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Sabine’s Organic Baby Food Blog

Holle Organic Baby Weaning Oil – Replacing Lost Nutrients at a Vital Time in a Baby’s Development

By Sabine on 31 August 2010

Holle organic baby weaning oil

Holle organic baby weaning oil

Every now and then there comes along a baby weaning idea that makes you ask, “why on earth hasn’t this been done before?” The new Holle Organic Baby Weaning Oil is one such idea. Read on to find out why this unique weaning supplement will change how you think about weaning your baby.

When a young baby is fed exclusively on either breast milk or a baby milk formula, concerned mums and dads can be assured their precious baby is getting all the nutrients necessary to thrive. But when weaning starts and the amount of nutrients taken in through milk decreases, there can be a period when your baby’s body doesn’t get all the energy and other vital nutrients needed for optimum growth and development. This is where the Holle organic weaning oil comes in. With this unique oil you can supplement your baby’s diet through the transition to family meals and replace some of the very specific nutritional benefits of breast milk and baby milks lost during this process.

Providing Your Baby with a Balanced Weaning Diet

Other supplements start from the premise of isolating and then artificially producing specific nutrients found in a given food. These artificial nutrients are then added by some manufacturers to their baby foods – giving you no real choice. Holle, on the other hand, takes a more natural and holistic approach. Holle rightly recognises that individual nutrient chemicals cannot simply be removed from the foods in which they occur and still retain the same overall nutritional effects. The baby weaning oil concept, therefore, provides a special blend of organic oils, an actual foodstuff, which allows you to supplement your baby’s diet with much needed nutrients while still using the full nutritional value of their sources – three very nutritionally valuable plant oils. And you remain in control of your baby’s diet.

From the age when your baby is ready for solid foods, organic baby weaning oil becomes an important part of a balanced diet. It is an excellent source of energy; the essential fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6; and other nutrients. This is why Holle recommends adding 1-2 teaspoons of baby weaning oil to milk-free meals such vegetable, potato and meat based meals as well as porridges made with water. Holle also recommends adding the weaning oil to its porridges and jars.

A Uniquely Natural Blend to Help Your Baby Thrive

The mixture of high quality rape and sunflower oils in the Holle baby weaning oil results in an ideal ratio for infants of the essential fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6. Essential fats, and the other fats they are converted to in the body, have a wide range of functions in humans. They are vital for the structure of cell membranes making them flexible and able to allow nutrients into, and toxins out of, cells so body processes can function correctly. They also play a role in cardiovascular health, immunity, and nervous – system functions. The omega oils are especially important for a developing baby’s brain and nervous system.

As well as rape and sunflower, the weaning oil also contains 5% hemp seed oil. Hemp seed oil is not only rich in polyunsaturates, it is almost unique in nature in that it contains a special fatty acid called gamma linolenic acid. One of the few other foods in which gamma linolenic acid is also to be found is breast milk and it is especially important for the skin, providing your baby with an effective protective barrier. Gamma linolenic acid also has an anti-inflammatory effect and it is especially helpful for children with eczema as they don’t have the necessary enzyme that changes other fatty acids into gamma linolenic acid.

Pure, Organic and Cold Pressed – A Recipe for Success

Here are a few more details about each of the oils used by Holle, and why they were specifically chosen for their baby weaning oil:

Rapeseed Oil (Certified biodynamic/Demeter)

Rapeseed oil is produced by pressing rape seeds. Over 90% of rapeseed oil is made up of polyunsaturates and therefore contains more than most other oils. Additionally, rapeseed oil contains lots of vitamin E and carotenoids. Nutritionally, rapeseed is a very valuable oil.

Sunflower Oil (Certified biodynamic/Demeter)

This vegetable oil, with its light yellow colour and its mild taste, is made from pressing the seeds of the sunflower and is very suitable for a developing child’s diet. Sunflower oil contains lots of vitamin E and is specially selected for the weaning oil as it produces an ideal, baby friendly ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids when combined with rapeseed oil.

Hemp Oil (Certified biodynamic/Demeter)

Because of the gentle cold pressing process used in producing the Holle baby weaning oil, all the precious, essential fatty acids and the naturally nutty taste of the oil are preserved. One special component of hemp oil is the rare gamma linolenic acid, making it unique amongst edible oils. Hemp oil, which is made from the pressing of hemp seeds, is guaranteed to be free from the potentially intoxicating effects present in chemicals found elsewhere in the seed’s structure and poses no health risk, in fact just the reverse.

