{"id":22089,"date":"2021-01-29T12:48:27","date_gmt":"2021-01-29T11:48:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/nutrire-il-bambino\/capitolo-11-pappe-industriali-o-fatte-in-casa\/"},"modified":"2025-08-05T11:26:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T10:26:44","slug":"chapter-11-store-bought-or-homemade-baby-food","status":"publish","type":"nutrire-il-bambino","link":"https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/en\/nutrire-il-bambino\/chapter-11-store-bought-or-homemade-baby-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 11 \u2013 Store-Bought or Homemade Baby Food"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u2019s 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\u2019s nutritional needs? Is their quality and safety comparable to that of homemade food made with fresh ingredients?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2014unlike 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/strong> Homemade cooking also tends to have more salt\u2014slightly 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\u2014an important step in training their palate.<\/p>\n\t\t

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