What to Look for in London Baby Meal Delivery Services: An Expert’s View
Choosing between baby meal delivery services in London can be a tricky task for parents. It’s a natural instinct to want to be extra-sure that whatever food you are giving your baby is the best quality possible, but knowing what actually is the best can actually be quite hard in itself!
That’s why this blog post is going to take into account an expert’s view of what you should be looking for in terms of nutrition when choosing a baby meal delivery service in London.
First of all, what exactly is a baby meal delivery service?
Lots of baby meal delivery things in London are there to make life easier for us parents who are always on the go. Baby food is a whole different thing compared to what we grown-ups tend to eat. Trying to whip up separate meals for ourselves, your little one, and maybe some older kids – it’s basically like trying to become a chef overnight!
Especially for us working parents, diving back into the job scene after maternity or paternity leave can be a real-time crunch. Suddenly, you’ve got even less time than before! That’s where these services really shine. They usually run on a subscription basis, so you get regular deliveries of baby meals. No need to stress about planning, shopping, cooking, or cleaning up – they’ve got you covered. Easy peasy!
Why are these baby meal delivery services becoming more popular in London now?
Every family is different, but here are some of the most common reasons why parents have started using them recently from our experience:
Health concerns related to the use of traditional, mass-produced pouches and jars:
A series of revelations in the news revealed that these products contained high levels of sugar and that the industrial processes used to manufacture them were affecting the nutritional content of the meals.
The world has become more aware of the threat of UPF foods and their effects on our younger generations:
Recent damning reports showed that UPFs account for nearly two-thirds (61%) of the total energy intake of UK children aged between 2-5 years and 87% of parents of babies aged 8-12 months reported feeding them commercial baby food.
This has caused a rise in demand for natural, un-processed baby food that is as close to home-cooked meals as possible.
London Office workers shifting back to in-office working post-pandemic:
Another reason we have heard quite frequently is due to the fact that more and more companies are requiring their employees to work more days in the office.
This means that working parents with young babies and toddlers have less time to spend shopping and preparing food from scratch at home and are now looking for a healthy alternative to home cooking.
A specialists checklist when choosing between London baby meal delivery services:
Now, this could obviously be a very long and complicated paragraph filled with every single micro and macronutrient that your baby needs and how often, but we’re going to simplify it down to one main thing that the experts always tell us: Variety.
Ensuring your baby is regularly exposed to a variety of ingredients, tastes and flavours is the most effective way to ensure they are eating a healthy diet.
According to the experts, variety doesn’t need to be measured on a day-to-day basis. In fact, it is better to think about it on a weekly scale for example. Has your little one tried at least 7 different vegetables this week? If they didn’t eat any yesterday, could we try and offer two today to make up for it?
This approach helps reduce the day-to-day stress that lots of parents experience when their little ones don’t finish everything on their plate. And offering food as part of a relaxed, stress-free environment is a proven way to get fussy eaters back on track!
Why is it especially important for a baby to have a nutritionally balanced diet?
As we previously said, the initial 1000 days of your infant’s life are a crucial phase in their growth and childhood development. Their brain undergoes nearly 80% of its development by the age of 3. As a result, the nutritional choices made for your baby during this pivotal time can significantly impact their future dietary preferences and overall well-being.
Additionally, experts advise you to try to capitalise on the period between 6 to 18 months, which precedes the onset of the “neophobic” stage when children tend to become more selective about their food. Before this phase emerges, introducing a diverse range of ingredients and flavours to your baby can effectively mitigate the likelihood or severity of picky eating habits.
Why the experts recommend V&Me’s baby meal delivery service in London:
If you’re planning to use any baby meal delivery service regularly and you want to have the peace of mind of knowing they’re getting the variety, nutrition and freshness that their growing bodies need, then fresh, a homemade delivery service like V&Me really is the only option for you.
To start with, the food is prepared fresh from scratch, locally, in London every day, so you know the ingredients are fresh and in season. It also means that the meals are not limited to purees or “saucy” meals so your baby can really get used to trying foods of all shapes, sizes and textures. Every day there’s finger food to go with whatever else is on the menu to help them practise their baby-led weaning (BLW) skills.
But the biggest advantage of fresh delivery services like V&Me has to be the variety they have to offer. There are over 35 different meals on a seasonal menu designed to ensure that your baby never gets bored of the same old meals and challenges them to broaden their palate from an early age. The whole menu has been planned out by paediatric experts to ensure that your baby will be getting all the goodness they need to support this important early stage of their life.
Don’t forget that building healthy eating habits starts from the very start and these are the building blocks that will serve them for the rest of their lives!
How to sign up?
If you’re a London resident and you want to join the growing number of parents getting fresh baby food deliveries to their doorstep, click the link below and get your first delivery now!
We are now delivering to almost all central London postcodes, including popular areas like Notting Hill, Hampstead, Muswell Hill, Stoke Newington, Hackney, Canary Wharf, Canada Water, Nunhead, Brixton and Clapham.
