As a child I grew up on fresh organic foods taken from our own gardens or purchased raw and fresh from the local markets and prepared that same day.

When I first moved to the United States, I was determined to maintain my organic lifestyle and not fall victim to the “convenience” foods that are so popular in the states because of the busy lifestyle. I have been cooking since the age of 9, so it was easy for me to alter recipes, incorporating wholesome, organic ingredients in order to provide safe and healthy meals for my family, my friends and myself. In very little time I became the “go-to” person whenever a friend, relative or coworker was looking to convert a favorite recipe into a more wholesome recipe. My dinner parties soon became the hottest events in our community. To this day, friends often have me prepare food for their special events and provide recipes to help them prepare healthy versions of their favorite foods.

When I became pregnant, I knew that I would feed my baby nothing but organic food. About six months into my pregnancy, I started scouting around for the best organic baby food on the market, and faced my first major challenge. I had always taken it for granted that organic baby foods, largely advertised as having NO ADDITIVES, NO FILLERS, NO HORMONES, NO PESTICIDES, NO ADDED SUGAR OR SALT, etc. would look completely different than conventional baby foods. To my surprise, none of the foods were easily recognizable; peas were a brownish green, and carrots were dull brown.

I picked up a jar of peas to verify the ingredients listed as well as the production and expiration dates. The ingredients listed were just peas and water, but that could not explain why the food looked nothing like the vibrant green of fresh peas. I looked at the expiration date on the jar and to my horror, the baby peas had an expiration date a year and a half away!  This meant that in one year, my as-yet unborn child could be eating the food I was looking at on the shelf that day. I could not visualize myself eating food that was a week old, let alone 2 years, feeding such old food to my child was unthinkable.

I started doing some research on commercially prepared foods and discovered that commercial brand baby foods are prepared using a process largely unchanged since the 1930’s.  Foods are heat-treated in order to maintain their two-year shelf life, and in this process the taste, vibrancy , texture and nutrition are all significantly diminished. This is the reason for the dull colors and extra additives like sugars and vitamins. It was clear that it was up to me to make my own baby food.

I soon found out that making pureed baby food was not as easy as I initially thought, even for a seasoned cook. Sitting in my kitchen looking at all the gadgets, I realized how much time it would take to shop for, cook, puree, and strain the food.

Making organic baby food from scratch is a process that could drive anyone crazy, let alone working parents who are still trying to adjust to parenthood and bond with their babies.  Many a day I wished there would be another option; a carefully prepared, fresh, organic food I could buy with my groceries.

THAT was the genesis of Yummy Spoonfuls Baby Food.   I wanted to provide fresh organic baby foods to all of those parents who, like me, truly want the very best for their babies. At Yummy Spoonfuls, our goal is to improve the way we feed our children and to help parents understand that better eating habits truly start with the very first spoonful.

Cheers

“100% Organic, 100% of the Time…”

For immediate release December 10, 2009

Contact: Sherri Sims

Tel: 678.464.3103

E-mail: sherri@yummyspoonfuls.com

Website: http://www.yummyspoonfuls.com

Hello New York: YUMMY SPOONFULS ORGANIC BABY FOOD

Hits madison avenue at dean & deluca

Marietta, Georgia December 10, 2009 –Following major media coverage of Yummy Spoonfuls’ founder and CEO Agatha Achindu’s entrepreneurial success, Dean & Deluca has picked up her premium baby food for their Madison Avenue location. Achindu’s passion for quality and her commitment to healthy choices for children led to the creation of a product that is now in high demand.

When Cookie Magazine online conducted a reader’s poll earlier this year, Yummy Spoonfuls was named Number One over 12 other organic brands. This recognition brought Yummy Spoonfuls national attention. Agatha Achindu says her company’s new alliance with internationally-renowned Dean & Deluca is like watching her dream unfold.

“Dean & Deluca represents the highest standard of quality in the world. I am both thrilled and humbled that this company would seek out my product. I am so honored that Yummy Spoonfuls will now be sold in New York, on Madison Avenue. It speaks volumes about my dream for this company,” says Achindu.

Dean & Deluca started out as a small corner grocer in New York’s Soho neighborhood and went on to become a major force in the food industry.  Dean & Deluca operates more than 6 stores in key locations in the USA and abroad. In each case, their stores become centers of epicurean excellence. Dean & Deluca sources the finest products worldwide, to stock their upscale establishments.

