What do you keep in mind when purchasing commercially available baby food?
Everyone has different priorities, such as nutrients, preservatives, time saving, salt content, etc.
Hiyori's Japanese Food is a frozen baby food that was created in response to concerns expressed by mothers and fathers at the nursery school that we operate.
When developing our products, we have received a variety of opinions from mothers and fathers raising children.
This time, we will be introducing the voices and concerns of not only moms and dads, but also our followers, along with the results of a survey about what they keep in mind when purchasing commercially available baby food.
Awareness Ranking
6th place: Shape that matches the age of the baby 4.4%
■ Your opinions
- My child doesn't like the thick consistency of commercially available baby food and refuses to eat it.
- Many commercially available foods contain ingredients that are too soft, so my child swallows them without chewing properly, so I try to add hard-boiled vegetables.
- I often swallow rice whole, so I don't know how soft homemade rice should be. I try and error every day.
[Staff advice]
There are individual differences in chewing, such as some babies not liking thick foods or swallowing without chewing properly, so don't be too concerned about age, but rather watch your child's eating habits and gradually adjust the size and hardness of the food.
Once your child gets used to the thick consistency, gradually add harder ingredients to help them get used to it. For swallowing, you can improve by making the size a little larger and a little harder.
Now is the time for your child to get used to eating, so don't push them and proceed at their own pace.
There are individual differences in chewing, such as some babies not liking thick foods or swallowing without chewing properly, so don't be too concerned about age, but rather watch your child's eating habits and gradually adjust the size and hardness of the food.
Once your child gets used to the thick consistency, gradually add harder ingredients to help them get used to it. For swallowing, you can improve by making the size a little larger and a little harder.
Now is the time for your child to get used to eating, so don't push them and proceed at their own pace.
5th place: Convenience/ease of cooking 6.5%
■ Your opinions
- The serving size is large, so it's difficult to adjust the amount. I was worried about letting the food carry over, so I threw it away.
- There are some things that are difficult to throw away, such as bottles, so I'm wondering if there is anything I can do about it.
- While you're making one dish, the other ingredients may cool down, or you may spill something in a hurry... It's also a problem that the kitchen becomes a mess.
- I think it would be good to have a trial size since you never know if your child will eat it even if you buy it.
[Staff advice]
Preparing three meals a day can be a real struggle. Some children eat a lot, while others are picky eaters, so sometimes commercial baby food isn't enough, or you end up with leftovers.
With Hiyori's Japanese meal, you can choose the ingredients you need, boil them in hot water for 3 minutes, and serve them in a bowl just for the amount your child will eat, so it's very easy to prepare. Each packet contains only 15g, making it a small size that can be used up for one meal.
Preparing three meals a day can be a real struggle. Some children eat a lot, while others are picky eaters, so sometimes commercial baby food isn't enough, or you end up with leftovers.
With Hiyori's Japanese meal, you can choose the ingredients you need, boil them in hot water for 3 minutes, and serve them in a bowl just for the amount your child will eat, so it's very easy to prepare. Each packet contains only 15g, making it a small size that can be used up for one meal.
4th place: Taste itself 7.4%
■ Your opinions
- My son won't eat the commercially available ones because they are too strongly seasoned.
- Sometimes I find the food I eat too strong, so I want a simpler tasting baby food.
- Even when I make it myself, I struggle with how much seasoning I should add.
- If baby food is lightly flavored and has a rich texture like homemade food, you will feel less guilty.
[Staff advice]
The kidneys of a 6-month-old baby are only about half that of an adult, and their functions are still immature, so consuming too much salt can put a big strain on them. Also, processed foods, as well as seasonings, contain a lot of salt, so you need to be careful.
Hiyori's Japanese food does not contain any additives such as seasonings or preservatives, so we recommend adding a small amount of seasoning as your child gets older and increasing the variety of food. Moms and dads who feed their children baby food can feel safe and secure feeding their children baby food without feeling guilty.
I hope you enjoy the weaning period together with your child, which may seem long but will pass in the blink of an eye.
The kidneys of a 6-month-old baby are only about half that of an adult, and their functions are still immature, so consuming too much salt can put a big strain on them. Also, processed foods, as well as seasonings, contain a lot of salt, so you need to be careful.
Hiyori's Japanese food does not contain any additives such as seasonings or preservatives, so we recommend adding a small amount of seasoning as your child gets older and increasing the variety of food. Moms and dads who feed their children baby food can feel safe and secure feeding their children baby food without feeling guilty.
