What to Look for When Buying Organic Baby Food

Have you ever looked into organic baby foods for your children?  Organic baby foods are healthier because they are made without chemicals or synthetic pesticides and cannot be genetically modified or it would not be considered organic food. Buying and making organic food for your baby will provide great health benefits for the rest of your child’s life. Your baby has a fragile system and the organic baby food will help to keep that system relatively free of chemicals or synthetic pesticides that are sprayed onto non-organic baby foods. A baby eats more fruits and vegetables than an adult does so a baby will naturally consumes more pesticides than adults do. Babies who do eat organic foods are not exposed to pesticides found in conventional foods and have even been proven to have stronger nutritional systems.

In stores, it can be hard to identify what is organic, what is partially organic, and what is non-organic. If a product is labeled “one-hundred percent organic,” by law, the product you are buying is made without chemical fertilizers and synthetic ingredients. All production must meet the organic policies and have been verified by accredited inspectors. Products labeled “organic” mean no less than ninety-five percent of the food will be organic. If the product you are looking at says “made with organic materials,” than at least seventy percent of the food will be organic and the rest of the ingredients would have been made up of approved products for the United States Department of Agriculture. Labels that say “natural” or “all natural” do not mean they are organic. There are no specific standards for these terms unless they are referring to poultry or meat where the USDA defines that as no artificial coloring or synthetic ingredients. The term “free range” is meaningless because the United State government’s policies on this are weak. “Free range” simply means that the animals have access to the outdoors for undetermined hours of the day.  Be careful while buying organic food; taking the time to read the ingredients on the list will help ensure a healthy meal for your child and your family.

 Any seafood labeled “organic” is misleading because there are no standards developed by the USDA for seafood. Investing in organic poultry, meat, eggs, and dairy is recommended because this means that they have minimized exposure to toxins and chemicals in the animal’s
non-organic feed. Buying organic meat will also help you avoid hormones and antibiotics the animals receive that have been linked to the increase of antibacterial resistance in humans. Because babies and children are extremely vulnerable to toxins and bacteria from pesticides and chemicals, investing in organic baby food would eliminate your child from the high risk and exposure to the dangerous toxins lurking inside non-organic foods.

If you are just starting to make your own organic baby food, there are a few things that you should know. There are many ways of making sure your baby is getting enough nutrients out of the organic foods you are making. Vegetables such as peas contain more protein than a tablespoon of peanut butter. It also provides calcium, vitamins A and C, and iron. Peas are recommended for babies starting around 6 – 8 months of age, but
be sure to discuss your baby’s eating habits with his or her pediatrician. When selecting green peas, remember to make sure they peas are firm, crisp, bright green, and velvety to the touch. Peas have a short shelf life so when you bring them home from the market, make sure to use them right away. Here is a recipe that will help you start on your organic baby food:

Minty Peas and Rice  Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (try pacific natural
organic!)

3/4 cup instant brown rice

1 1/2 cups frozen peas (6 ounces)

3/4 cup sliced scallions

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add rice and bring to a simmer; cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 4 minutes.

Stir in peas and return to a simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the peas are hot and the rice has
absorbed most of the liquid, about 6 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in scallions, mint and pepper. Cover and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes.

Winter Squash (butternut and acorn squash are the best for babies) is another great vegetable for organic baby food recipes because it is high in vitamins A and calcium. Like peas, squash are usually introduced to babies around 6 – 8 months old, but you should still consult your baby’s pediatrician beforehand. Squash may be stored for very long periods of time (up to 4 months) in cool places. Here is a recipe to help you
with your organic squash baby food:

Acorn Squash and Apple Bake Ingredients:

1 acorn squash

2 or 3 Macintosh apples

pinch of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Peel and dice apples

2. Cut acorn or butternut squash in half, scoop out seeds

3. Place halves face UP in a pan and add with an inch of water to the pan

4. Place diced apples in the squash “holes” where the seeds were Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired

5. Pour water over the apples so that there is water in the squash holes – cover pan with tinfoil

6. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes or until the “shell/skin” puckers and halves feel soft then scoop squash “meat” and apples out of the shell

4. Puree as needed, adding water to thin if required. You may also chop or dice and serve as a finger food meal.

 Avocadoes are considered one of nature’s miracle fruits because it contains every nutrient for a man to survive. Avocadoes not only carry a high amount of vitamins, it also has “good fat” that is important for your baby’s brain development. Avocadoes are usually introduced to babies around 4-6 months old, but again it is very important to consult your baby’s pediatrician before trying anything. Here is a recipe to help you get started:

Yummy Avocado Fruit Salad for Baby Ingredients:

3 or 4 ripe avocados

3 or 4 ripe bananas

3 or 4 Pears (steamed)

A couple of dollops Yogurt (for 8 months +)

Directions:

Peel, de seed and slice fruits as needed

Place in a blender or food processor and puree until desired texture is achieved

Add a couple of dollops of yogurt if desired

*Use diced fruits as a Baby Finger Food snack for older infants and toddlers – drizzle the Plain Yogurt over the fruits

Make sure to contact your baby’s pediatrician before feeding them different foods and always follow the 4 day rule. The 4 day rule is to feed your baby the same food for 4 days to test for allergy symptoms. If allergies to the foods occur, stop feeding your baby and consult a physician. Never introduce more than one food at a time. Lastly, be willing to experiment with foods for your baby. Babies have different tolerance towards tastes and textures so if your child does not like a certain food, try something else or try mixing the fruit or vegetable with another. There are many health benefits from organic baby food. Giving your baby food that has not been chemically grown or sprayed down with pesticides provides your baby with the best nutrition available!

50 thoughts on “What to Look for When Buying Organic Baby Food”

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    • These are sooo good… when my daughter was litlte, she loved the rice and cheese flavor (can’t remember the exact name). Anyway, I found you through the blog hop!

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