Why home cooking is better for babies
BABY foods from leading brands have far fewer nutrients than homemade dishes, according to a study.
Many contain high sugar levels and some are promoted for use from four months when babies should still be on breast or formula milk.
They would need twice as much shop-bought food as home-cooked to get the same energy and protein, the team found.
The University of Glasgow study says: “The UK infant food market mainly supplies sweet, soft, spoonable foods targeted from age four months.
“Most products are ready-made spoonable foods that are no more energy dense than formula milk, and are generally much less nutrient dense than homemade foods.”
National Childbirth Trust added: “Babies don’t generally need solid foods before about six months.”
The findings are published in Archives Of Disease In Childhood.