4 Icky Things Hiding in Store-Bought Baby Food

dinsdag 10 september 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Adriana Velez 3 hours ago

Do you feed your child homemade baby food or store-bought baby food? The answer could say a lot about what kind of parent you are! Just kidding -- we're not going there today. I fed my baby homemade, but mostly out of laziness. It was just easier to mash up whatever was already on our plates (within reason) and feed that to our son. But in case you're looking for an excuse to buy that expensive Babycook, science is on your side. There are some significant reasons why homemade baby food is better, and they're all in the form of icky additives found in prepared baby food. Here's what you probably don't want to feed your baby.

Sugar: A 71-gram serving of banana puree may contain up to 13 grams of sugar. Compare this with the same amount of mashed-up fresh banana, which has just 8.7 grams of sugar. Baby food manufacturers may not add sugar, but since most are made from reconstituted concentrates, you get more sugar anyway.

Sodium: Looking at the banana puree again, the bottled version may have 5 milligrams of sodium. Fresh banana has less than 1 milligram of sodium. Again, this is due to the process of making commercial baby food. By the way, that process also removes some of the helpful fiber you do want.

Fillers: While many baby food makers don't add sugar or salt, they may still add starchy fillers that make it less nutritious per volume than homemade.

Preservatives: Some baby food manufacturers "fortify" their baby food with vitamin C, but babies already get plenty of this vitamin from breast milk or formula. And it's a little suspicious that vitamin C also happens to be a preservative. Why does it need to be in there at all, really?

Just keep in mind, baby food when your baby is under a year old is less about actually feeding your baby and more about getting them used to eating solids and experiencing new flavors. So if you're interested in making your own, don't over-think it. Start small -- you know, take baby steps.

Do you make your own baby food?

Image via Steven Depolo/Flickr

Click the "Like" button below to get Natural Parenting stories on Facebook. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adriana Velez

is a staff writer who dabbles in food, parenting, news, entertainment, molecular biology, and anything else that that pops into her head. She lives with her elementary school-aged son in Brooklyn, land of urban farms and artisan everything.  

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Is Blake Lively in Hiding Because She's Pregnant?

donderdag 25 juli 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Ericka Sóuter 16 hours ago

As soon as a couple ties the knot, one question usually follows: when are you going to have kids. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds were certainly no exception. In fact, after their wedding in September 2012, people speculated a pregnancy was the reason for the super-secret nuptials. However now, Blake may actually have a baby on the way.

According to Perez Hilton, the one-time Green Lantern costars are expecting their first child. According to a witness at the Turbo premiere, "She was rocking a little paunch -- maybe the tiniest of baby bumps." Then a friend revealed that they are just waiting to make it through the first trimester before making the official announcement.

Need more proof? She's usually a size 2 and loves to show off her fit bod, but lately she's opted for flowing clothes and sweaters. Plus, adds the pal, she has given up red wine and champagne for water. All telltale signs.

It actually isn't such a far fetched idea. For months, they have been holed up in their Bedford, New York home. They have only been spotted out and about sporadically. At first it seemed odd that the high profile couple would prefer the sleepy suburb to the excitement of Hollywood or a cosmopolitan city like New York. But if they were planning to start a family, it makes perfect sense. I bet there is some serious nesting going on.

If true, this is destined to be the most genetically blessed child in Hollywood history (story Shiloh Jolie-Pitt).

Do you think about Blake possibly being pregnant?

Image via Splash

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ericka Sóuter

is a veteran pop culture and celeb news writer. That experience boils down to two things: she knows way too much about the Kardashians and she dominates on Trivial Pursuit's arts and entertainment questions.

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Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici's Suggestive Photo Makes It Look Like They're Hiding Something

vrijdag 19 juli 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Mary Fischer 31 minutes ago

Dude. What do you make of this sweet yet subtly sexy photo Bachelor Sean Lowe posted of himself and Catherine Giudici on Instagram? Ok, so I know upon first glance, it just looks like a cute photo that every couple takes a million different times in a million different places -- but look a little closer.

See how Catherine's fingers happen to be slipped underneath Sean's shirt, in between the buttons? Oh yeah, I should probably mention that he captioned the photo with, "My chick bad."

Yep. "My chick bad."

To which Catherine responded on Twitter, "This chick hood." (Which I'm guessing was meant to read, "This chick good." Can't fault her for making a typo. We all do it.)

OMG -- what is going on with these two?!? What exactly does Sean mean by "My chick bad"?

If I had to guess, I'd say it has something to do with her little slip of the fingers -- like she's being a major tease and it's driving him bonkers. That would make her a little bit naughty, right?

Or wait a minute, dare I say it? Could it be that Sean and Catherine have given up on saving themselves for marriage and are finally doing the dirty on a regular basis? Because that would be AWESOME. And it's really not as far fetched as it sounds.

Take a look at the photo again. Don't they both have sort of an evil grin on their faces? It's like they're doing something they're not supposed to -- something that's forbidden. (LOVE it.)

And that brings us back to Catherine's comment about the pic -- "This chick [g]ood."

Hmm. Is she good enough that she got Sean to cave on the whole born again virgin thing? If that's the case, then she certainly deserves to give herself a pat on the back because he's been pretty adamant about keeping his pants on until they say "I do."

Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill here -- but something tells me Sean and Catherine have some sort of secret they're hiding. (As they should.)

What do you make of this photo?

Image via Instagram

Click the "Like" button below if you're a fan of The Bachelor(ette) ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mary Fischer

is the writer behind The Mommyologist, and the mom of a future famous comedian. Her current loves include cosmopolitans, reality TV, and shoes that don't pinch her feet.

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