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Baby Food: Store-Bought vs Homemade – which should you choose?
It is common for parents to worry about what and how to feed their children. When your little one comes close to reaching their exciting milestone – introducing baby foods, it’s time for us to make the decision – should we buy baby food from the store or make it ourselves? Here are a few pros and cons of both options to make the choice just a little easier for you.
Store-Bought Baby Food: Pros and Cons
Store-bought baby food, also referred to as commercialized baby food, is best known to parents for its convenience and a wide variety of flavors.
Pros of Store-Bought Baby Food:
- Convenience – store-bought baby food comes pre-packaged and ready to eat! There’s no need to fret about cooking, cleaning, or preparing ingredients.
- Portable – it comes in a stored jar that can fit perfectly in diaper bags and purses. The only thing you need is a spoon and mealtime is ready for your baby. Some baby foods even come in pouches now, so you might not even need a spoon.
Cons of Store-Bought Baby Food:
- Additives – additives may be used to preserve freshness and increase shelf life. Vitamins and minerals can be added too – though this isn’t something to avoid, some parents may prefer to control what additives and supplements their children are getting. However, sugar, corn syrup, and salt may be added for flavor, which is not necessary to give to your child at this time. Always check the nutrition label and ingredients list to find what is being added.
- Costs – it may be more expensive to purchase ready-to-eat baby food from the store compared to purchasing fresh produce to make baby food at home.
- Packaging – baby foods aren’t all in glass jars anymore. Newer baby foods are now seen in plastic pouches, which can be less environmentally friendly. Plastic packaging may also contain chemicals such as BPA or phthalates, which can cause potential health concerns. Check the packaging to see if it is labeled BPA or phthalate-free to be safe.
Homemade Baby Food: Pros and Cons
Some parents opt to make their own homemade baby food. Here are some tips when considering this option:
Pros of Homemade Baby Food
- Variety – buying or growing your own produce could result in a larger variety of homemade baby food that you might not be able to find on the baby food shelves!
- It can be simple to make – all you need to do is steam, mash, and blend. There’s no need for spices, complicated recipes, or garnishes.
- You have control of the exact ingredients – with homemade baby food, you get to be part of the whole process from start to finish! Knowing where the ingredients come from, how it is made, and what exactly goes inside.
To add more iron into your homemade baby food, try cooking with a cast iron pan or using the Lucky Iron Fish.
- It’s cheaper – buying fresh produce can potentially get you more baby food for a fraction of the cost. Purchasing fresh ingredients yourself could probably make more than 1 serving and cost less than buying individual store-bought baby food. Added bonus: just make baby food out of what you are already buying to make for dinner!
- Familiarity – making your own baby food can familiarize your baby with your family’s eating habits. You can prepare the same ingredients for dinner – just save the seasonings for the adults.
Cons of Homemade Baby Food
- It may be time-consuming – you’ll have to shop, chop, cook and clean which would take time out of your day, so unless you prepare ahead of time – it can be overwhelming.
- Storage can be tricky – making batches ahead of time would mean that you need storage space in the freezer and refrigerator that’s large enough to fit your hard work.
- Food safety – you have to keep in mind how you prepare it, store it, and when your child will eat and finish the food before it goes bad.
Tips For Making Your Own Homemade Baby Food
- Steam fruits and vegetables to soften them can retain most of their nutrients. Boiling works as well, however, the nutrients may leach out into the water.
- Keep it plain! Your baby does not need any additives like salt, sugar, honey, or other seasonings until they are older.
- Remember to wash your hands before and after preparing your baby’s food to prevent any unwanted bacteria from being passed to the food.
- Label and date all containers to ensure freshness and prevent confusion with earlier batches of food. Homemade baby food can be stored in the fridge for up to three days and up to three months in the freezer.
- For additional nutrients, consider adding some breast milk to thin out your puree!
Learn more about all the things you can do with breast milk in this post: What To Do With Leftover Breast Milk
Baby Food Stages
Here I list the stages of baby food by age. Keep in mind this is a general timeline of when you may expect your baby to progress. It is important to introduce foods and advance stages only when your baby is developmentally ready. For recommendations specific to your baby, consult your pediatrician or registered dietitian.
Stage 1: 4 to 6 months of age
Stage 1 is when you’re introducing single-ingredient foods such as pureed fruits or vegetables. You can still use breast milk to dilute the mash. Introducing new foods one at a time will help you see if your baby has a potential reaction or allergy to the new food.
Some examples include:
- Pureed Avocado
- Pureed Sweet Potatoes
- Pureed Chicken
- If you are buying commercial baby food, look at the label for Stage 1 Foods or 1st Foods
Stage 2: 7 to 8 months of age
Babies can be introduced to 2-ingredient baby food combinations that are strained or pureed.
Some examples include:
- Pureed Apples and Sweet Potatoes
- Pureed Peaches and Carrots
- Rice Congee with Mashed Broccoli
- Look for Stage 2 Foods or 2nd Foods
Stage 3: 9 to 12 months of age
Your baby is ready for 3-ingredient baby food combinations. At this stage, baby foods can have small chunks and more texture to encourage chewing. Start offering a rougher puree or adding barley or rice into some broth!
Some examples include:
- Oatmeal with banana, strawberry, and breastmilk or formula
- Rice and chopped zucchini in chicken broth
- Steamed fish with rice and chopped green beans
- Look for Stage 3 Foods or 3rd Foods
Stage 4: After 12 months of age
You might start to feed your baby the food that the rest of the family is eating!
Some examples include:
- Shredded chicken with corn and beans
- Fork mashed salmon and soft-cooked cauliflower
- Ground beef and tomatoes in pasta noodles
- Baked cubed tofu with chopped broccoli and carrots
At the end of the day, it is your choice of how you want to feed your baby. If you have the time, making homemade baby food does have its benefits. But if you can’t do homemade, store-bought baby food is always here for you and it can be just as healthy. You can also try saving homemade baby food for home and take store-bought baby food when you go out. Happy eating!
Great post! Store bought is so convenient so this is a nice reminder that putting in the effort to make at home can be easy and beneficial!
Hi Yesenia, great to hear this was a nice reminder! Homemade baby food is indeed worth a try to make and to experiment with whether it works with the family’s schedule!