Homemade vs. Store-Bought Baby Food: Which is Better?

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Every mother wants what’s best for her child, and one of the first dilemmas that most mothers face is related to baby food. What’s best, and what’s healthiest? Once the time comes for the child to progress to solid food, the choices are store-bought food or preparing the food yourself, at home.

The internet is filled with pros and cons for both approaches, and this article aims to shed some light on the pros and cons of each type of baby food, with the hope that it will help you take the right decision.

Here, I provide a list of advantages and disadvantages to preparing homemade food.

Pro: You have total control over the ingredients.

Moms worry; it’s in their nature. So, if you’re worried about unhealthy ingredients that can be found in the baby food available in stores, preparing food in your own home gives you total control over what you add in the mix so you can rest assured that you’re feeding your baby only good and healthy ingredients.

Pro: You can choose the flavor.

It’s no secret that children are picky, and it’s tough to convince them to eat something they dislike. With store-bought baby food, you have a limited number of options when it comes to flavors.

Being able to control the taste means you can provide your child foods perfectly suited to his palate, and you can add his favorite foods, like avocado or watermelon – flavors that are rarely used in processed baby food.

Pro: It can save you money.

The big companies that are producing healthy baby food take advantage of the parent’s desire to provide only the best for their children, and that often translates to huge price tags. Preparing baby food at home will save you a lot of money – money you can spend instead on other baby necessities or education down the line.

Pro: It can simplify the entire feeding process.

Since you have full control over what’s in the baby food you prepare, you won’t have to convince your child to eat healthy food like broccoli or avocado. You can just mix it with something they like, such as strawberries or another food they love, and it’s a win-win situation.

Con: It’s time-consuming.

this might not be a problem for the mothers that can afford to stay home and take care of baby, but, a mom who works outside the home might struggle to find the time to prepare the baby food herself. In this case, buying food from the local store on the way from work is far more convenient.

Con: Homemade food has a shorter shelf-life.

Another disadvantage of homemade food is that it can’t be stored for long periods of time like the foods you find in stores. This can mean you’ll spend a lot more time making fresh food, and potentially more money on ingredients.

Conclusion

Though there are certain disadvantages to opting for homemade baby food, from a health and ingredients perspective, it’s precisely the way to go. The advantages outweigh the cons, and, if you have the time and resources to do it, preparing baby food yourself is a great idea.

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