Baby food pouches have provided nourishment for minor children and convenience to mothers for the last few years. It may seem like they are the solution to various problems like bridging the gap for hungry toddlers when it’s not yet meantime. But are food pouches the end-all solution? If you’re a new parent, it will serve you to read this blog article about baby food pouches to know what you can expect from them.
What Are Baby Food Pouches?
Baby food pouches like Serenity Kids are an easy and child-friendly way of feeding purees to your children. Think of on-the-go meals that you can take with you wherever you go – these are the same but made especially for them. When parents have to leave with their little children, you’ll find these in the diaper bag, among other essential items.
While these food pouches’ purees are not substitutes for fresh fruits and vegetables, they have added nutrition such as vitamins and minerals. Baby food pouches help children with various difficulties in feeding. If you want your child to get their taste buds accustomed to kale, peas, and other veggies, you can find them in food pouches.
The Pros Of Baby Food Pouches
Food pouches are the way if you want a portable meal for your children. You can get them at your regular supermarket or order them online at legitimate sites like myserenitykids.com. They also come in resealable pouches for easy feeding wherever you and your child are. Unlike glass jars, these pouches don’t get crushed, and they are unbreakable.
They are also easy to store away, whether in a freezer or containers. You can give them to your child warm or cold or at room temperature. These ready-to-eat alternatives make it accessible for toddlers to get a fruit and vegetable diet when fresh options are not available.
Common Concerns
While giving children baby food pouches from time to time is not concerning, there are pediatric feeding experts who worry that families are relying too much on them. A potential problem arises that it oversimplifies the feeding process. The pouch itself doesn’t support the development of fine motor skills in children. They should also learn how to eat with utensils and experience textured foods.
For example, the babies can suck and hold food pouches with mouth and tongue movements when they breastfeed or feed on a bottle. Babies should learn how to eat puree with a spoon. It will help them practice closing their lips over a small utensil. It will encourage them to move the food back to swallow.
Once they are ready, you can help them advance to textured foods. Baby food pouches can easily be added to your list of baby travel essentials, but when at home, babies will thrive even more with natural food selections.
Another concern is that food labels can be misleading. While you can find shelves of baby food pouches in a supermarket with ingredients like quinoa and kale, they are not what they seem. Some brands begin with cheaper components like carrot, apple, and pear puree. They are more likely the bulk of the contents. One must question how much kale or quinoa is in the actual puree.
Manufacturers are not obligated to divulge the percentages of the ingredients in instant purees, so you will likely never know. But some brands list the ingredients on the pouch or on their website. It might take research, but you’ll know which brand to trust.
Re-Thinking Baby Food Pouches
Many mothers make one mistake because they depend on baby food pouches. While they provide convenience and nutrition, they are not to be relied on as the primary food source for your children. Here are general rules on when to use them and when to stop:
- Baby food pouches are instant meals for children who can’t wait to eat. But some children can wait for their food. It allows parents to learn how to make natural baby food at home.
- Food pouches are for emergencies when mothers are on-the-go. You can keep them in a diaper bag or the kitchen cupboard. They are ready to eat when your child is hungry.
- The pouches make it easy for the children to eat and minimize the mess.
- Use them with finger foods to add texture to your baby’s diet.
- Empty one pouch of baby puree in a bowl and feed with a spoon instead of letting them suck on the pouches.
- These pouches are only for infants six months and onwards. Younger babies must exclusively breastfeed.
- Learn to set nutritional goals for your child so that you won’t depend on food pouches.
- Your child will likely show feeding problems later if they stay longer feeding on food pouches by nine months of age.
In Conclusion
Baby food pouches provide benefits for both babies and parents. But parents should not depend entirely on these commercial purees to provide nutrition for their little bodies. Babies should be breastfeeding primarily until six months and get accustomed to natural food with textures to help them avoid becoming picky eaters. They do provide additional nutrition and can be eaten along with real food. Choose an all-natural brand that only has the best for your child’s needs.
