Baby Food: Organic or Not?

I think that making your own is best, followed by organic. Making your own isn't as ludicrous as it sounds - I did it with my fourth child and it was just a matter of making up some batches of foods on a Sunday to portion and freeze for quick meals later in the week and then also pureeing what we were eating. I waited until 7 months to start solids with him. By 6 months, it'll be almost summer and there will be lots of fresh fruits and veggies coming into season that you could steam and puree. I don't have the time or patience for shelling peas so I did buy those frozen (organic) and it wasn't squash season so I also bought frozen, organic butternut squash but everything else was fresh. My youngest child is far and away the best eater of my kids - loves to cook, loves to eat, loves fresh, healthy foods that a full of flavor. I like to think some of that comes from having good, fresh, flavorful food from the time he started solids.

If you prefer jarred, I would say that knowing what we know about pesticides and GMOs, it's worth it to go organic - their bodies are so little and new and perfect that you'd hate to introduce conventionally grown foods with who-knows-what done to them into that little body so early.

It is my opinion that baby foods in the US are absolutely disgusting. Gerber? Forget it. They smell the same coming out baby's rear as they do when you open the jar. No thanks.

I fed my boys HiPP baby foods. They're a european company and make organics. You can buy them online. Their baby foods come in BIG jars and actually smell good when you open them. I highly recommend them.

I'm not huge on organics, but I did insist on HiPP with both my boys because their baby foods actually smell like something I cooked instead of something out of a can.

Best!

C. Lee

Another thing to consider: Making your own baby foods. A food processor can zip up anything you're having before it's seasoned. So those organic carrots you're having can be fed to baby too.

ETA: Regarding the AAP's recommendations: The rest of the world feeds babies solids starting at 6 weeks (cereal). I did too. Neither of my boys have food allergies, have never been overweight, and they are great eaters today. They were hungry and I fed them...as mothers have for millennia. They also slept GREAT.

It's a recommendation, not a rule or law. Do what works for you and your baby.

I skipped baby food altogether and simply puréed what we were eating -mostly local and/or organic. Single ingredients to start, then more complete dishes. It is a more cost effective and simply better way of feeding. If you make larger quantities and freeze in ice cube trays it is not really time consuming -you or DH are already preparing food for yourselves.

I think Queen of the Castle is right on in her answer.

Kiddo got only organic for a very, very long time. I ate mostly organic when I nursed, too.

Here's something to remember, so as to stretch your dollars.
I never served baby food straight from the jar, because the spoon introduces bacteria into the food from the baby's mouth. I would spoon out 1/2 a jar into a small bowl or teacup and then feed my son; refrigerate the rest immediately. Thus, less wasted food, because as you know, sometimes they just don't want to eat.

I think it makes sense to spend the extra money, as so many foods are genetically altered or sprayed with Roundup and other pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

I like Christy Lee's suggestion of making your own, too.

Whatever items you think are important for adults to eat organically should be what you feed your baby too. For us, that means baby food that we buy organic would be apples, berries, soft fleshy fruits like peaches, spinach, chicken and beef.

No baby food in our house either. We just mashed up adult food. I'd bake a sweet potato or mash up veggies. After a while I just mashed up whatever her Dad and I were eating that was appropriate.

I never did understand how the little jars were so convenient and honestly the stuff in them is pretty gross. We eat mostly organic now so yes I do think it's important to feed baby the same.

Organic all the way. We loved Earth's Best.

I think so - it's one time that organic is pretty easy too. I want to go all organic for our family but there are times that we need or really want to eat out. Not a problem for a baby! And it's not scientific but they're developing so much that I feel like any chemicals they get at a young age are magnified in terms of their effects on overall health and development.

Yes. It does make sense.

I'm also pretty sure the AAP now says to wait until 6 months before introducing any solids.

Absolutely, but to give you some perspective, my kids are 4 and 2 and they still eat almost entirely organic. Chemicals in my growing children is a concern of mine, and there are a lot of carcinogenic chemicals that babies are exposed to from day 1. So we do what we can to keep additional chemicals away from our kids, knowing that they already get too many as it is.

If you are looking into baby cereal, I really love Happy Bellies brand organics. It just smells like quality food when you open it - I would (and have) eat it! For fruits and veggies, I think Earth's Best is a good company, as are Plum Organics. Both go on sale frequently at Babies R Us and Kroger, so watch for sales.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

YES-YES-YES for organic most of the time ! It's not a waste of money ! Little bodies are developing and should not be consuming chemicals ! Pay for organic foods now---less medical bills later in life !

