The simple tip to help you buy the best pre-made baby food

Pre-made baby food pouches are super convenient for feeding your baby while out and about, travelling, or just when you need a break from preparing and cooking food. 

But are all baby foods created equal? And what does all the information on the back of the packet actually mean?

The good news is that you don’t have to be a nutritionist to decode the nutrition information panel on the back when you duck into the supermarket for an easy dinner. 

There’s one little tip that will go a long way. 

Water, water, water

Yes, you should avoid foods that are high in sugar and salt, but another quick tip is to look at how much of each main ingredient is in the packet.

According to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 code, if a reference is made in the label (including in the name of the food) to milk, eggs, cheese, fish, meat, nuts or legumes, the percentage of that ingredient in the food is required to be printed on the label.

Additionally, the ingredients must be listed in descending order. So the first ingredient you see listed is present in the food in the largest amount by weight – including added water.

So what does this mean?

Basically, some pre-made foods have a fair bit of water added to them. So if water is listed as the first ingredient, then it’s probably not that great.

For example, if the ingredients list says: Water, Vegetables (34%) Beef (9%) Tomato Paste (6%) Pasta (4%), then water is the main ingredient in this meal. In fact, if you add up the other ingredient’s percentages, you can work out that this product is 47% water.

While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with water (it’s very good for you!), if you’re buying this product for the beef or the pasta, you can see that there’s probably not enough actual food in it to satisfy your baby’s hunger. 

Try to choose products that list one of the title ingredients first!

So which pre-made baby food products do Tell Me Baby parents love?

In no particular order, here are five popular baby foods that come highly rated and reviewed in the Tell Me Baby community.

Note: these have been rated by the community on a number of factors, including taste, ease of use and ingredients.

1. Rafferty’s Garden Blueberries, Banana & Apple 4m+

“These fruit pouches are a game changer! Amazing ingredients, nothing but fruit and a fantastic range of flavours!” wrote one reviewer.

Read more Rafferty’s Garden Blueberries, Banana & Apple 4m+ reviews. 

2. Baby Bellies Organic Sweet Potato, Carrot & Brown Rice Jumble Bowl

Parents love the bowl this Baby Bellies meal comes in. “I love how this came in its own bowl and can be served either cold or hot. I will definitely be trying the other combinations with my bub as this is a great way of getting baby to eat veggies,” said a reviewer.

Read more Baby Bellies Organic Sweet Potato, Carrot & Brown Rice Jumble Bowl reviews. 

3. FUNCH Apple, Pear & Chia Australian Fruit Puree

FUNCH Apple, Pear & Chia Australian Fruit Puree is a great introduction to solids. One parent wrote: “The consistency is perfect for first-time solid. It is a little bit runny and smooth. Taste is great too, sweet and can taste the sourness too and added with DHA is a bonus.” 

Read more FUNCH Apple, Pear & Chia Australian Fruit Puree reviews.

4. Little Étoile Organic Chicken, Veggies & Brown Rice 6m+

Parents love these pouches for a few reasons, but as one mum wrote: “I could tell that he liked these pouches much more than others we had tried. Perhaps they tasted like the veggies that I made for him.”

Read more Little Étoile Organic Chicken, Veggies & Brown Rice 6m+ reviews.

5. Only Organic Banana, Raspberry & Vanilla 8m+

Parents love to have these on hand when they are on the go with their little ones. “This yet another Only Organics pouch that my son loves. I like to have fruit purée pouches on hand to mix in with yoghurt and he devours them,” said one parent.

Read more Only Organic Banana, Raspberry & Vanilla 8m+ reviews.

6. Kiddylicious Straws

Parents love these snacks because they’re healthy and come in a small packet that’s perfect to throw in the nappy bag.

“Really good. And super easy for little ones to hold,” said a reviewer. “Pretty healthy compared to other snack foods. Only a small packet which is good just to shove in the bag for the day.”

Read more Kiddylicious Straws reviews.