Baby Food Tasting

9/18/22 Happy Baby: Apples, Guavas & Beets Another Stage 2 as we are trying to clear stuff out.  Rafi and Brenna both had this before but I never tried it.  Odd combination of flavors/ingredients but it seems to work. Charles: Definitely taste the apple.  Very smooth.  Good balance of sweet and tart. Brenna: Fruity, tropical apple sauce but less apple. Rafi: <wants more>  Though he seems a little picky today and doesn't want to finish it until dinner (we started this over lunch).   Kosher Pareve under the OU.

 9/7/22 First Choice Organic Oatmeal Plum & Pear We haven't posted a First Choice one since the first post.  I noticed this has 160 calories - a lot more than the 90-100 calorie pouches.  I guess that should be expected with this much sugar.  We still have a lot of "Stage 2" foods so I figured let's clear one out. Charles: Very tart.  Texture is pear/apple sauce but the taste is more plum. Brenna: Eh.  Fine.  Has like no flavor.  Like an apple that tastes a little overripe but with apple sauce texture.    Rafi: <wants more>  Though he was temporarily                distracted by the fresh banana we were feeding him            as well.    Kosher Pareve under the OU and the Central Rabbinical    Conference

9/4/22 Cerebelly Smart Bars & Peppa Pig - Carrot Raisin Rafi learned the work "Bah" for "Bar".  He loves his bars. Also on a fun side note, I am reading a biography of King George III and one of the footnotes noted a location is now where Peppa Pig World in England is. Raisins are pretty low and carrots pretty lower on the ingredient list.  Dates, oats, and sweet potatoes are ahead.  Always read ingredients. We still like this brand because it seems healthier than other options.  I've looked at their other food options like their pouches, but unfortunately they are not kosher. Now I just got an add for Cerebelly on Facebook. C: Tastes like Rosh Hashanah - the sweet carrot and raisin concoction of tzimmus. B: Tastes like a healthier version of an oatmeal cookie.  Sweet, taste cinnamon, other grains.  Tastes like fall. Rafi: <wants more> Kosher Pareve but Dairy Equipment  under the OU.

8/14/22 I tried posting this a few weeks ago, but there were several issues. Happy Baby: Nutty Blends Organic Apples with 1 tsp Walnut Butter As far as we can tell, Rafi has not had walnut.  After this, two more days. Charles: Just apple flavored.  Nothing else.  I guess that's the point - limit the amount of walnut. Brenna: Tangy.  Now that now I know it's walnut, I can taste the walnut.  Interesting, different mix of textures.  Not bad.  Kind of fallish. Rafi: <wants more>  At only 3 ounces (though 100  calories), he still wanted something else. Kosher Pareve under the OU.

 8/12/22 Pre shabbas dinner! Once Upon a Farm Organic Fruit & Veggie Blend Mama Blueberry I found these at the Heirloom Giant but have also picked them up at Whole Foods.  It's a good cold non-dairy option as we are still trying to avoid dairy.  I started calling food "Yum Yum" which Rafi pronounces "Mama"; when I pulled out the Mama Blueberry he immediately said "Ma Ma". The 50 calories is about half of what other pouches offer so we'll need to supplement.  Apple is the primary ingredient followed by sweet potato; blueberry is actually third with purified water and coconut milk as the only other ones. Charles: If blue apple had a taste.  The blueberry color overwhelms everything else; the apple taste overwhelms everything else. Brenna: It's not bad.  I like it.  You feel like the blueberry texture, but there is a lightness - can taste the coconut milk.  It's like a lighter smoothie.  Apple juice and an aftertaste at the end. Rafi: <...

8/8/22 Happy Tot Super Bellies Immune Digestive Support Blend Organic Bananas, Carrots & Strawberries Another Happy Tot immune support as we were trying to get through our man colds.  I am learning how the fruit tastes overwhelm the veggie tastes. Charles: Sweet banana carrot.  I like the orange color.   Brenna: Strong.  Very bananaey.  Tasting strawberry.  Smooth.  I get used to the taste as first scoop was strong/very sweet. Rafi: <wants more> Kosher Pareve under the OU.   .

8/8/22 Sprout Organic Smoothie - Blueberry Banana with Coconut Milk, Veggies & Flax Seed I found this while shopping at Sprouts, though I the grocery store Sprouts is separate from the baby food company Sprout.  As we are still trying to have Rafi avoid dairy, this seemed like a fun buy for him.  We all liked it.  Per the ingredients, purple carrots are the veggie.  I think this would have been helpful to put on the front rather than small print.  Rafi has been exposed to all of these foods before. Charles: Smells like banana; looks like blueberry.  Came out a little thick.  Tasted the blueberry on the second go around (yes, I had a second taste rather than Brenna for a change). Brenna: Simple, flavorful.  Light with a tang.  Thicker but still smooth.  Tastes more smoothie than puree. Rafi: <wants more> Kosher Pareve under the OU.

