Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

Ask the Earth’s Best Dietitian Your Questions Now!

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I’m so excited to be continuing my work with Earth’s Best over the next 6 months. My children enjoy their products and I believe that this company is working hard to provide the very best, nutritionally, to our children.

That’s why I was impressed (though not at all surprised) to hear that Earth’s Best has a medical advisory board in place to provide ongoing counsel about nutritional needs for babies, toddlers and children and to help develop products that will best meet the needs of growing bodies!

Kate Geagan is a registered dietitian for Earth’s Best, as well as a nationally known nutrition expert. She has been a Nutrition Contributor for Pregnancy Magazine, she authored the book Go Green Get Lean and she’s made several appearances on the Dr. Oz Show.

Get Your Questions Answered

In February, Kate will be answering a handful of questions from Earth’s Best Preferred Bloggers! I would love to know if you have any questions for Kate. Here are some examples to get you thinking: “What is the best food to serve my toddler first thing in the morning?” or, “If I can’t afford to provide all organic food for my family, what is the most important thing to choose?” Leave your questions in the comments and I’ll pass them on!

Earth's Best Formula

Here’s my question for Kate:

I just purchased 4 cans of Earth’s Best organic formula for my almost 9 month old. It was EXPENSIVE (all formula is pricey, but organic is even higher)! Can you remind me what the important differences are between organic and non-organic formulas? Does it really make a difference?

First Finger Foods: Earth’s Best Yogurt Puffs (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Layah has been demonstrating that pincer grasp that parents should watch for as an indicator that it is time to try solid foods. She’s also been seeming extra hungry lately, so I’ve been doing some thinking about what I want to offer her as those first foods she picks up and eats on her own.

I tried mango chopped into small pieces, but she spit it right back out! Mango is my favorite fruit, so I was personally offended by her response. 😉

I decided that I needed something less slippery to grasp and very easy to “chew” once in her mouth (after all, the poor thing only has 2 teeth!).

That’s when I remembered that I had some great puffs from Earth’s Best in the pantry. In fact, I had just received some Yogurt Puffs, which is a new product in the Earth’s Best line.

earths best yogurt puffs blueberry peach

Before giving them the green light, I read the back of the package to see if it was recommended for infants. Based on the feeding information it provided, it seemed to pass the test, as Layah has been crawling for a while and shows an interest and picking things up and putting them into her mouth (especially things that AREN’T edible!).

I was also a bit worried about whether or not this product would be too sugary. So I tasted them. They definitely have a sweet taste, but it is very mild. I checked the ingredient label, and organic cane syrup is ingredient number 4. I decided that wasn’t so bad, and opted to offer her the blueberry yogurt puffs along with some veggie puffs.

earth's best yogurt puffs 1

I really like how quickly the puffs melt in your mouth. If you don’t have many teeth and if you are still learning how to chew food before swallowing it, this is very helpful! While I always sit with Layah while she is eating, I do not worry that she is going to choke on these puffs.

Earth’s Best Yogurt Puffs are an excellent choice for a snack or even as part of a meal for your little one. I had forgotten that once babies are ready to start practicing feeding themselves that they can be quite entertained by the food on their trays. This provides me with a great opportunity to do a little bit of computer work or sorting through the mail while she plays with her food.

earth's best yogurt puffs 2

And cleanup is totally easy. Since the puffs are dry, I’m not dealing with nasty spills on the floor once feeding time is over. The vacuum can take care of the debris in just a few seconds.

Earth’s Best Yogurt Puffs come in two flavors: blueberry and peach. The blueberry is excellent and I’m looking forward to trying out the peach. I definitely recommend them as a great option for snack time, for self-feeding practice, and for travel, as they are highly portable. Plus, they are a good source of Iron, Zinc, six different B vitamins, A & E Vitamins and Calcium. And of course, they are made with organic ingredients. What’s not to love?

