Baby food

As Baby food are forms of food that contribute to the nutrition of babies and young children. This means porridges, biscuits, milk products, juices and other beverages especially for babies and children.

What you should know about baby food

A child between the ages of 0 and 1 is called a baby, after which it is considered a toddler. The term "baby food" is therefore very broad, since it is also used to feed most small children in whole or in part. If you follow the definition of a baby, the most important ingredient in baby food is milk.

Breast milk is not counted as baby food, as this term usually means industrially or self-made food that does not include breast milk.

Rather, what is meant are breast milk substitute products, from PRE milk for newborns to children's milk for toddlers.

Babies can already be interested in solid food, which is offered to them in the form of baby food, as they cannot chew at this age.

Later on, cookies or nibbles made from puffed rice are added, especially for babies and toddlers, which are not very tasty.

The typical fennel tea as well as other teas and drinks that are accepted by babies and toddlers and digested well are also part of baby food.

Importance to health

In the first few months, baby food is not even necessary for fully breastfed babies, as they can live on their mother's milk alone. During this time, a healthy diet for the mother is more important. However, baby food becomes vital for babies who cannot be breastfed - or if the woman does not want to breastfeed her child for various reasons.

For these cases, there is a special PRE food that is modeled on breast milk and is freshly prepared from boiled water and powder with each feeding. Although it does not contain any antibodies that breast milk could give the baby, it does contain essential vitamins, minerals and fats. The later baby food places great value on preserving the nutrients naturally contained in the individual components. Vitamins and minerals are best retained through gentle preparation such as cooking or steaming. As a result, high-quality baby porridge is an optimal basis for supplying the baby with all the vital substances it needs for its development.

Ingredients & nutritional values

In the case of dairy products, the specific ingredients of baby food are based on the composition of breast milk and are determined by the individual components in baby porridge. Substitute products for breast milk contain a large number of essential vitamins and minerals, in concentrations similar to those in natural breast milk.

While breast milk contains antibodies from the mother's body that are just right for the baby, an industrially manufactured substitute product naturally cannot offer that. This component is missing. Milk for older babies and toddlers also contains starch that is not found in breast milk. It satiates the child and ensures that it gets less hungry. Baby porridges are usually made from a few individual ingredients or just a single ingredient. These are prepared so gently that all vital substances are retained as far as possible. They then resemble the raw vegetables.

Intolerances & allergies

Hardly any baby will develop an allergy to a replacement product for breast milk, but intolerances to the product can crystallize. When you look at the ingredients and nutritional values, you will see that they differ only minimally from manufacturer to manufacturer.

However, these small differences can mean a big change for babies and mean that one dairy product is well tolerated while another leads to colic. This does not mean that the product is bad, but that this baby food is simply not suitable for the baby. The metabolism is still very sensitive, this should be taken into account. Real intolerances usually only show up with solid baby food, which also means baby porridge. Only now does the baby come into contact with fruits and vegetables and it can be shown whether there are intolerances or allergies.

Redness in the diaper area, rashes and other typical signs that are also known from adults indicate that the baby does not tolerate an ingredient in baby food well. It doesn't have to stay that way for a lifetime and can look completely different as early as the next month, but for the moment the metabolism should be spared from the ingredient.

Shopping & kitchen tips

One of the most sensitive representatives of baby food is powdered milk for preparing milk. It does not matter whether it is starting milk or children's milk for a toddler: any powdered milk can spoil. It must therefore be stored in a dark and dry place; it is best to transfer it to an appropriate container immediately after purchase.

If the powder lumps up or the baby refuses the bottle without being sick or for some other identifiable reason, it should be taken seriously. Unfortunately, spoiled milk powder is difficult to recognize at first glance, and it doesn't necessarily smell spoiled. The baby is the first person who could notice that something is wrong. Great importance should therefore be attached to the best before date. You don't need to be so careful with baby porridges, they are packed airtight in small jars.

How long they can be stored is written on the glass. Once opened, they should be placed in the refrigerator and usually not kept for longer than a day, otherwise germs could creep in. This would not be a problem for an adult, but even more so for the baby's immature metabolism. Homemade baby food made from fresh vegetables should be served immediately - storage is only recommended in a locked container in the freezer.

Preparation tips

One of the most sensitive representatives of baby food is powdered milk for preparing milk. It does not matter whether it is starting milk or children's milk for a toddler: any powdered milk can spoil. It must therefore be stored in a dark and dry place; it is best to transfer it to an appropriate container immediately after purchase. If the powder lumps up or the baby refuses the bottle without being sick or for some other identifiable reason, it should be taken seriously.

Unfortunately, spoiled milk powder is difficult to recognize at first glance, and it doesn't necessarily smell spoiled. The baby is the first person who could notice that something is wrong. Great importance should therefore be attached to the best before date. You don't need to be so careful with baby porridges, they are packed airtight in small jars. How long they can be stored is written on the glass. Once opened, they should be placed in the refrigerator and usually not kept for longer than a day, otherwise germs could creep in.

This would not be a problem for an adult, but even more so for the baby's immature metabolism. Homemade baby food made from fresh vegetables should be served immediately - storage is only recommended in a locked container in the freezer.