Welcome to our Peas & Carrots podcast and blog. We know parents and caregivers are pressed for time, but want to know what they can do to promote healthy eating habits for their baby. Our goal is to make it SO EASY for parents to raise a healthy eater!
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Happy Parenting!
Raise Healthy Eaters with Eco-Friendly Products
Fresh Baby supports parents with new biodegradable products
(January 23, 2012) For almost a decade, Fresh Baby has supported parents in their desire to raise healthy eaters. The simple and straight-forward solutions have helped millions of parents provide fresh and healthy meals to their children from the first bite. Today, with a change in material to their bestselling So Easy Baby Food Trays and the release of their new So Easy Portion Storage Bags, Fresh Baby is helping those parents keep the earth clean for the future generations they are feeding.
Available for purchase now, the company’s newest product, So Easy Portion Storage Bags, are made from biodegradable plastic. It is one of many steps Fresh Baby is taking to make convenience less taxing on our environment. “No one wants the bag they used to store their baby’s first bites to still be in a landfill when that baby is in college,” remarks Cheryl Tallman, CEO. These new zipper-sealed storage bags are freezer-safe, self-standing and include a write-on area as well as measurement marks in both ounces and cups. The bags can be purchased online for $13.95 for a 50 count package.
Fresh Baby is also revamping one of its most popular products to be made with biodegradable plastic as well. “While our So Easy Baby Food Trays are most often handed down from one parent to the next, we felt that it was best to make certain that if they did get tossed, they didn’t leave a lasting imprint on the environment,” commented Tallman on the change. The trays, most commonly used for breast milk and baby food puree storage, are still made in the USA and have all of the same features that make them a top-seller.
Fresh Baby products are available nationally at independent boutiques and online at retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Target and Diapers.com. For more information visit www.freshbaby.com.
About Fresh Baby
Since 2002, Fresh Baby has helped parents foster their children’s healthy eating habits and proactively respond to the childhood obesity epidemic that plagues our nation. Founded on the belief that all parents want to raise healthy children, but can lack the tools, skills, and knowledge needed to be effective, Fresh Baby puts a modern twist on the conventional wisdom that when you make it yourself, you know its better. From writing easy-to-follow, tasty recipes for using fresh ingredients, to recommending simple activities that build good eating habits, to answering all the questions and eliminating the guesswork, Fresh Baby has thought of it all.
For More Information Contact: Nannette Melamed via email: Nannette@freshbaby.com or Call:(770) 374-3966.
Here are some New Year's Resolutions from our Fresh Baby team. We thought it would be fun to share them with you.
Cheryl Tallman, Founder, Fresh Baby :
Get more exercise: Roger (hubby) and I joined a gym. Monday through Friday, we drop off Spencer at school and head to the gym. We work out for about 30 minutes and are at the office before 9AM. We already notice that we are stronger, have more energy, and look better too! Once winter passes, I would like to freeze our gym membership and get outside more with the family – ride bikes, walk and play more golf.
In the kitchen: I would like cook with olive oil more and use less butter. Serve whole grains more often, and try a larger variety of greens (kale, collard greens, chard, etc…). I am also looking forward to learning how to use the Crock-Pot that I got for Christmas
Rose Straebel, Marketing and Sales: After eating way too many indulgences throughout the majority of December, I started out the New Year with a five-day cleanse: no refined sugar and lots of veggies, juices and smoothies. My husband did it with me, which certainly helped me stay on track. Our joint resolution is to do a three-day cleanse every season, or four times a year.
My personal resolutions for staying fit and healthy are to:
1. Count my blessings everyday - mental health must always be considered in the mix!
2. Make 80 percent of my meals vegetarian
3. Ride my horses and go for runs with our yellow lab as much as possible
Angela Ferrigno, Warehouse and Fulfillment: Both my husband and I have made a challenge for ourselves to eliminate all processed foods and eat only items with real and/or whole food ingredients. This meant throwing out many items in our house including condiments, peanut butter, margarine and even our jelly. When I started reading labels more closely I was shocked to see how many foods had corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and a slew of ingredients I couldn’t pronounce. I started purchasing other items as well just out of curiosity to see a difference in taste, and was amazed at how much better certain things tasted. The items weren’t necessarily organic, but everything is unprocessed and is made with all natural ingredients. This is what sparked the idea for me. If these items tasted better because they were all natural, then they had to be much better for my health as well. Everything tastes so much better, and my husband says he doesn’t feel as bloated all the time. Regardless of the physical improvements, I just feel better overall knowing that I’m eating real food instead of chemicals.
