Grab these jarred baby foods on days when you don’t have the time to make fresh baby purées!
You may swear by offering your baby only the freshest homemade organic food, but it sure can be tiring. All that steaming, blending and mashing does take up a fair chunk of your time, especially when you’ve got a crying baby to attend to.
But is commercial baby jar food really all that bad?
While it’s definitely more handy, it can cost a pretty penny. Plus, you worry about the added salt and sugar, as well as preservatives. And does processing the food involve high heat, which may reduce its nutritional value.
On the other hand, fresh homemade food doesn’t keep as well as jarred food, which means you need to be careful of bacterial growth, especially if you plan to be out for hours. So, perhaps a combination would work ― offer bubba the homemade stuff when you’re at home, and commercial baby food when you’re out.
These days, jarred organic baby food is also available, so you can avoid serving your baby any nasty additives. We’ve listed the best jarred organic baby foods for your munchkin.
Heinz Organic Tender Beef with Vegetable Mash
Price $4.50/170g
From Redmart
What This hearty meal for your baby, which contains no added colours, flavours and preservatives, is packed with lots of nutritious, certified organic ingredients like tomatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots, pumpkin and beef. It’s suitable for babies over 8 months.
Parents say Heinz is easily available in most major supermarkets, so it’s easy to pick up if you’re on the go and haven’t prepped a ready meal for bubba. Says Claudine Lim, mum to Giselle, 11 months, “Giselle normally doesn’t like anything that has meat in it, but she’s perfectly fine with this, so I’m happy that she’s getting some protein and iron with it.” The texture is just right for babies who are still learning to chew, and we also like that the portion is generous and will definitely fill tummies.
Only Organic Vegetable Lasagna
Price $3.90/170g
From Agape Babies
What Suitable for babies over 9 months, this pasta dish is made from organic pumpkin, peas, carrots, tomato, celery, onion, basil and cheese. Do note that this dish contains milk.
Parents say The lasagna is packed with natural flavours that your baby will love, and it isn’t too salty, even though it has cheese. Offer this value-for-money meal to your older baby. The texture is great, so he can even try spoon feeding himself.
Earth’s Best Organic Pears and Raspberry
Price $2.40/4oz
From Cold Storage
What Your little one will love the sweet taste of the pear and the subtle tartness of raspberries. It’s suitable for babies 6 months and above, and contains no artificial flavours, colours, preservatives, nor any growth hormones, antibiotics, steroids or potentially harmful pesticides or herbicides.
Parents say Smooth and fruity, this will be a hit with your baby. You can add some cereal to it as your baby gets older and used to thicker textures. Says mum Sara Gomes, “This is my son’s favourite ― he finishes it in minutes. I like that it contains raspberries because it’s expensive to buy the fruit here and I would have to spend so much time straining the seeds ― so, this works.”
There’s even a jarred baby food option for dessert ― up next!
Healthy Times Sweet Potatoes & Apples
Price $2.95/113g
From Baby Online
What A blend of organic sweet potatoes and crisp, ripe organic apples, young babies will love its sweet taste and smooth texture. Gluten free, it’s free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives, nor does it contain added sugar or salt.
Parents say Both apples and sweet potatoes are a favourite with babies for their mild sweet tastes, plus, they are packed with nutritional goodness. The serving is small, but it’s one of the cheaper jarred baby foods in the market. So, it’s probably best for younger babies who don’t eat much.
Babynat Organic Vegetables & Quinoa
Price $3.50/200g
From Agape Babies
What From Babynat’s meal range comes this blend of organic veggies like carrots, peas, onions and tomatoes, together with quinoa, which is rich in essential amino acids and natural minerals. The organically grown products are steam-cooked to preserve the vitamins and minerals. Suitable from 8 months.
Parents say “I like that it contains quinoa, which I cook regularly for my baby because of its nutritional benefits,” says Gomes. This comes in a generous serving and is reasonably priced .
Holle Organic Apple Jar
Price $3.25/190g
From SuperNature
What Suitable for babies over 4 months, this jar of organic apples contains apple, wholegrain rice flour and apple juice concentrate. Free from added sugar and thickening agents, the serving is large ― if bubba can’t finish it, you can keep the untouched leftovers in the fridge for 48 hours.
Parents say If your baby is just starting to wean, single fruits are your best bet, since it presents a lower allergy risk. Says mum of 2-year-old twins Ho Kei Shan, “This purée is tasty and smooth ― the twins used to share a jar since it was big enough for both of them ― so, it was really good value for money.”
HiPP Organic Banana and Peach Dessert
Price $3.20/125g
From Redmart
What Suitable for babies from 4 months, this sweet treat is blended with rice and steamed ripe bananas and peaches, so that it's full of goodness and flavour. It does not contain any preservatives nor added milk.
Parents say This is a good choice to throw into your diaper bag for those “just in case” times when bubba asks for more food after her meal, or when wants a little snack. “It’s a good size for a dessert, not too big and not too small, and it tastes yummy, even to me,” says Lim.
Main photo: iStock
Check out our other product reviews here.
Other baby stories you may like…