Intermountain Health Experts Discuss Baby Food Pouches

Pureed baby food pouches have become a popular food source for babies and older kids. But pediatric experts say food pouches can shortchange your kids at a critical time for food habits and motor skill development.

“It’s recommended that babies and toddlers be fed with a spoon or by placing tiny pieces of food in front of them to encourage exploration and motor skills,” said Katy Bodily is a registered dietitian nutritionist at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Campus in Lehi, Utah. “Eating is a full-senses experience and skill builder for babies. Food pouches disrupt important development that can impact a child’s health long-term.”

Bodily suggests parents consider the following before giving food pouches to little ones:

Delayed Development: When most of a baby’s meals come in the form of a puree sucked from a tube, they lose the opportunity to learn normal feeding and oral development skills.

Poor Snacking and Meal Habits: Using pouches as a replacement to meals can lead to poor snacking habits later in life, a greater risk of obesity, and poor health.  And just as important, kids miss out on the family socialization that comes with family meals.

Risk of Obesity: Calorie-dense and allow your child to consume a lot of calories more quickly than they would by eating. Pureed food pouches also are typically high in sugar, which creates the risk of imbalanced nutrition and a taste preference for sweet foods. Masking the flavors of vegetables with sweet foods like apples makes it harder for kids to develop a taste for them, increasing their risk of refusing vegetables later.

“Balance is key,” said Bodily. “For optimal nutrition, development, and parent-child interaction, parents should feed kids healthy whole foods at mealtimes. It’s OK to use food pouches as an on-the-go snack. Just remember to use them sparingly incorporate whole foods in your child’s diet.”

Here’s how to choose the most optimal food pouch:

Choose pouches listing a vegetable as the first ingredient. This will indicate the pouch contains more vegetables than fruits, helping cut back on extra sugars and sweetness.

Choose pouches containing a protein source. This can be quinoa, lentils, beans, or meat, and will help balance and optimize nutrition.

For more information, visit intermountainhealthcare.org/childrens-health.

Pureed baby food pouches have become a popular food source for babies and older kids. But pediatric experts say food pouches can shortchange your kids at a critical time for food habits and motor skill development.

It’s recommended that babies and toddlers be fed with a spoon or by placing tiny pieces of food in front of them to encourage exploration and motor skills. Eating is a full-senses experience and skill builder for babies. Food pouches disrupt important development that can impact a child’s health long-term.

Parents should consider the following before giving food pouches to little ones:

Delayed Development: When most of a baby’s meals come in the form of a puree sucked from a tube, they lose the opportunity to learn normal feeding and oral development skills.

Poor Snacking and Meal Habits: Using pouches as a replacement to meals can lead to poor snacking habits later in life, a greater risk of obesity, and poor health.  And just as important, kids miss out on the family socialization that comes with family meals.

Risk of Obesity: Calorie-dense and allow your child to consume a lot of calories more quickly than they would by eating. Pureed food pouches also are typically high in sugar, which creates the risk of imbalanced nutrition and a taste preference for sweet foods. Masking the flavors of vegetables with sweet foods like apples makes it harder for kids to develop a taste for them, increasing their risk of refusing vegetables later.

Balance is key. For optimal nutrition, development, and parent-child interaction, parents should feed kids healthy whole foods at mealtimes. It’s OK to use food pouches as an on-the-go snack. Just remember to use them sparingly incorporate whole foods in your child’s diet.

Here’s how to choose the most optimal food pouch:

Choose pouches listing a vegetable as the first ingredient. This will indicate the pouch contains more vegetables than fruits, helping cut back on extra sugars and sweetness.

Choose pouches containing a protein source. This can be quinoa, lentils, beans, or meat, and will help balance and optimize nutrition.

For more information, visit intermountainhealthcare.org/childrens-health.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a not-for-profit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.