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Do you love
food? Babies, like adults, like some foods and dislike others.
But one look at a baby after eating in his or her high chair,
can make you wonder about how successful the eating session
was. There is food on the baby’s face. There is food
on the colorful Baby Einstein bib he or she is wearing. And
there might be more food on the floor, than in the baby’s
stomach. For parents in Amish
Holmes Country Ohio and elsewhere, feeding their tots
can be an “interesting” routine that happens during
every mealtime. Whether or not you feed your baby mass-produced
baby food, have you ever wondered about the history of baby
food?
Baby food world
Since babies are universal, feeding them has been a universal
practice as well. Throughout history, different societies’
culture, native food and wealth have impacted how baby food
has been prepared and served. However, the foods used to create
baby foods have basically remained universal. Throughout history,
water, animal’s milk, broth, and grains have been common
ingredients of semi-solid baby food.
A different kind of baby boom
Before the late 1920s in the United States, mass produced
baby food was quite rare. However, from that era to the 1950s’
baby boom following the end of World War II, the sale of baby
food itself started to skyrocket in Amish
Country Ohio and elsewhere. When the baby food industry
was launched in the U.S., three major companies remained the
leaders. Gerber, the first company to distribute canned baby
foods nationwide, remained the leader for several decades.
Several lifestyle changes caused
the boom in mass-produced baby food. First, canned goods allowed
people to enjoy fruits and vegetables throughout the entire
year. Thus, they became common ingredients of mass-produced
baby food. Second, the discovery of vitamins calmed unfounded
fears of people living in Amish Country Ohio and other places,
about feeding fruits and vegetables to infants. And thirdly,
both mothers who were homemakers and those who worked outside
the house, found the canned baby food to be convenient.
Furthermore, from the 1930s to the
1950s, doctors continued to lower the minimum age at which
it was recommended to feed children semi-solid fruits and
vegetables. By the 1950s, that timeframe for babies in Amish
Country In Ohio and other counties, had become four to
six weeks.
Bigger and better
Throughout the 20th century, the content and the public’s
perception of mass-produced baby foods, continued to change.
The food was originally cooked too much and contained extra
sugar, salt, preservatives, etc. In the 1970s, many mothers,
such as those in Amish Country Ohio, began making homemade
baby food again.
Then in the 1980s and 1990s, baby
food manufacturers began altering their products, to appeal
to a health-conscious society. Many companies eliminated ingredients
such as salt and sugar. Also, alternative versions, such as
organic baby food, provided more options to consumers. And
by the 1990s, producers of baby food were required to list
the exact percentage of each ingredient that was listed on
the label of the container. Today, the varieties of manufactured
baby foods and the countries they are available in, continue
to grow. As a parent, you have more options than ever, when
choosing which baby food you want to feed your baby. Whether
you live in Amish Country Ohio or another location, you can
use a blender to prepare your own baby food. Or you can choose
from a wide variety of mass-produced baby foods, to feed your
little one. Regardless of what type of baby food you feed
your tot, be sure to first put a Baby Einstein bib on him
or her. The fun, colorful design will keep a smile on the
face, and food off the clothes! |
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