June 08, 2005
Baby Food
Baby Food
The Baby is finally starting to feed herself a little bit. First cheerios, then little pieces of watermelon, and then it was time to go to the store and get her the freeze dried fruits and vegetables that have been a mainstay in each of my children's baby diet.
You see, I don't like feeding the kidlets baby food very much. Baby food is messy and it makes it hard for me to get a bite of my own food. As soon as they are picking up little stuff, it is time to find something for them to feed to themselves. It's a harsh world out there and there is no time like the present to start them doing for themselves.
The freeze dried produce from Just Tomatoes fits the bill. Some of their stuff isn't appropriate. Some things are too sharp and hard. Some are too chewy. The berries, the bananas (after some breaking them down to size) and the green peas, however, are just right. The kids can pick them up pretty easily. They are actual fruits and vegetables with more nutritional value than you average cereal product and they aren't gooey or sticky.
And so it is time to start The Baby on some Just Peas, Just Blueberries and a some other stuff. Wild Oats doesn't carry them anymore. But! The Fresh Market carries some products, so we made the trek the other night to yuppie shopping heaven. Dried fruit they had in plenty, but no peas. The kids always love the peas, so that was a brief annoyance. I got some blueberries and some strawberry bananas for The Baby and placed a large order for peas from the Just Tomatoes website.
Here's to children who can feed themselves! Of course, I wish the older two weren't swarming so heavily over The Baby's food. Piggies.
Did you know Freshmarket is moving in the old Belle Meade Movie Theatre/Bookstar on Harding? Thanks for the tip about freeze dried...I don't think I have *ever* heard that suggestion before!
Posted by: Meredith at June 8, 2005 03:28 PMI always believe in starting them eating as soon as they can. I hate spooning food into a child's mouth. I am also one who holds by the messy is how they learn, and don't really care if they've spread whatever it is all over themselves and their environs...if they get some of the food into their mouth, that is the point.
I think one of our first foods were cherrios.
Posted by: Rachel Ann at June 9, 2005 12:00 AMWhat a fabulous idea... never ever would have thought of freeze dried as an alternative!
Posted by: Blair at June 9, 2005 12:18 AMOoh, what a great idea. I'm not a big fan of baby food . . . it looks gross, and if I wouldn't eat something called "pork and prunes" or whatever, why should I expect my baby to eat it? I was planning to make all our baby food. And this is a great, non-messy alternative. Yay!
Posted by: Another Jordana at June 9, 2005 07:11 AMNote that the freeze-dried produce is not adequate for all baby feeding. I still use plenty of smooshed up stuff. This is a supplement and transitional food on the kid's way to independence.
Posted by: Jordana at June 9, 2005 07:40 AMDo you also give her biter(?) biscuits and pieces of bagels? Be sure to post some pictures of Bea before wiping off her face but after she's through smearing the food around (instead of in) her mouth. Bea's brother and sister won't be so quick to take food from her once she has a fork in her hand.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could afford to shop at Fresh Market all the time!? I wonder if they require you to wear Birkenstocks and drive a Volvo (or Prius) when you enter the category of "regular"...
Posted by: MarcV at June 9, 2005 12:34 PMMarc, because we have wheat allergies on both sides of the family and eczema and asthma, we avoid giving the kids any wheat until around their first birthday. So far the older two have had no problems with wheat, thank goodness. Anyway, so we don't do the regular baby biscuits or bagels, etc. and we use special wheat-free cheerios.
Fresh Market doesn't require Birkenstocks, around here, but more like Lily Pulitzer, Gucci and Coach. Now, Wild Oats runs more to the hippie crowd, into which I look like I fit a bit better.
Posted by: Jordana at June 9, 2005 12:40 PMWe have friends whose baby daughters got peas straight from the freezer. Maybe Jay is old enough for that now!
I might not be able to watch him dropping $4 worth of freeze-dried food on the floor with the same equanimity his lost "toasty o's" rate... Thankfully we don't have allergies in either family, so we can buy the Wal-mart brand!
Posted by: Lenise at June 9, 2005 02:27 PMLenise, watching them drop expensive food on the floor is only a problem if you have a problem with picking the food up off the floor and offering it to them again. My floors aren't exactly super or even very clean, but I have no qualms about picking stuff up and letting them have it back.
Posted by: Jordana at June 9, 2005 02:34 PMFood floor is ok with us too. Heck they do it all the time on their own. I figure it's just another way to challenge/boost the immune system.
Oh and my kids love the peas too.
Posted by: Sarah G. at June 9, 2005 04:57 PMI guarantee you my floor is dirtier than yours. Hairballs and regurgitated cat food regularly appear on it, and until recently, one of the litter boxes was probably 10 feet away as the cat runs. And don't ask me how often I vaccuum (still haven't gotten a splatter sheet, but will be needing one).
Posted by: Lenise at June 10, 2005 08:24 AMLenise, I have three children and a 65 lb dog that comes in and out of the house all day. Let's just say that I knew the other day that it was time to vacuum because the baby started gagging on a hairball. So, I doubt your floors are any worse than mine. What a competition to be in -- who has the nastiest floors?
Posted by: Jordana at June 10, 2005 08:49 AMNo worse than moron project smackdown ;) You give me a stupid competition, and I'm THERE!
Posted by: Lenise at June 10, 2005 01:59 PM
Jordana Adams, Chief Pontificator