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win Earth’s Best Yogurt Puffs in Blueberry and Peach!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

I am a blog ambassador for Earth’s Best, and as such I have received complimentary products as a thank you for my time. All thoughts and opinions express here are strictly my own.

 

Earth’s Best Pouches Are a Travel Must-Have

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We have been doing a bit of traveling this holiday season, much the same as millions of other families across the world. We visited my family down in Alabama. They actually came up to visit us a few weeks ago when we had both our girls baptized. When they were loading up the car to travel back home, I sent them back with all the Christmas presents I had ready at that point and perhaps more importantly, I sent ahead some food for the girls. I wanted to make 100% sure that I didn’t forget the Earth’s best jarred food AND the Earth’s Best squeeze pouches. What a nightmare it would have been to have to go to Walmart, or really any store at all, on Christmas Eve to buy them!

Earth’s Best Food Pouches

I choose Earth’s Best for my girls for several reasons. First and foremost, the ingredients are all organic, and that gives me a lot of peace of mind. At home, Layah eats homemade organic baby food about 75% of the time, with some jarred food sprinkled in to give extra variety. I also aim to give Darah organic fruits and vegetables as much as my budget will allow.

Earth’s Best pouches are so fantastic to have on hand because it is pretty much guaranteed that Darah will eat them. Overall she is a good eater, but she’s 3, and that means that she certainly has days where the only thing in this whole world she wishes to eat is peanut butter and chocolate. Sigh… But I have found that if I offer her a squeeze pouch, she says yes to it EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. And Earth’s Best pouches contain all kinds of yummy stuff (no, not peanut butter and chocolate). It’s such a clever way for me to get some veggies and fruits in Darah’s system.

earth's best food pouches

The pouches also work great for Layah, especially on the road. She doesn’t have the hang of sucking the food out herself, but I can squeeze the food onto a spoon for her and feed her at whatever place we have chosen to stop at. When she’s finished, I just screw the lid back on. Since the pouches are shelf stable, I know the food inside will be just fine for several more hours until we reach our destination (at which point I do refrigerate opened pouches and jarred food).

On this trip, Layah has been enjoying the Earth’s Best 1st Foods pouches, which include the following flavors:

  • bananas
  • pears
She has also REALLY enjoyed the Earth’s Best Greek Yogurt Smoothies. Banana is what she has tried so far, but you can also find it in apple or cherry.
As for Darah, as I said before, she will eat any of the pouches (even the 1st foods!) but I’ve been giving her the Just for Toddlers Sesame Street Fruit and Yogurt Smoothies, available in the following flavors:
  • Strawberry Banana
  • Apple Blueberry
  • Peach Banana
  • Pear Mango
  • Mixed Berry
Earth’s Best pouches help our family make the long road trip a little bit easier, and they also help us ensure that our kids are getting the great nutrition they need even when we are away from home and not “in charge” of the meals being served.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win an Earth’s Best pouch sampler pack!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

I am a blog ambassador for Earth’s Best, and as such I have received complimentary products as a thank you for my time. All thoughts and opinions express here are strictly my own.

Announcing the Earth’s Best Healthy Halloween Sweepstakes (Hurry! Ends 10/12)!

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If you have a toddler or preschooler in your house, you are definitely going to want to enter this great new sweepstakes on the Earth’s Best Facebook page! To celebrate Halloween, and to make sure that your kiddos have some snacks on hand that are sweet AND healthy, Earth’s Best is giving away 25 grand prizes, each of which has a case of Earth’s Best Organic Pop Snax and a case of Sesame Street Organic Letter of the Day Very Vanilla Cookies. YUM!!!

Entering is very simple. “Like” Earth’s Best to become a fan (if you aren’t one already!). Then click on the sweepstakes tab and complete and submit the simple entry form. That’s it!  The contest ends October 12th, so hurry up and get entered!