 7/29/22 Happy Tot Super Bellies Immune + Digestive Support Blend Organic Pears, Beets & Blackberries Another Happy Tot... though we still have some Happy Baby stuff.  Rafi received his second COVID vaccine this day so I thought this would help with any recovery.  He actually responded pretty well to the vaccine.  He has also had all these flavors at some point. Charles: Red peary.  Tasted good.  Had trouble picking up anything else.  Could taste like the skin of the pear almost like thick applesauce... er pear sauce.  With only 1/3 of a beet and four blackberries, the pear overwhelmed everything else. Brenna: A lot of tang.  Roller coaster of flavors. Rafi: <wants more> Kosher Pareve under the OU.

 8/3/22 Once Upon a Farm Baby - Organic Plant-Rich Meals - Quinoa, Banana, Spinach & Coconut Butter with Chia Seed This was another of the frozen meals I got from Whole Foods.  We had two left and Brenna picked this one to serve Rafi.  I was home early because I was sick (Covid negative!) so decided to make him a meal.  Like the previous blog entry, this comes out of the  microwave very hot.  These are food items he has had before.  I also added a picture of what the finished product looks like. Charles - I smell the banana.  I could really only pick up the plain quinoa taste.  It didn't seem special to me.  I don't think it was the cold telling me it was plain. Brenna - I like it.  I like it a lot.  I would eat that normally.  Tasted buttery.  Hearty but light.  Comforting. Rafi: <wants more>  He had about half of it at night and we would finish it the next day cold.  He was also sick so it w...

7/15/22 Once Upon a Farm Baby - Organic Plant-Rich Meals - Mango, Carrot, Navy Bean & Coconut Butter (Don't forget the with Tumeric) So don't kill the mommy - this has Mango. I was in Whole Foods and saw these near Rafi's special pea milk.  We had this brand before with their refrigerated pouches.  These looked fun.  It's hard to find kosher baby food with a good amount of protein as the meat they use is treif.  When I went to go pay for five different packages, nothing came up on the scanner.  Eventually the manager just gave t hem to me for free.  Hopefully for them they get that bug fixed. I took the microwave method and it comes out VERY hot after the five minutes.  Be careful. Rafi has had these food items before... I think... I can't recall if he has had turmeric though. Brenna: It smells like coconut and looks colorful.  Please don't kill me by feeding it to me. Charles: The individual items (mango, sweet potato, and navy beans) tasted ...

7/10/22 365 Whole Foods Market: Organic Baby Apple Pumpkin with Quinoa & Cinnamon Rafi has had all of these items though not in this combo.  This is also our first taste test of a Whole Foods brand.  As we are looking at more solids as meals for Rafi, the only 50 calories looks low. Charles: It has the smell of fall - the cinnamon comes on first then the pumpkin.  Tastes more like apple.  Somewhat bland compared to some other things we've tasted but not bad. Brenna: It's not bad.  <Brenna goes to pee.  Comes back to taste again.>  It's smooth and then has an aftertaste.  Tang and then sweetness.  Tastes like fall. For the record, Brenna and I independently came up with the smell and taste like fall.  Maybe we are meant to be together. Rafi: <wants more>  We just came back from the park.  He was hungry. Kosher Pareve under the OU.

July 3, 2022 Happy Baby: Nutty Blends Organic Bananas with 1/2 tsp Peanut Butter Rafi has had plenty of bananas.  He got exposed to peanut butter through Bamba.  We had a special guest this afternoon. This had the longest name so far.  The pouch is only 3 oz compared to 3.5-4 oz of other products.  However, the 90 calories matches up with other pouches. Abrielle: This is fine.  I'd eat this again. Brenna: It's fine. <Takes second scoop> Charles: I taste the banana and lemon juice.  Not that much peanut butter taste.  It looks like liquidy peanut butter, but I struggled with the taste.  Brenna and Abrielle could taste the peanut butter.  If they made it too thick (more peanut butter), babies may not be able to eat it.  Combinations of banana and peanut butter (and chocolate!) are usually my favorite. Rafi: <wants more> Kosher Pareve under the OU.

