!! LOL.

[totalbabe77]

if you do want/need to use store bought baby food, frozen is definitely best for bub(retains max. nutrients + better flavour/texture), there are a few brands: motherly(pretty much only available in QLD now), organic bubs(pretty expensive) and bub grub(only available online for home delivery)..next best behind this is the refrigerated baby foods: baby boost(in supermarkets), little tummy tucker(only available online for home delivery)..these are pretty much the best bets, according to dietitians..the reason frozen is better than fridge is that over time the fridge varieties nutrients degrade(just as fresh vege/fruit does), whereas frozen the nutrients are 'locked in'. Any of the shelf stable jars/tins/pouches are much lower in nutrients than these other kinds(and home cooked)as they basically undergo the same UHT process as UHT milk, which destroys nutrients. I think this is the major things parents aren't really educated about..so even with things like custard, yogurt etc it is best to make at home(custard) or buy fridge yogurt(not shelf stable baby food yogurt).
Also, it is illegal for any baby food in Aust. to contain artificial preservatives(although they can have natural ones) so you can rest assured that they aren't in there, but just wanted to let you know that just because the original ingredients are natural, doesn't mean the end result is nutritious!
Lastly, i have a friend who is a dietitian who would be happy to answer any questions anyone might have. PM me if you want her details.

Sorry for such a long post, but this is a topic that's close to my heart and i've done lots of research, so just wanted to let you know.

Thanks