Both store-bought and homemade baby foods can be appropriate for your child. Whichever you choice you make, you can have the nutrients your child needs. Of course, the matter at hand is distinguishing whether the food you are providing for your child is nutritious or not.
The first step in determining whether the food you provide your child is nutritious or not is knowing what’s in it. When you’re making your infant their food yourself, it’s easier to determine what’s in their food and whether it’s healthy. When you purchase their food, you have to be diligent about reading nutrition labels.
A Quick Guide to Reading Nutrition Labels
Some questions to ask yourself when reading nutrition labels: What are the ingredients? If you’re buying a squash-based baby food, make sure the first ingredient listed is squash. You also want to choose the food with the fewest ingredients – this keeps you away from too many added sugars, salt, or fillers like starch.
Choosing the healthiest option
That’s what feeding your child comes down to – choosing the healthiest option for them.
Sometimes choosing the healthiest option means practicing food safety. Some tips:
- Listen for a popping sound when you open baby food to ensure it was sealed properly.
- Throw away food from your infant’s plate that they didn’t finish.
- Be mindful of expiration dates and do not feed your child expired food.
- Do not feed your infant out of the jar, as their saliva can spoil the unfinished food.
- Cover and store uneaten food from the jar in the fridge. Fruit and vegetable based food can be stored for up to two days. Meat based food can be stored for up to one day.
At Childventures, we ensure the food your children eat is full of the nutrients they need to stay healthy! Take a look at our menu to learn more about our food options for your children.