This survey was carried out by Braun and the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), it has been reproduced on the site with their permission.

NEW MUMS STRUGGLE TO DELIVER HOME COOKED MEALS TO BABIES

Study reveals one third of babies not receiving regular home cooked meals

One in three (36 per cent) new mums is struggling to provide fresh food for their babies according to a new study conducted by Braun Baby in partnership with the National Childbirth Trust (NCT).

Despite broad consensus in this sample that home cooked is best for babies (85% of mums stated their preference for home cooked to store-bought) the findings reveal that around a third (36%) find they have to supplement meal times with packaged foods This is despite anxiety among mums around the perceived nutritional content of pre-prepared foods (86% expressed concern) and a widespread recognition of babies’ preference for home cooked foods (85% said their baby preferred home cooked).

• Mums keen to do the best for their baby cite a number of hurdles at the root of the tough decision to serve up store-bought foods at meal times:
• Nutritional content of home prepared food:
• The most commonly cited hurdle to home made food is that of nutrition. Nearly 8/10 (77%) new mums state that they lack the confidence and knowledge to prepare nutritionally balanced foods, relying on store-bought to ensure that their kids receive the correct vitamins and minerals.
• Ill equipped for the challenge:
• 7 out of 10 (70%) cited lack of know-how and suitable equipment as barriers to preparing meals from scratch, driving them to purchase bottles and jars.
• Lack of recipes/ inspiration:
• Almost as many mums (69%) blamed the lack of variety of baby recipes for not making more home made meals.
• Time pressures:
• In a clear sign of many mums’ priorities, just over half (53%) claimed time pressures were responsible for keeping them out of the kitchen, leading them to supplement meal times with pre-prepared food.

Nick Mills, Brand manager, Braun Baby, said:

The double whammy of anxiety surrounding nutrition and a lack of suitable tools-know-how combine to push time pressured mums towards pre-packaged. But with the right recipes and tools, all mums can prepare quick, healthy recipes. New parents need the tools and know how to enable them to do their best, which is why Braun Baby is working closely with gourmet baby chef, Gerrie Hawes to provide mums with the inspiration to make more home cooked meals in less time.

Gerrie Hawes, author the of Fresh Daisy Baby and Toddler cook book, Feed Me! commented:

I passionately believe babies need to get the taste of real food from the first mouthful, long life jars and cans may give babies a taste for bland processed food. While processed food is not necessarily detrimental to babies’ health, it can contain high levels of added water and starch based fillers which do reduce the overall nutritional value and some even have added sugar.

Baby connoisseurs

Part of the reason that parents may be reluctant to introduce the stronger flavours brought about by fresh food, could be the fact that babies are often very discerning eaters. Around 15 per cent of parents questioned described their babies as fussy when it comes to food.

The least favourite food on the menu is the humble sprout, which is enjoyed by just 24 per cent of UK babies, closely followed by the unpopular cabbage at 33 per cent. The favourite foods however are carrots and potatoes which are enjoyed by 87 per cent of babies.

Top five favourites:

• Carrots
• Potatoes
• Peas
• Sweet corn
• Parsnips

Vegetables, it would seem reign supreme when it comes to meal times as 30 per cent of mums questioned said that their little ones will refuse to eat egg, while a further 30 per cent said that meats are definitely off the menu.

Rosemary Dodds, Policy Research Officer, of the NCT said:

Parents clearly care about feeding their babies the right food so starting on solid foods is often an anxious time. We encourage parents to have confidence in themselves and give their babies home cooked meals when practical.

Notes about the survey

Survey methodology: The survey was carried out among 1026 new and weaning mums by the National Childbirth Trust charity between March and May of 006.

Who gave us their views?
• 98% of participants were women.
• 74% of participants were NCT members.
• Almost half were in their early 30s (46%).
• About six out of ten said their youngest child was a boy (59%)
• Participants’ youngest child ranged from 0 to 132 months old, with an average of 19 months.
• Half of participants had a youngest child aged 14 months or less.
• Three quarters had a youngest child aged two years or less.

About Braun

Braun is the number one hand blender brand in the world, offering a professional performance for a wide-range of kitchen activities. Braun enjoys its strong heritage as a leading household name for electronic products. Braun’s expert credentials are rooted in its continual innovation, sleek design and the professional performance of its products.

About Gerrie Hawes

Gerrie is a charismatic campaigner for the improvement of commercial baby food and combines down to earth practicalities with the latest academic thinking. Her passion for good food from the first mouthful has led to a belief that over-processed foods can teach a child to prefer bland tastes and textures and lead to a poor relationship with food later in life.

Founder of Fresh Daisy Organic, the award winning organic, frozen baby food company, Gerrie is proud to have been voted UK's Best Babyfood at the Soil Association's Organic Food Awards 2003 and Highly Commended at the 2004 Awards. Gerrie has created over 150 recipes in Feed Me! The Fresh Daisy Cookbook for Babies and Toddlers to help parents deliver exciting and innovative meals for their babies and children.

Gerrie is regularly featured in national newspapers, magazines and radio offering expert advice on the latest research on weaning, when to introduce foods, new tastes and textures, and avoiding battles over food. She has recently completed filming as a presenter on The Baby Channel giving weaning tips and advice for parents.

About the NCT

Run by parents for parents, the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) is the largest and best-known childbirth and parenting charity in Europe. It is the voice of parents on antenatal, birth and postnatal issues, and provides a range of quality educational and support services for parents at local level.

Established 50 years ago, the NCT has successfully campaigned for improved care during pregnancy and childbirth and promotes the principle of informed choice for women and their partners.

NCT provides a range of services for any new parents including antenatal classes, postnatal discussion groups, breastfeeding counselling and a network of over 320 local branches for new parents. For further information, please call the NCT enquiries line on 0870 444 8707, 9-5 Monday-Thursday and 9-4 on Fridays or visit the NCT website at www.nct.org.uk

The NCT is a registered charity (reg. no. 801395), and a membership organisation with over 60,000 members across the UK. All services are available to members and non-members alike. The NCT encourages parents to become members, as it is the membership fee that funds services. To join or renew NCT membership, visit www.nct.org.uk/join