SOME parents think they’ll be preparing all of baby’s meals from scratch, but the reality is, you’ll need some baby food staples in the house, too.
Whether you’re running out the door or don’t have time to prepare a meal, pre-prepared baby food can be a lifesaver.
Once your baby hits six months (or slightly earlier, in some cases), your baby starts weaning and trying all different kinds of flavours.
It’s up to you whether you choose to wean your baby with baby purees or whether you decide to go for baby-led weaning, where baby feeds themselves finger foods.
The best baby food brands typically have a variety of baby foods on offer to suit babies from the age of four or six months.
Typically, the best baby food brands offer organic pouches with no nasties or added sugars for on-the-go snacking in various weaning stages (introducing meat and more texture for older babies), as well as on-the-go or post-nursery snacks like vegetable rings and rice cakes.
Many will also offer breakfast options like baby rice and porridge as well as a range of dinner meals that you can easily heat up so baby gets a good meal, wherever you are.
Here are the best baby food brands to have on your radar when you start stocking the cupboard.
1. Best all-rounder baby food brand – Ella's Kitchen
- £17.10 for 11 Ella's Kitchen pouches at Amazon – buy here
There are a few reasons Ella's Kitchen rocks.
The pouches are available at retailers everywhere, so you can typically sort baby out of a bind whether you're doing the weekly supermarket shop or you're in the middle of a National Trust visit.
The colourful organic pouches feature delicious flavours for weaners at all stages, from simple single fruits to Thai curries for more sophisticated older-baby palates.
The brand can also accommodate for a range of food sensitivities with dairy and gluten-free options (among others).
Ella's Kitchen also has a frozen range for Big Kids, featuring staples with a signature (cute) Ella's Kitchen twist.
Think cod fish fingers shaped like fish, chicken nuggets that look like stars and pea and squash mac-and-cheese bites.
Although your five-year-old will still happily inhale a Stage 1 fruit pouch at any opportunity.
2. Best budget baby food brand – Aldi Mamia Organic
- £0.49p for beef casserole and vegetables Stage 2 Mamia pouch at Aldi – buy here
Parents love Aldi's Mamia food range, which features organic pouches, fruit pots, meals and snacks at unbeatable prices.
To give you a point of comparison, an Ella's Kitchen stage 2 beef stew pouch costs £1.50 compared with Mamia's similar beef casserole with vegetables, a snip at £0.55p.
3. Best supermarket-own baby food brand – Sainsbury's Little Ones range
- £0.80p for organic porridge at Sainsbury's – buy here
Sainsbury's launched its own-brand range, developed with nutritionist Fiona Wilcock, in 2018.
A low-sugar, low-salt alternative in the competitive baby food market, it doesn't disappoint.
Designed to complement home cooking, the range includes pureed pouches, porridge and tasty dinners like chicken katsu curry and BBQ pulled pork – with a side of veggies.
4. Best baby food brand for toddlers – Little Dish
- £2.35 for chicken and veg risotto at Waitrose – buy here
Little Dish has a yummy selection of dishes for toddlers made with natural ingredients, no added sugar or preservatives and low salt.
We love the variety of flavours and meals available from chicken and vegetable risotto to chicken korma.
5. Best baby food brand for inspiring your own baby meals – Annabel Karmel
- £1.10 for Organic Annabel Karmel Butternut Squash Broccoli Carrot & Chickpea at Ocado – buy here
Parents rave that their babies love the taste of Annabel Karmel's additive-free purees and chilled toddler meals.
We love the flavour combinations.
The purees have inspiring fruit and veg mixes that will enlighten your own cooking, while the toddler meals offer healthy takes on favourites like cottage pie, beef lasagne, tomato and mascarpone pasta and fish pie.
6. Best baby food brand with jars – HiPP Organic
- £1 for a jar of HiPP Organic hearty cottage pie at Boots – buy here
HiPP Organic jars tick all the boxes when it comes to tasty baby meals with organic ingredients.
And for parents looking to cut their plastic use, these glass jars are a welcome change.
Also, they can be reused as anything from vases to crafts table beads and felt tip holders.
7. Best baby food brand for finger foods – Organix
- £1.20 for Organix banana rice cakes at Tesco – buy here
Organix is your go-to brand for all of those snacks you need to pack with you when out with babies and toddlers in tow – rice cakes, puffed veggie crisps, baby biscuits that aren't packed with added sugar.
The brand also has a great selection of baby porridges in a variety of flavours.
8. Best baby food brand for kids with allergies – For Aisha
- £36 for 18 x toddler tray meals at For Aisha – buy here
For Aisha's gorgeous meals have amazing, exciting flavour combinations, natural ingredients, and are free from a lot of tricky items like dairy, nuts, soya and eggs (there are also gluten-free and veggie/vegan options).
9. Best budget baby food brand jars – Heinz By Nature
- £0.75p for Heinz cheese and tomato pasta stars at Ocado – buy here
Parents say Heinz by Nature meals are their "good to have in the cupboard" staple.
At less than £1 for a 200g jar, they're also great value for money.
Fancy having a go at making your own baby food instead? Check out our selection of the best baby food blenders, here!
Enjoyed our roundup of the best baby food brands? For more recommendations on parenting and baby products, explore our dedicated section.
Why not head back to the Sun Selects page and take a look at our wide range of product recommendations? Trust us, you won't regret it.
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