May 31, 2022 Plum Organics Banana & Pumpkin He's had lots of banana and loves it.  He's had this mixture before but we haven't officially taste it. Charles: Creamy.  Can taste the banana followed by the not-sweet of the pumpkin.  I like it. Brenna: Mostly banana.  Still good.  Can taste the pumpkin at the end.  I love banana.  <takes second spoonful> Rafi: <wants more> Like mother, like son. Kosher Pareve under the OU.

 6/3/22 Earth's Best: Banana, Raspberry, & Brown Rice These are all flavors that Rafi has had.  I think he actually had this specific food before, but we missed tasting it ourselves. Charles: Raspberry flavor hit first then banana.  Creamy and smooth.   Brenna: Tangy.  Smooth.  Small, but not bad aftertaste of "flat" which is the banana/brown rice.  It's okay...  but not my favorite. Rafi: <wants more> Kosher Pareve under the OU.

 6/10/22 Happy Tot (no longer Happy Baby!?!?!): Love My Veggies (organic spinach, apples, sweet potatoes & kiwi) This is one Rafi's first stage 4 foods.  What does stage 4 mean?  What happened to stage 3?  Where has the past year gone?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Rafi has definitely had sweet potatoes, apples, and spinach.  Kiwi? Charles: Smells like sweet potatoes, tastes like a citrusy apple, looks like poop. Brenna: <makes yucky face> Tastes like spinach with weird tang at the end.  It tastes worse than a green concoction Brenna makes for herself because too many strong flavors.  Would eat it if she has too. Rafi: <wants more> Kosher Pareve under the OU. Brenna is in disagreement with Rafi and me on this one.

5/30/22 Plum Organics: Mighty Veggie (Zucchini, Apple, Watermelon, Barley) There is more than one Mighty Veggie variety hence the listing of the flavors. When you are home for a four-day weekend, you get to try more food.  When there is a baby formula shortage, you wonder if you need to increase his solids.  Rafi has had zucchini, apple, and watermelon.  This would be his first exposure to barley. There is also a "pinch" of chia seeds which he had yester day along with a "pinch" of spearmint".  Charles: Very tart.  No sweetness.  If you want to know what an unsweet watermelon tastes like, this is it.  This may be the rare exception where Brenna likes a flavor more than me. Brenna: I definitely taste the watermelon.  Tangy.  Watermelon and other stuff.  The texture is veggie smoothie. Rafi: <wants more>... though compared to yesterday's excitement, not as much.  However, he has learned the sign language for "more". Kosher ...

  4/1/22 Earth's Best: Winter Squash Still playing catchup! Rafi has had plenty of squash, including butternut.  Charles: Tart.  It may have begun to turn.   Brenna: It tastes like squash with no additives Rafi - <wants more> Kosher Pareve under the OU.

  5/29/22 Plum Organics: Mighty Protein & Fiber Rafi has had peach and apples.  He had something with white beans before and he was not the biggest fan.  This is his first exposure to chia. Charles - I can smell the cinnamon.  Really taste the apple and cinnamon.  Maybe the peach. Brenna - Strong.  A little like peach cobbler.  Tangy.  You can taste the bean in the texture.  Taste the sweet then the non-sweet/chalky aftertaste. Rafi - <wants more> - He was really hungry after just going shopping. Kosher Pareve under the OU.

  5/22/22 Plum Organics: Mighty Veggie (AKA: What the heck is amaranth?) Brenna says Rafi has had this before but I did not get a chance to taste it or write about it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaranth Fun reading about it's history and nutrition. Charles: It tastes what a spinach/grape smoothie would taste like - sweet and tart.  It also looks like what a spinach/grape smoothie would look like.  The purple cap is attractive... it kind of hides the brown/green poop color of the food.   Brenna: I like it.  You taste a bunch of different flavors in  your mouth.  It's balanced.  You have the sweet and not sweet.  It's smooth.  I genuinely like it.  The color is gross but Rafi doesn't know any better. Rafi - <wants more>  We actually just came in from shopping and it is 90 degrees outside.  He was very hungry. Kosher Pareve under the OU.

1/3/22 Gerber: Pear, Zucchini, Corn Pear and a pair of veggies. This is Rafi's first exposure to zucchini, he has had pear and corn before. Brenna: Tangy.  Tastes like pear.  Smooth.  Not sure if I can taste the vegetables.  Good. Charles: I pretty much agree with this assessment.  The pear is the overwhelming taste here.  I guess it's a good way to get a child his vegetables. Rafi: <wants more> It was not until after we tasted this that we saw the "1/2 pear, 4 tsp zucchini, 2 tsp corn" that indicated this was overwhelmingly pear.  Before this blog, we had a corn/squash mix and the corn was a much more defined taste. Kosher Pareve under the OU.