Confession time, have you ever polished off the baby’s pureed fruit or eaten more of the toddler snacks than the kids? We’re all guilty, but it seems some are doing it more than others.
For a variety of reasons, some adults keep jarred and frozen baby food on hand, in their homes, as a guilty pleasure.
Some see it as a wholesome and convenient snack or side dish, when they’re on the go. Others enjoy it for the nostalgia factor. Some even use pureed fruits and veggies as a diet aid as they are almost always fat free and the serving size is smaller than a pudding cup (most range from 45 to 140 calories).
Teresa Paonessa, who runs R.E.D. Lifestyle Group, a company that represents fitness professionals, says people, “think I’m nuts, but they say they want a flat stomach [like mine] by summer and I tell them this is what they have to do. I sell it as a portion-controlled snack, not as baby food.”
Dietitian and author, Rosie Schwartz, doesn’t believe baby food will ever develop into a true diet trend. “I think people won’t eat [baby food] because it is really bland. It has no spices and no salt.”
Schwartz is a proponent of portion control, but believes people need to be responsible for it themselves. She feels that eating baby food as a means to control portion size is, “extreme”.
She also points out that baby food is processed in a way that extracts some of the nutrients we need as adults, “If someone is eating only applesauce, they’re missing flavonoids in the peel. With peaches, it’s the same thing. The pigments in the peel offer anthocyanins and other nutrients.”
And while it may only be a small number of people who actually eat baby food one company, Sweet Pea Baby Food, is working to eliminate some of the stigma associated with adults consuming baby food.
Under tips and tricks, Sweet Pea suggests freezing the cookies for teething children, enjoying them with a cup of tea or coffee, and sandwiching them around ice cream for a tasty desert, at any age.
The packaging is not overly infantile and there isn’t a baby’s face to be seen anywhere. Sweet Pea knows grownups are eating the cookies; now they want us to stop being embarrassed by it.
It’s unlikely that it will ever be fashionable to eat dinner out of tiny jars, but the cookies could catch on. For now, some adults will continue to eat their fruits and veggies as a mush, and love every bite.– Jen R, Staff Writer.
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It’s funny you should ask that. I recently bought a tray of baby desserts for my friends baby, for when she visits, they were on special offer. Omy my god, I tasted a couple just you know, to see, for the babys sake. They were lovely. Now I am hooked. I put them in my usbands lunch box (because of the small size). And I always carry one around with me in my bag. They are great little snacks to have when you are out and about feeling a bit peckish. But don’t tell anyone.
Next time I go to the supermarket I will be checking out their other ranges. Is this regression or what? But they are really tasty and so handy.