Should I give my baby some of the jarred baby food first to see if there are allergies or to see if my baby likes the food?”
The answer is always, “Don’t offer jarred foods first if you plan to make homemade baby food.”
Why Not “Test” Baby Food and Baby Food Likes/Dislikes with Jarred Foods?
There are many reasons why we would encourage you to not “test” out foods using the jarred baby foods. Here are a few:
Texture
Jarred Baby Food is very thin and very runny. Your baby may become accustomed to this extremely watery texture and then reject the more thick homemade baby food. Homemade baby food seldom is as watery, thin and/or runny as commercial baby food. Many parents
have difficulty switching from commercial baby food to homemade baby food due to these texture issues. Also keep in mind, just because the commercial baby food is thin, watery and runny does not mean that your baby must have that same type of texture. Your baby may like more thick food.
Try Try Again
When you begin solid foods, your baby may like the first bite of a food and then spit out the following bites. Does this mean that your baby does not like the food? Studies have shown that babies take between 15 to 21 tastes and tries, yes 15 to 21, before a true like or dislike is apparent.
Flavor
Remember this – if you are trying to make the switch to homemade baby food and your baby will have nothing to do with your cooking, your baby does not hate your cooking and think you’re a rotten chef. Your baby is simply being exposed to a new texture and a new, more strong flavor. Have you ever tasted homemade and then jarred? Try it one day and you’ll see exactly what we mean.
Why Not “Test” Baby Food and Food Allergies with Jarred Foods?
Commercial Baby Food will not help you to better pinpoint possible food allergies. Homemade baby food may just help you pinpoint allergies and we explain why below:
Allergies will be detected regardless of whether you are making your own baby food or whether you are using commercial baby food. But, there are many types of jarred baby foods that have hidden ingredients. For example, a few brands of commercial infant cereal that actually contain ingredients besides the grain itself. One company for example has soy and milk derivatives in it’s Rice and other cereals.