Katy Bodily, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist is at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Campus located in Lehi.
Baby food pouches with pureed food have been a favorite for both babies and older children. Food pouches are not recommended by pediatricians because they can be detrimental to your child’s development, especially when it comes to motor skills and food habits.
Katy Bodily, a dietitian-nutritionist at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital’s Larry H. Miller Family Campus, Lehi in Utah, said that it is recommended to feed babies and toddlers with a teaspoon or by putting tiny bits of food before them in order to promote exploration and motor skill development. Eating with babies is an experience that involves all of their senses and builds skills. “Food pouches can disrupt development and have a long-term impact on a child’s health.”
Bodily recommends parents take into consideration the following things before giving little food pouches:
Delayed development: If a majority of the baby’s food is pureed and sucked out of tubes, the child will miss the chance to develop normal oral skills.
Bad Snacking and Eating Habits Pouches as an alternative to regular meals may lead to unhealthy eating habits, obesity and poor health. In addition, children miss the socialization and family bonding that come with meals at home.
Obesity Risk: They are calorie-dense, and your child can consume more calories than they could eat by themselves. Sugar is also a common ingredient in pureed pouches, which can lead to an imbalanced diet and the preference of sweet food. By masking the taste of vegetables by using sweet food like apples, it is harder for children to acquire a liking for vegetables.
Bodily said that balance is the key. Parents should serve their children healthy, whole food at meals for optimal nutrition and development as well as parent-child interactions. Food pouches are a great snack for on the go. Use them sparingly and include whole foods into your child’s daily diet.
How to select the best food pouch?
Select pouches that list a vegetable first as an ingredient. The pouch will be marked with the words “More vegetables” than “Fruits”, allowing you to reduce sugar and sweeteners.
Choose pouches containing a protein source. It can be meat, quinoa or lentils.
For more information, visit intermountainhealthcare.org/childrens-health.
Baby food pouches with pureed food have been a favorite for both babies and older children. Food pouches are not recommended by pediatricians because they can be detrimental to your child’s development, especially when it comes to motor skills and food habits.
To encourage motor development and exploration, it is recommended that toddlers and babies be given food with a spoon. Babies learn to use their senses and develop skills by eating. The use of food pouches can disrupt development and have a long-term impact on a child’s health.
Before giving pouches of food to children, parents should take into consideration the following:
Delayed development: If a majority of the baby’s food is pureed and sucked out of tubes, the child will miss the chance to develop normal oral skills.
Bad Snack and Meal Habits Pouches as an alternative to regular meals may lead to unhealthy eating habits, obesity and poor health. In addition, children miss the socialization and family bonding that come with meals at home.
Obesity Risk: They are calorie-dense, and your child can consume more calories than they could eat by themselves. Sugar is also a common ingredient in pureed pouches, which can lead to an imbalanced diet and the preference of sweet food. By masking the taste of vegetables by using sweet food like apples, it is harder for children to acquire a liking for vegetables.
The key to balance is moderation. Parents should serve their children healthy, whole foods during mealtimes to ensure optimal nutrition and development as well as parent-child interactions. Food pouches are a great snack for on the go. Use them sparingly and include whole foods into your child’s daily diet.
How to select the best food pouch?
Select pouches that list a vegetable first as an ingredient. The pouch will be marked with the words “More vegetables” than “More fruits”, allowing you to reduce sugar and sweeteners.
Choose pouches containing a protein source. It can be meat, quinoa or lentils.
For more information, visit intermountainhealthcare.org/childrens-health.
Intermountain Health
The company is headquartered in Utah, with additional locations across the Western U.S. Intermountain Health Select Health, which has more than 1 million members and is part of a non-profit health system, includes 34 hospitals and approximately 400 clinics. It also offers other services. Intermountain’s mission is to help people lead the healthiest possible lives. It is widely recognized for its leadership in healthcare transformation by using best-practice evidence to deliver consistently high-quality results at affordable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.
