Grossest baby food
10 Popular Baby Food Flavors, Ranked Yummiest To Grossest By A Mom
When a not-so-little-anymore little one reaches the exciting phase of starting solids, parents are usually a bit more excited about this new phase than their little ones. But trying new things can be an exciting experience for everyone involved.
RELATED: 10 Healthy Snacks Your Picky Toddler Will Love
And with all the first food options it can be a little tough to pick just one flavor for a baby's first solid. But, since moms know their little ones and the look on a baby's face at the first taste of his or her first solid food is kind of priceless, take a look at this list of yummiest to grossest solid foods for a little food-spiration.
10 Bananas
Call mom crazy, but bananas seem to be the yummiest choice for baby's first solid food. They are sweet and soft enough for toothless mouths, pretty bright in color and they smell nice. What's not to love? With so many choices of baby food on the market it may be hard to choose just one but judging by the faces babies make, bananas is one of the safest options he or she is sure to love.
9 The Orange Root
If mom is feeling more veggie-friendly for baby's first solid, think carrots. They are high in beta carotene which is great for helping your little one develop great eyesight, not to mention that they are sweet tasting yet really healthy. If jarred goods aren't really mom's thing, try steaming the real deal for a while until they're soft. For an extra kick, they can even be mixed with baby's milk of choice.
8 The Saucy Apple
Apple sauce is such a fun "big boy or girl" choice for baby's first solids. Also, the added spices in apple sauce, like cinnamon, are great to expose your little one to at an early age, not to mention cinnamon's natural antibacterial properties which are great for fighting off yucky illnesses young babies are prone to getting before their immune systems are fully developed.
7 Super Food Avocado
When it comes to a baby's first, avocado, depending on the season and availability should be one of the first.
The creamy texture and numerous health benefits is bound to make the famous super-food, avocado a crowd-pleaser. Some moms have found that on occasion babies don't care for the taste, while other babies grin and eat it up, which is why it's ranked in the middle of our list. So give it a try, and let your little one decide.
6 The Sweet Potato
For an iron-rich, fiber-intense, baby food, check out the sweet potato. Most babies really like the earthy nature of the sweet potato and of course the sweetness which is not too overpowering.
RELATED: 10 Easy Snack Ideas For New Moms
Most stores carry sweet potato as a baby food option, but if you're feeling adventurous steam the potato and mash it up for baby to try. This is lower on our list so mom makes no guarantees that he or she will love it, but of all the baby food flavors available this is by far one of the better choices.
5 Boom! Splat! Squash!
For the coolest onomatopoeia that also doubles as a vegetable, try squash for baby's first solid.
Enjoy making a squashing sound while he or she is eating. There are at least 8 types of common squash mom can find around town, most commonly during Autumn, it's hard to go wrong with this as a baby food. Consider erring on the sweeter side for firsts, however. Think: butternut squash or pumpkin to start. Again this isn't all baby's cup of tea so you never know.
4 Rice Cereal
Mom isn't sure if it's the texture or just her tots that enjoy frowning up his and her faces at the sight of rice cereal, but this one is definitely ranked grosser on the list of common baby foods.
RELATED: 10 Easy Breakfast Ideas For New Moms
To be fair, there are many different kinds of cereal on the market, which is not to say that your little one will dislike all of the types of rice cereal available, but from mom's perspective the consistency needs to be just right and tricks, like adding milk instead of water or mixing off the heat, can really make all the difference.
3 The Pea Sized Vegetable
Peas! Okay if we're being honest it can be difficult to find any child, from baby to pre-adolescent that gets excited about eating their peas.
Unfortunately for moms who are looking for a first baby food, that same sentiment applies. Many babies just do not care for peas. Perhaps it's the pea skin that slips off when mashed, or maybe it's just the way they taste, but many babies spit out their servings of peas.
2 Spinach
If it was good enough for Popeye why not good enough for the baby? Well, for the jarred baby food spinach in the grocery store, sometimes there is a strange smell, one can't be entirely sure if this is the reason little ones shy away from the leafy green, but it's certainly off-putting to mom.
