Food glorious food!

I waited until Baby J was more than ready for food to start solids. I actually waited until I attended Bump Club and Beyond's first Baby Food Making class in April. J was 6 months and 3 days old. I needed help and wasn't afraid to admit it.

I also openly admitted in front of all five classes during the series that I likely was not going to make my own baby food---even though we were having a Baby Food Making Class Series. I figured that if I didn't cook dinner for my husband and I, how was I going to find time to make J a series of purees?

To mu surprise, I found the classes inspiring. I attended all five in the last series and learned something new every time. From the correct order of introduction for their digestive tract, to what to introduce at what age, to great ideas for when J is older that we can enjoy as a family---the classes were incredibly eye opening. Guess who is now making her own baby food? ME! (sometimes...)

I have found it very easy to throw bananas, roasted sweet potatoes (with the peel off), avocado, or steamed carrots in the Cuisinart Food Processor or Beaba Babycook and make a big batch of food for J. I spoon it into ice trays or my Innobaby storage containers and put it in the freezer for later use. When I use the ice trays, I let it freeze, and then pop it out and put the cubes in big freezer bags. The Innobaby containers provide enough food for two meals, which is great for when I forget to take food out of the freezer. I like knowing what is in the food that is going into J's mouth---no additives, no preservatives.

I am not a full convert though---trust me, I, like many of you, don't always have the time to make Baby J her food. I also am very forgetful and often forget to take out the cubes to let them thaw so we can use them for lunch or dinner. But this is the reason why we use store-bought baby food too! Here are some great new(er) products that we have found conducive to our busy, on-the-go lifestyle.

NurturMe: I just discovered this awesome product. The product comes in what looks like a "powdered" form, but it is actually naturally grown and quick dried, in order to maintain more nutritional value. They come in light weight, palm-sized pouches. That are SO easy to throw right into your diaper bag or purse. All you have to do is add water, formula or breastmilk and the dried food turns into a consistency that is perfect for baby. Since I could not transport my frozen baby food to Michigan last weekend, this was a great alternative and PERFECT for restaurants when we went out as a family. PLUS, NurturMe makes the only peas Baby J will put into her mouth.

Square One Organics: If you can't make your own baby food, this is one of the next best things. Square One Organics is found in the frozen food section and is basically a store-bought version of what I make for J at home. Owner, Denise Henderson, started this company when her twins were diagnosed with allergies nearly ten years ago. She is a HUGE proponent for making your own food (Denise helped design the curriculum for our Baby Food Making Series at Whole Foods Market). The best part about this line is that it is based off of a "super food" philosophy. Most of the foods carried in the line are not those that I would make on my own, so it is great to be able to introduce them to Baby J. Included are papaya, mango, and pumpkin---which also can be seasonal in certain parts of the country.

Plum Organics: After taking Baby J through the airport on my own last week, this product is a MUST for any mom's diaper bag. There are no bowls, and really you don't even need a spoon. (However our friends at Boon Inc. make a great dispensable spoon for this product.) Being that I am always on the go, this ready made food is perfect for eating anywhere---particularly when you are in a place that may not afford you the luxury of a high chair or utensils. J sucked the food down in under 10 minutes and licked her lips with delight when she was done. These packets come in a wide variety of flavors. Their line extends beyond the food pouches and also into a great variety for tots including blends, puffs, finger foods, and more.

Bottom line, feeding your baby doesn't have to be a chore. There are so many incredible products out there now, it actually is a ton of fun. Even if you don't have the time to consistently make baby food, I highly recommend giving it a try once. I know that my food processor had not seen the light of day until I took it out for J. So at the very least, I found a new use for it. :)

After selling out in April, Bump Club and Beyond's Baby Food Making Series presented by Whole Foods will be back in July and October of this year. Stay tuned to BumpClubandBeyond.com for more information.

