Question: why is baby food random mash ups of stuff that adults don't like, is it so they don't have to eat it themselves?

Sarah Montgomery answered on 30 Oct 2024:

Babies can’t have much sugar or salt – sugar because it’s bad for teeth and causes a spike in blood sugar, and salt because infant kidneys are not developed enough to process it well. So baby food tends to be quite bland.

Vegetables are usually easiest to mash and cheaper than things like meat or dairy, so they are used a lot. Rice can be used but it’s best not to give babies rice for every meal because it contains a little bit of arsenic from the soil.