My daughter just turned 8 mos. old, so I referenced a pamphlet that my Pedi had given me for feeding guidelines, to see if I was feeding her what I should. I learned something interesting and thought I would share. Some of you may already know this. It said when you start introducing meats, to stick to just the meats and avoid the mixed dinners, because they're not as high in nutritional value. It suggested just buying the plain meat, and then mixing them yourself with veggies, cereal, etc. I went and bought some yesterday, and it's true! I was shocked at the comparision. The crazy thing is that the only meat I could find (it's called chicken and chicken gravy or turkey and turkey gravy) came in the smaller 2.5 oz jar as opposed to the 4 oz jar. So it has MORE nutritional value in a SMALLER amount! Here's a breakdown
Chicken (2.5 oz): 4 grams fat, 6 grams protein, and 15% daily value of Iron
Chicken and rice mixed meal (4 oz): 1.5 grams fat, 2 grams protein, and 2% daily value of Iron
I was happy to learn this because my daughter is finicky with food. Sometimes she chows and sometimes she'll barely take a bite. So I'm trying to find ways to get as much nutrition as I can in her when she will eat. From now on I think I'll mostly buy the plain meat and then mix it myself with the veggies, sweet potatoes, etc. If any of you have learned other interesting tidbits about nutritional value in baby food, please share! (Katie, I know you pay a lot of attention to that stuff.)
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4 comments:
Yeah, isn't that shocking, Steph?! Also, there is a big difference in nutritional value between brands for certain foods. I spend like 20 minutes picking out food for Reagan every time I go to the store. There is so much to compare! Also, there is a difference in the cereals too (not in calories, though). Another interesting tidbit I found is that the 3rd foods aren't really good for the babies. I mean the ones that are purees with chunks in them. Apparently the babies feel puree and start to swallow without chewing, and then will choke on the chunks!
The lady who taught me feeding therapy is also a consultant for Gerber. You can thank her for the disolving fruit and veggie puffs. She said that all 3rd foods can be skipped. They're good for convenience but the chunk comment is right and she also said that by the time a baby is ready for 3rd foods, they're ready for table foods, so it's not worth the money and extra cooking.
I really liked the Simple Recipes by Gerber. They don't have all the added crap. They are basically just a meat and a veggie or fruit. At least it was that way a year ago when I bought them last.
Yeah I found that out via gagging with 3rd foods and have never bought them again. I told me pedi that I was going to skip them and she was all about that.
THat is really interesting Steph and I really appreciate that info.!
My sister-in-law introduced me to yobaby yogurt this weekend. It has good fat, protein, and is organic. Love it.
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