The 10 Month and Up Crowd

By: Denise Henderson

Founder and Mom

Square One® Organics

I hope the food introduction is going well. For those of you who have a child 10 month or older here are some quick things to keep in mind. At this point purees are still a large part of your child’s routine. Continue to use the SQ1 Superfood Guide for guidelines on what foods are good for this age group. Soft finger foods will become a bigger part of your routine at this point. Remember our job right now is to get them ready for a seat at the kitchen table and to get them eating like the family does. So when you pick your finger foods here are some things to keep in mind:

Add the SQ1 purees you have been using to other foods and cutting them into finger foods. For example: Organic Pumpkin pancakes pieces are a great finger food. Make pumpkin pancakes for everyone else in the morning and cut some up into small pieces for the baby. Freeze some in zip lock bags for later. Spinach and egg mini muffins again make these for the family but cut them into small pieces for the baby and freeze the pieces for later. For these recipes and other recipes ideas go to http://www.squareoneorganics.com/cooking_recipes.php. Batch cook any of these recipes and freeze the leftover. That way at meal time you are not always doing this from scratch. This is an excellent way to keep the organic superfoods tastes you have been introducing incorporated into the baby’s daily routine and getting them use to the foods of the family.

Organic Spinach is a key food for this age group. This power multi-tasker brings so much to the party and can play such a large role in your child’s future wellness.

Check out what is in just 2oz. of SQ1 organic spinach puree:

330% of your child’s RDI of Vitamin A

30% of your child’s RDI of Vitamin C

35% of your child’s RDI of Vitamin E

50% of your child’s RDI of Folate

45% of your child’s RDI of Magnesium

Spinach is also a superfood for the brain, bones, skin, eyes and immunity.

Check out the Dole Nutrition Institute for more superfood information http://www.dole.com/NutritionInstituteLanding/SuperFoods/NI_Skin_Landing/tabid/880/Default.aspx As you can see teaching your child to eat spinach now, can be so beneficial to them as they get older and willingly incorporate this amazing food into their diet on a regular basis.

3.

Dippen Sauces and Spreads are Key! Remember your child’s favorite organic superfood puree is also an excellent dippen sauce when introducing finger foods into their routine. For example, our papaya or mango puree is a great dippen sauce when introducing fish sticks, salmon burgers pieces or tuna burgers pieces. Mix some ripe mashed avocado with our drained broccoli puree and use it as a spread on cheerios or as a dippen sauce for grass-feed beef burger dogs. Roll the grass-fed beef into a hotdog shape then cook. Your child will be able to grip the burger dog and even get a little his or her mouth. What is important here is to really start working into your child’s routine the foods your family usually eats. Dippen sauces and spreads can help. Mission is to not have to make a special separate meal for the baby at meal time once they are ready to sit at the big table.

For more information and where to buy Square One Organics visit their website! www.squareoneorganics.com

Food Introduction for Babies 8 Months Old

By: Denise Henderson

Founder and Mom

Square One® Organics

At this point your child’s digestive system is maturing and a bigger variety of foods are good to be introduced. Continue to use the Square One® Organics Superfood Guide for suggestions on what new foods to introduce. In addition to continuing the daily avocado routine, here my top 3 things to keep in mind during for this age group.

1. Two more SQ1 resource materials can be helpful: The Square One Organics Food Family Awareness Chart http://www.squareoneorganics.com/awareness.php. This chart shows you which foods are members of the same food families. As you introduce foods, try to work inside a handful of food families. Dr. Nimmagadda recently wrote an article for Square One® Organics about how children may react similarly to foods inside the same food family. To read Dr. Nimmagadda’s complete article, click here. Second, download The Square One® Organics Daily 8 Month and Up Journal by clicking on the image below!

2. Pincer practice and spoon grabbing! Yes, these two things are part of the age territory. Here are some tips. As part of my feeding gear, Iwould always have a number of plastic table spoons on the twins’ highchair trays so they could practice their spoon grabbing skills. They see us feeding them with a spoon and they just want to try too. It can get messy but that’s how they learn! For Pincer practice try some ripe avocado pieces and/or soft tofu pieces on the highchair tray.

3. My favorite foods for this age group are - Mango, Quinoa and Broccoli – Mango because it is an excellent source of Vitamin A and C. Mango is also a superfood for immunity and the heart. This is an important food for your baby to learn to love that way as they get older and start school it will be part of your “stay healthy” food routine.