RELATED: 10 Meals To Batch Cook For The Fourth Trimester
For the real deal, i.e. the non jarred stuff, it's almost impossible to get the strands ground up into a creamy texture, suitable for a first baby food. Some add cream to make this a non-factor. Either way, most babies frown up and do a hard pass on the stuff.
1 Beans
Yuck! Okay maybe not yuck entirely, but, many moms have found that their little ones do not like beans at all for a first form of solid food.
Sure, they can be mashed and made baby edible, but beans are far from being baby's first choice of food. Although there may be hundreds of varieties of beans very few are on the sweeter side, which generally is baby's preference since they are somewhat born with a sweet palate. Happy first solids!
NEXT: 10 Things To Know About Babies & Food Allergies
The 10 Worst Baby Food Flavors
by admin
The article below will list the 10 worst baby food flavors. Their taste and nutritional value rank them.
Some of them may seem like common sense not to eat, but some parents have been known to give their children these foods for either lack of knowledge or creativity in cooking.
Table of Contents
The 10 Worst Baby Food Flavors
Banana
Bananas are a popular fruit.
They are also one of the most common baby food flavors, but they can be challenging for babies to handle because of their texture and consistency.
This blog post will explore why bananas should not be served as a primary source of nutrition for infants and toddlers. There is also an alternative fruit with similar nutritional properties that may be better suited for children in this age group.
Beet
Many babies have tried and enjoyed beets as baby food. Beet has been one of the most popular baby foods out there!
This is because it can be mixed with other flavours to make it more appealing, like grapes or bananas. Some people might also add some sweet potatoes or carrots to their beet puree, which may help your child transition from purees to solid foods.
Carrot
Carrot is one of the worst flavours for babies and toddlers. This blog post outlines why carrot is such a sour flavor, how to get them to eat it, and what other foods are good options.
Carrots are often considered an unpleasant texture in many children’s diets because they’re hard to chew and have no taste besides the sweetness.
It also has been found that carrots can sometimes cause stomach aches when not adequately prepared or cooked.
There are ways to help your child enjoy this healthy vegetable, though! Read on for more information about carrots and their benefits, as well as other vegetables that may work better with your child’s palette!
Spinach
The new study found that more than one-third of the babies surveyed in North America was introduced to spinach before they turned six months old.
The research published in Pediatrics showed that this vegetable was considered a baby’s least favourite flavour by many respondents.
While parents may want to introduce their children to healthy foods as early as possible, they need to know that not all vegetables are developed equally. Some flavours are less tolerable at an earlier age.
Parents should be aware of what tastes their child prefers to make sure any future food selections match those preferences. It is advised for parents not to give up on introducing spinach if their child does not like it the first time because some children will eventually get used to it.
Mango
Mangos are great for more than just a summertime snack. They’re also an excellent source of fibre, vitamin C and A, and potassium. However, many parents worry that their baby might not like the taste.
This article explores why mangoes make for such a terrible flavor profile in baby food as well as how to get your little one to try them anyway!
Mango is delicious when it’s ripe and sweet – so imagine what it tastes like when you have to eat it plain or mixed with other flavours that aren’t very good! Here are some reasons why mangos don’t work well in baby food:
they may be spicy, too sour or bitter-tasting, too complex (unripe), or slimy (over
Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are a favourite of many, but they may be the worst baby food flavour for some babies. A study has shown that infants fed sweet potatoes as their first solid food preferred other vegetables such as carrots and peas to the taste of sweet potatoes.
This is likely because these vegetables have certain qualities that make them more appealing to children than others.
Parents can try adding cinnamon or applesauce to help give it a sweeter taste with less sugar content to combat this issue. These additions might also help alleviate the dreaded constipation side effect often associated with too much fibre in diet plans for toddlers and young children.
Pumpkin Puree
Pumpkin puree is an excellent food for babies and can be used as the base of many other foods. I will show you how to make pumpkin puree using an easy recipe that is also organic!
Pumpkin puree tastes like sweet potatoes, but it is easier for children to digest because of its soft texture.
It’s organic, so you don’t have to worry about harmful chemicals or pesticides being absorbed into your baby’s system. This will give them a healthy start in life!
Apple Sauce
The first food a baby should try is apple sauce. It is an excellent source of fibre, vitamin C, and potassium. Make sure to check with your doctor before introducing any new foods into your child’s diet.
