Organic Children’s Food: Nourishing the Next Generation with Ulula’s Ethical Choices
Organic food is healthy, delicious and produced without nasty chemicals: perfect for your growing family. In this article, we take a look at why this natural diet is brilliant for your children, as well as giving you lots of tips for raising kids the organic way.
Why give your children organic food?
Many of us choose to feed our children an organic diet because it’s so healthy. It’s produced without the use of nasty chemicals (such as pesticides and certain fertilisers), and doesn’t contain artificial colourings, sweeteners, flavours or genetically modified (GM) ingredients. Simply natural food, grown naturally.
When we talk about the benefits of organic food, as we’ve just done, we tend to talk about what it doesn't have. Not only is it free from nasties, but it actively contains more of the good guys of nutrition. Organic food has higher concentrations of antioxidants than conventional food, which are linked to a reduced risk of certain illnesses (such as some cancers).
Fruit and veg are so important for growing children; so if we’re insisting on their five-a-day, choose organic portions with higher levels of antioxidants and zero levels of pesticides.
Eating organic is also teaching children about respecting nature. Organic food production is gentler for the environment, and if you eat meat and dairy, organic farming has high animal welfare standards.
A childhood of delicious organic food
It’s increasingly easy to feed your family on a diet of delicious organic food, and there are appetising options for children of all ages. Here’s a stage-by-stage look at raising your children the organic way.
Organic alternatives to breastmilk
Breast milk is the best option for babies: after all, it’s a naturally bespoke diet, made just for them! However, if you’re bottle feeding or mix feeding, there are some great organic infant formulas that closely replicate breast milk.
Holle infant formula and follow-on milk takes organic one step further, by using milk from Demeter-raised cows. This biodynamic farming method has even higher standards than conventional organic farming. Livestock and arable farming are integrated, which helps with land regeneration and creates a super-organic closed farming system. Demeter cows keep their horns, and live in contented small herds. Happy baby and happy cows: organic Demeter farming really is a win-win.
But what if your little one has a dairy intolerance or allergy? Holle also produces nutritious organic goat’s milk containing only the easily digestible A2 beta-casein protein.
Weaning organically
Weaning is such an exciting time for both your baby and you! Watching their little faces react as they try new flavours and textures is one of those absolutely wonderful parenting moments. It’s fun trying out baby-friendly recipes using pureed organic fruit and veg, as well as finding safe finger foods for them to explore.
You can also buy off-the-shelf organic baby food in jars and pouches, from trusted names like Holle and Little Pasta Organics. These handy little meals are made from quality organic ingredients that your hungry little one will love. The jars are clearly labelled so you know that the food is age appropriate.
Great organic toddler food
Toddlers are growing fast and using up heaps of energy, and as all parents know, are prone to getting “hangry” when they need a food top-up. Don’t worry if they graze rather than want three full meals a day: busy toddlers need constant fuelling! It’s a good time to establish the idea of healthy snacks. Fruit, carrot sticks, wholemeal toast, hummus, yoghurts… all these make brilliant toddler treats.
Never leave home without a selection of convenient snacks for toddlers on-the-go.
Organic snacks for toddlers include cereal and fruit bars, crisp alternatives like spelt bites and that all-time toddler favourite, breadsticks.
Little ones love spending time outdoors, and they’re never too young to start gardening with you! Create a little organic vegetable patch, which they can “help” with. Easy-to-grow food includes peas, beans, strawberries and lettuce, as well as herbs like basil (great for home-made pizza) and rosemary. Take a look at our selection of organic seeds for more inspiration.
Organic school lunch boxes
If you want to make sure your child keeps to an organic diet once they start school, opt for the packed lunch option rather than school meals. Home-made wraps, hummus and chopped veg, fresh and dried fruit and treats like organic cereal bars make great school lunches.
However, how do you manage lunch boxes without resorting to foil, cling film and assorted plastics? It’s actually pretty easy these days, because there are lots of great reusable options for packed lunches.
We love the stainless steel bento-style boxes from ECOlunchbox. These keep the food fresh in separate compartments, cutting down the need for wrappings. Swap the plastic water bottles for reusable drinks bottles like the brightly coloured ones from Pura, which are easy to care for (and look fantastic!).
Having said this, some schools are making efforts to introduce more organic and local ingredients into their menus. Have a chat with the school to find out more, as school meals can be a really helpful and nutritious option for many families.
Developing healthy eating habits
Early childhood is the best time to develop healthy eating habits. As well as the immediate health benefits of eating organic food, children who enjoy a naturally nutritious diet are establishing great routines for their future.
Take a look at our full range of organic food and drink here at Ulula, and you’ll see what a tremendous variety and richness this diet will bring to your life.