I am a blog ambassador for Earth’s Best, and as such, I have received complimentary products as a thank you for my time. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Ever Wonder Where Earth’s Best Food is Grown?

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When I first became an ambassador for Earth’s Best, I asked if anyone had any questions about the brand that I could ask the company. One reader wanted to know where the fruits and veggies in Earth’s Best products came from. I thought that was an excellent question, and I went back to the company to get the answer. And now I have it for you!

There are four main farms/growers that supply much of the food found in Earth’s Best products. I’d like to introduce them to you so that you can see where your child’s food is grown!

All of these farms are providing Certified Organic produce, which means they contain no GMOS, potentially harmful pesticides, fertilizers or herbicides.
I am so delighted that Earth’s Best not only discloses, but proudly showcases their growers on their website. It really makes you feel more connected to your food when you can see the people who grew it!
Disclosure: I am a blog ambassador for Earth’s Best, and as such, I have received complimentary products as a thank you for my time. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own


My DIY Applesauce Disaster and An Earth’s Best GIVEAWAY!!!


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Time for an embarrassing story about myself! Grab the popcorn and plop down…this one is a doozy!


A few years ago when we lived in Memphis, we had an apple tree in our front yard. It was an adorable little thing, and it made quite a few apples in the fall of 2009. At the time, Darah was just 2 months old, or so. I saw those apples and thought, “Oh my gosh! I can make and freeze some organic apple sauce for my daughter…and for FREE!!!” I put on my Betty Crocker/Martha Stewart/Crunchy Granola Mama crown and sash and marched out to that front yard with my bowl, returning inside with quite the harvest. I was about to ROCK THIS DIY SO HARD.


I found a recipe online…it looked simple enough, and I gathered all my ingredients. Darah observed from her bouncer, fascinated, I’m sure, to see her mom making something from scratch. I followed all of the steps and before long, I had something in my large pot the very strongly resembled apple sauce. And there was a ton of it. Oh man, I was going to enough apple sauce to last Darah for several months! So exciting!


As I continued along with the process, I got to the step where I needed to add some vinegar. I added it in, and immediately thought, “Eww, vinegar stinks even more than I thought it did. Hmm…well, whatever, I’m sure the smell will dissipate soon.” And about 2 minutes later it still smelled TERRIBLE. I gave it a couple of big sniffs and thought, “I don’t know…something’s a bit….off.”


Now remember, I had a 2 month old. I was a first time mom. I was running on baby grins and games of pat a cake, and was DEFINITELY sleep-deprived. So my old noggin’ wasn’t exactly in its sharpest state.


Finally, after inhaling this noxious odor for several minutes, it occured to me to review my ingredients on the counter.


And that’s when I realized that I put AMMONIA in my huge vat of organic apple sauce. Yeah I did. I added poison to my child’s food. And then I sniffed it. And sniffed it again. It’s a miracle I didn’t eat it, myself. If I had been more sleep-deprived, I may have just kept on cooking and freezed it. Who knows?


I totally cried when I realized that I ruined every single apple I had been waiting a few months to pick. And then I laughed so hard that I cried again.



		
		
			
			
		
	


Thank goodness this isn’t the only way to get organic apple sauce! I skip making it myself now (I just can’t be trusted, friends!) and rely on the quality and goodness of Earth’s Best Organic Apple Sauce. It only has ingredients I know and trust, and it comes in the perfect size containers for Darah’s snack time, or as part of her lunch. I have gladly relinquished my ill-fitting crown as chief cooking DIY diva and given Earth’s Best the title. It’s quality I can count on!


Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win Tiffany’s homemade apple sauce! Just kidding! You will win an Organic Apple Sauce prize pack from Earth’s Best!


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.


Disclosure: I am a blog ambassador for Earth’s Best, and as such, I have received complimentary products as a thank you for my time. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.


Earth’s Best Organic Formula: GIVEAWAY!!!


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When Darah and I were having trouble with breastfeeding, starting when she was about 6 months old, I really panicked. I didn’t know anything about formula other than the fact that I didn’t want to give it to her.


But if you’ve ever seen your baby be hungry and seen your body fail to produce what is needed, you quickly get over yourself and figure out what your options are to feed your baby. So I started doing some research online on different formula types and makers to determine what would be the safest choice for Darah.


We had already introduced solid foods at that point and I was feeding Darah exclusively organic products, such as Earth’s Best organic rice cereal. I was interested in finding some organic formula for Darah, as well. Earth’s Best was the only company I could find at that time that was offering such a thing. It wasn’t offered for sale at any grocery store near me, so I had to order the product online. I would actually order it from Diapers.com by the case, and by ordering in bulk, the price per can dropped significantly so that it didn’t cost much more than name brand traditional formulas. I used the product in the red can, seen in the photo below.


So why go organic for formula? The dairy ingredients found in Earth’s Best organic formulas come from cows that have not been treated with growth hormones, steroids, and antibiotics. The other ingredients are also organic, meaning that they were produced with pesticides and made without genetically engineered organisms. These things were important to me, since I was already working to avoid these pesticides and GMOs in her solid foods. It gave me a lot of peace of mind to know that I wasn’t introducing her to those elements through her formula, either.


Earth’s Best has introduced a new organic product for parents who might have a fussy baby. It’s called Earth’s Best Organic Sensitivity Infant Formula, and it is the first FDA approved infant organic formula that has lower lactose levels to help ease fussiness and gas.



		
		
			
			
		
	


If you are concerned about introducing harmful pesticides to your infant, but need to use formula for whatever variety of reasons, I highly recommend that you try out Earth’s Best. And if your baby has sensitivities, Earth’s Best now has an option for you, too!


Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a can of Earth’s Best Organic Sensitivity Formula!


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.


Disclosure: I am a blog ambassador for Earth’s Best, and as such, I have received complimentary products as a thank you for my time. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.


 


Proud to Be an Earth’s Best Blogger


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Earth's Best Blogger Program


The very first solid food we put in Darah’s mouth was from Earth’s Best. It was rice cereal. Ever since that day (New Year’s Eve 2009), we’ve been big fans and loyal customers to this brand. When I was offered the opportunity to become an ambassador for the brand for the next 6 months, I knew the partnership made perfect sense. I already love and respect Earth’s Best, and now I get to share my thoughts and experiences with you, and along the way, offer up some wonderful prizes to you, my readers.


This is going to be so much fun!


Did you know that Earth’s Best has been around since way before organic became trendy and cool? It has 25 years under its belt, and in that time, has grown tremendously, now offering more than 100 products, including organic infant formula, a really impressive line of infant and toddler foods, and baby care products.


Earth’s Best works hard to be the company of choice for parents who are hoping to provide organic options for their babies and children, and who seek out companies that only use the purest ingredients.


Earth’s Best aims to help make your life a little less hectic. For example, we don’t all have time to go to our local farmer’s market each week and then come home and turn those ingredients into delicious purees and snacks. Earth’s Best is happy to take that chore off your hands without you having to sacrifice the standard you’d like to set for your child’s nutrition and overall health.


Over the next 6 months, I’ll be bringing you news about great new Earth’s Best products, information from Earth’s Best nutrition and health experts, and of course, wonderful giveaways. I hope this series will inspire some good conversations among my readers, not only about this particular brand, but also about how we can strategically make choices to provide products that are free from nasty chemicals to our children.


I’ll be posting for Earth’s Best twice each month, and one post each month will have a giveaway. Folks who comment on the non-giveaway post each month will get a bonus entry into that month’s Earth’s Best giveaway! So here’s your chance to earn a bonus entry!


Do you have any questions for Earth’s Best, either about their products or about ways to cut out unhealthy chemicals in your home and in your child’s diet? I’d love to take your questions and comments back to the company!