You may like: Does Baby Food Have Preservatives: Which Brands Are Best?
Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is one of the most popular vegetables in the United States. It’s versatile, delicious, and nutritious. The great thing about butternut squash is that it tastes good no matter what you do with it!
From baked to spaghetti sauce, butternut squash can be added to any meal without a problem. Cooking it into baby food would be an excellent idea because babies love its sweet flavour and nutrient-rich benefits.
Apricot
Apricots are a great source of vitamin C and iron, but some babies might not be fans. If not, it’s time to find out what flavour is best for them!
Apricots are one of the worst flavours in terms of being liked by infants, according to BabyCenter.com. Luckily there are plenty of other fruit options that will make any young child want more!
Conclusion
it’s essential to know the flavours that are out there and what they taste like.
The 10 worst baby food flavors can help you understand how many options your little one has when trying new foods for the first time.
Hopefully, this list will give you some ideas of which flavor combinations to avoid if possible or at least try before making a final decision on whether or not these tastes are suitable for your child.
If you’re looking for more information about feeding your children healthy snacks, visit our blog today!
Baby food is harmful! On the dangers of certain types of baby food
At the bottom of the article are horrifying examples. And there were important clarifications in the comments. 12/05/2018.
1. Truths and lies about infant formula
Manufacturers advertise formula and complementary foods that their products have passed the highest quality standards. But is it always like this?
We are assured that such and such mixtures practically do not differ from breast milk, and some even go so far as to start talking about the impact of bad ecology on breast milk.
They say that the cows from whose milk mixtures are made breathe environmentally friendly air, unlike the inhabitants of the metropolis, so isn’t it better to pay money for the mixture than to feed yourself ...
But how much truth is there in all these arguments of financially interested manufacturers that commercially produced food for children undergoes such quality control that it turns out to be purer ... mother's milk?!
The theme of World Breastfeeding Week 1997 was "Breastfeeding the natural way". Here is the information (translated into Russian) circulated there about this difference between breast milk and formula:
“Baby food is a commercially produced food that undergoes multiple processing in the process of modifying and supplementing cow's milk and turning it into an enriched powder. Not surprisingly, the danger of infection with harmful bacteria, radioactive and chemical substances, foreign bodies and insects has been proven. In addition, water, when mixed with powder, creates an additional risk of infection compared to breastfeeding.
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Breast milk is a living substance. Each woman's milk is individually produced for her own baby. What's more, her milk is constantly changing - both during one feeding and from day to day - to meet the needs of the child in development. When the mother is exposed to pathogens, she produces antibodies to fight them. Maternal antibodies come to the baby with her breast milk.
2. Horrifying examples:
1997 - United Kingdom: Milumil withdrawn from sale due to salmonella contamination. nine0003
1997 - USA: Nestlé formula was recalled by the Federal Drug and Food Administration due to adulteration and production under unsanitary conditions. Its use caused gastrointestinal disorders.
See even more valuable stuff in my Telegram! (completely new channel).
1996 - USA: Heinz baby apple and prune juice was recalled because it contained lead in excess of the legal limit.
1994 - SRI LANKA: Customs returned a large shipment of Nestle dry mix imported from Poland due to radioactive contamination! nine0003
1993 - USA: Nutramigen formula recalled after it was found to contain broken glass.
1993 - USA: Soyalac formula recalled due to salmonella contamination.
1992 - India: Live black insects and worms have been found in packages of the Lactogen mixture.
Industrial pollution means that toxic substances, including dioxins and biphenyls, are found in our food, in our bodies and in our environment. Due to their wide distribution, they are also found, along with other contaminants, in some samples of cow's milk and breast milk. nine0003
However, the benefits of breast milk far outweigh any possible risks, and recommends breastfeeding as the preferred alternative to any alternative.”
See even more valuable stuff in my Telegram! (completely new channel).
One might assume that 10 years have passed since 1997, and perhaps the general trends in the production of mixtures have changed. After all, do we really lie when they write about the safety of all these products for the health of our children? We open any children's magazine, and there we will certainly see soothing words about “the strictest control of suppliers and the quality of raw materials”, about “multi-level quality control of finished products” .
..