From a small start, much like Dean & Deluca, Yummy Spoonfuls has become the dominant, premium organic baby food company in the South, and is making waves nationally. The company offers a diverse line of products that are made from all natural ingredients grown without chemical pesticides, nitrates, growth hormones or other harmful substances. The foods are dairy and gluten free and are produced without artificial additives or processing chemicals. Additionally, while many organic food companies heat-treat foods, reducing the available nutrients, Yummy Spoonfuls baby food is fresh-frozen to lock in every available drop of nature’s goodness.  Yummy Spoonfuls is available in 3 product lines: Creamy Yummy (Stage 1); Mushy Yummy (Stage 2); and Chunky Yummy (Stage 3).

About Yummy Spoonfuls Organic Baby Food

Founded in 2006, the concept for Yummy Spoonfuls was born when Agatha Achindu was expecting her first child, and began to explore healthy baby food options.  Upon extensive research, Agatha discovered that even “organic” baby food products had expiration dates of up to (2) years.  This meant that in many cases, babies were eating food items that were older than they were.

Armed with a firm resolve to provide healthy food items for her child, Agatha made every morsel of food for her baby.  Today, Agatha and her hard-working staff continue the same homegrown tradition that began Yummy Spoonfuls Organic Baby Food – every ounce of food is made from scratch using only organic ingredients – no fillers, extenders or preservatives. As the childhood obesity rate in the United States continues to surge out of control, Yummy Spoonfuls hopes that today’s parents will start their children’s lives with healthy, natural foods vs. fat, calorie and sugar-filled processed foods. With a wide variety of more than 23 distinct and flavorful organic food items for babies, infants, and toddlers, Yummy Spoonfuls is a privately held company based in Marietta, Georgia.

For more information, please call 678.464.3103 or visit http://www.yummyspoonfuls.com.



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Atlanta, November 4, 2009:  Atlanta based organic baby food company; Yummy Spoonfuls will be a featured exhibitor at the Enviro Expo taking place in Atlanta, GA November 14-15. Enviro Expo USA is one of the largest shows in the country focusing on sustainable lifestyle products consumer education. This is Yummy Spoonfuls first time participating in the show. The tradeshow will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center.  

 “The Enviro Expo is one of the most significant events on the calendar for any company in organics or sustainable living,” said Agatha Achindu, CEO of Yummy Spoonfuls. “Yummy Spoonfuls is such a well received brand by moms, the media, and retailers that sale our products. The great thing about the Enviro Expo is that there are such a tremendous opportunities for award winning brands such as ours to gain national distribution and get exposure to retailers in markets where we aren’t currently on the shelves.”

 Attendees of the Enviro Expo will have the opportunity to register and win an eco-friendly gift basket with some of the most luxurious baby items in the country. The basket’s value is estimated to be worth more than $500.00 Participating companies include iwi fresh, Michelle Feis Collection, Creollus, Living Green Pages, Welcome Home Maids, EcoDiscoveries, Wild About Beads, Sassy Shampoo, Cedar Valley Publishing, Care for Hire, ecoEmporium, Coco-Zen, and of course Yummy Spoonfuls. To register attendees will need to complete entry at Yummy Spoonfuls booth #724.

ENVIRO EXPO USA’s mission is to provide a qualified arena to promote the exchange of sustainable lifestyle and product information between consumers, manufacturers, researchers and others whose interest is “going green”. Enviro Expo USA is dedicated to the support of environmental businesses, technologies and organizations. Visit Enviro Expo USA and learn: “Going GREEN… what it means”

  Yummy Spoonfuls believes in being a responsible Eco-Citizen. Fresh fruits and vegetables

are purchased from local farmers and suppliers to ensure high-quality taste and maximum nutrients. To date the company has over 24 diverse offerings in its Creamy Yummy, Mushy Yummy, and Chunky Yummy stages. In January 2009 Yummy Spoonfuls was rated #1 Baby Food: Best Taste, Best Overall, Five Stars in a Cookie magazine readers’ panel.  Yummy Spoonfuls CEO Agatha Achindu has been featured in numerous publications and is frequently interviewed and quoted on the importance of educating moms on developing proper eating habits for their children. 

###

Ah yes, Cold and Flu Season is upon us.   That, coupled with all the busyness of the upcoming Holidays, can leave the door open for a vulnerable immune system.  For parents, this can be one of the most hectic times of the year.  Caring for loved ones and handling all of the extra to-do’s that pop up this time of year can be overwhelming.  If you are like me, you grin and bear it and happily add all those extra items to the many things you already do on a daily basis.  Yes, some things may suffer… you may get less sleep than you need, you may not exercise or take time out for yourself as priorities naturally shift.  While taking care of and doing things for others is a great way to show them that you love them, remember to take time to do things that are good for you – things that help you relax and keep a sense of well-being.  Because if you find yourself worn out, too tired, or sick, everything else will come to a screeching halt!   Starting today you must take care of you!

