The way babies are fed tends to reflect the eating culture of a region. Around the world, babies start their food journey in a completely different way, leading to different eating habits later in life. Because those first years are so important in shaping a person's food habits, it is an interesting exercise to look around and see how other cultures approach this.
Processed vs. pure food
An important difference between different food culture is the prevalence of processed food. While in many countries, processed food is part of the daily diet, this is not as much the case in other regions. The rise of the processed baby food industry caused a change in how babies are fed. Because of convenience or even recommendations from well regarded institutions, food like baby cereals, pre-made pouches, jars and snacks have become very common. However, this is not the way adults eat and it's definitely not the healthiest option.
We give preference to pure food. This means as little processing as possible. This type of food contains the most nutrients to fuel and protect our bodies, especially those of babies and children.
Different staple ingredients
There is also a big difference worldwide in the types of staple ingredients that are used. Potatoes, rice, pasta, corn, beans,... Baby food will be a reflection of each region's eating habits and ingredient availability. Having the option to vary the types of starch, meat, fish, vegetables and fruits you eat is incredibly valuable since each type of food contains different nutrients. Try go eat seasonal since this means foods are at their peak in terms of flavour, texture and nutrients. Plus, it's cheaper and better for our planet.
The myth of blandness
Over time, the myth has arisen that baby food should be bland. This is not the case. In Asian countries spices are introduced very early on. Pickled or fermented foods are also very common in many parts of the world. And in Mexico children are usually accustomed to strong flavours like lime and chili. This doesn't mean we can just serve extremely spicy food to babies. We want to be gentle, familiarise them with soft, pure flavours first and work our way up to more bold and exciting ones. But you don't have to wait a year, or even more, to introduce flavours that will make those taste buds dance.
We draw inspiration from all over the world for our recipes and in that way hope to provide not only all the goodness your child needs but also all those yummy flavours you don't want them to miss out on!