Alas, during these ten years the manufacturers have made some progress, if only in the art of keeping silent about problems. Here are just some of the reasons for formula and baby food recalls around the world since 1997:
- Also in 1997, 2,141,880 Gerber jars of carrot complementary foods were recalled due to high levels of arsenic.
- In 1998, 25,760 Heinz cans of complementary foods were recalled due to high levels of lead.
- at 1999g. 126,456 cans of Heinz Broccoli, Carrot & Cheese baby food recalled due to solid plastic pieces in complementary foods.
- In 2000, after a long disregard for local health authorities, HiPP recalled its HA1 blend. The catastrophic excess of heavy metals in the mixture already sold led to the fact that the company received claims from several dozen parents whose children became disabled with kidney pathology. nine0003
- Various Mead Johnson formulas were recalled several times in 2001 due to packaging errors that labeled dairy-free products containing milk proteins.
Considering that products with this label are bought specifically for children with allergies to milk proteins, one can only guess how many babies have suffered because of these mistakes.
- The year 2002 was rich in tragic cases due to the mistakes of the mixture manufacturers. Initially, 17,358 cans of Mead Johnson's Portagen formula were recalled because the mixture was contaminated with Enterbacter sakazakii, a bacterium that causes sepsis, meningitis and necrotizing enterocolitis in immunocompromised children. The reason for this particular recall was the death of a child due to an illness caused by the use of an infected formula. Then, due to contamination with the same bacterium, several batches of a number of formulas under various names - a total of 1.5 million cans - were recalled by Wyeth Nutritionals. nine0003
- In 2003, Mead Johnson's EnfaCare Lipil formula is again recalled due to infection with the same bacteria!
- in 2003, a scandal broke out with the Remedia Super Soya 1 mixture, which was produced in Israel by the Humana company - an insufficient content of vitamin B1 caused the hospitalization of more than 20 children, and three babies died.
- In 2005 Ross Products' Similac iron mix - 82,986 cans - recalled due to active PVC content. nine0003
- In 2006, ready-to-use bottled formulas Similac (200,000 bottles) and Alimentum (100,000 bottles) from the same manufacturer were recalled. The reason was a deficiency of vitamin C, which could manifest itself in infants who consumed this mixture for more than 2-4 weeks.
So let's just be glad that we who are breastfeeding our babies don't have to play the gloomy lottery with our babies' health, not knowing what exactly can be in any of the purchased cans of industrial baby food ...
the truth about what is in the ingredients.
- Ekaterina Borisovna, there is a lot of debate about the benefits of baby food from a jar. Let's try to confirm or dispel the myths and tell parents the whole truth about children's canned products.
Myth #1. Baby food in jars is made from vegetables and fruits that are not suitable for sale in their natural form.
Raw materials of poor quality underlie it. - Not true. The production of canned baby food is a complex technological process consisting of several mandatory steps, including a careful selection of raw materials. The quality and safety of baby food initially depends on this. nine0003
When sorting , all vegetables and fruits with any defects are utilized, and a batch of raw materials of uniform quality is formed.
Sorting includes:
- visual assessment of raw materials;
- removal of non-standard, immature, moldy and broken fruits. Grouping by size and weight is not carried out: these indicators do not affect the quality of finished baby food.
When cleaning raw materials , all inedible and low-nutrient parts are removed from fruits and vegetables - the skin, seeds, stalks, the core is removed from apples and pears. Parents can be sure that their baby will receive only the most useful and nutritious.
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Myth No. 2: The quality of baby food in jars is doubtful - it contains a lot of preservatives that are dangerous for babies.
- The inclusion of preservatives in baby food is prohibited by law , at least in our country. But the use of vitamin D or ascorbic acid is allowed. They do not harm babies, but significantly increase the benefits of the product.
- Ekaterina Borisovna, however, it is known that without preservatives, the shelf life of products is reduced. nine0072
— A long shelf life of baby food without preservatives is ensured by aseptic production technology, product sterilization and vacuum packaging, which protects it from harmful microorganisms. The cotton that we hear when opening the jar is an indicator of the correct packaging and safety of the product.
