Preparing baby food or home-based breastmilk complementary foods yourself has many benefits. For example, you can choose and ensure the quality of the ingredients used, introduce more diverse flavors to children, and are also more economical.
But when you can't prepare complementary foods at home, there's nothing wrong with buying packaged baby porridge. Apart from being more practical, packaged baby porridge is easy to store and can be made anywhere. Packaged foods for babies are made safely based on special provisions set by the World Health Organization (WHO). This provision includes standards of safety, hygiene and nutritional content. In addition, packaged baby porridge sold in the market should have received a registration number from the health department, so it is safe for your little one to consume.
Even so, you still have to pay attention to some of these things when choosing packaged baby porridge:
- Check the expiration date and other details on the packaging
The expiration date is usually printed on the outside of the baby porridge package. Check the expiration date and year. Choose baby porridge whose expiration period is at least one year ahead. In addition, check the date of manufacture, up to the registration number of the health department. If this baby porridge has received permission from the health department, it means that it is safe for your little one to consume.
- Check packaging integrity
Before buying, check the baby food packaging first. Is it still perfectly sealed or is there a broken part. For example, the packaging is not tight, torn or has leaks. Baby food that is still sealed indicates that the food is not contaminated so it is safe for your little one.
- Read the serving rules
Read the rules for serving and processing. The thing that must be observed is that each instant porridge may have a different way of serving. Mistakes in serving instant porridge can have an effect on the texture of the porridge that your little one may not like.
- Check the content of instant baby porridge
Pay attention to the label on the package, such as the salt content which is usually written sodium or sodium and sugar content. Make sure the levels do not exceed the limit for the baby's daily sodium or sugar intake. Choose instant baby porridge with high iron content needed by your little one to support their growth and development.
- Adjust the pulp type based on age
As the baby gets older, give it a porridge that has a texture to stimulate the growth of teeth and its taste buds. Likewise with the nutritional content, because the nutritional needs of babies aged 6 months are different from babies aged 10 months or 1 year. Pay attention to the recommended age for consuming instant baby porridge on the packaging.
- Learn how to save
On the packaging there is usually information about how to store instant slurry. Look for clues after opening the packaging whether to finish it immediately or to store it for the next few days. This is important so that the porridge served to babies has optimal nutritional levels.
- Baby porridge with a special formula
Some packaged baby porridge sold in the market usually contains cow's milk. If your baby is allergic to cow's milk, you should buy baby porridge that does not contain cow's milk or packaged baby porridge with a special formula for children who are allergic to cow's milk. You can also add breastmilk to packaged baby porridge as if you would use breastmilk to make homemade solids that you make yourself.
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