Chapter 11 – Store-Bought or Homemade Baby Food

Over the past few decades, supermarket shelves have become increasingly stocked with products for early childhood nutrition, specifically for the delicate phase when new foods are introduced alongside milk feeds in a baby’s diet: cereal-based foods, purees, jars of fruit, and soft cheeses. These products offer parents the advantage of convenience. They are ready-to-eat or only need to be reconstituted with water, and are easy to store and transport. But are they truly suited to the baby’s nutritional needs? Is their quality and safety comparable to that of homemade food made with fresh ingredients?

This topic has sparked strong opinions and debates in the media and on social platforms. Supporters of industrial foods appreciate their convenience and the fact that they are legally subject to strict safety checks before being placed on the market. Their nutritional composition must also meet specific legal standards—unlike homemade food, whose quality can vary depending on the ingredients used, the recipe, and methods of preparation and storage. On the other hand, proponents of homemade baby food criticize commercial products for their high sugar content, the use of preservatives, and their low nutritional value.

From a scientific standpoint, there are few studies comparing complementary feeding based on homemade baby food with that based on commercial products. Most children consume a mix of both, and the quality and ingredients of homemade preparations vary from family to family. There is no universal standard for comparison.

Based on recipes commonly used by parents, one study (17) found that homemade foods tend to be more nutritious than industrial products, with higher energy density, protein, and iron content. Homemade cooking also tends to have more salt—slightly more than what is recommended by specialists. Commercial products, though not allowed to contain added sugar by law, often rely on fruit juice and naturally sweet vegetables like pumpkin, carrot, and potato to enhance flavor (18), which can result in a higher content of natural sugars than in homemade food. Also, the flavor of industrial foods is often quite uniform, while homemade cooking exposes children to a wider variety of tastes—an important step in training their palate.

In conclusion, the studies conducted so far do not show significant nutritional differences between homemade and commercial baby food, provided that parents are aware of the content and characteristics of both when choosing what to offer. For example, 100 grams of chicken baby food does not equal 100 grams of chicken. It usually contains about 40 grams of chicken, mixed with other ingredients like potatoes. This is in accordance with the directive that regulates baby food sold in Europe (19). If the product name includes two or more ingredients, with meat listed first (e.g., “chicken and vegetables”), the minimum chicken content allowed by law is 10%. If the name is “vegetables and chicken,” with meat listed second, the minimum drops to 6%. So, to determine how much meat your baby actually consumed, you must check the ingredient list on the label—not just the product name.

What about safety? The European Directive on baby foods strictly limits the presence of pesticide residues and contaminants in commercial products, so they are not riskier than homemade foods. However, packaged foods require preservatives, which are absent in meals made with fresh ingredients and served immediately to the baby. Even though the European Directive limits the number of allowed additives, experts agree that fresh foods are superior to preserved ones. Ultimately, the key factors behind daily choices should be awareness, dietary variety, and a flexible approach, one that realistically takes into account the parents’ available time.

Regardless of the food chosen, the most important factor in encouraging your child to accept meals is the atmosphere in which the food is not only offered but also prepared. The true key ingredients of every meal are family harmony and calm.