Baby food pouch with spoon

Spoon VS Pouch Feeding, Which is Better for Baby?

Within the world of solids comes multiple nuances that you may have not thought of. BEABA decided to ask Nicole Silber, RD, CSP, CLC for her take on one of those nuances! See below for her thoughts and advice on, Spoon VS Pouch Feeding, Which is better for Baby?

At the end of the day, feeding babies quality, nutritious food is what matters. But, within the world of feeding your little ones, there can be a lot of nuances. And as you start to feed your babies’ solids, I want to share some pros and cons to feeding babies purees directly from pouches versus feeding purees with spoons. A decision you may not even think about, or even realized was a decision to make.

Spoon VS Pouch Feeding

Baby food pouches have become very popular, and are generally the more available option, compared to jars, in the baby food aisles. Parents love them because they are lighter, less breakable, and more transportable than glass jars. And, a huge win for many parents is that pouches can eliminate the need for spoons. Which means, one less utensil to use and wash, and more independent, faster eating. Because of the fine motor skills and coordination needed for spoon-feeding, most babies take longer to figure out how to feed themselves with spoons than to squeeze and suck purees from pouches. And, because eating directly from a pouch is easier for a baby to do, it is usually less messy. Though, don’t get me wrong – it will still be messy because the mess is unavoidable in any situation with babies and food.

Reading the above from a mom or dad lens, you’re probably thinking why would anyone choose the spoon. But, as a Registered Dietitian specializing in pediatric nutrition, I see feeding straight from pouches a bit differently. I am a big proponent of feeding experiences that promote sensory exercises for the baby. Eating can be an all-encompassing sensory experience – babies want to see, touch, smell, taste, and even hear their food. These interactions with food are important for raising adventurous, confident eaters that are ready to explore and accept new foods. When babies suck and eat directly from a pouch, they may miss seeing, touching, and smelling their food, which leaves less interaction between babies and the foods. This can create more passive feeding experiences rather than fully immersed ones. From an oral-motor development perspective, sucking purees from pouches is a very different exercise than learning to use tongues to manipulate purees off of spoons and getting it to the back of their mouths to swallow. In that way, sucking purees from a pouch is a similar skill used in sucking from a bottle. And, when babies eat food, we want them to practice new oral motor skills.

The final element that I think about is the time and pacing of meals. Pouches speed up meals and allow babies to more easily eat on the go. But, when possible, I opt for meals to actually take the time and focus babies need to be active, engaged eaters. When babies are sucking from a pouch while strolling in their strollers, they are more likely to pay attention to the cars and dogs that go by than the food they are eating. Most babies can suck up those pouches in a matter of minutes! This means, in many cases, babies will eat more than they need to. Whereas, when babies are eating with spoons, their pace is slower, which is a good thing – it can help babies learn about their hunger and fullness cues.

So, what does this all mean for you? Pouches make for great baby food storage, both for store-bought and homemade purees. So, when purees come in pouches, I recommend pouring the purees into bowls and allowing babies to eat with spoons. But, I’ve also learned from my profession and being a mom of 2, that every baby and family is different, and flexibility is key. Survival mode kicks in, and you have to do what is easiest. But, when you can, I recommend that babies eat slowly, in their designated eating places, and that they interact with their food using all of their senses in order to foster positive experiences between them and food. And, sorry for saying this, but embrace the mess.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article, Spoon VS Pouch Feeding, Which is Better for Baby? See more about the author below!

Nicole Silber, RD, CSP, CLC. –

See more of Nicole’s work on her site at Tiny Tasters

Follow Nicole on Instagram at @nsilbereats

Nicole is an NYC based Registered Dietitian, Certified Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition, Lactation Counselor, and Mom of 2.

She is the creator of Tiny Tasters: Baby’s First Bites, an on-demand, video-based class teaching parents everything they need to know how to feed babies (4-12 months) in a safe, fun, nutritious, flavorful and baby-guided way. She is the nutritionist with FoodieKid, and she also works individually with families managing picky eating, food allergies, prematurity, feeding struggles, chronic medication conditions, and GI issues. Her background is in clinical pediatric nutrition where she spent 5 years in New York pediatric hospitals and outpatient settings.

Munchkin Food Pouch Spoon Tips, 4+ Months (2 each) Delivery or Pickup Near Me

Munchkin Food Pouch Spoon Tips, 4+ Months (2 each) Delivery or Pickup Near Me - Instacart

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Pouch feeding without the mess. Click Lock: 100% guarantee. Leak-proof. Turn spoon to lock and seal. Caps keep spoons clean when on-the-go. BPA free. A spoon designed uniquely for mess-free pouch feeding - because feeding with a simple squeeze makes mealtime a breeze. It's the little things. Stuff You Should Know: Works with most leading pouch brands; spoon tips lock closed to avoid spills on-the-go; caps keep spoons clean while traveling. It's the little things. www.munchkin.com. Made in China.

