Jarred baby food

[2forKaty]

So I get WIC and they give me TONS of baby food jars.....of course it isn't the nice organic kind, just beech nut or gerber. Is it bad for my baby? I had planned on making most if my baby food and then of I wanted something easy I was going to buy the organic stuff in the squeezey pouches. I feel like I should use what WIC gives me but at the same time if it isn't good I will just not use those checks or donate the jars and pay for the good stuff.
What would you do?

[Mrs.Salz]

Bummer, when we were on WIC we were able to get the store brand organic (when it wasn't sold out).

I donated most of it to our local food pantry.

[Mrs.Salz]

I also took some of the fruits and mixed them with breastmilk to make popsicles :)

[2forKaty]

Oooo maybe Meijer has a store brand organic!!!! I will definatley be looking for that!

Quoting Mrs.Salz:

Bummer, when we were on WIC we were able to get the store brand organic (when it wasn't sold out).

I donated most of it to our local food pantry.

[Lynette]

I don't do purees.  No cereal either.  I delay solids till 9mo.  Then we do occasional finger food or mashed things.  Avocados, peas, black beans, cooked carrots etc.  Here is a link on the breastfeed baby and solids http://kellymom.com/category/nutrition/starting-solids/

[2forKaty]

Thanks! I didn't start any purees until 8 months and then it was homemade from fresh I greedy ants and not often. Now I offer some if her foods and some purees but no more than once a day for purees. Black beans are my next plan for finger foods. Do you do dried or canned? And do you just hear them up on the stove?

Quoting Lynette:

I don't do purees.  No cereal either.  I delay solids till 9mo.  Then we do occasional finger food or mashed things.  Avocados, peas, black beans, cooked carrots etc.  Here is a link on the breastfeed baby and solids http://kellymom.com/category/nutrition/starting-solids/

[sreichelt26]

That was one of the things that bothered me about WIC, especially because we did baby led solids. We ended up not qualifying anyway, but if we did, I would have donated all the jarred food.

[catholicmamamia]

This, except my little ones began solids around twelve months. I would not even bother with wic.. just let baby eat what the family eats, look into baby led solids. 

Quoting Lynette: I don't do purees.  No cereal either.  I delay solids till 9mo.  Then we do occasional finger food or mashed things.  Avocados, peas, black beans, cooked carrots etc.  Here is a link on the breastfeed baby and solids http://kellymom.com/category/nutrition/starting-solids/

 

[Lynette]

I have done both but prefer to make them from dry to avoid B P A cans and any added salt.  Here is a handy way to have can convince without the cans http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/cooking-dried-beans-in-crockpot.html?m=1.  I heat them up a bit on the stove.

Quoting 2forKaty:

Thanks! I didn't start any purees until 8 months and then it was homemade from fresh I greedy ants and not often. Now I offer some if her foods and some purees but no more than once a day for purees. Black beans are my next plan for finger foods. Do you do dried or canned? And do you just hear them up on the stove?

Quoting Lynette:

I don't do purees.  No cereal either.  I delay solids till 9mo.  Then we do occasional finger food or mashed things.  Avocados, peas, black beans, cooked carrots etc.  Here is a link on the breastfeed baby and solids http://kellymom.com/category/nutrition/starting-solids/

[Lynette]

Yep I'm not real consistent before 12mo.  The 9mo is the earliest i will offer anything.  It's more a sensory experience with fingers and mess than eating.

Quoting catholicmamamia:

This, except my little ones began solids around twelve months. I would not even bother with wic.. just let baby eat what the family eats, look into baby led solids. 

Quoting Lynette: I don't do purees.  No cereal either.  I delay solids till 9mo.  Then we do occasional finger food or mashed things.  Avocados, peas, black beans, cooked carrots etc.  Here is a link on the breastfeed baby and solids http://kellymom.com/category/nutrition/starting-solids/

 

[haleykj]

I still give the pouches to my 16 month old. They r treats for her tho like cady or something. They taste like candy I LOVE them. I made my own food and that was great. Especially bc I eat like shit so I didn't want to jut give her what I was eating.

Quoting 2forKaty:

I just like the pouches because they have the coolest flavors lol. I squeeze them into a bowl and spoon it in haha. I just feel like I should use the WIC stuff if I'm going to do purees because its free but if it is harmful health wise then I don't want to do it kwim?

Quoting larissalarie:

It's not "bad" for your baby, and organic stuff in pouches really wouldn't be any better (actually I think teaching baby to drink their solids is even worse), it's all processed and packaged so it can sit on a shelf and not spoil for years.


What I would do (and have!) is just feed my baby whatever I'm eating, there's never a need for purees if baby is really old enough for solids :-)