Tips and cautions about store-bought baby foods in jars and squeezable pouches:

Types of Food

• Choose foods without added sugar and salt (sodium) on the ingredients list. Ingredients are listed in order of how much there is of each by weight.  The biggest ingredient is listed first.
• Choose separate jars or pouches of meats and vegetables, not combination dinners. Serving meats and vegetables separately lets your baby learn to like different flavours and textures.
• Choose fruits with nothing added. Avoid fruit products that are labeled “dessert”, because they contain added sugar.
• Do not serve custards, because they contain added sugar.

Keep Food Safe

• Check the “best before” date on the jar or pouch. Do not use food past this date.
• Do not feed your baby directly from the jar or pouch.
  • Put a small amount in a dish and spoon feed from the dish.
  • When your baby is finished, throw out any food left in the dish.
  • Any food left in the jar or pouch can be stored in the refrigerator to use later. This food will not contain germs from your baby’s mouth because you did not move the spoon from baby’s mouth into the jar or did not let baby eat directly from the pouch. Keeping these germs out of the jar or pouch can help the food keep for longer.
• Another reason not to let your baby feed directly from squeezable food pouches is because your baby cannot see the food and touch the food with their hands. Seeing and touching food helps them learn to like new foods.
• Store opened jars or pouches of baby food (lids on) in the refrigerator, and throw out if not used within the storage time found on the product label.