Homemade-baby-food dreams, but a pouch-and-jar reality
by Kelly Wilbanks posted in Products & Prizes I am a busy mom of two growing girls: Vivianne, 3, who wants to be a princess all day, every day, and sweet-natured 11-month-old Evelynne, who’s hitting every milestone at record speed. I love having two girls and all the giggles, twirling, and belly-laughing. But it’s a… Read more »
I am a busy mom of two growing girls: Vivianne, 3, who wants to be a princess all day, every day, and sweet-natured 11-month-old Evelynne, who’s hitting every milestone at record speed.
I love having two girls and all the giggles, twirling, and belly-laughing. But it’s a constant battle to keep these two fed, and harder than I thought it would be to keep healthy food ready and on hand.
My sweet little girls.
Oh, I had big plans for feeding my children. When I had my first daughter, I planned to feed her home-grown produce. I tilled the soil, planted the seeds, weeded, watered, harvested, chopped, cooked, and puréed. The result? A tiny stockpile of baby food that didn’t even outlast her smooth-food stage.
I knew there has to be an easier way, and now I’ve found it: Earth’s Best organic infant foods, snacks, smoothies, and meals.
I don’t think anyone is going to argue that organic whole foods are best for your baby. But realistically, who has the time to prepare homemade food from scratch every time your kids need to eat?
Now that my youngest isn’t exclusively breastfeeding, she is ready for several varied servings of food in addition to four nursing sessions, every single day. (If you’re wondering what stage your child is ready for Earth’s Best Infant Feeding Schedule has an easy-to-read chart for nursing and formula-fed babies up to 12 months.)
That’s a lot of food prep! So I consider it a win when I avoid extra kitchen duty but still feed my children organic, yummy food. That’s where the Earth’s Best comes in, with over 100 varieties of infant purées in jars and pouches that are real meals with protein, vegetables, and fruit. I nursed my 11-month-old exclusively until she was ready for Stage 2 or 3 foods, but Earth’s Best also makes infant formula and whole-grain cereals for earlier-stage babies.
Flavors like sweet potato/corn/garbanzo and turkey/red beans/brown rice are complex to educate my 11-month-old’s growing palate — I want fruits, vegetables, garbanzo beans, brown rice, and lentils to be familiar foods that she will turn to as an adult. Of course, the combinations are also filled with the nutrition her body requires as she’s learning to crawl and toddle around. And I feel more comfortable giving her food that I know is free of GMOs, toxic chemicals, and heavy metals, and packaged in BPA-free containers.
It’s also helpful that the purées come in both jars and pouches — I can always use more options. Evie should be feeding herself with a spoon and learning those motor skills, but I couldn’t live without the convenience of a pouch I can keep stored in my diaper bag. My only problem is that I can’t seem to keep enough in stock because my 3-year-old loves them too. But really, I love that Vivi is clamoring to eat healthy food.
Yes, your kids will snatch that yummy food pouch right out of your hands too.
These are my kids’ favorite varieties.
Evie loved the Whole Grain Mixed Cereal: Oats, Barley and Spelt Blend. It was apple/sweet potato-flavored and I couldn’t get it into her mouth fast enough. She has not been a fan of grain cereal in the past so I didn’t think it would fly, but I was wrong. In addition to being tasty, this cereal says right on the box that it does not contain genetically engineered ingredients. (Earth’s Best Mixed Grain Cereal: Apple Sweet Potato)
My 11-month-old loved the Tender Chicken and Stars Stage 3 food. The portion was filling and the textures of the chicken and pasta were different from each other, which she really liked. I liked that I could pronounce each organic ingredient (aka no hidden chemicals), and that there’s no salt or sugar added. (Earth’s Best Chunky Blend: Tender Chicken & Stars)
This Stage 2 infant pouch contains a mixture of vegetables, lentils, and oats, which is more filling and substantial than just fruit-and-veggie mixes. I loved seeing my daughter get her veggies in and take a longer nap because she went to bed full. (Earth’s Best Infant Purée Pouch: Broccoli Red Lentil Oat)
This Stage 2 infant purée pouch was like having dinner prepared with zero effort. Making a soup would have taken an hour or more of work; I just had to open the top of this great healthy option. (Earth’s Best Infant Purée Pouch: Sweet Potato Garbanzo Barley)
This Stage 3 infant pouch disappeared quickest in our house. Both girls loved the pumpkin/cranberry/apple mixture and ate it up like it was a dessert, while I secretly smiled over how many vitamins and how much fiber they were getting. (Earth’s Best Infant Purée Pouch: Pumpkin Cranberry Apple)
What’s the hardest thing you’ve encountered when trying to feed healthy food to your new little eaters?
The Earth’s Best Organic brand believes in making “better for baby” food products with organic ingredients that are safe for babies and safe for the environment. Harnessing this philosophy, we create delicious recipes featuring simple ingredients so that parents can nurture their baby’s health with the utmost confidence.
What’s the hardest thing you’ve encountered when trying to feed healthy food to your new little eaters?