Matt Hazell Blog

When people ask what prompted me to start The Baby Chef, several reasons that spring to mind – the belief that there must be a simpler way to illustrate weaning, the feeling that a closer bond can be developed by sharing mealtimes, and the desire to take away parents’ natural concerns during this period.

But surely one of the main reasons anyone wants to feed their child fresh, healthy, homemade food is to ensure they get the best possible start to life? After all, anyone that knows me knows my passion for good food – but my desire to give Luca a healthy start is an even greater driving force.

And I think the importance of home cooked food is made even more prominent in the light of high profile studies showing how much sugar, salt and fat can be found in certain baby foods – and showing that cheeseburgers and biscuits can be more nutritious.

The Children’s Food Campaign survey carried out last year showed that certain baby foods had more sugar than chocolate digestives, while others contained more saturated fat per 100g than a McDonald’s quarter pounder cheeseburger.

Overall the survey revealed an incredibly high number of baby and toddler foods that were deemed high in saturated fat, salt and sugar. Only half the products were low in saturated fat, salt and sugar.

Studies like this do make me upset because our children’s health should be a priority. I just hope that we can show people that home prepared weaning food  can be simple to produce and cheap to buy, encouraging them to make the switch from the convenience foods that aren’t actually good for our little ones.

A full report on the survey, along with statements from some of the companies featured, can be found at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/may/04/baby-food-nutrition-claims