Is there no way baby food makers can produce the stuff to meet the mass market demand without resorting to ultra-processing? A new survey of US supermarkets seems to indicate there isn’t. Or maybe the makers just don’t care…
Just a few of the hundreds of varieties of infant and toddler foods at your supermarket…
We all; know how bad ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are for us. Previous surveys and even learned studies have confirmed over and over again that 7 our of 10 products on our supermarket shelves are UPFs. But now, a new tally reveals that the UPF crisis extends to baby and toddler foods – the jarred purées a majority of new moms (and dads) feed their little ones post-weaning.
In fact the amount of UPF baby food on the shelves is right up there with the adult food: 71 percent.
What’s going on?
Researchers from The George Institute for Global Health analyzed data on 651 foods from the Insti-tute’s FoodSwitch database, which includes, “infant and toddler food products sold in the top ten US grocery store chains.”
What they found
Their findings, published in the journal Nutrients, say more than 7 in ten foods intended for infants and toddlers qualify as UPFs.
The takeaway
“Infancy is a critical time for shaping lifelong eating habits — introducing babies to foods that are overly sweet, salty, and packed with additives can set the stage for unhealthy preferences that last beyond childhood,” Dr. Elizabeth Dunford, a research fellow at The George Institute and an adjunct assistant professor at the University of North Carolina, said in a statement.
My take
The solution to this crisis is for Mom’s to make their own baby and toddler foods. All it takes is a blender and a selection of fresh, whole foods the flavours of which your baby likes. The benefits go far beyond the fact that your own concoctions will contain no artificial additives, nor will they be over-processed. You get to choose what goes into them, and how they’re made yourself!
My questions to you:
If you’re a new parent…
Do you feed your infant or toddler jarred baby foods from the store?
Has reading this post moved you to consider making your own baby food?
Do you agree with the critics that baby food makers are endangering our kids for the sake of profit?
Do you agree with the researchers that baby food makers ought to be forced to make their products healthier?
Muse on that!
~ Maggie J.