How food pouches affect babies

Why feeding babies food pouches every day can cause long term problems.

Created: 16/07/2025 10:28 GMT

Feeding you baby food pouches regularly can cause a number of problems later in life. I have tried to highlight some of the more evident below.

No food texture variation, watery and low in fibre

Regularly sucking purée from a spout means babies are not learning to chew. Chewing is a crucial skill for developing the muscles in the jaw and face, which are also important for speech development. Food pouches are often watery in consistency to offer an easy way for babies to suck it, which doesn't allow for a no range of textures. The water content of food pouches are presumably higher(not explicit in the packaging) than homemade food, which decreases the nutrient density of the food. This fact also indicates that they are low in fibre.

No food color variation,lack of different smell and flavor profiles, creating fussiness

One of the things that we noticed when giving food pouches to our little ones was that all the recipes somehow looked, smelled and tasted pretty much the same. Our baby even stopped eating them when we tried occasionally giving them on the weekends. This is good, as the opposite could occur. They also miss the multi-sensory experience which is feeding. Weaning is a critical window for introducing a variety of textures. Pouches often have a uniform, smooth consistency. This can lead to fussiness and a reluctance to accept more complex textures in home-cooked family meals later on.

Oral Health Issues

As already explained in other blog posts, one of the bigger issues is tooth decay in newly emerging baby teeth.

Low in Key Nutrients

Even when pouches are labelled with "no added sugar," they can be very high in 'free sugars'. The processing of fruit into purées breaks down the cell walls, releasing sugars that are then considered 'free sugars'. These have the same potential to cause harm as added table sugar. Many pouches, particularly fruit-based ones, can contain more sugar than is recommended for a young child in a day. Another discovery by the BBC Panorama documentary was that some pouches were alarmingly low in essential nutrients like iron and vitamin C.

Misleading Marketing and Labelling

Pouches often feature "health halo" claims such as being "perfectly balanced," "packed with goodness," or "one of your five a day." These claims can be misleading, giving a false impression of healthiness when the product may be high in sugar and low in essential nutrients. Many pouches are labelled as suitable from 4 months, which directly contradicts the clear NHS and World Health Organisation guidance to start solid foods at around 6 months. This can be confusing for parents and may encourage premature weaning. Furthermore, the front of the pouch may highlight certain vegetables, while the ingredients list reveals that the majority of the content is a sweet fruit purée.

In summary, while convenient, the regular use of baby food pouches can lead to a diet that is high in sugar and low in essential nutrients, hinder the development of crucial eating skills, increase the risk of tooth decay, and mislead parents through their marketing. UK health authorities and charities now recommend that pouches be used only occasionally, not as a replacement for everyday meals, and that home-prepared foods should form the basis of a baby's diet.

Why is our food better?

Our food should be a complement to baby milk at least until 2 years of age. Breast (or follow-on)milk is still the most important food source for you baby.

We believe that feeding you baby healthy food is one few things that you can do to make him thrive! Just like in any other stage in life, healthy eating play a crucial role in your wellbeing, but more so during yearly years when your body is developing so quickly. Our food is also convenient practical and easy to store and carry and can be used anywhere. What makes our food better:

  • Our food is cooked daily with the best ingredients. We don't have to process it to have long shelf-life, compromising on the nutritional value.
  • Because we don't process it as much, we don't need to add additional components, meaning we are not ultra processing it.
  • We deliver right to your door, to make sure your baby gets it fresh. Plus it's always at hand
  • Our food is not wrapped in plastic, bioplastics, aluminum or composites! Our food is packed in glass which is food safe and recyclable.
  • Jars don't need to have liquid consistency. Furthermore, we provide different textures for different courses (main, pudding - fruit).

Make no compromise, give them the best! Give them PureNutri.

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