what has happened to the powdered meals?

[icculcaz]

been having a mooch about in the baby food aisle today, and was kinda shocked to find that there was only 2 varieties of powdered 'meals' (lots of breakfasty ones). i can remember when my eldest was teeny (ok 11 years ago) there were loads of choice but now its cheesy cauliflower n broccoli cheese or mediterrainian veg and rice... theyre boring.. not much in the savoury department really is there? i prefer to buy a few of these to try before using jars... and im not really into this puree malarky.. as i got this mentality of, would you like just a bit of carrot for your dinner? or a bit of spud? its a bit samey ...iygwim if im making a meal id be happy to give her a bit of squished spud n carrot or whatever else squishable to scarlett, but as in a teeny amount of each sectioned off in a bowl, not 'just' whatever.... after all we all like a bit of variety eh? my eldest refused to eat it if id cooked it. but was more inclined to eat it if it came out of a jar... should i take the hint? lol

 

[jenstar]

I have seen boxes of meals like shepherds pie, lamb dinner etc in the chemist here beside the baby jars so they must still make them, although never tried them myself.

 

[Wobbles]

Yer I found I was limited without visiting 10 shops for various varietys! Stupid isn't it that big stores don't have a wider shelf for these items. I remember trying to find the sauces *nightmare*!!!

 

[icculcaz]

theres sauces, cook at home thing etc can find them.......just not powdered stuff unless its 7m+ bah.....

so im not imagining it then?

 

[pinkfairy]

im having the same problem! when i had ds 5 years ago the shelves were full of powdered food but now i cant find any!

 

[polo_princess]

Come to think of it i've only seen the odd one or two ... they do 50 varietie of baby rice and porridge but sod all else

 

[icculcaz]

think it could b worth an email to cow n gate?

 

[sam#3]

we use the breakfast ones which harry absolutely loves and he sometimes has the cauli and broccoli one but theres not much choice anymore with them.
It seems they are being phased out to just be breakfast rather than dinner or lunch.

 

[icculcaz]

doh i4got to email em.

 

[malpal]

I had to get these last week! We are away on our hols to Egypt in a few weeks and i was worried about feeding lexie whilst we were there. My sil suggested the packet foods, couldn't believe the variety!!! I'm sure Lexie will be glad to get home after eating the same thing for a week!!!

 

[ryder]

I dont think i've ever seen actual powdered meals here... lots of purees and cereals... I make my own food anyways now... I just used an icecube tray and have a wide variety of veggies and fruits, if I want to mix them I just take one of each... if I want to give them single I put them in a divder dish.

 

[icculcaz]

im not confident enough to make my own yet.....

 

[ryder]

Its totally easy! I just boil and veg or fruit, and puree it with a hand blender and then freeze it in icecubes.

 

[sam#3]

It is really as easy as that to make fruit and veg for them, i usually give harry various diff veg for dinner at night and he has fruit after dinner usually as a finger food.
At least then you know what has gone into it as well and its full of nutrients.

 

[icculcaz]

fruit id b ok with... but as i detest veg and my idea of cooking it is bung it in a steamer for 50mins (not killed oh n other 2 kids by this way yet) and voila dun just seems a bit odd iygwim..... just having for example carrot n potato for tea is a lil odd to me... *shrug*. dont do veg lol. so cant taste test it as not into grown things.... may contain caterpillar poo..... lol.

 

[UKMummy]

I make my own (stick veg and a bit of meat in a steamer and once cooked, wizz it in the blender and add some stock for flavour, then portion and put in freezer) and also use the organic jars of baby food. They are really good and all my children have enjoyed them.

The powder foods tended to give my children constipation.

 

[claire1978]

fruit id b ok with... but as i detest veg and my idea of cooking it is bung it in a steamer for 50mins (not killed oh n other 2 kids by this way yet) and voila dun just seems a bit odd iygwim..... just having for example carrot n potato for tea is a lil odd to me... *shrug*. dont do veg lol. so cant taste test it as not into grown things.... may contain caterpillar poo..... lol.

Steamed veg would be better than cooked in water as it would keep the nutrients in

U may not like the sound of carrot and potato for dinner but ur not a baby they dont know any different

I would give powdered breakfast but not sure about powered dinners, I think I did a few times with my first but with my 2nd I was more confident and it was so so easy to puree veg and fruit, put in ice cube trays, freeze and take whichever ones out that u want in the morning to be defrosted by lunch/dinner

 

[claire1978]

btw, if u wash the veg their wont be any caterpillar poo

 

[ryder]

veggies are very healthy and important for babies to eat, they help with developement, immune system developement, cancer prevent and many more pluses... they are also much easier to digest then any other food...

Jasmine gets at least 2-3 veggies for dinner, plus rice cereal which is a grain, so I figure it is pretty balanced... I tried meat but she isnt ready yet.

BTW, boiling or steaming anything would kill any germs of cateerpillar pooh.

 

[mommyof3co]

It's best to bake/steam instead of boil, the more contact with water the more nutrients it looses. If your interested wholesomebabyfood.com has all kinds of fruits and veggies and how to prepare them, it's very easy. It also gives yo good ideas for what combos go good together. But it is so important for them to have veggies. I know my hubby is quite picky and he has a hard time when ordering foods, or eating at other's houses because of it, so with our kids we make sure they eat lots of veggies...and variety of everything else of course, but if you don't makethem eat it as young kids/babies they never will and it will be harder for them later...plus it's just healthy for them as babies, kids and adults to eat that way.