Directions

To Use: Unscrew lid on pouch. Screw spoon tip directly onto pouch. Set spoon tip to open. Squeeze food out. Set spoon tip to close for storage.

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Caution: Wash and inspect before use. Do not microwave, boil or steam sterilize. Discard and replace at first sign of weakness or damage. Always check temperature before feeding. Not intended to be held by a child. Do not leave child unattended. Discard all packaging components before use. Do not leave spoon attached for extended periods due to possible pouch pressure build-up. Do not leave spoon in the freezer or exposed to direct sunlight.

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To Use: Unscrew lid on pouch. Screw spoon tip directly onto pouch. Set spoon tip to open. Squeeze food out. Set spoon tip to close for storage.

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Happy baby 15051 Baby food storage bags

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FOOD POUCH reusable baby food storage bags with lids and a spoon will help out on the road, on a walk or on a trip. They keep food fresh, are completely safe for the baby and are suitable for feeding the baby outside the home right from the bag. Screw the spoon onto the bag - no additional utensils are required. Packages are easily sealed, and a reliable zipper will not open during storage or transportation. Suitable for freezing and perfectly washed in the dishwasher.

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Polyethylene terephthalate, LDPE/HDPE, polypropylene.

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Our advantages

Delivery on the day of order

Delivery works 7 days a week in the Crimea from 10:00-20:00

Wide assortment

We offer the most complete range of products for expectant mothers, newborns and children up to 5 years of age.

Quality Assurance

All items in my Lvenok stores carry a manufacturer's warranty.

Promotions and discounts

Be the first to know about promotions, discounts and special offers from moy Lvenok store.

Convenient self-delivery

You can pick up the order yourself in one of the stores in Simferopol.

Own warehouse

All goods are placed in moy Lvenok's warehouse equipped for storing children's goods.

Payment methods

You can pay for the purchase in any way: cash to the courier, bank card to the courier, card according to the details.

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pediatrician, Ph.D.

From the soft pack, the puree only needs to be squeezed into the child's mouth. Later, sucking the puree out of the bag, he will learn himself. Pouch is convenient on the road, on walks and at home. Keeps well without refrigeration. The child loves them very much and asks for more. Lure without a spoon, a dirty table and bibs. At first glance, a real find for busy parents.

Not surprisingly, already in 2019, the New York Times wrote: “In the US, spiders account for 25% of all baby food sales.” Shelves with mashed potatoes in plastic can also be found in Russia. The choice of names and tastes is growing every year.

But are spiders as useful as they are convenient? What do pediatricians, nutritionists, and nutritionists say about spiders?

Experts agree that puree in soft packs does more harm than good. And in fact, there is practically no benefit. And that's why.

Firstly, the habit of eating from soft plastic packaging, sucking out the puree, interferes with the correct eating behavior of the child. For development, it is very important that the baby sees food, learns to handle a spoon, and can bite and chew pieces. So that he can study the product with his hands, lips, tongue. And at the same time there would be an opportunity to experiment with your food.

The introduction of complementary foods serves the child not only as a source of additional nutrition. This is also a transitional time from dairy nutrition to a common table. Gradually, the child learns complex fine motor skills. Studies have shown that children on spiders later master the bite of food.

Photo: Getty Images

It is very important that the baby is in contact with the parent, and the food itself takes place in a relaxed atmosphere, at the dinner table. Eating for a baby is not only swallowing food from a package. This is an intensive communication with parents. Cognition of speech, signals, observation. The whole event for the baby. This is how his future eating behavior and addictions are formed.

Sucking a semi-liquid mass out of the package disrupts the development of normal eating and motor skills if the baby eats this way all the time. Moreover, it will be more difficult for a child to get used to normal multi-component and unsweetened food when a lighter and faster alternative is already well known - pouch.

Secondly, even if the package says “no added sugar”, they still contain sugar. Fruit or vegetable puree may be sugar-free, but when vegetables or fruits are processed, pureed, and then heavily concentrated, the percentage of carbohydrates can be much higher than their content in whole fruit. For example, a fresh peach contains 9.5g of carbohydrates per 100g, and peach puree labeled "sugar free" - 15.1g / 100g of product. One and a half times more!

For the same reason, European and American associations of pediatricians have excluded fruit juices from the diet of children under 1 year of age. Russian pediatricians recommend juices after 8 months. Not only because they contain more sugar, but also because juices are devoid of fiber that is useful for the baby.

Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto

In addition, pouch puree is almost always based on some sweet fruit, not low-carb vegetables, even if they are large on the packaging. It is also not uncommon for children to receive a pouch even if they are not hungry. It happens that parents try to soothe their crying baby in this way and thereby overfeed him.

Excess carbohydrates threaten not only caries, but also a more serious problem - obesity. It is childhood obesity that is becoming one of the most difficult tasks in pediatric medicine.