CHAPTER 1: What to Feed Babies and Why
For most of human history, babies did not eat commercial baby food. Early jarred baby food didn’t appear until the mid-1900s, when food companies began marketing puréed foods as modern and convenient.
At first, there were only a few options, typically meats, vegetables, and simple blends. Over time, baby food changed. Fruits became more common because they were cheaper, sweeter, and more appealing. Today, many store-bought baby foods are heavily fruit-based, often cut with apple or pear, even when labeled as vegetables or meals. This shift wasn’t driven by infant biology, it was driven by cost, shelf life, and taste appeal. Understanding this history helps us ask better questions about what babies actually need.
