Are you wondering if it is reasonable to give your baby food jars? There are good reasons to choose this option. These good reasons lie in particular in the balance of nutrients, and the quality of the food that the small prepared meals bring to your child.
Here are 5 things you might not know about childhood foods for baby.
Infant formulas are the only alternatives to breast milk for babies
Breastfeeding is recommended for all babies. Indeed, breast milk is recognized as being the most adapted to the needs of infants. It covers all the nutritional needs of the child, and adapts perfectly to his growth. However, there may be times when breastfeeding is not possible. Whether by personal choice or by necessity, it is then possible to give infant formula adapted to your baby. Before switching to infant milk, ask your doctor or pediatrician for advice on which milk to buy, how much to give it, and how to prepare it. Before one year of age, infant formulas are the only alternatives to breast milk that meet the nutritional needs of infants. Until the food diversification, you must use a milk 1st age which provides all the nutrients necessary for infants. Then, you can opt for a 2nd age milk between 4 and 6 months at the same time as the start of food diversification.
In any case, the classic animal milks that we use daily, we adults, are not recommended for children under 1 year old. These milks are not suitable for babies, and can cause significant nutritional imbalances. The same goes for vegetable “milks”. These plant-based juices do not contain all of the nutrients necessary for the growth and development of babies. Even in the event of allergies, or intolerance, to infant milks, plant milks should not be used to feed babies.
The ingredients of the dishes prepared for babies are selected especially for them
The foods used in the preparation of prepared meals for babies are selected, not only for their nutritional qualities, but also for their safety for the health of babies. Not all farmers are entitled to supply ingredients for the manufacture of baby food. Those selected meet very strict specifications aimed, among other things, at ensuring the absence of pesticide residues in food *. Each ingredient is chosen for its nutritional and taste qualities, in order to give babies a pleasant culinary experience. The combination of ingredients is also thought to awaken the taste buds of the little ones, and to make them work the sense of taste.
* Baby food cannot contain more than 0.01 mg of pesticide residue per kilogram. This is an extremely low level compared to the maximum limits applicable to foodstuffs intended for the general population.
Baby Food Undergoes Tightened Food Safety Controls
In terms of food security, baby food jars are checked more than 150 times during the manufacturing process. Raw materials, manufacturing as well as packaging and finished product are checked by various tests. Pesticide residue limits are 500 times stricter for feeding babies than for adults. Moreover, some pesticides are totally prohibited for growing food for children under 3 years old. Nitrates, on the other hand, have levels 10 times lower than traditional foods. Even the finished product is sifted through. Each baby potty is scanned to ensure that no foreign object is inside, despite the precautions taken during manufacturing. When you choose a prepared baby food, you can be sure that you are choosing a healthy product that will not put your child at risk.
Prepared meals for babies meet their nutritional needs
The recipes are developed according to recommendations that ensure a balanced diet for our children. The ingredients that make up baby dishes are chosen according to the age of the babies, in order to ensure an adapted texture, and an adapted nutritional contribution during dietary diversification, and to guarantee a perfect nutritional contribution for each child. The composition of childhood foods is adapted to the nutritional needs of young children in order to provide them, from the start of their diversification until they are 3 years old, the right amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins, by limiting the intake of sugars and salt. Baby recipes do not tolerate any coloring, preservatives or sweeteners.
Baby dishes are also composed of fat in the proportions essential for the good growth of the child in order to provide children with the essential fatty acids necessary for their growth. Some parents are reluctant to give babies ready meals. However, they are studied to provide them with a balanced diet.
They have a texture suitable for the age of babies
At each age, babies tolerate foods of certain consistencies more or less well. If at the beginning the smooth purees adapt perfectly to the baby’s chewing capacities, it is essential to gradually introduce new textures. From 8 months, the toddler will be able to eat small melting pieces then, around 10 months, he will have the opportunity to test the food with chewable pieces, to chew with the teeth. Foods can be coarsely ground or contain small, tender pieces, depending on your child’s age. Small jars have the advantage of having a texture adapted to each stage of a baby’s life, and to their ability to chew and eat pieces, even if they do not yet have teeth.
In other words, do not feel guilty about giving baby jars, they are perfectly adapted to his growth and develop his sense of taste.
– Article produced in partnership with the French Childhood Food Sector –
Responsible for parenting for the aufeminin site, Nathalie is at your side to inform you about the essentials of parents’ life but also and above all to advise you, …