Myth #3. There are other unnatural ingredients in canned food without preservatives that can be harmful to a child's health.
nine0076 - The complete composition of baby food must be clearly stated on the packaging by the manufacturer. Corn starch or rice flour can be added as safe thickeners to give the desired consistency. But the range of children's canned food allows you to choose products without these additives. The presence of spices is not forbidden, but their list is limited and strictly regulated.
technological substances to impart aroma and enhance color and taste.
Myth #4. Flavor enhancers are added to canned food, otherwise children refuse to eat it.
— Production technologies make it possible to extract a maximum of useful elements from raw materials and at the same time preserve its taste qualities. For example, , in order not to destroy biologically active substances, raw materials for baby puree are not boiled , but in order to obtain a delicate texture and not spoil the taste, it is rubbed in special mashing machines in an atmosphere of steam or inert gases.
Such subtleties of production explain the unique taste of canned puree, which you cannot get at home on your own. nine0003
Read also
- how to introduce puree into complementary foods
Myth #5. Canned baby food is expensive and costs parents more than homemade purees.
— Seasonal harvest is inexpensive, making mashed potatoes seems like an elementary task. But there are few fruits of our own in our country. Harvesting a year in advance is a difficult and costly business (you will need a capacious freezer). Preserving vegetables is even more difficult, you need at least a basement. In addition, the amount of vitamins with this method of harvesting decreases in proportion to the storage time (autumn apples lose most of their useful properties by spring). nine0003
— Fruit and vegetable sections are filled in stores all year round.
Yes, but children need variety in their diet. Today an apple, tomorrow a pear, the day after tomorrow an apricot.
For example, to prepare 100 g of apricot puree, you will need at least 300 g of apricots without peel and stone. For the price, this is comparable to the price of a jar, but you still need time to buy and cook.
And the most important thing is safety. At the plant, raw materials for baby food are thoroughly tested for the content of toxic substances. The standards for the content of pesticides, nitrates and other chemical additives for sale in the store are different, and no one guarantees that the zucchini bought from the grandmother on the market did not grow in the zone of increased radiation or was not fed with nitrogenous fertilizers. Therefore industrial canned puree is safer than , and at a price that's about what it comes out to be.
Myth #6. There are few vitamins and nutrients in a jar of complementary foods, as they are destroyed during the conservation process.
- Vegetables and fruits are full of useful nutrients during the harvest season.
But during long-term storage, they lose almost everything except fiber and starch. In addition to this, the fruits are irrevocably destroyed during heat treatment at home - for example, during cooking, up to 20% of vitamin B and more than 50% of ascorbic acid are lost.
The picture is quite different in the factory production of complementary foods, when the useful properties of the raw materials are preserved to the maximum. In addition, complementary foods can be additionally saturated with vitamins and trace elements. Food packaging always indicates their presence and the percentage of the daily dose.
Myth #7. Food from a jar provokes the development of allergies. nine0076
— The risk of developing an allergic reaction to food in a jar is no higher than to food prepared by oneself. If a child is allergic to pumpkin, then boiled, steamed and canned, there will be a reaction to it. Another question is that an auxiliary component of canned puree (for example, starch or ascorbic acid) can cause allergies.
In this case, it is safer to choose products without such additives.
Often confused with allergies food intolerance . The symptoms are similar, but the reasons for the latter lie in non-compliance with the rules of complementary foods (for example, they gave a new product ahead of schedule or immediately in large quantities). Without knowing it, mothers expose the child's body to excessive stress when the baby's enzyme system is not yet ready to process the edible "gift". For this reason, the child's body becomes covered with a rash, problems with the tummy, regurgitation and other delights appear.
Complementary foods: what you need to know
- It's worth trying a new product in small quantities.
- The daily dose is increased gradually.
- Red cheeks, rashes on the arms and under the knees - a reason to exclude the product from the child's diet and consult a doctor.
Myth #8.
There are many counterfeits of baby food on the market, and products of well-known brands are more often counterfeited. Parents in the store will not be able to distinguish a fake from the original. nine0003 — Control over the quality of nutrition for children is multifaceted and is carried out at all stages - from the procurement of raw materials to the sale in the store. Compliance with safety standards during production and storage, the usefulness of the product in terms of protein, carbohydrate and fat components, the concentration of vitamin elements and other components declared on the package are monitored. Organoleptic testing determines the quality of products by taste, aroma, appearance, consistency.