By the way, it is extremely unusual to get all three of these oils in certified biodynamic, or Demeter, quality. Biodynamic produce is the highest form of organic and it is partly because Holle have insisted its weaning oil is of such high quality that it has taken over two years to research, develop and bring it on to the market.

Premium Quality Organic oils -
Because Only the Best Is Good Enough for Your Baby

Holle recommends adding only cold pressed and non-refined oils to your baby’s meals, for several very good reasons:

  • In the warm pressing process, seeds are heated up before they are pressed, so as to extract as much oil as possible from them. This heat however, destroys valuable nutrients.
  • With conventionally grown, that is, non-organic seeds, refining is necessary to clean the oil. This way any residues of pesticides or solvents are largely eliminated – but so too are many vital nutrients.

Cold pressing on the other hand, is a much more gentle process with less oil yield but with a far higher oil quality. Important nutrients are preserved by cold pressing the seeds. Only oils that are cold pressed and without further refinement can be declared as cold pressed on a food’s label.

With the Holle organic baby weaning oil, the risk of pesticide residues that are found in other, non-organic, oils are fully eliminated. This is guaranteed through organically farming the raw seeds and the consequent strict pollutant controls that are in place.

The use of cold pressed and non-refined oils for preparing your baby’s food is, therefore, completely safe. In fact, through cold pressing, more vitamins and other nutrients, natural colours and the natural taste of the oils are preserved.

How to Use the Holle Baby Weaning Oil

I have written in some detail about the weaning oil and I hope you will see why I think this is such an exciting development in how we think about weaning our little babies. Part of the beauty of the oil is that it doesn’t require you to greatly change what you are doing now or have done before when introducing solids to your baby.

Simply stir one to two teaspoonfuls of the oil into your baby’s existing meals and you are already helping to give him or her that extra nutritional boost during this time of enormous change and development. And all completely naturally.

To ensure your baby gets the optimum nutrients Holle recommends the following amounts to be added to each 200g of food:

  • Vegetable or vegetable and meat based meals: 2 tsp;
  • Fruit based meals: 1 tsp;
  • Milk-free porridge meals: 1 tsp.

The weaning oil can, of course, be used with your own homemade weaning recipes as well as with Holle’s own ranges of milk free baby porridges and their fruit jars, vegetable jars and meat based jars. And if you are just starting out on the weaning journey with your baby and are preparing much smaller amounts, simply adjust the amount of oil you stir in proportionately. Experience shows me that one bottle of 25o ml goes a long way.

Premium Quality at Everyday Prices

Holle has managed to keep the price of its weaning oil down at a very low level, meaning we can sell it for just £4.95 per bottle. I find this especially surprising in view of the lower yield involved in cold pressing the seeds and the oil’s unique biodynamic quality. When I asked Holle, they were clear about their reasoning to keep the oil at such a low price level. Because this supplement is for use at a time when most babies are vulnerable to missing out on vital nutrients, Holle took the decision not to make their oil an exclusive product. By pricing the weaning oil low, all babies are able to benefit from its nutritional qualities.

So, as your precious baby begins the transition from an all milk diet to joining in with your family meals, make sure he or she doesn’t miss out nutritionally. The Holle organic baby weaning oil is a natural supplement that will ensure your baby gets all the energy and other vital nutrients needed for optimum growth and development. Your baby will positively thrive.

Organic Pasta for Babies and Children – Now Available

By Sabine on 20 August 2010

Animal shape pasta for babies and kids

Animal shaped pasta for babies and kids

I am really pleased to announce the arrival on the Ulula website of our organic pasta for babies and children. If you’ve not seen them already, take a look and see why I’m so excited.

Pasta is always a children’s favourite and these three fun pasta shapes are ideal for slightly older babies and children of all ages. Pasta is highly nutritious and a great energy source for your growing baby or child. From 8 to 10 months your baby usually needs more lumpy food and this lovely shaped organic pasta will help to encourage chewing and introduce variety.

In Search of the Best Pasta for Babies and Children

I spent a long time searching for a pasta that I would be happy to sell to discerning mums and dads. I wanted a pasta small enough for young babies’ mouths; that kids would enjoy eating because they easily recognise the varied shapes; and that is made from the highest quality ingredients by a company that really cares about both food and the environment.

These new pastas come from Alb Gold, a traditional family-owned company with a proven organic background and who take great care in not only choosing their raw ingredients but also how each pasta is made. As usual with the food I stock on Ulula, you are guaranteed that you will only be feeding your baby food that has not been grown with the use of artificial pesticides or fertilisers and which has no artificial preservatives, colourings or any other chemical nasty. I only stock those foods that I am happy to feed to my own family.

