Healthy Sprouts Organic Baby Food

Local mom Tanya Moore enlightens me about the pit-falls of buying pre-packaged baby food, and why she decided to do something that was good for her family, or her "little miracles." Here's her story, and the story of the company she's crafted called Healthy Sprouts Foods Inc. here in Ontario.

Food Trends (FT): Tell us a bit about you- what did you do before starting up Healthy Sprouts Foods Inc.?

Tanya Moore (TM): I was in pharmaceutical sales and was looking for something more – ideally starting my own business but was never sure of what type of business to own.

FT: How did you get the idea to start up HSF Inc?

TM: The idea came to me while I was on maternity leave with my second child. Making my own baby food wasn’t quite as easy the second time around since I had another child under 2. I found myself wishing that there were a tastier and more nutritional version of baby food that I could buy, rather than doing the work myself. The idea of preparing baby food the same way I did at home and selling it frozen would not leave my head for weeks – so I knew it was something I had to do!

FT: What makes your line of food different to others already on the market?

TM: The difference between conventional or organic jarred products in comparison to frozen is mainly in the processing method and additives. Our products are steam blanched, pureed, packaged and blast frozen which preserves most of the flavour and nutrients. You can taste the quality in our products, which is very important. I have met many parents at trade shows who have picky eaters and the majority were raised on bland over processed foods. If for the first 6 months of solids a baby is fed bland baby food, the transition to table foods could be very difficult because it is a flavour shock to them. You could end up with a lifetime of eating battles! Some jarred products also add sugar, which is absolutely unnecessary, and sometimes starches are added as bulking agents. Healthy Sprouts does not contain any additives – not even ascorbic acid.

The difference between Healthy Sprouts Frozen Baby Food and other frozen brands is that we are the only frozen certified organic baby food that is available in ‘grab & go’ cups. Therefore, there is no transferring required as compared to the ice cube trays and makes travelling and day trips much easier. Also, our Chicken Gourmet is the only chicken & vegetable baby food where ‘chicken’ is the FIRST ingredient – there is lots of chicken in this recipe and you can taste it! In addition to these benefits, our cost per ml. is less than most frozen brands.

FT: How are parents reacting to you line of products?

TM: Parents who have the opportunity to try our products absolutely love them! Many are hesitant to taste it themselves and we love to see the positive reaction on their faces – especially the Chicken Gourmet. We have converted children who have refused meat, green beans or any solids at all. I get a real sense of achievement when a baby tries our food and we witness the pleasant response.

Price is always a concern for parents and has been a big challenge for us. Frozen organic foods are the most expensive business for a manufacturer to be in. We are trying to make parents think outside the box and realise the term ‘you get what you pay for’. If you are paying .69 per meal what does it taste like and what kind of nutritional value and quality does it offer? Would you eat a meal for less than a dollar? Quality does matter whether you are 6 months or 65. Studies have shown that the age of 0-2 is the most crucial time to feed your children healthy, pesticide free foods as their brains and digestive systems are still developing. We try to encourage parents that their little miracles are worth the extra cost of fresh organic quality.

FT: What are your most popular items?

TM: Our 8 month line is very popular (proteins) – Chicken Gourmet is the most popular and Lentil & Veggies would be a close second. Our carrots taste like you are literally biting into one (without the crunch)!

FT: Did you "test run" your food on your children?

TM: Absolutely – they still eat some flavours at the ages of 3 and 4, especially the Apple Peach that makes a great lunch box item for any age!

FT: What's your most irritating child food pet peeve?

TM: Anything with added sugars, artificial colours and flavours – which accounts for some baby foods, and most snacks on grocery store shelves!

FT: Any plans to expand into other markets?

TM: Absolutely! One step at a time!

FT: Any misconceptions about kid's food you'd like to clear up for our readers?

TM: Watch out for labels - ‘made with real fruit’ could mean 5% real and the rest is artificial or Chicken anything could mean that there is only a little bit of chicken thrown in as a last ingredient! (Refer to the ingredient deck and you will know – first item listed is the highest % in a given product and continues through the list from most to least).

FT: Were you a picky eater as a child?

TM: I don’t recall being picky at all – my mom always cooked up tasty and fairly healthy meals.

FT: How do you get little picky eaters to eat their food?

TM: If you offer lots of flavour and ‘real’ food at 6 months, you shouldn’t have a picky eater. Also, it is not an option to ‘not’ try something new. If you already have a picky eater, try carving funny designs into an apple with a peeler or use purees of fruits or veggies in a sauce to hide them. We also have a game where each bite taken is for someone the child loves – they usually end up running out of bites and the dish is empty!

FT: And finally, any tips on steering kids away from junk food to healthier food options once they start eating more "solid" foods?

TM: Start them off with good habits – don’t buy it! Junk food doesn’t HAVE to be banned but is certainly should only be used for special occasions. An example: My kids attend weekly gymnastics classes and after the first class they begged for food in a vending machine. I told them that it is junk food and not healthy BUT, at their last class (classes run every week from Sept. to June) I would let them each choose an item from the machine. Their last class is next week and the kids have not forgotten... they will get their junk! Our kids are generally happy with fruits and veggies at snack time. Rather than just saying no to junk food - explain why. Talk to them about health, exercise and illness. I love hearing my 4 year old respond to my 3 year old when we are shopping - 'no William we can't get that, it is junk!'

Healthy Sprouts

Print Article

Email Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds