We set out to create a product that checked all of the boxes for both parents and baby. Not only did we want Simple Starters to be convenient, time-saving, flexible and worry-free for parents, but we wanted it to be fresh, flavorful and nutritious for your little ones.

In Simple Starters you will find a mix of essential nutrients needed for growth. Our Veggie Blends are exactly what they sound like - a blend of savory-only veggies, rich in calcium and fiber to stimulate growth of healthy bacteria in those developing tummies, without any added sweetness. We designed our Root Veggie & Squash Pack to be super convenient (no more peeling!) and nutritious with high levels of folate and vitamin A. We added red bell peppers to our iron-rich Lentils and Veggies Blend Pack, not just for taste and color but to provide a source of vitamin C to boost iron absorption.

The ingredients are provided as a starting point to consider new ways to prepare your little one's food. Pairings for meals, flavors and spices, and even introducing allergens are offered as ideas, but it is up to you as a parent to decide how you want to approach feeding.

Remember, always consult your pediatrician before starting to feed solids!

Getting Started     

Start with a thin, smooth, room temperature puree for the safest swallowing experience. 

Gradually increase chunkiness of the food texture according to baby's skills and tolerance. We recommend progressing from thin, smooth puree to a thicker, smooth puree to a chunky or fork mashed puree.  Finally, allow for finger foods or soft foods that baby can pick up. Every baby will progress to the next texture differently. It typically happens every few weeks, but follow your baby and not a calendar on this one.

Start with small portions. 

We recommend beginning with just a few spoonfuls once a day. For the first few months, food should not replace any breast milk or formula, and the food plays more of oral motor, sensory and flavor preference exercise for baby. We believe that the nutritional quality of the food is more important than the amount eaten. Your baby will show you when he is ready for more, or wants less.  As an example, a 7-9 month old may eat 1-4 ounces up to three times per day and up to 4-8 ounces two to three times per day by his first birthday.

Timing is Everything! 

Offer food when baby is alert and not too hungry, which is ideally one hour before or after a breast milk or formula feeding. 

Introduce foods together.

When it comes to the eight main allergens (dairy, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, soy, wheat) offer these ingredients by themselves over the course of a few days to monitor for a reaction. When it comes to non-allergic ingredients, which is what our Simple Starters line is made with, there is no need to introduce those foods on their own. In other words, it’s okay to introduce more than one ingredient at once as long as it is not one of the eight main allergens.  

Approach to Feeding     

Have fun! Let your baby get messy, sorry in advance for the cleanup! 

Put some food on the tray and let him explore the food with sight, touch, smell and taste. Plus smiles and eye contact from you make a difference.

Flavor goes a long way. 

To excite those little palates and foster future foodiekids, offer fresh and flavorful foods, which is why we suggest adding in some herbs and spices to your little one's foods. You can start this as early as their first bites. 

Help from family.

Babies like to mimic behavior of their parents and siblings! So, as much as you can, get baby watching you and his siblings prepare and eat food. Push the highchair into the kitchen and have baby watch you make Simple Starters so you can let him be part of the process. 

Don't force it. 

If your baby is not interested or ready to begin her food journey she will show you by closing her mouth, turning her head away or crying. Simply wait one week and try again.