Organic Pasta for Babies & Kids


Organic millet grain

  • Certified organic
  • Small for babies’ mouths
  • Holds shape when cooked
  • Makes meals fun

£4.30 for multi-pack of 3 packets

Quantity:

Tested by Babies – Approved by Mums

And so, how do these pastas for babies measure up? As usual, we asked family and friends to taste test these pasta shapes with their babies and children. Without exception the feedback was great – a particular favourite with the youngest children were the farm animal pasta shapes, while older children loved the roaring safari animal pasta shapes and the dinosaur pasta shapes. A definite winner with babies, children and mums and dads alike.

Mums and dads told us how their little ones ‘loved the animal shapes’, ‘had fun making all sorts of animal noises’ and several commented how ‘having such fun at meal times encouraged him to eat everything in his bowl.’

These delightful pasta animals are specially developed for babies and children and, as such, are small enough for your baby’s mouth – so no choking on adult sized pasta. And every animal piece keeps its shape even after cooking – which makes it great fun to eat as your baby spots the animals he or she knows.

Pasta for Babies and Children – Now Available

Each of the pastas for babies and children is available as single packets as well as in multi-packs of three. There is even a multi-pack with one packet of each pasta shape, which is aleady proving very popular. And, with 10 portions per pack they really are excellent value!

So, take a look at the new organic pasta for babies and children range and tell us what you think.

Filed under: Family Foods,Weaning — Tags: ,

Feeding Baby Organic Food Reduces Pesticide Risks Later

By Sabine on 8 June 2010

It seems that hardly a month goes by without more evidence that the chemical nasties sprayed on our food in so-called ‘conventional farming’  are bad for the health of our babies and growing children. The importance of feeding babies a largely organic diet cannot be overstated. For more about the latest study and how to protect your baby, read on…

Last month’s edition of the internationally respected journal ‘Pediatrics’ carried an article suggesting that even low levels of  chemical pesticides are associated with an increased risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

Researchers at the University of Montreal and Harvard University looked for organophosphate pesticide metabolites, an indicator of pesticide exposure, in the urine of 1,139 kids ages 8 to 15 and found that close to 95 percent had at least one of these chemical byproducts in their system. Those with the highest levels were 93 percent more likely to have received an ADHD diagnosis than children with none in their system. Those with above-average levels of the most common organophosphate byproduct – they made up a third of the whole group – were more than twice as likely as the rest to have ADHD.

Even Low Levels of Pesticides are Harmful

“This is not a small effect,” says study co-author Maryse Bouchard, a researcher in the University of Montreal’s environmental and occupational health department, “and it is certainly cause for concern.” She adds that while prior research has proved that high levels of organophosphate exposure can have negative impacts on children’s behavior and cognitive function, in this study “we are talking about very low levels of exposure . . . levels that were believed previously to be safe and harmless but which are now associated with a serious health risk.” She points out that most pesticide exposure today comes through food, particularly conventional fruits and vegetables.

Reducing Pesticide Intake in Babies

So what can concerned mums do to protect their precious babies? You’d be hard-pressed to find an expert who doesn’t advise that people, especially pregnant women and small children, reduce their pesticide intake as much as possible.

The top recommendation is to eat an entirely fresh organic diet, which has been shown to significantly lower children’s pesticide exposure levels. For many that is not reasonable or possible as there just isn’t the variety of foods always available that you would like to feed to your baby.

It also helps to carefully wash and scrub all your fruits and vegetables thoroughly in cold water. But be aware that you can’t scrub away all the risks because most pesticides don’t wash off, and seep into the produce itself.

A more practical answer for many parents is to avoid fresh non-organic foods that have the highest risks because of the large amount of pesticides used on them and the porous nature of their skins in retaining pesticides. See an earlier article on Weaning Your Baby With Organic Food – Pesticides in Fruit and Vegetables for more information. The list provided there gives us useful guide if we are serious about feeding our babies a safe and wholesome diet.

Of course, you want your baby to grow up enjoying a varied diet and so, whilst avoiding the non-organic fruits and vegetables that pose the highest pesticide risk, why not top up mealtimes with some guaranteed pesticide free baby foods?

Pesticide Free Baby Food

Many parents tell me that the large variety of Holle baby jars perfectly complemented by their huge range of organic baby porridges, alongside the homemade food that mum makes from locally bought fruit and vegetables makes the ideal combination. This mix and match approach will help you avoid pesticides while giving your baby the nutritional variety he or she needs.

Share your experiences with other parents. How do you make sure you avoid feeding your baby a cocktail of chemical nasties?

