Surely nothing can be better than giving babies and toddlers home-made meals, the ingredients for which you have lovingly picked from farmers' markets and organic boxes of home-delivered vegetables?

In theory the answer is yes, but in practice, I honestly think that the new generation of rather up-market-looking baby and toddler foods have a place in their meal repertoire not least because, let's face it, how many of us are really able to do an “Annabel Karmel” and produce such meals day in, day out, or are sufficiently organised to make up industrial-sized batches to freeze weeks in advance to cater for every feeding eventuality? I have to admit, not me.

Yes, I try really hard. But I don't always pull it off. Which is why a few months back I could be found slinking guiltily into the baby section aisles of supermarkets furtively seeking alternatives for my little girl, 11-month-old Coco, which looked as if they were not only made from nutritious ingredients but might taste OK as well.

I did not need to look far. The shelves of supermarkets are positively heaving with sprauncy-looking baby and toddler offerings which are most often organic and include an impressive array of ingredients, from butternut squash, aubergine and beetroot, to fennel and artichoke, which is certainly more than I stock at home at any one time.

What's on offer in supermarkets?

The ones on the shelves (normally found next door to nappies and other baby paraphernalia) are known as “ambient” products. In other words, they can be stored without being chilled. Typically, these will include the brightly coloured resealable pouches produced by Ella's Kitchen (see panel, facing page); the rather rustic looking cardboard box packaging of the Plum selection, which contains plastic pots of food, and the Organix and Hipp Organic ranges that come in bottles. They have first-stage weaning foods, with offerings such as Ella's Kitchen's broccoli, pear and pea purée; stage 2 versions designed for babies from about seven months (larger serving sizes with more texture); and those suitable for babies from ten months, including meals such as the Plum root vegetable and beef ragout.

They are not necessarily cheap

Most cost from 70p to £1.10 a serving, which is usually more pricey than making your own in bulk. What you are paying for is the convenience and that you know they have been formulated according to the strict nutritional guidelines that control commercially prepared foods for children under the age of 1.

What's in the meals?

Actually, it is more a case of what is not in them. Under UK food legislation, manufacturers of any infant foods can use only tiny amounts of sodium and must keep sugar levels to a minimum, including table sugar, fruit sugar, glucose syrups or honey. Meals purporting to be main dishes, such as lamb hotpot, must also have a minimum protein content. Like all infant foods they must contain no added colours, sweeteners or preservatives, and meet stringent maximum levels for pesticides. If gluten is present, it is declared on the label.

Are they good for my baby?

All ambient products have to be heat-treated to 121C for a minimum of four minutes to kill any bugs in the ingredients. This gives them a long shelf-life while ensuring that they are still safe for your baby to eat months after production. This processing destroys most of the vitamin C and most of the B vitamins. On the other hand, the protein and minerals will remain intact nutritionally. This means it is important that you give your baby fresh foods too.

What about texture and taste?

Some antioxidant pigments are affected by heat treatment and look less vibrant in colour than their freshly prepared counterpart. The heat also damages cell walls in vegetables and meat, which alters the consistency and flavour. Having them too often could make it harder to introduce a wide range of flavours and textures as your baby grows.

So,what's the verdict?

Perhaps these products are less ideal than their clever packaging and organic credentials at first suggest. But you have to see them in the wider picture. At least you know what your child is eating if you send him or her to a childminder; one of my friends discovered her au pair giving her daughter, then 11 months, Pepperami sticks to chew on followed by as much buttered toast as she could manage.

What about meals for toddlers?

Once an infant passes his or her first birthday, all nutritional legal composition rules fall by the wayside and it is a free-for-all for what is included. Look for those that still declare no added salt and sugar and artificial additives. Going for organic versions will ensure that additives are minimal and those used are natural and absolutely safe. If they are non-organic, make sure that only 100 per cent natural ingredients are used. When looking at the ingredients list, it should look like the list of ingredients that you would use at home and not contain extra colours, flavours, flavour enchancers and so on.

One great label is the Little Dish range of fresh meals, which can be found in the chill cabinet of your supermarket. These meals include everything from chicken korma to cottage pie and have been prepared at normal domestic cooking temperatures. They lose a small amount of vitamin C and B during this cooking and then further small losses will occur when you reheat them in your home.

Losses are nothing like as large as in the ambient infant foods and the good news is that although they are designed for children over 1, because they contain no added salt or sugar, you can purée Little Dish meals once reheated and give to younger babies. Babylicious, available through Ocado, is a frozen range for infants and toddlers, with dishes such as lasagne (300g for £2.99), which have similar nutritional value as Little Dish meals.

Add your own ingredients

Pasta sauces, for example in the Peter Rabbit range are a good halfway house option. All you have to do is make a bit of pasta to go with them. This kind of sauce is again in a jar and ambient, and so will contain less vitamin C than a home-made version. However, the heat treatment will not destroy the valuable red antioxidant pigment lycopene, which is easier to absorb after high-temperature processing.

What do children think?

It depends on who you ask. My little girl would eat some of the Plum meals until, at seven months, she tried her Italian grandma's meals such as chicken and pastini soup which my daughter's daddy and generations of Italian babies before him, had tucked into. Just one taste triggered a desire for tasty, fresh food. Now the only thing she will touch in the ready-made sector are the Peter Rabbit pasta sauces and puréed versions of Little Dish meals. She especially likes, not surprisingly, the spaghetti with meat balls.

BATTLE OF THE BRANDS: AMANDA'S VERDICT

Ella's Kitchen

Sweet potato pumpkin apple and blueberries (stage 1 purée)

Nutritional value

Organic; comes in a pouch. Sweet potato and pumpkin provide the supernutrient beta carotene. There are also purple antioxidant pigments in the blueberries and quercetin, a supernutrient, in the apples. Despite some bright ingredients, a bit dull and brown.

Cost 75p a pouch

Plum

Sweet potato with lamb and carrot (stage 1 purée)

Nutritional value

Organic; comes in pots. This gives your baby a good mix of carbohydrate from the sweet potato plus some protein from the lamb. The potato and carrots are full of orange antioxidant pigments, which give the final purée an appealing orange colour.

Cost £2.15 for two pots

Organix

Vegetables with chicken and wholegrain rice (stage 2 baby food)

Nutritional value

Organic; comes in pots. Contains carrots, courgettes, onions and sweetcorn. The garlic and thyme give your baby some interesting new flavours. Chicken provides protein and the carrots betacarotene. A brownish orange colour.

Cost £1.89 for two pots

Hipp Organic

Cottage pie (stage 2 baby food)

Nutritional value

Organic; comes in a bottle. Contains potatoes, carrots, onions and tomatoes plus beef. Celery is used in the stock; this is declared on the pack because it can be a potential allergen for some infants. It is a substantial-looking meal with an appetising orange colour and some texture from the potatoes.

Cost 85p a bottle

Little dish (Star buy)

Fish pie (for babies over 1 but can be puréed for infants)

Nutritional value

Organic; comes in a tray. Looks like a real meal, with pieces of salmon and white fish. The salmon provides omega-3s, and because the dish is fresh there are more water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C. Appetising flavour.

Cost £2.29 for a 200g serving