3 Reasons to Think Twice About Baby Food Pouches (Pedcast by Doc Smo and Sonya Corina Williams)

Sure, they are convenient but have you ever wondered if toddlers and young children, eating, or should I say drinking, pureed food from a food pouch is a smart idea? Stay tuned to get Doc Smo's answer. Image by dhanelle from Pixabay Musical Intro Providing Pouches Let me paint you a familiar scenario; You’re in the grocery store on a Sunday afternoon. The aisles are packed with shoppers stocking up for the week. Your 18 month old is getting hungry, but every check-out line snakes far into the distance. He or she is getting antsy and progressively more upset. You’re worried about a full blown meltdown, seconds away. Luckily, you reach into your purse or backpack and pull out a baby food pouch! Crisis averted! Your child is happily eating pureed fruits and greens, and you safely make it through the line and home for dinner. These kinds of situations are all too familiar - whether it’s the grocery store, or their sibling’s dance class, or running errands. Baby food pouches have become an easy, less messy way to carry food that your child will eat while you’re on the go. In fact, until recently (they have actually started falling), sales of baby food in pouch form have skyrocketed since their arrival on the market in 2008. But while they are very convenient and handy to have, they might not be the best choice for your child. Some pediatricians, pediatric speech therapists, and swallowing experts have been sounding the alarm that feeding children pureed food that is not chewed but rather sucked down has a negative impact on a child's ability to learn to chew and swallow non-pureed foods properly. So today we’re going to talk about the pouch predicament that parents face who are raising young children-to use or not to use food pouches? A Few Pouch Predicaments to Ponder No one is going to argue the fact that baby food pouches are convenient and useful at times. But there is more to the story than convenience. Here are a few reasons why baby food pouches may not be the best option for your child. Potential