It is extremely important while we are focusing on the best for our little ones that we also extend the same care and consideration to ourselves.   Only when we are healthy and well rested can we truly take care of others.

Take some time for yourself.  Ask for help from loved ones, accept an offer of help from a friend, enjoy some time off, and remember what it was like before you became a 24-hour caregiver.  Do something you enjoy and that is good for yourself that can improve your health.  Some suggestions you might consider are:

A massage, a chiropractic adjustment, or an acupuncture session
Get moving – dance, walk outside, yoga, jogging
Take a nap, enjoy a sauna or relax in a hot bubble bath
Spend some time in the sun
Read a book

If you can’t get away from your little one, then do something fun or out of the ordinary with them; take them somewhere fun like a park, a zoo, an aquarium, a duck pond.  Break out of your everyday routine.  This will give you a renewed sense of energy and recharge your batteries.

Once you are energized and refocused, take some time for meal planning for yourself and your family.  When planning meals and snacks for our little ones, make sure you do the same for yourself.  This is especially important when you are running errands, carpool, etc.  Remember to pack snacks for you and for them.  

Don’t forget breakfast.  It’s the most important meal of the day.  It’s what gets you going and keep you going through the morning.  If you don’t have time to prepare a hot breakfast every morning, plan ahead.  When you make French toast, pancakes or waffles, make extra and freeze or refrigerate them in a glass container separated by parchment paper.  This way you can take them out as needed during the week.  A quick, healthy topping is any of Yummy Spoonfuls Pears or Apples with cinnamon.  A homemade quiche or frittata can be made ahead and baked in the morning or if they are already made, as they can easily be reheated or even eaten cold.   Homemade oatmeal (soaked overnight to remove the phytic acid) topped with your favorite Yummy Spoonfuls flavor makes for a delicious and wholesome breakfast that your entire family will enjoy.  With a little creativity and planning a warm breakfast is only a few minutes away.

Following this advice will ensure that you are well rested, reenergized, and well fueled with a warm substantial meal in the morning leaving you ready to take on anything the season thrusts upon you with style, grace, and good health.

 By Julia’ s mami
 Heather Tubbs
www.trulyhealthybaby.com

By Heather Tubbs
www.trulyhealthybaby.com

Keeping our children healthy and out of harm’s way is every parent’s priority.   These days everywhere you turn there is often sensationalistic news about an upcoming flu and cold season.  Fear and paranoia is everywhere, even Elmo is teaching kids the proper way to sneeze and cough, which, for you who are not privy to this, is into your elbow.  While taking precautionary measures is important to avoid becoming ill, the foundation for a truly healthy child is to build a solid immune system from birth by nourishing your children with the highest quality and most nutrient-dense whole foods available. 

What is Nutrient Dense Food?  It is energy-dense food that has more nutrients per calories than conventional food.  The difference in whether or not a food is nutrient dense is determined by how it is raised or grown, this is why it is important to “Know your farmer” and understand farming practices.  Meat and dairy from animals that are grass-fed are significantly more nutrient dense than meat or dairy from conventional farms.  Fruits and vegetables grown on mineralized or organically fertilized soils are significantly more nutrient dense than conventional produce.

Providing your child with whole, organic nutrient-dense food is the basis to building a healthy immune system.  There are many well known nutrients that are fundamental elements for building a healthy body:  Vitamin C is well known for its benefit in strengthening the immune system, while Vitamin D plays a role in the regulation of both the “infectious” immune system and the “inflammatory” immune system.(1) and therefore is vital for building children’s immune systems.

The fall season is here and there is wonderful fresh bounty available.  Fall brings us potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, broccoli, carrots, green beans, apples and pears (this foods are readily and conveniently available from specialty/certified organic retailers such as Yummy Spoonfuls who guarantee the provenance of their baby food).  When grown organically in nutrient-dense soil, these foods contribute enormously to a healthy immune system.   Here’s but a few of the nutrient details on these nutritious foods:

Broccoli is a great source of glucosinolates, phytonutrients rich in sulfur that stimulate the natural antioxidant systems in your body.

Carrots are packed with beta carotene, a phytonutrient that increases your body’s production of T-cells and natural killer cells.

This took me roughly 45 minutes from start to finish and my 4 ½ years old loves it.

