Are Baby Food Pouches Fueling Guilt Among Mothers? Unpacking the Controversy | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

Like many modern mothers, I’ve occasionally fed my child right from a pouch of bolognese, and you know what? I don’t feel guilty about it. There’s a lot of concern about ultra-processed foods (UPFs), especially baby food pouches. Researchers from the University of Leeds found that 41% of meals for kids have too much sugar, and 21% of fruit products and cereals are too watery, lacking proper nutrition.

But let’s be real: any parent grabbing a product labeled “Heinz fruity banana custard” isn’t mistaking it for homemade mashed bananas. It’s not shocking news. Have we reached a point where people are overreacting to processed foods? I even saw someone suggest extreme penalties for baby food makers. This uproar feels like just another way to guilt mothers.

Sure, I worry about childhood obesity, tooth decay, and the nutritional needs of my child. I grew up in a household that valued home-cooked meals, and my mother taught me to be cautious of additives. We eat mostly vegetarian and opt for organic, trying to make healthy choices. You’d think this news about pouches would stress me out, but after writing a parenting column for some time, I’ve learned to be skeptical of sensational claims that might shame moms for their choices.

There are claims, like those linking pouches to speech delays or fussiness, which seem aimed at making parents feel inadequate. It frustrates me that mothers are still targeted for their choices, with a narrative pushing us back into traditional roles.

Many parents are painted as lazy or too distracted to feed their kids right. Yet I’ve never met a baby solely fed from pouches, nor a mother unaware that homemade meals are more nutritious. The conversation around UPFs ignores broader social issues, like the pressures of time and finances.

The current trend is “baby-led weaning,” which sounds great until you consider safety—like giving a baby a chicken bone, which is a choking hazard. The moral judgment around choosing purees is tough. One mother told me pouches were a lifesaver when she was out and about.

Laura Thomas wrote an insightful piece critiquing the backlash against ultra-processed baby foods. She describes cooking as “foodwork,” which is largely done by women. This reflects a cultural expectation that can keep women tied to the kitchen. The criticisms of baby food pouches often don’t consider issues of class, gender, and race—or even the needs of children requiring special diets.

If I were to feel guilty about using pouches, I’d be falling into a mindset that focuses too much on individual choices instead of addressing systemic issues. Yes, it’s nice to cook from scratch when I can, but I won’t let societal pressures trap me in the kitchen.

Food companies have a role in this too. We need a society that invests in better parental support, like improved paternity leave, workplace childcare, and community programs that teach cooking skills. Instead of criticizing parents for using pouches, how can we create an environment that encourages and supports healthy eating habits?

My son is now three and eats a wide range of foods. Despite his early reliance on purees, he enjoys everything from chicken madras to fish. We even mixed pouches with other foods to broaden his palate. Building healthy eating habits in kids is tough work, and sometimes you just need to make life a little easier. Life can be hard, and a dash of convenience isn’t a crime.



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