My grandparents ate organic and did not know it ! I do lectures on feeding your young children-- and blow peoples minds w/ the information about how our food industry has changed since that time...

BUT... What I find is that people who do NOT want to change what they eat...usually WON'T. Changes take time !!! Plus, it's a huge learning experience.

There are a few fruits I will not feed my kids unless they are organic. Strawberries, apples, peaches are loaded w/ pesticides ! Other fruits are not ! See the dirty dozen list on the web.

In fact, I just saw a woman speak on the dangers of eating genetically engineered foods. The audience there--- either started making changes or either gave up these franken foods and just wanted more information.

Over 60 countries in the world have banned Genetically engineered foods ! Why haven't we?

If you eat organic foods...then, you are NOT eating genetically modified foods. It's a win-win situation ! I just heard that PA is the first state to address GE baby foods. I am going to read up about this. I bet OCA.com has some info !

There is an organic farm about 6 miles from my house. No one wears a mask. Some of the crops are eaten by bugs. That's what is a farm should allow. The food tastes FABULOUS ! The soil is tilled by the farmers and compost is added correctly. The soil is full of nutrients. The farmer will let you tour part of the farm. She will show you that the seeds are organic She sells food to SEVERAL of the neighboring towns. Her Farm business has grown sooo much ! Go on localharvest.com to find a local farm !

Let's take a conventional strawberry "farm." The workers wear masks and suits ! The crop duster planes spray chemicals all over them so the bugs don't ruin 1 of them. This equals more profit. Why are nature's bugs being killed? Why are the workers exposed to all these heavy chemicals that they have to be covered head to toe? The soil is depleted of all nutrients ! The strawberries soak all these chemicals in like sponges. I hardly call this a farm! How can this be good for us or the ENVIRONMENT???

There are some foods that I eat organic and I wouldn't eat them any other way !

To take a GREAT look into our food...SEE: Food, Inc
Food, Inc is a great film !!!

Hundreds of organic farms have popped up over the past couple of years !! People are becoming more educated and are concerned about their health and the environment.

Concerned about meat? Howard Lyman has written wonderful books ! I buy grass fed beef ! Cows should eat grass. Instead they are fed genetically engineered corn. The cows get huge, become sick and and live in filthy, cramped conditions. I am very picky when I purchase meat.

I eat from local farms from May through October ! All of these farms are organic !!!!

i'd just keep on with your current philosophy. of course organic is better, and of course most parents want to give their baby the best and most nutritious food available. but you can also make yourself crazy over the organic question.
keep a list of the 'dirty dozen' on your fridge and make sure you don't buy non-organic there. but don't freak out if she eats some stuff that isn't organic.
ETA, organic food isn't 'more nutritious', it's just 'not poisonous.'
khairete
S.

Baby food is basically flavored goo. If you feed the baby this flavored goo you deprive it of the formula that has vitamins and the much needed nutrients for brain development. So please wait at least a couple of months before even considering baby food.

Baby food is not for nutrition, it is a tool to teach kids to chew, swallow, accept new textures, etc....they need the bottle or breast first each ad every time they are hungry then offer a few bites of baby food in a spoon to teach them to. NOT TO FEED THEM>wait until they are older and they can actually just start on table food that is prepared with minimal additions like seasoning, butter, salt, etc....some steamed broccoli that is mushed up is much healthier than a small jar of over processed goo with some vitamins sprinkled in and flavors added to make the baby not spit it out.

i think organic food is a waste of money. There is no proof that organic food is in anyway healthier more nutrtious or in any way better for us.

In fact the farmer can pretty much say his food is organic.. and poof it is organic.

save your money put in tthe bank to pay for college.

We make our own organic "baby food" and buy Earth's Best for travel. I have tasted what I make and the Earth's Best. Fresh food tastes markedly better, try it and you'll a avoid jarred as much as you can. The Gerber organic has DHA from Tuna in it, not supposed to give newborns fish IMO.
A great book recommendation is Baby Super Food. Gives great information on making your own, without judging you for not doing it exclusively.
Another cost/time saver is the Magic Bullet or a knock off. We blend up a banana most mornings for our son and that is all he eats for breakfast, super inexpensive. If we are having sweet potatoes or green beans for dinner, same thing, blend up a little for him in 30 secs.
The rest of the homemade food I spend 2-3 hours one time a month to fill up my freezer.
I spend less money than non-organic jarred food making organic at home. I will buy non-organic from the Clean 15 when I am at the regular grocery store or just can't find what I want.