Filed under: Weaning — Tags: , ,

Inspiring Wholefood Choices – What Else Should Ulula Stock?

By Sabine on 10 November 2009

Regular customers will know that I have recently been away in Germany visiting family and old friends. It was great to catch up on news and gossip, as always.

Even in my small hometown in the former East Germany I was able to visit several wholefood shops. So I stocked up on  many of my organic favourites that it just isn’t possible to buy here in the UK. When  I stood in the shops looking at the fantastic choice on the shelves around me my mind turned to Ulula. What could I introduce to the select Ulula ranges? What other products would Ulula customers like to see me stock?

Well, here is your chance to let me know. What other organic foods would you like to buy either for your baby or the rest of the family?

When I’ve chatted with a few mums this week I have already had a few suggestions. How about organic pasta sauces to accompany our pasta range. How about a healthy chocolate spread for sandwiches and lunch boxes? Let me know what you think of those suggestion and please do suggest lots of your own.

Filed under: Weaning

Gluten Free Snacks – Some Sugar Free Sweet Alternatives

By Sabine on 28 October 2009

Organic four grain biscuits with carrots - young children love them

Organic four grain biscuits with carrots - young children love them

The popularity of the Werz Rice Bran Nibbles never ceases to amaze me. They really are one of the few organic gluten free snacks that are ideal for young babies. I think one of the reasons the Rice Bran Nibbles are so popular is that there are not many savoury snacks that are gluten free and suitable for very young babies on the UK market.

Unfortunately it is very hard to keep up with demand and we have today sold the last packet of our current batch. Be assured we are awaiting our next delivery and will keep you informed.

If you are uncertain of offering sweet products to young children you may wish to consider our range of gluten free and sugar free sweet snacks. This small and exclusive range is free from added processed sugar and is sweetened using only natural organic ingredients such as rice syrup or honey. My particular favourites are the rabbit shaped Organic Four Grain Biscuits with Carrots. They come in packets of mixed boy and girl rabbits and are great fun – young  children love them!

Weaning Babies, Strawberries and Allergies – Plus a Quick Summer Recipe For Older Babies

By Sabine on 9 July 2009

Strawberries - exercise caution when weaning babies

Strawberries - exercise caution when weaning babies

Ever since the ancient Romans introduced strawberries to Britain two thousand years ago they have been a firm summer favourite – and rightly so in my opinion. Not only are they delicious, they contain more vitamin C than oranges and are rich in fibre.

Weaning Babies and Strawberries

Please remember though at this time year that strawberries are reported to cause allergies or an intolerance in babies and young children from time to time. If your baby is still under one year old and is weaning, perhaps consider waiting to introduce strawberries until next season. I would suggest this should particularly be the case if there is a family history of allergic reactions and/or asthma or eczema.

Because strawberries are such a soft fruit that readily absorb pesticidal sprays it is also important to try and buy organic strawberries for your baby or child.

A Quick Strawberry Ice Lolly Recipe

Try blending five strawberries with one banana, four ice cubes, a strawberry yoghurt, half a cup each of milk and fruit juice. Pour the liquid into paper cups, cover with plastic wrap and insert a lolly stick. Freeze for at least five hours – healthy homemade strawberry lollies for older babies and children!

Holle Organic Baby Food Jars – Two New Recipes Now Available

By Sabine on 9 June 2009

Holle have recently introduced two new organic baby food jars to their ever increasing range of simple, wholesome and natural recipes. Ulula is please to be the exclusive UK supplier for these new baby jars and our initial taste tests amongst family and friends show they deserve to be real weaning winners.

Holle Organic Finest Beef

Holle organic beef meat baby jar

Holle organic beef meat baby jar

The Holle Organic Finest Beef baby jars are not intended to be a complete meal in itself, but rather are to be used as a meat accompaniment to your homemade baby weaning recipes or to mix into a jar of one of Holle’s great pureed vegetable baby jars and/or one of their organic baby porridges. Please only use half a jar for a single meal – you can safely store the other half for the next day in the fridge (below 5°) – making these meat jars excellent value for money.

The organic beef used in these jars is of premium Swiss origin and is from cows that have been raised in pastures that have been organically cultivated for decades. Holle has close relationships with its farmers and will only work with those whose high quality standards meet their demanding expectations and that rear their animals in the most humane and natural way.

Holle Pumpkin With Rice

These lovely jars were firm favourites with our testers whose babies loved the mild pumpkin flavour of this recipe – one mum even placed an order for three cases before her daughter had finshed the meal!

The Holle Organic Pumpkin and Rice is ideal if, as can sometimes happen, your baby has developed a tendency to constipation after introducing root vegetables like carrots – switching to pumpkin as a weaning vegetable for your baby is usually then recommended.