Cindy Hall, Client Services: I think that my resolution would be to each fresh vegetables or fruit with every meal. I usually try to do this but haven’t always made a conscious effort.
Becky Doan, Account Management: My resolutions consist of making small changes in my diet and what I buy at the grocery store. I like to have almonds on hand for a fast snack. Almonds at the Fresh Baby office are a hot commodity. They go like candy! I try not to eat after 7 pm and have lots of fruit in the house for my teenagers.
Nannette Melamed, Media Director: To eat more fresh food. To try different fruits and vegetables and different ways to prepare them.
The bright orange color of butternut squash is a seasonal addition to your holiday meal. For families with babies over 8 months old, this soup can be easily made into baby food by thickening it with mashed rice, potato, or baby cereal.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds and fibers. Using a vegetable peeler or a paring knife, remove the skin from the squash and cut the flesh into 1-inch thick slices.
In a roasting pan, combine the squash and garlic cloves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with a spoon until well coated. Pour in the water. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the squash and garlic are soft and golden, about 50-60 minutes. Add a bit more water if the squash begins to look dry or scorched. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
Combine roasted squash and garlic with 2 cups of the stock in a blender or food processor. Puree until very smooth, about 1 minute. (You may need to work in batches to prevent overflowing the blender). Transfer the puree to a large soup pan. Stir in the remaining soup stock, coconut milk (or Half & Half), tarragon, and lemon zest.
To serve, warm soup thoroughly and ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle with chopped chives or parsley.
Makes 8 servings
Note: Can be made 1-2 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator or frozen up to 2 months.
Here are two quick, simple date appetizers that are unique and taste great!
Dates Wrapped in Bacon:You’ll need pitted dates, blanched whole almonds, bacon strips cut on half, and toothpicks. Put an almond in each date. Wrap a piece of bacon around each stuffed date and secure with a toothpick. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place dates on foil and bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 15-18 minutes or until bacon is crisp and done. Remove to rack or paper towel; drain. Serve warm.
Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates: You’ll need whole dates (pitted), blue cheese, cream cheese and chopped walnuts. Start out by making a cheese mixture of equal parts blue cheese and cream cheese. Mix the cheeses together until smooth (you may need to add a little water to develop a smooth texture). Using a teaspoon, stuff the dates with the cheese mixture. Place the stuffed dates on a platter and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Chill for 20 minutes and serve.
Here are a few ideas to serve up a Holiday Dinner for your baby:
Baby’s Age: about 6 months:
Common first food purees that have a Holiday Flavor
Recipe: Apple or Pumpkin Cutie Pie
For the “crust”: combine a crushed graham cracker with oatmeal cereal and breast milk (or formula) in a small bowl
For the pie filling:
Baby’s Age: 7-12 Months:
Turkey (2 options):
Roast Beef (2 options):
Note: Use broth or soup stock instead of gravy to puree your baby’s meals. Gravy tends to be high in fat and salt.
1-Dish Casserole Ideas:
Make a yummy casserole by combining vegetables, fruits, and meat together to make one-dish meal. Depending on your baby’s feeding skills, choose the appropriate texture for these meals: smooth puree, lumpy (fork mashed) or finger foods.
Gobble Gobble Casserole:
Roast Beast Feast:
Baby’s Age: over 12 Months:
If your baby has been introduced to most foods and is ready to enjoy the feast like a big kid, here are few tips:
Planning your baby’s meal:
If the Holiday dinner is at your house, you can prepare your little ones meal right alongside the rest of the family’s. Simply remove foods you would like for your baby before adding seasonings, butter and salt. Then make the appropriate texture (i.e. puree or mash) for your baby.
If you are the guest of another family, you can bring the fruits and vegetable for your baby in a small tote bag. Simply add the main course, such as turkey or roast beef before the meal begins. If you plan to puree the main course, bring a small amount of broth (chicken of beef) with you in the tote bag.
Homemade foods have always been healthier than processed, prepared, or restaurant meals which are generally much higher in fat, salt and calories than home cooked foods. Eating too much of these unhealthy foods can pack on the Holiday pounds and slow your kids down at school.
But let’s face it, the days leading up to the holidays are hectic. Getting a home cooked dinner on the table during the holidays may seem to be an impossible feat, but here are few tips to ease the burden of getting dinner on the table during the hectic holiday season:
