You would think being homebound, we’d find ourselves with a surplus of time and yet here we are, in a time crunch. Between virtual learning and virtual work, it’s virtually impossible to get anything done and that includes making nutritious meals for our family. It gets even trickier when you have a baby in the house. That’s why I was grateful to have Abbey Sharp, founder of Abbey’s Kitchen Inc and Heinz by NatureTM Ambassador join me on What She Said.
Abbey GETS busy. She juggles her many roles as a mom to a baby and toddler, wife, nutritionist, writer and entrepreneur. That’s what makes her uniquely suited to discuss nutritious eating in a winter lockdown. Be sure to listen to the whole interview below and catch the key points below!
Heading into winter, we want to ensure the whole family has the nutrients they need. I asked Abbey about best bets for everyone from baby to siblings to parents.
Abbey encourages lots of vitamin-rich foods, and although fresh may be harder to obtain, frozen foods at this time of year often retain more nutrients, so don’t be afraid to stock up. Don’t overlook your pantry, either. There are also a lot of great quality canned goods available as well as staple healthy whole grains like quinoa and oatmeal.
I know it can be hard to cook for a family and a baby that have different needs, especially with so much on the go, so I wanted to know how Abbey tackled it.
I was relieved to hear that Abbey keeps it real, and isn’t spending every spare moment in her kitchen preparing from-scratch meals. She’s coping much like we all are – by seeking out nutritious, convenient options that she feels good about. For baby, Abbey reaches on the go options like Heinz By NatureTM baby pouches, and for the rest of her family, ready-made salads, rotisserie chickens, and pre-chopped veggies. Bottom line: look for ways to reduce meal time stress with healthy short cuts where possible.
Talking to Abbey I was reminded how long ago it’s been since I had babies in the house. I literally could not remember what the best first foods were, so I had her give me a quick refresher.
Abbey reminded me that babies start to explore solids between 4 to 6 months, and that the best foods when starting out are iron rich, like eggs, lentils and beans. Testing out top allergens is also a priority which surprised me because when my girls were babies the consensus was to wait.
She also encouraged introducing family favourites like squash, berries, and carrots and give as much variety as possible to avoid those picky eaters later in life!
As the mother of a teenager who barely lets a vegetable pass her lips without recoiling with disgust, I personally know that ensuring our kids like a variety of different foods is one of the biggest challenges we parents face.
Whenever I see a baby carriage or toy now, I always think “Why didn’t they have that when my girls were little?” So I wondered if anything had changed with baby food. It turns out acerola cherry is the latest must have.
This caused me to pause the interview and ask, “WHAT IS ACEROLA CHERRY?” As it turns out, it’s a bit of a superfood that delivers Vitamin C and is full of antioxidants. Abbey explained you can find it in Heinz by NatureTM baby pouches. They’re free from added salt, sugar and artificial preservatives, and instead use only natural, organic ingredients and acerola cherry.
If you’re interested in learning more about Heinz by NatureTM baby purees, check out by heinzbaby.com or find the products on Amazon. And if you’re keen to help your little ones develop a healthy relationship with food, check out the interactive baby book Abbey released in partnership with the brand. A Wonderful Meal from Nature is playful, and a great way to encourage babies to explore the foods nature provides.
The book will actually be popping up in Little Free Libraries across Canada this year this year, providing a fun and educational surprise for many families feeling the strain of school and library closures this year.
This post is sponsored by Heinz by NatureTM as part of their ongoing commitment to offering parents premade baby food that they can feel good about feeding to their little ones.