Unfortunately, despite the rather strict control, information about reviews from the sale of low-quality baby food periodically pops up. Probably, this cannot be avoided, as well as the falsification of medicines and other goods. But you can protect yourself as much as possible from acquiring fakes.
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How to choose quality baby food in jars
- It is better to buy food in large specialized stores, pharmacies.
- Consider value for money. If the price is significantly lower than usual, do not rush to buy an annual supply, study the composition and the certificate of conformity for the product.
- Inspect the packaging carefully. Do not take a damaged package with traces of worn paint, smeared or blurry letters, a swollen or crumpled jar. nine0089
- Always try a new product before giving it to your child. You can easily distinguish changes in taste, smell, texture.
Myth #9. Manufacturers add starch to thickening canned food, but they do not always report this on the packaging. This is true? And will the iodine test show the presence of starch?
- In stores, a fairly wide range of baby purees with and without starch. A significant component of starch is glucose , the main source of our vital energy.
Starch is often a natural product. In nature, there are many plants and products from which starch can be extracted: potato, corn, rice and wheat are widely known.
The debate about the dangers or benefits of starch can go on forever. Children are able to absorb starch from birth, it's all about its volume. A small amount of thickener in baby food will be absorbed by the child. Harmful daily proportion of starch - from 30 g.
Starch is included in 90% of the food that a person consumes in everyday life. You should not be afraid of it, but you need to be careful, because starch:
- with excessive use and individual tendency causes constipation;
- is capable of provoking an allergic reaction;
- increases the calorie content of food and promotes weight gain;
- contains a lot of carbohydrates, but is useless as a source of vitamins. nine0089
Therefore, if a child has a tendency to allergic reactions, overweight or constipation, you should not use food with the addition of starch.
Children with underweight or unstable stools may well try it.
Reaction with iodine - a qualitative reaction to starch with the formation of a dark blue spot. This is a really affordable method of checking baby food. But before using it, you should study which products contain starch. It is possible that a positive reaction will not be on an artificially added component, but on natural starch. A lot of natural starch in potatoes, corn, legumes, carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, banana and unripe apples. And it is natural that the reaction with iodine in the puree of these products will be positive. But in the composition of mashed broccoli or white cabbage, starch should not be, unless the manufacturer specifically added it. nine0003
Myth #10. The child gets used to eating from a jar and for a long time refuses the "adult" table.
- On the contrary. Children in infancy and under 18 months are not allowed to give sugar, salt, seasonings and spices.
Therefore, until the mother has included these “adult” supplements in her child’s diet, purchased food will remain his favorite food. But having tried salty or sweet once, the baby begins to demand a new product and refuse fresh canned food. nine0003
A child and an adult have a different perception of tastes. Therefore, you can not give the baby a dish that you like to taste, sweeten and add salt to food. When the time comes and the child is ready to receive products close to the common table, he himself will gladly refuse fresh jars, trying more and more new tastes.
— Ekaterina Borisovna, can canned baby food completely replace homemade baby food?
— Of course, and quite successfully. Regardless of the season, it is possible to provide the baby with a complete and varied diet only with the help of canned food. Yes, and it is impossible to repeat the taste of factory food on your own due to the special manufacturing technology. In addition, despite the fact that the assortment of fruits and vegetables in the store is quite large even in winter, their taste and useful properties, and most importantly, safety, are very doubtful.
Of course, it is worth remembering about the time that a mother can devote to a baby, instead of puzzling over the variety of menus and cooking. nine0003
— Why are MAMAKO ® baby purees good for children? What are their advantages?
— Very often, kids get bored with the taste of monocomponent puree, and not everyone eats cottage cheese willingly either. Puree MAMAKO ® consists of fruits and tender goat curd without thickeners, preservatives or other artificial additives. Such a puree with a delicate creamy taste can be introduced into the diet from 6 months, it is more nutritious and serves as an additional source of calcium, which is necessary during the period of intensive growth. Therefore, along with monocomponent purees, I always recommend including such interesting, and most importantly - without sugar and thickeners, healthy products in the child's diet. nine0003
I would like to once again appeal to young parents - be above prejudice.
