title: A comparison of preprepared commercial infant feeding meals with home-cooked recipes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the cost, nutritional and food variety contents of commercial meals and published infant and young child feeding (IYCF) home-cooked recipes, and to compare nutritional contents to age-specific recommendations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Full range of preprepared main meals available within the UK market. Main-meal recipes identified from a survey of Amazon's top 20 best-sellers and IYCF cookbooks available from local libraries.
  
  
  METHODS
  278 commercial IYCF savoury meals from UK market and 408 home-cooked recipes from best-selling IYCF published cookbooks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cost and nutritional content per 100 g and food variety per meal for both commercial meals and home-cooked recipes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Commercial products provided more 'vegetable' variety per meal (median=3.0; r=-0.33) than home-cooked recipes (2.0). Home-cooked recipes provided 26% more energy and 44% more protein and total fat than commercial products (r=-0.40, -0.31, -0.40, respectively) while costing less (£0.33/100 g and £0.68/100 g, respectively). The majority of commercial products (65%) met energy density recommendations but 50% of home-cooked recipes exceeded the maximum range.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of commercial meals provided an energy-dense meal with greater vegetable variety per meal to their home-cooked counterparts. Home-cooked recipes provided a cheaper meal option, however the majority exceeded recommendations for energy and fats.
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research Unit, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: Sharon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Carstairs
authors.affiliation: The Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: Leone Ca
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.affiliation: Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: Debbi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marais
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: Ourania E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Bora
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Health Sciences Postgraduate Education Group, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: Kirsty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kiezebrink
mesh_terms: D003296:Cooking / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019649:Food Industry; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009753:Nutritive Value
keywords: Child Feeding; Commercial Foods; Food Variety; Home-cooked; Infant Feeding