Here we go again – starting solids with Amelia!  A few years ago I did a post on Making My Own Baby Food and it turned out to be one of the best things we could have done for Adeline.  I should give you a disclaimer, I am not a nutritionist or even a “health nut” by any means.  I really enjoy food and am known to eat anything (good and bad).  And although I appreciate healthy food and it truly makes me feel good and definitely helps with the waistline, I am obsessed with my Chipotle burrito, french fries with ranch dressing and the occasional Big Mac.  But when it came to transitioning my babies to solids, I became much more aware and educated as to what we put in to our bodies (or at least into theirs).  I guess it started with the breastfeeding, I figured that if I was to put so much effort into making breastfeeding work for us, this healthy all natural approach was going to keep going.

Making your own baby food is so much easier then people think it is.  I’m not a spectacular “cook” by any means and I’m all about getting a quick and easy (but yummy) dinner on the table.  We got the Beaba Babycook when Adeline was a baby and we’ve been using it ever since.  When she started solids I introduced only cereal, then vegetables and lastly fruits (each 1-2 weeks apart).  I started with simple, individual vegetables such as carrots, sweet potato, broccoli, butternut squash – and as she got older I would make a variety of combinations or just puree whatever we were having for dinner.  I would make several portions at a time and freeze them for later.  Adeline is now 34 months old and still eats her broccoli, carrots, blueberries, apples, etc – it’s awesome.   Not only is she a great eater, but she truly enjoys her meals, has a solid immune system and incredible health (we have been seriously blessed).  She has developed preferences, but is required to at least try new foods once and often ends up liking it anyways.  I contribute her good eating habits to two things – 1) Introducing “real” food from the start.  From carrot purees to steamed carrot slices -  she has always had the same thing just in different textures.  She was already used to the taste so transitioning from baby food to healthy finger foods and normal dinners was never an issue  2) Eating meals as a family and not by snacking – being a role model.  We’ve always been big on sitting down at the table and eating meals together.  We don’t let her have lots of snacks right before lunch or dinner so she doesn’t ruin her appetite and we stress the value of family time at the table.

As I stated before,  I’m not a 100% organic, non processed foodie.  We eat mac & cheese, hot dogs & sugary cereals – but we also have fresh fish, carrots and rice. Adeline eats gold fish, candy and loves McDonald’s chicken nuggets – but we try to keep all these things in moderation.   I  admire moms like Lisa Leake from 100 Days of Real Food who prepare organic and natural foods on a daily basis, I truly believe it’s the best thing you can do for yourself nutritionally.  Our bodies are developed and fueled by what we eat.

There are a lack of studies on the specific roles nutrition has on the neurological and physical development in preschool children (as this age group is difficult to measure), but we do know that there is no part of our physical or psychological existence that is not affected by nutrition. From the first stage of gestational development during pregnancy, to birth and beyond – nutrition plays a role.  We all know that malnutrition is detrimental to our health and overall development as the consequences are obvious and well studied.  Just think of everything your child learns to do in it’s first few years of life – from taking, walking, listening to instructions, engaging in tasks to making decision for themselves.  It’s amazing – we all know the recommendations and benefits from breastfeeding, I would love to know more about the correlations between POSITIVE exposures of vital nutrients in infants and the specific developmental and behavioral outcomes that occur those first few years.

Food for thought . . .

• Nutrition plays a significant role in your child’s development even during pregnancy.  Rapid brain development occurs during the gestation period – by the time a child is born it has the form of an adult brain and has already developed the necessary neural synapses to have the ability to learn
• The most extreme brain growth & development occurs between 1 – 5 years of age
• All nutrients are important for brain development
• Nutrition can directly effect genetic structure and expression
• Obesity in children is connected to the eating habits they learn at home from their parents
• Gerber and Heinz commercial baby food manufactures often replaces real food with water and thickening agents (flours and chemically modified starches) in many of their products for children over six months of age
• 4 billion babies are born in the Unites States every year. By 12 months of age each infant has consumed and average of 600 jars of baby food – this is a a $1.25 billion a year industry in the US
• Western European babies consume only about 240 jars and some eastern European countries consume as little as 12 jars
• Beech-Nut, Earth’s Best, and Growing Healthy do not add sugar or starchy fillers to any single or mixed fruit or vegetable baby food
• About half of Gerber and Heinz’s second- and third-stage fruits are “fruits with tapioca.”  All varieties of fruit with tapioca contain water, fruit, chemically modified tapioca starch, and sugar or high-fructose corn syrup
• Baby food manufactures spend millions on advertising campaigns to convince parents that their baby products contain all of the best and essential nutrients for your child’s development in order to gain a parent’s loyalty and trust
• Read this article for more information on the nutritional quality and cost of commercial baby food

My take on it – we as parents have the responsibility to make the right choices for our children.  It is proven that  children learn what and how much to eat from their parents.  They cannot do it themselves and depend on us 100%.  If I don’t teach them my children to clean up after themselves, be respectful or eat right – I can’t expect them to just grow into it, it’s learned.  Commercial baby food has nutrients, is convenient and easy.  Have I used jarred baby food? Definitely, I’m not about to break out the baby cook on a road trip (although I have taken it when flying to grandmas).  We all want what is best for your kids and there is only so much you can do.  Just be aware of what your putting into your kids bodies and the pros and cons.  Do not be fooled that a jar of bananas is just as nutritional as taking a banana into a bowl and mashing it with a fork.  Millions of infants eat commercial food everyday and have all their nutritional needs met with no health issues, but you have to wonder what physical, psychological and developmental consequences this may have as research is so underdeveloped in this area.

Sources:

Georgieff, M.K. (2007).  Nutrition and the developing brain: nutrient priorities and measurement. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85 (20), 614 – 620.

Rosales, F.J., Reznick, J.S., Zeisel, S.H. (2009).  Understanding the Role of Nutrition in the Brain & Behavioral Development of Toddlers and Preschool Children: Identifying and Overcoming Methodological Barriers.  Nutritional Neuroscience, 12 (5), 190 – 202.

Scaglioni, S., Salvioni, M., Galimberti, C., (2008). Influence of parental attitude in the development of children eating behavior. British Journal of Nutrition, 99 (1), 22-25.

Stallone, D.D., Jacobson, M.F.  (1995).  Cheating Babies: Nutritional Quality and Cost of Commercial Baby Food. Center for Science in the Public Interest.  Retrieved from http://www.cspinet.org/reports/cheat1.html.