On test
Babyworld's Bumper Food review!
About this test
Good eating habits mean great tastes, quality ingredients and lots of
variation from a young age which is why this month, we've delved into
the wonderful world of mini cuisine, revealing what mums (and their babies)
love most about baby food.
 There are now more options for parents
than ever - from traditional food in a jar and weaning purees to ready
made meals and frozen pots that go from freezer to ready in as little
as five minutes.
The good news is that the price of organic/fresh baby food is coming
down which means purchasing quality 'convenience food' for your baby is
much more attainable for those on a budget.
Our panel of five mums and their babies have reviewed 16 brands of food,
from trusty old supermarket faves and organic options to frozen weaning
pots and 'drop at your door' pasta delivery services.
Their babies' range from recently weaned 6 month olds and older babies
on chunkier textures to toddlers in search of something a little tastier.
Hence, the entire spectrum of first foods has been fully put to the test!
Foods we've reviewed
 Fresh/ready
made meals, jars and purees
Babynat
'tasty first foods that all babies seemed to enjoy'
Boots
Organic
'ideal convenience food'
Heinz
'good basic flavours with widespread appeal'
HiPP
'hugely versatile and loved by all'
Miniscoff
'fresh pasta that's as good as homemade'
Mumtaz
'Basic flavours that babies seemed to love'
Peter
Rabbit Organics
'Great child appeal and natural, homely ingredients'
Plum
Baby
'Quirky tastes and great packaging'
 Frozen
Food
Alfie's
Deli
'A great way to progress to next weaning stage'
Goodness
Knows Purees
'deliciously simple and convenient'
Mini
Diners
Super tasty with lots of unusual combos'
So
Baby
'100% natural and packed with goodness'
Truuuly
Scrumptious
'Organic ingredients, delicious flavours'
 Snacks
Grasshopper
Organic Porridge
'It was so delicious I fought my son for the spoon'
Heinz
'The biscotti's are great for all the family'
Organix
'Delicious snacks with a healthy conscience'
Ella's
Kitchen
'I challenge you to find a baby or toddler who dislikes these'
Boots
Organic
Points to consider
Baby foods vary massively in terms of price, ingredients and convenience
and our panel found that 'some brands were a little excessive in terms
of charges - especially the fresh/frozen options.
They did however agree that 'some of the best/most exciting foods can
be found beyond the supermarket' and that 'it's worth shopping around
on the internet and in smaller independent food stores to see what delights
you can find', especially if cost isn't an issue for you'.
A top priority was ingredients and 80% of the panel agreed that organic
is the better option, favouring foods that clearly listed ingredients
without any added sugar or preservatives. Plum
Baby , Peter
Rabbit , Mini
Diners and So
baby were top of the organic list, though our panel were pleasantly
surprised with the 'Mums
Own' offering from Heinz - 'a great value for money range that tastes
and looks like home cooking'.
The convenience factor was of major importance for our mums who often
require a 'simple, no-fuss meal' that they can transport around with them.
Jars and fresh pots like those available from HiPP
and Plum
Baby scored tops for convenience for their 'easy preparation that's
perfect for hungry babies on the go'. And just because it's frozen doesn't
mean you have to wait hours before you can cook - 'with a quick spin in
the microwave, most of the freezer-friendly varieties were ready in minutes',
'excellent if you want to ensure maximum freshness that doesn't compensate
on convenience at home'.
As mundane as it may sound, packaging is pretty important when it comes
to kiddie appeal. 'If it looks bright and funky, chances are your child
will want to give it a shot, no matter what the ingredients are'. This
was proven with Peter
Rabbit Organics and Ella's
Kitchen - 'an excellent range of brightly coloured smoothies that
even the most anti-fruit/veg tot couldn't resist!'
Awards - which products won
The Best Buy award was jointly won by Plum
Baby ('a fresh, versatile and unique range with some really interesting
combinations') and Goodness
Knows ('affordable, fuss-free weaning pots that can also be mixed
with babies usual milk'). Our panel chose to award Best Value to
HiPP Organic 'an extensive range that children from 6 months - 4 years
seem to love'.
To see more comments on each of the brands tested, click on the review
links above.
Where to next?
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