August is a gourmand

I decided to start making baby food with the premise that I wouldn't make 100% of their food.  I wasn't sure that I would have the time to make absolutely every last bite.  I thought making their food would be a fun project and not necessarily a must for their health.  I am far from a purest in any realm of my babies' lives.  No way is "the best," just "better" for us.

I made everything fresh for a little over one month.  Then the day came when I didn't have time to make lunch for the next day, which was a protein meal.  When I was at Whole Foods the next morning, I picked up a jar of Earth's Best sweet potatoes and chicken and a jar of fruit.  I figured no problem, I'll just warm it up like I do with the homemade food.  Well, I was WRONG.  Beyond wrong.  My happy little eater, August, was angry.  He cried.  He yelled.  He snarfed, spit it out and waved his arms in the air.  He made an array of pitiful faces ranging from disgust to fury!  I felt awful.  Jude, on the other hand, happily ate every last bite.  That is just so Jude.

After this debacle, I got to thinking why the harsh reaction?  I did a little research and found some interesting facts.  Processed baby food is cooked at extremely high temperatures to kill bacteria and extend shelf life.  This food can be stored in jars at room temperature waiting for someone to buy it.  And the average shelf life of a jar of baby food is 2 years.  This process not only kills bacteria, it kills taste and compromises essential vitamins and nutrients.  The smell and color is also different.  While babies do not have the refined palates of adults, smell and color do contribute to their dining experiences and get them excited about their meal.  I notice my fresh carrots are a much more vibrant orange compared to jarred carrots which always looked a bit watery to me too.

My conclusion is that there nothing wrong with jarred food.  Juliet ate jars of Earth's Best and she thrived.  I spoiled my boys with food and August took to it!  He does not want to "go with the flow" when it comes to his grub.  He wants a fresh, homemade meal.  What man doesn't?!  Now I am sure to always make time to cook for my little gourmands!

"hey brother, you think she's giving us the good stuff?!"