Ingredients
Pasta (1/2 box)
1 large organic tomato slicer
½ organic red onion
organic leaks
organic turnip green (about half cup- I always buy from the farmers market blanch and freeze so it is always handy when needed)
Left over organic grilled chicken
organic Cold press olive oil
Basil (from my garden)
dash of salt and black pepper to taste

Boil pasta (follower direction on the box)
Chop your tomato, onion, leaks and put in a sauté pan or pot (cook down- about 8 minutes)
In the meantime ( if your turnips is frozen defrost it)
Add 2 table spoon olive oil in to the tomato base, add chicken, drain pasta and add along with your greens, stir and serve. Fun, healthy and very easy to make.

From my kitchen
Have a healthy weekend.

If you put milk and sugar on sawdust it is going to taste good, our addiction to cheap food is costing us our health. It is also very sad that the society has been made to believe all the chemicals added to our food supply should be considered innocent until proven guilty  I feed my family  FOOD not the science project that food has become today.  Food today is overly processed with stabilizers, sweeteners and preservatives so the food can literally outlive us.  We should start taking a closer look at the labels before buying it.  Demand more for your money. We only have one live. Cheap food at the end of the day is more expensive per life time cost.  Like Nicole said, I eat everything under the sun so long as it is wholesome and organic and still the same size I was 20 years ago. I say to America lets start eating ‘FOOD’ and get of the settee and the fat will start dropping off.

Have a healthy weekend and don’t forget to look at your label-

Cheers

As school starts again and we begin to get back into our routines, the topic of how to feed our children wholesome and healthy snacks is on many of our minds.  If you learn what to look for in nutrition labels, it will help you make smart choices.

Though fruits and vegetables are important to include in your child’s diet, eating healthy means providing lots of different types of food throughout the day to get them all the nutrients they need. A balance of carbohydrates, fat, protein and fiber is important to ensure children maintain a stable blood sugar level and healthy energy. As we all know not all carbs, fat or protein are created equal thus it is imperative that we are providing them with that which is nutritive and nourishing.  

  Labels are an important way for producers to tell you about the characteristics of their products.  Learn what to look for in food labels to help you provide a balanced and healthy diet for your child.

Whether buying produce, whole grain snacks, dairy or meats, when buying organic foods, look for the “USDA Organic” label. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) now has national standards for the use of the word “organic.” Only foods in the categories “100% organic” and “organic” may display the USDA Organic Seal. Other foods with varying levels of organic ingredients may be labeled as follows:

• 100% organic – All of the ingredients are organic (excludes water and salt).

• Organic- 95 or more of ingredients used are organic.

• Made with organic ingredients- 70% of the ingredients are organic. Can appear on the front of package, naming the specific ingredients.

•  Contains organic ingredients- contains less than 70% organic ingredients.
• “Natural”- this is a label that is not regulated and can mean anything. It is a marketing term and does not guarantee anything at all.

The USDA Organic label is not the only “organic” label you can trust.  Many small farmers cannot  become certified because costs are high, but if you frequent local farmers markets and get to know the farmers, you’ll learn that many of them use organic methods to raise their food.

There are plenty of sham labels out there that you should understand. Become familiar with what labels really mean to make Greener Choices for your family.  This link from Consumer Reports explains the different things we see on labels, like “free range” and “no antibiotics”.

KNOW what to avoid

The label “Organic” alone does not ensure the quality of a product.  Many snacks “containing organic ingredients” for example may also contain a lot of sugar, preservatives, or additives.   

Here is a  basic list of the “Top Ten Food Ingredients to Avoid”:

• Foods with 10 ingredients or more. Wholesome foods tend to have very few ingredients because they only contain ingredients that are essential to making that product.  For example, organic peanut butter should contain peanuts many list a lot of other unnecessary ingredients that serve as stabilizers, sweeteners and preservatives so the food can outlive your kids’ childhood. Bread should contain about 5 or 6 ingredients, HFCS(see below) should not be one of them.
• High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
• Enriched and bleached flour (be careful because it may say “whole grain” or “wheat” on the package… it’s not necessarily 100% wheat flour)
• Trans fats/hydrogenated vegetable oils
• Artificial colorings
• Saturated fats
• High-sugars/refined sugars
• High sodium (we should not consume more than 2 grams/2000mg of sodium per day)
• Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
• Sodium nitrate

It is very scary to think of all the additives and chemicals that are added into our foods supply to increase product shelf life thus guarantees the bottom line of the product. It is a shame that our society has been made to believe that it is necessary; all these additives, colors, chemicals etc are actually decreasing our health.

Take charge of your family’s nutrition and health.  Don’t let yourself be fooled by large words printed on labels that lead you to believe it’s a healthy choice.  Take time to learn which labels really mean something and read all of the ingredients on the label (even those in fine print).  When it comes to helping our little ones grow healthy and happy, it’s worth taking the time to do it right.  After all… we only get one chance to get it right. 

As seen on CNN, 11Alive etc