Ever since the huge brouhaha over the Maggi noodles controversy, people have begun to think twice before buying anything that comes in a packet. One reason the instant noodles controversy became such a big issue was that it was such a common snack among kids. But this isn’t the first time that a product targeted at children or babies has come under the scanner. Remember the great Johnson’s controversy some time back? This just goes on to show that in our country, there are very few (if any) regulations on food or personal care products, even when they’re meant for infants.

In such a situation, it’s worth your while as a parent, to take a better look at store bought baby food mixes. Many parents find them convenient, but when you can have homemade instant mixes, even the convenience doesn’t factor in! Here are some more benefits of choosing homemade instant mixes over store bought or branded mixes like Cerelac for babies.

6 Reasons Homemade Food Mixes are better than Commercial Cerelac for Babies

1. Storage Conditions

Branded baby food mixes are manufactured in factories, and stored in large godowns. There is no way to know if the storage conditions are ideal, especially since one often hears horror stories about rodent infestation at such places.

2. Preservatives

Branded mixes like Cerelac have a long shelf life, which proves the presence of strong preservatives. Feeding young babies preservatives at such a young age hampers organic development.

3. Added Flavors

When a branded mix claims to contain apple, you can’t be sure if it actually contains the fruit or an apple-flavored additive. Many additives just go under the classification of sugars or flavours, so you have really no idea what kind of chemicals you’re feeding your baby.

4. Freshness

Homemade instant mixes need to be consumed within a short while, ensuring that maximum freshness and nutrition is retained. The more such a product lies on the shelf, the lower it’s nutritive value will be, and higher the number of chemicals.

5. Synthetic Taste

Babies who get used to a synthetic taste courtesy extra additives in food tend to grow up preferring packaged food over fresh, which can lead to a lifetime of bad eating habits.

6. Cost

You have to remember that major brands often charge a price for branding, marketing and advertisement, all of which are paid for by the consumers. With homemade mixes, you only pay for what you get!

Our generation is already seeing a huge increase in the incidence of lifestyle diseases, and most of these are caused by unhealthy eating along with a sedentary lifestyle. The Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study reveals that unhealthy eating patterns persist from infancy to adolescence, with dietary quality declining as the years pass. The HabEat project also says that parental involvement and promotion of healthy eating in the first three years of a child’s life set the stage for lifelong tastes and eating habits. Since your child is at such a crucial developmental stage, would you rather he get used to the taste of synthetic, chemical-ridden packaged food or the simple freshness and nutrition of something homemade? So Moms, the next time you think of reaching for that box of branded baby food from the supermarket shelf, please try to remember this post, and we’re sure you’d be happier to feed your child a homemade baby food mix and be glad you’re doing the right thing!

If you’re really busy and can’t find the time to make your own instant mixes, don’t worry!! You can easily order them online from the My Little Moppet Store. For more information on how this works, go here.