Baby food pouches

[Mrs-M]

Originally posted by Florence.
get a wet washcloth

For sure! The washcloth (in our house) served as the equalizer to all top (and bottom half) messes!

[chrissieq]

Part of my job is working in the lunchroom during Kindergarten lunch - the amazing amount of waste gets to me every day. If not the squeezable pouch, it's a yogurt tube or the pre-made pb&j packages, little bags of (fill in the blank).

Our school is (supposedly) encouraging composting and recycling. Every now and then someone from the "green team" comes down to reward kids with trash-free lunches. It never fails that there is a kid or 2 in tears - they say to me "I want to have a waste free lunch but this is what my mom packs".

[Square Peg]

I think they are terrible. And so many of them are organic, which makes the crunchy parents think it is a good idea, without looking at the environmental waste involved.

It is weird to me that this is touted as a way that kids can graze. There are lots and lots of foods that are grazeable.

And now speech therapists are saying they are bad becaus kids aren't chewing and building mouth muscles. Add to that, the expense and it seems like a big negative to me!

Mrs. M, why should only mothers be responsible for teaching children these skills? Fathers and other adults in their lives are perfectly capable of handing down skills as well.

[Mrs-M]

Originally posted by Square Peg.
Mrs. M, why should only mothers be responsible for teaching children these skills? Fathers and other adults in their lives are perfectly capable of handing down skills as well.

Absolutely. I tend to be a little old-fashioned regarding child-rearing, so often concentrate on the mom side of things rather than the alternative.

[Tiffany]

We use these pouches with my 9 month old. He sucks them directly from the pouch using the spout like a straw. He doesn't have any problems getting too much in his mouth as long as you don't squeeze it and don't let him either. I don't see how they are any worse than spoon-fed purees for mouth development, since he's not chewing a whole lot yet anyway. He eats spoon fed purees and finger foods, too. I don't foresee using them once he gets more teeth, because then he'll just eat from the table all the time. He only eats them at mealtimes, since he is too young to graze--if he's hungry apart from meals, he nurses.

They are hugely convenient for traveling, since you can just toss them in a bag and go. And they taste pretty good, too.

The waste issue is something I am concerned with. But I have had to let somethings just be imperfect at this time in my life. There is a reusable squish pouch.

[creaker]

"Sangita Forth, 37, vice president of brand marketing, said she loves using the pouches as snacks for her 3-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son."

I thought this was just strange - these are kids who should have no issues eating real food.

And I really question whether this is more for the kid's independence and ease - or the parent's.

Doing a really quick scan these appear to have fruit in just about everything - and seem to have higher sugar levels to comparable Gerber products.

I see a place for these - but not so much at the dinner table.

[mm1970]

Hmm...I am mixed on these. They did not exist when my son was a baby - or rather, they were just coming on to the market locally - there was a local couple marketing them, probably a different brand. At the time, I was working full time, so my son was sent to child care with a mixture of homemade baby food and jars. Mostly the jars were disgusting - there were only a few that were decent anyway. As he got older and ate less baby food, we bought more and made less (only going through about 4 oz a day).

I see a lot of my friends using them now and they love them. But I agree on the potential problems with family meal times. Meal times with our 6 year old can be a real chore. He can't sit still. He gets mad that it takes him SO MUCH LONGER to eat than we do. Well, we do eat too fast, for sure. I generally eat too fast because I'm starving. I'm nursing a 10-day old baby and I never know when he's going to want to eat again. When I get the chance, I EAT. But I think an hour is excessive for the average dinner, and it often takes my son that long to eat his dinner.

On the other hand, they are great for on the go. I buy little applesauce pouches at Trader Joe's. Sometimes, he'll eat one at home. But really, they are great for camping, car trips, concerts in the park, trips to the beach. I really resisted at first (started buying them when he was 3 or so) because of the waste. But I've lightened up a bit in my old age (I buy individual yogurts now too!)

Who knows where the wind will blow with #2. I'll let you know in 6-9 months. I do prefer to make my own.

[Stella]

Congratulations on the new baby mm1970!

[mara61]

I think the pouches are a great idea. I wish they would have been available for when I traveled overseas to get my son. Buying jarred baby food was a bit iffy and while I could feed him table food I couldn't always run out someplace. Same thing goes with baby wipes. I realize there are generations that all they could use was a wet wash cloth and while I was at home for certain messes that is what I used. But there is a time and place for wipes.

Some people might use these things for kids who are perhaps to old, but until we have walked in the parents shoes we have no idea what the reason really is. I'm sure some are just lazy, or rushed, or exhausted, or at their last limit and that one little thing is their sanity saver .

[mm1970]

Congratulations on the new baby mm1970!

Thanks! He's a cutie. Born on his due date, and in an all-fired hurry. Arrived just over an hour after we got to the hospital. Let's just say I was NOT mentally prepared to give birth without an epidural, especially since my husband was missing for the first half of that hour (dropping our son off at a friend's).

At least it was fast.