Feeding / 14 October, 2019 / Ellie Thompson
Baby Bill turns six months next week, and as of last weekend (and seemingly overnight), he has turned into a complete food monster. A trip out for lunch where the only thing on offer for him was stinky Neocate milk, saw a complete uncharacteristic meltdown from our usual chilled Bill. It was then we knew, it was time for food.
As though following obediently in the footsteps of his sister, baby Bill is cows’ milk and soya intolerant, so we knew we had to approach his weaning journey with caution. His sister suffered from an incredibly sensitive gut, reacting badly to every shop bought pouch and jar we tried. We had to abort the weaning process until ten months of age, when she was prescribed an antihistamine by Dr Shah at The Portland. Having been through such a difficult time with our first, and seeing similarities in our second, we decided to do some research into the best way forward.
We came across baby food company Bellato Baby, who are revolutionising how us busy on-the-go parents feed our littlest ones. I was really excited to try out the range, as at last it seemed as though we had found a safe place to start.
The company was founded in March last year by busy working mama of two, Jade Ireland. Jade believes that the commercial baby food market selling products with an average shelf life of two years is just not acceptable. “Current research into the commercial baby food market doesn’t make for easy reading… why would you feed your baby food you wouldn’t be happy eating yourself?”
While the University of Glasgow reports that ‘UK commercial baby foods don’t meet infants’ dietary weaning needs… and provide little extra nutritional goodness’. Scary stuff.
Jade’s naturopath background and keen interest in children’s health set her on the journey to develop this new mega-tasty, mega-healthy next-day delivery service. Jade’s ambition was to help busy parents provide their children with the best natural, plant-based, nutritionally balanced food.
Bellato Baby is the only UK based baby food manufacturer offering certified 100% organic, fresh plant-based food via next day delivery.
The food is not pasteurised or heat treated, and nothing in the range has any fruit fillers or unnecessary sugars. All of Bellato Baby’s recipes are completely free from preservatives and additives.
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The range includes an organic wholefood diet of natural food using organic produce suitable for babies aged six months and up.
There are a selection of delicious tasting purees, baby bites and smoothies. All recipes are free of meat, fish, dairy and gluten.
Our delivery consisted of their seven delicious purees, each arriving in its own glass jar. Recipes include white bean, pea and mint puree, roasted pepper tomato and cashew, sweet potato and coconut, and Billy’s favourite, butternut squash and coconut.
There are a whole host of mouth-watering baby bites suitable for babies aged 8+ months. The gooey chocolate brownies look absolutely delicious.
Bellota Baby have even prepared a refreshing nutritional smoothie which can be given to babies from six months of age. This can also be frozen and made into lollies which I think is a great idea for teething relief.
All of the recipes under the Bellato Baby umbrella have been developed in collaboration with nutritionist and weaning expert Mary van der Westhuizen.
Each recipe is nutritionally balanced, as well as completely delicious in taste. The food is cooked in small batches so delivery feels more like a homemade hearty food parcel made with love by your own mum.
The puree jars last for 10 days in the fridge, and 24 hours once opened. You can also decant and freeze the food, offering a great deal of flexibility in the early days, when baby is eating smaller amounts.
Bellota baby food is also full of nutrients that aid absorption. The recipes incorporate natural probiotics to help balance a baby’s gut flora. This is really important for me – Billy was in hospital for three weeks from just 19 days old, with two infections (a UTI and a staph), he was pumped full of antibiotics for months. To know the food he’s having now is full of goodness is a huge comfort, as I do worry about the effects of the medication on his poor little tum.
Last but not least, the complete feel-good factor: the Bellota Baby range is fully sustainable and completely plastic free. EVERYTHING can be recycled.
There’s nothing about this service we don’t love.
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