Quinoa makes its way onto my favorite list because it is Gluten-Free, has

the highest protein count of any other grain on the planet and posses all of the essential amino acids. Again, thinking ahead to the school cafeteria which is often times a nut-free zone, makes the choice of Quinoa a smart one. Some cooked Quinoa in a thermos with organic butter and sea salt makes for a wonderful protein serving for lunch. To really boast the protein count of the meal, add some organic peas to the mix.

Finally, Broccoli, is one of my favorite supergreens because is such a multi-tasker.

Broccoli is a superfood for bone, heart, brain, immunity and antioxidant. It is an excellent source of Vitamin A, C and Folate. Imagine getting all of those vitamins and minerals in one food. This makes it a great food for your baby to learn to love early so that it can continue to be part of the “stay healthy” food routine for a lifetime. For more food facts check out http://www.squareoneorganics.com/superfoods.php

Food introduction for babies 6 months and up

By: Denise Henderson

Founder and Mom

Square One® Organics

Up until now, it has been mostly breast milk or formula and possible some cereal depending on what your pediatrician suggests. Now it’s time to venture into the land of what foods to introduce first and why. I am a big believer that the every time children eat it is an opportunity to make a positive impact their growth, development and future food choices. Organic superfoods are a smart way to go. Here are a couple of helpful hints to get things started!

1. Download the Square One Organics Superfood Guide and tape it to your refrigerator door. http://www.squareoneorganics.com/superfoodguide.php. We developed this with a Pediatric Nutritionist and a Pediatric Allergist, from Children’s Memorial Hospital. This is a helpful tool that takes the guesswork out of what food introduction. Across the top, we breakdown superfoods into 4 categories

, Vitamin A’s, Vitamin C’s, Supergreens and Supergrains. The left column, shows at what age your child’s digestive system is mature enough to have the foods listed introduced.

2. Download the Square One Organics Daily 6 Month and Up Journal http://www.squareoneorganics.com/6monthguide.php. Also developed with our medical team, these daily journals were designed to give guidelines on appropriate portion size, meal/snack frequency, liquid intake, sleep, wet diaper, dirty diaper and any sort of food reactions. These are great tools for a few reasons: First, they are excellent daily guidelines and record keepers for families who use childcare inside and outside of the home. Second, record any questions or concerns that come up around your daily routine on them and bring them to your Pediatrician visits. Finally, for those of you list lovers, like myself, these were developed for you. These days if I don’t write it down I just don’t remember.

3. We strongly encourage a 5 day food trial. This simply means, please only introduce one new food to your child at a time for 5 days in a row. This is done in case there is any reaction to the new food being introduced. The number of days may vary depending on your Pediatrician. Our medical teams encourages 5 days.

4. Here are some of my most favorite foods for this age group. Avocados, Millet and Papaya, are such important first food for babies. First, Avocados which are nature’s source of unsaturated fatty acids that babies need for brain development. Avocados are ripe when they yield to gentle pressure and feel soft to a 5 finger gentle squeeze. Try to mash and incorporate this amazing vegetable into your child’s routine every day. It is an important food for them to learn to love so that it will continue to be part of their “good fat” food routine.

Millet is another one of my favorite foods for babies this age. It cooks up nicely into a cereal and is one of the most hypo-allergenic grains you can find. Buy it organic in bulk at any Whole Foods Market. To cook millet simmer 1/2 cup in 11/2 cups of water. If you leave it alone as it cooks, you'll get fluffy grains like rice; if you stir frequently and add a little extra liquid during cooking, you'll get a dish that resembles mashed potatoes. It takes about 25 minutes to cook millet by simmering. Make it every Sunday and Wednesday and keep your batch in the refrigerator. At mealtime scoop out what you need dilute it with what your baby is drinking, pop it into a mini processer and infant cereal it is! Store the leftover uncooked millet in tightly sealed jars on the pantry shelf, except during very hot, humid weather when it may be best to keep them in the refrigerator.

Finally, Papaya, I love this food because it is an above excellent, low-acid source of Vitamin C. It contains the enzyme Papin, which ads in digestion. Think about it, happiness is a baby that sleeps, which is what you are working on at this age. Baby can’t sleep if baby can’t poop so feed Papaya to keep those digestive juices working smoothly. Organic Papaya is one of the foods Square One Organics offers. Click here to see where Square One Organics is available near you.

http://www.squareoneorganics.com/retail.php