Filed under: Baby Jars,Weaning — Tags: , ,

Holle Organic Three Grain Baby Porridge – Now Gluten Free

By Sabine on 2 June 2009

Organic 3 Grain Baby Porridge


Holle's organic three grain baby porridge - now gluten free

  • From 6 months
  • Now gluten free
  • Instant
  • No added sugar or salt

£17.10 for 6 x 250 g cartons

Quantity:

Holle have recently announced a change in their recipe for the Organic Three Grain Baby Porridge – the cereal is now the first gluten free multi-grain baby porridge on the market.

The Swiss organic baby food manufacturer has just launched the new 3 grain baby porridge recipe on the continent and we are pleased to already have an ample supply of cases of the gluten free version available to purchase.

Holle Organic Three Grain Baby Porridge – Ingredients

The Holle Organic Three Grain Baby Porridge is made from three popular gluten free organic/biodynamic grains – rice, corn and millet – and is suitable for all babies including those with a gluten intolerance and those who wish to avoid feeding their babies with foods containing gluten before the age of 6 months.

When and How to Use?

The 3 grain is an ideal porridge during the second and third stages of weaning your baby.

As with all Holle baby porridges you can prepare the Organic Three Grain Porridge for your baby’s breakfast with breast milk, baby milk formula or even water.

By adding freshly prepared fruit puree (quickly and simply prepared using the Ulula glass grater) or adding some teaspoons of one of the Holle fruit jars your baby will enjoy a delicious and nutritious afternoon snack.

To make a lunch for your baby just add the Holle gluten free Three Grain Baby Porridge to your home made vegetable puree or mix with Holle carrots, carrots with apple or parsnips.

Let us know how your baby likes the new gluten free recipe for the Holle Three Grain Baby Porridge, whether he or she has a gluten intolerance or not.

Weaning Babies and Interview With Sabine – Excellent Article in Green Parent Magazine

By Sabine on 29 May 2009

Green Parent Magazine June/July 2009

Green Parent Magazine June/July 2009

The current edition of the Green Parent magazine (June/July 2009) features a thought provoking article on weaning babies and includes an interview with me talking about the value of organic and biodynamic baby foods.

Journalist Iris Coates discusses widely different weaning traditions around the world and looks at the confusing and conflicting advice that confronts parents as they approach this important stage in their baby’s development.

Baby Led Weaning

Coates concludes just what Ulula has been suggesting for the last four years. Parents should listen to and understand the current ‘official’ advice but also, more importantly,  ‘listen’ to their baby and his or her needs. You, as parents,  are the people who know your baby intimately and can best judge just when your baby is ready for weaning and how he or she reacts to the foods you gently introduce. Trust yourself and your baby and you will do what is best.

Organic Baby Foods Are Best For Babies

The article also points to research identifying the problems of non-organic baby foods and discusses the dangers of pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics and other chemical nasties (over 260 of them are permitted!) to a baby’s delicate and developing body. Coates quotes Dr Vyvyan Howard of the University of Liverpool as saying:

“Choosing to feed your baby organically may be the single most important way to give them the best start in life.”

Organic baby foods are not just about what they don’t contain. Coates points to independent research that also shows how organic food has higher levels of nutrients, from vitamins and minerals to iron and essential fatty acids such as omega-3.

Tell us about your experiences of weaning babies – did you follow the official advice or did you take a more baby-led weaning approach?

Filed under: Weaning — Tags: ,

Make Weaning Babies Part of the Family Mealtime – Start Good Habits Early

By Sabine on 18 May 2009

Here are two statistics that scare me. One in four British households no longer has a table that everyone can eat around. One out of every two meals eaten in Britain is now eaten alone. I am not singling out Britain here, I think this is  trend that is repeated throughout much of Europe and North America, and it is one that I find very sad.

I am a strong believer in eating family meals together – mealtimes for me aren’t just about refueling the body. When  families sit down and eat meals together they have the chance to chat and socialise and to develop and strengthen their relationships. Parents have the opportunity to model the kind of behaviour they would like to see at the meal table as well as encourage a healthy attitude to food.

When families include their baby in their family mealtime routines from the very beginning of weaning, it becomes second nature for the growing baby and child to accept all this, to naturally develop the good habits you want to see and for them to learn some essential lifeskills. So, include your weaning baby in family meals and give him or her a first class education!

I know that eating together at every meal is often difficult – share your experiences on including your weaning baby in family meals and let’s all learn from each other.

Filed under: Weaning — Tags: , ,

 

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