I hope you enjoy the weaning period together with your child, which may seem long but will pass in the blink of an eye.
3rd place: Nutritional balance 10.0%
■ Your opinions
- Even though it says that the food is balanced, I worry about whether I'm really getting all the nutrients I need.
- It's very hard to plan three meals a day with proper nutritional balance, separate from my parents' meals. It takes time to prepare, and before you know it, you're thinking about food all day.
[Staff advice]
The trick is to plan your meals based on the "staple food + main dish + side dish" rule. Staple foods are carbohydrates that give you energy, main dishes are proteins that build the body, and side dishes are vitamins and minerals that keep the body in good condition. Combining these three will give you a good nutritional balance. Don't get too worked up about it, just check to see if you have a good general nutritional balance on a daily or weekly basis.
The trick is to plan your meals based on the "staple food + main dish + side dish" rule. Staple foods are carbohydrates that give you energy, main dishes are proteins that build the body, and side dishes are vitamins and minerals that keep the body in good condition. Combining these three will give you a good nutritional balance. Don't get too worked up about it, just check to see if you have a good general nutritional balance on a daily or weekly basis.
2nd place: Raw materials (ingredients) and place of origin 18.0%
■ Your opinions
- I try to choose domestically produced products.
- Even if a product is additive-free, there are times when you are concerned about the ingredients and are hesitant to purchase it.
- We always check the ingredients used to ensure there are no allergies.
- It's surprisingly difficult to find commercially available products that are pesticide-free and domestically produced.
- I'm not sure whether it's okay to buy or use it just because it's popular.
[Staff advice]
Since it is something that will be put in your precious baby's mouth, you want to choose something as safe as possible. Since it takes time for imported foods to be imported after being harvested, they often contain preservatives.
It is safe because it meets food safety standards, but domestically produced products that do not contain unnecessary additives are even safer. In Japan, there are standards for residual pesticides set by the Food Sanitation Act, so there is no problem with consuming it.
If you want to choose a product that is safe and secure, we recommend one that lists the origin of the ingredients and the manufacturing process. It also lists the salt content and allergy information, so we recommend checking the food label before purchasing.
Since it is something that will be put in your precious baby's mouth, you want to choose something as safe as possible. Since it takes time for imported foods to be imported after being harvested, they often contain preservatives.
It is safe because it meets food safety standards, but domestically produced products that do not contain unnecessary additives are even safer. In Japan, there are standards for residual pesticides set by the Food Sanitation Act, so there is no problem with consuming it.
If you want to choose a product that is safe and secure, we recommend one that lists the origin of the ingredients and the manufacturing process. It also lists the salt content and allergy information, so we recommend checking the food label before purchasing.
1st place: Additives/seasonings 26.0%
■ Your opinions
- I'm looking for something with as few additives as possible.
- As babies get older, it seems like more and more foods contain seasonings.
- It's hard to find simple baby food without additives.
- If it contains something unfamiliar to me, I will hesitate to buy it.
[Staff advice]
It is generally considered unnecessary to add salt to baby food. This is because the necessary amount of salt can be made up with the salt contained in breast milk, formula, vegetables, etc. This is a time when tastes are being formed, so feed your baby foods that make the most of the natural flavor of the ingredients. As your baby grows, he or she may stop eating flavorless foods. In such cases, don't worry too much, just aim for light flavors and use small amounts of seasonings. If you don't want to use seasonings, why not try making a dashi stock to add flavor?
It is generally considered unnecessary to add salt to baby food. This is because the necessary amount of salt can be made up with the salt contained in breast milk, formula, vegetables, etc. This is a time when tastes are being formed, so feed your baby foods that make the most of the natural flavor of the ingredients. As your baby grows, he or she may stop eating flavorless foods. In such cases, don't worry too much, just aim for light flavors and use small amounts of seasonings. If you don't want to use seasonings, why not try making a dashi stock to add flavor?
lastly
Baby food can be homemade or store-bought. There is almost no need to worry about additives in baby food sold in Japan. This is because the Food Sanitation Act stipulates that dangerous additives must not be used. Although it is best to avoid additives, it is quite difficult to completely eliminate them. In order to prevent future obesity and illness, it is a good idea to aim for lightly seasoned, well-balanced meals from the time of weaning.
Please feel free to use this as a reference.
