When I had Kalei I was totally into making my own baby food. I bought a Beaba Babycook, Infantino Squeeze Station and went to town coming up with my own recipes so he always had freshly made baby food. Now that I have three keiki I buy baby food. It wasn't something I planned for, I dreamt of once again making baby food but staying at home during COVID, running a small shop and raising 3 keiki doesn't make it realistic for me right now.
1. TIME
Right now the biggest reason why I buy baby food is because of time. I don't have enough of it. I started off buying the jars and pouches from Foodland, Amazon or Target. It wasn't too expensive...maybe $2-$3 a pouch, cheaper if I got it on sale. Mehana was small but even to make her tiny portions separate from what the rest of the family was eating was time I couldn't afford to give up anymore.
One day while sewing (I watch IG stories while I sew when I take a break from Netflix), I saw someone talking about Healthy Baby Hawaii. I actually had a booth next to them at a market in Kailua and had talked to them. It seems so long ago, I can't even remember if I had Mehana yet but if I did she wasn't anywhere near eating age. I'm getting distracted from the point I was trying to make...where was I...
Oh yes, so while watching someone talk about Healthy Baby Hawaii I remember how I loved the blends they offered and so I looked into them. They cost a little more than the store pouches (close to $5 a pouch) BUT the blends and ingredients can't be beat! And with time working against me, I decided to place my order!
2. TRYING NEW FOODS
During the first year of life, food is mostly for play. Trying different flavors and textures is super important. I totally believe it too. Kalei had so many different things to eat when I made his food. Kili was anti-food during her first year and we are still struggling with her taste buds (she loves milk and snacks, eats some veggies and hates fruits).
I don't want another Kili so by buying food from Healthy Baby Hawaii, she's actually trying flavors that I we don't normally cook with. They use a variety of organic, fresh, locally sourced (when possible), and nutrient-dense food. Their purees come in 3 texture options and they have baby led weaning bites for more texture!
Sugar and salt also shouldn't be added to homemade baby foods and it's nice having peace of mind that I'm not buying foods that have added preservatives for shelf life, fillers, sugars, or salts! When you see the color of these foods you know it's fresh!
3. SUPPORT LOCAL
I'm a big supporter of small shops...small local shops to be exact...small local shops owned by moms to be even more precise. I love buying from moms because often times you get to see exactly who you are supporting, their families. It might be a soft spot for me but I love supporting local families and not some CEO in a fancy office that is buying a second or third home. What's even better is that since I know they are sourcing local ingredients, money I'm spending is supporting other local businesses too!
What's great is you can have it delivered to you for $5 (on Tuesdays or Saturdays) or have free delivery if you do a monthly subscription. If you follow them on IG you can see their flavors of the week which is pretty sweet. Your babies get to try new foods every week! When we first started I wasn't a weekly purchaser as I was trying to find a good balance between their foods and the store bought foods we had plus our regular meals. I actually just subscribed to their monthly subscription!
Have I convinced you yet? Whether you are starting to think about your baby's first food or are already well on your way, if you are interested in trying Health Baby Hawaii feel free to use our discount code to save 10% off your order - code: thekeikidept
We aren't sponsored by Healthy Baby Hawaii but just love sharing some of our favorite shops and products.
If you would like to see some of our favorite baby feeding items here is our Amazon List for you to explore: Feeding Baby and that Picky Toddler
