When your baby is resting comfortably in your belly, it’s natural to think about what kind of mother you will (or will not!) be. If you’re like me you’ll think to yourself “I’m totally not doing what SHE did; I would never sleep train my baby, I will survive those unrested nights gracefully and I will always cook my baby the best organic food”. Well, newsflash mama: I tried that and the only place it got me was burnt the hell out. We put SO much pressure on ourselves to be these perfect supermoms, but sometimes it is just not realistic to do it all on our own. We want to give our children the best they can get while still being able to have a life ourselves. Well, fear not! There are companies out there that can help you achieve your parenting goals without doing all of the work yourself. One of my FAVORITE companies I found after Lily was born is Little Spoon. If you’re a busy parent that wants your child to eat whole, healthy, organic foods, Little Spoon is definitely for you!
Photos By Molly Lou Photo
When we introduced solids to Lily at 6 months, I was interested in trying the “baby led weaning” method. The day she turned 6 months, I excitedly chopped up an avocado into tiny little pieces, put it down in front of her, and waited……and waited. No interest. We tried that method every couple of days until we realized she was totally over it. Lily is a big kid and my boobs can attest to the fact that she LOVES to eat. I was stumped, so I decided to change my approach and try the mushy baby food. One serving of mushy bananas and the kid was hooked. I thought I would be the baby food making god, but unfortunately, with a busy husband, cranky baby, and 2 high maintenance dogs, I found myself using those shelf stable organic baby food packets all too often. The packets were just plain easier than cooking, but as time went on I started to really be fearful of Lily eating this shelf stable mush all the time. Humans, especially growing humans, need FRESH food. I knew she needed better but cooking all of her food myself seemed like an exhausting task.
I was so excited when Andy and I heard from Little Spoon. I checked out their company and it was like my baby food prayers were answered. Fresh, balanced, organic baby food delivered to my front door with the most amazing, unique flavors. When the first box arrived, we were so excited to try them out with her. Occasionally a flavor didn’t go over so well at first, but we tried again at dinner or breakfast and by the second or third attempt, she would eat the whole thing! A lot of their flavors will be unique to your child, so it may take them a couple attempts to decide they like it. We’ve yet to find a mix that she doesn’t like!
How It Works:
You’ll fill out a profile for your little one. The specialists (nutritionists & pediatricians) put together a plan for a balanced diet of their blends. Little Spoon takes into account your child’s age and milestones so they can make sure he/she is getting everything they need. You can pick from one meal a day (maybe you just need a little help at dinner time!), two meals a day or three. The shipments show up at your door in a temperature-controlled package. All you have to do is stick the blends in the fridge and get that baby eating! The blends come in small plastic containers along with a little spoon (get it!), so you have everything you’ll need. They also send you a bib and an adorable fabric cooler so you can take your blends with you.
Here are some of their flavor combos:
- Beet, Tahini, Chickpea, Apple, Brown Rice, Cardamom (I didn’t know what Cardamom was until I was 25!)
- Red Lentil, Chickpea, Apple, Curry, Coconut Milk
- Broccoli, Pineapple, Banana, Hemp
- Quinoa, Raspberry, Pear, Coconut Milk, Vanilla, Date, Wheat Germ Oil
- Black Bean, Mango, Corn, Lime, Cilantro (Lily’s Favorite!!!)
- Beet, Banana, Mango (Mama’s favorite!)
Whether or not you’re ready for a Little Spoon subscription, I really can’t express enough how important it is to consider your child’s nutrition. What we put into and on our bodies is the most important indicator of our health. While our children are growing, they need the right fuel to keep them healthy and strong. I can’t tell you how much it upsets me to see the disgusting food choices on the “kids menu” at restaurants. Our children don’t know the difference between an organic fruit or a piece of cake when they’re born. We condition them to like those sugary snacks. There is NO shame in letting your child eat a few salty or sugar snacks now and again (Lily loves Mexican food), but most of the time our children should be eating whole, unprocessed and organic foods. Unfortunately, pediatricians aren’t always trained in the field of nutrition, so we’re left on our own to decide what our kids should eat. Planning their meals certainly isn’t always easy and everyone has their opinion of what is healthy these days. It does help that there are lots of healthy baby food cookbooks out there to give you some inspiration! Take the time to find unprocessed foods your child likes and experiment with them. Lily loves avocado, so I will mush avocado with different herbs and spices over other cooked vegetables so she will eat a greater variety of foods! She still doesn’t have a lot of teeth, so pureeing foods or adding Little Spoon blends along with finger foods is perfect for her.
Feeding your child organic, whole foods can be pricey, so I’m excited to partner with Little Spoon to offer you a 20% off discount code on your first order. Try it out and see if it might help you get a little more “me time” while you rest assured your babe is getting everything he or she needs to grow healthier and stronger! I promise you I will NEVER promote a brand I haven’t used or don’t believe in 100%. This is the real deal. From one busy mama to another, I hope you and your baby enjoy!
Discount Code: Enter “Imperfectionist” at checkout to receive 20% your first box!
Follow along with the amazing folks at Little Spoon:
on the web here
And on Instagram here
The baby led weaning does not also work for my babies back then so I started giving them mashed fruits, potatoes, and cereals. When she was familiar with eating solid foods, that’s the time I tried baby led weaning method.