LilSugar

NurturMe's Caroline Freedman: An Easy Way to Get Lil Ones to Eat Their Fruits and Veggies!

Kate Stahl — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:02:14 PST

As a soon-to-be first-time mom, a pregnant Caroline Freedman was obsessed with all things baby (sound familiar?), including what she would eventually feed her new lil one once she advanced past breast milk and bottles. "I was shocked at how little innovation there had been since I was a baby. It was still Gerber jarred foods," says Austin, TX-based Freedman, now mom to a 3-year-old and a 4-month-old. "Considering how parents are eating a lot differently now, it seemed so out of sync."

Freedman, along with her business partner Lauren McCullough (a former culinary arts teacher) decided to do something about the discrepancy. The result: NurturMe, the first certified organic, all-natural, gluten-free baby food made from quick-dried fruits and veggies. If a dehydrated baby food isn't inventive enough - each pouch is light as a feather and makes about 2.5 ounces of baby food when mixed with water, breast milk, or formula - NurturMe has yet another selling point: it's also an easy way to sneak fruits and veggies into older tots' meals. Keep reading for more from our interview with Freedman.

Simple Way to Make Your Thanksgiving Tot-Friendly!

LilSugar — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:08:06 PST

If you're cooking the holiday dinner and plan on hosting a few lil ones, it's a good idea to set up a baby buffet of sorts. Many of the standard side dishes on the Thanksgiving menu are soft, kid-friendly foods - soup, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatoes, creamed vegetables, and doughy rolls or biscuits, so the gesture will only add minutes to your prep time.

Set aside a bit of each basic dish before adding the ingredients that young children don't care for or can't have -nuts, marshmallows, herbs, shellfish, etc. While your adult guests will enjoy your complex culinary creations, the younger ones will also appreciate the simple offerings you've made for them. And, not having to bring a bag of snacks and alternatives, will make parents most thankful.

OnSugar Blog: A Baby Recipe - Potato, Sweet Potato & Tuna Pasta

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:16:59 PST

Lots of moms like to think out loud, and CherylDee is one of them. Here is one of the latest posts to her Lipsticks to Baby Bottles blog.

A few days ago I decided to try out a recipe I found online. It sounded delicious, well in a baby delicious sorta way! So let's jump right into it. Here's a list or more like pictures of the items you will need to create this dish for your bubs.

I know I did not state any carrots in the title, but I did add in some, purely just for color. Well and K loves carrots, but I added just a tiny bit. So there you have:

Heinz Baby Pasta Stars (You can get this from any leading supermarkets)
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Carrots (if you want)
Tuna in water or flakes if it's easier

So just chop up the items and pop them into a pot of boiling water. Chopping them up to smaller pieces makes it easier to mash up later when they're fully boiled. While your vegetables are boiling you can start doing your pastas in a separate pot. For one serving you can just use 1 tablespoon worth of pastas. Up to you if you prefer the stars version or the spaghetti.

Keep reading to see the rest of the recipe.

Turkey For Tots: Thanksgiving-Themed Purees For Babies

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 07:03:17 PST

Baby's first Thanksgiving may entail a special bib, a personalized place mat, and plenty of attention from fawning relatives, but it probably doesn't include a plate of turkey, sweet potatoes, and stuffing. Just because your lil one is too small for the buffet line, doesn't mean she has to miss out on the holidays delicious flavors. Turkey day favorites lend themselves to baby purees neutral flavors and smooth textures. I've rounded up Thanksgiving puree options for solid food-eating tots - both homemade recipes and store-bought versions, so no child goes without a bite of turkey on this festive day!

Baby Food Processors: Simple or Swank

Nicole Abbott — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:32:01 PDT

Let's feed the baby! For the first six months of baby's life, all he consumes is breast milk or formula - and when the time comes to introduce him to real foods, mama wants only the best. For this reason, lots of new moms decide to make their baby food at home, using organic fruits and veggies, and a baby food processor makes the endeavor oh-so-much easier!

Simple: The Magic Baby Bullet ($80), from the makers of the Magic Bullet, allows mama to prepare homemade baby food in seconds and comes with everything you need to store up to five days worth of food for baby! It's BPA free and comes with a helpful little cookbook.
Swank: The Beaba Babycook ($150) does it all! This unique appliance isn't just a food processor, it functions as a steamer, blender, warmer, and defroster to prepare fresh, healthy meals for baby.

Which do you prefer?

NurturMe Dehydrated Baby Food: Ga Ga or Gag?

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:45:58 PDT

Between the baby wipes, toys, change of clothes, and actual diapers in mama's diaper bag, it's a wonder the tote can even be lifted off the ground. Once lil ones are ready for solid food, add some jars or homemade purees to the bag and start treating it as an exercise tool.

NuturMe ($9 for a pack of eight) is designed to lighten mom's load while still providing tots with organic, gluten-free baby food. The company's pouches of dehydrated baby food are designed to be mixed with water, breast milk, or formula to create tasty purees for lil tykes. Weighing little more than a feather, the recyclable packs can be stashed away in diaper bags, airline carry-on bags, or even left in the car for emergencies. What do you think? Would you try dried baby food?

10 Tips For Introducing Finger Foods

LilSugar — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:00:00 PDT

Finger foods are the gateway to self-feeding and the first step toward independence at the dinner table. Annabel Karmel has explained the importance of finger foods and how parents can ease the transition for their children. She's also provided us with tips and tricks for introducing these foods to hungry (and grabby) tots.

Homemade Baby Food Made Easy With These 5 Devices

Heather Dale — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:02:20 PDT

Homemade baby food is convenient, inexpensive (especially if your baby is accustomed to eating Tyler Florence's gourmet baby food!), and packs lots of health benefits for your babe by using fresh nutrient-filled ingredients. Most LilSugar mamas say they make their lil one's food themselves, so what's your technique for steaming and pureeing? If you're ready to make the leap to homemade baby food, I've rounded up some gadgets that will make the transition that much easier for you.

And once you get the hang of it, here are some simple homemade baby food recipes to expand your recipe book!

Source: Flickr User lovelihood

Tom Colicchio on the Best Baby Food and Fatherly Advice

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 26 May 2011 05:37:19 PDT

Get ready to puree! In addition to learning Top Chef host Tom Colicchio's tips for throwing together a last-minute meal at the Electrolux/Ovarian Cancer Research Fund event, I also sat down with the dad of three – Dante, 18, Luka, 21 months, and Matteo, 8 weeks – to discuss the secret to getting kids to eat virtually anything. According to the chef, early introduction is key! He also shared his pick for best store-bought baby food, how to cook with kids in the kitchen, and what new projects are on the horizon for him and his growing family. Check it out!

Mashups Fruit and Veggie Smoothies Blend Nutrients For Older Tots

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:02:20 PDT

By now, pouches of squeezable organic food have become the norm. What started out as a lighter, more earth-friendly way to transport baby's purees has expanded to a convenience enjoyed by older kids too. For some reason though, once tots graduated beyond stage 2 purees, the sole proprietor of the pouches has been fruit. Taking a page from their baby food siblings at Plum Organics, Revolution Foods is mixing things up and adding vegetables to their popular Mashups line of squeeze pouches. Mashups Fruit & Veggie Smoothies ($5 for four) are certified organic real fruit and veggie blends made without any added sugar. I put the blends to the test with my notoriously veggie-shy son.

Who is this product designed for? According to Revolution Foods, Mashups were created for kids 5 and up who don't want to eat the same squeeze packets as their baby siblings. As with all squeezers, they are designed for families on-the-go – creating a neat way to eat a snack when mama doesn't have time to cut up some fruit and vegetables.

Is it practical? Any mama that's rushed to pack her tot's lunch box and needed to throw some snacks in a bag knows how hard it can be to find wholesome, organic treats that aren't packed with hidden sugar. These packs give mom peace of mind knowing that she's giving her lil ones a healthy snack with the ease of simply reaching into the pantry.

Keep reading to see if my tots liked the packets, and if I'd buy them.