Betsy's Best Healthy Granola Recipe

In my quest to have my kids eat healthier, I came across Betsy’s Best Almond Butter and became an immediate fan. Even more so, when I heard Betsy’s story and that she also lives in Southwest Florida.

Registered dietician Betsy Opyt started making nut butters in her home for her daughter, who was a picky eater. She enjoyed experimenting with healthy recipes and started making bigger and bigger batches and giving her nut and seed butters out to friends, family and coworkers. They encouraged her to go wider so she started selling a few hundred jars each weekend at Naples’ Farmers Market on Vanderbilt and Airport Road. Pleased with the response and selling out in four hours, she soon partnered with a friend to make it wider business in 2012.

Now, Betsy’s Best has a line of five spreads available in 2100 stores in 39 states including Whole Foods and Amazon. She has developed many sweet and savory flavors from Cinnamon Almond Butter to Gourmet Cardamom Cashew Butter with Chia Seeds. Even, a more recent Coconut flavor too. Next up, she hopes to move beyond butters.

Meeting up with her, she also shared the following AH-MAZING granola bar recipe that’s easy for parents to whip up.

Healthy Granola Bar Recipe

Yield: 22 bars

• 1/2 c peanut, almond, or cashew nut butter
• 1/4 c honey, agave nectar, or coconut nectar
• 1 egg, or 2 egg whites
• 2 T canola oil or coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 T chia seeds
• 1 1/2 c old fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 c rice krispies
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts
• 1/4 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
• 1/2 c dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 c dried fruit, cherries, raisins, cranraisins, or goldenberries

Beat nut butter, honey, eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Combine oats, cereal, salt, and chia, in a bowl and then add to the liquid mixture. Stir in chocolate chips, walnuts, and dried fruits. Transfer to a 13×9 in pan and firmly press mixture with the back of spatula or wax paper in baking pan.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake 15-17 minutes.

Nutrition facts per bar: 175 calories, 6 g protein, 25 g carbs, 3.5 g fiber, 7 g fat, 114 mg sodium

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5 Easy Ways to Introduce Peanut Foods to your Infant

Introducing peanuts to your infant early can help prevent peanut allergies

Pediatricians and allergists recommend feeding small amounts of peanut foods to infants at the right stage of their development can have life-changing effects.

New guidelines encourage parents to introduce baby-friendly peanut foods between 4 to 6 months. I started feeding my boys almond butter and peanuts early too and thankfully neither have a nut allergy. 

Early introduction of peanut-containing foods can reduce the risk of developing a peanut allergy by up to 86%.

5 Easy Ways to Introduce Peanut Foods to your Infant

From the National Peanut Board

Whole nuts should not be given to children under 5 years of age. Nor should peanut butter directly from a spoon or in lumps/dollops be given to children less than 4 years of age.

1. Mix with water, formula or breast milk 

Thin 2 tsp. of peanut butter with 2-3 tsp. hot water, formula or breast milk. Allow to cool before serving. You can also use organic Peanut Powder. Try this three times per week. 

2. Mix with food 

Blend 2 tsp. of peanut butter into 2-3 tbsp. of foods like infant cereal, applesauce, yogurt (if already tolerating dairy), pureed chicken or tofu. 

3. Mix with produce 

Stir in 2 tsp. of powdered peanut butter into 2 tbsp. of previously tolerated pureed fruits or vegetables.

You can also try MyPeanut apple and peanut butter pouches for babies 4 months +.

Using a soft baby spoon will help ease the transition.

4. Peanut snacks 

Give your baby a peanut-containing teething food, such as peanut puffs.

5. Teething biscuits 

Teething infants who are older and self-feeding may enjoy homemade peanut butter teething biscuits.

Peanut Baby Foods on Amazon

4 to 6 Months National Peanut Board Baby Clothing Line

The National Peanut Board has launched a new adorable line, “Size 4 to 6 Months,” designed to encourage and remind parents to better their baby’s health by introducing them to peanuts early.

These cute shirts and bodysuits are super soft to the touch and all proceeds will go to American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

The collection includes 10 designs.

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Amazing Ways to Re-use Baby Food Pouches

Baby food pouches are super convenient for on-the-go snacking. Also, at times it made feeding twins a whole lot easier when I didn't have to spoon feed two cranky, hungry babies at the same time. You can just imagine the number of pouches that we've gone through in our house. As a result, I had more pouches that I knew what to do with. Here are just some of the ways I've discovered to recycle and upcycle them.

What to do with used baby food pouches

1.  TerraCycle and Preserve them!
   TerraCycle makes consumer products from pre-consumer and post-consumer waste. It's free, simply join a baby food pouch brigade, collect your pouches in a box, print their free shipping label and mail them your waste. You can also ship old CapiSun pouches, diaper packaging, potato chip bags, Nespresso capsules and lots more. So far, I have recycled 978 pouches and in exchange gained 2,512 points, which is a $25.12 value towards purchasing eco-friendly products, or use your points to make a cash donation to a charity or donate your points to purchase honey bees to a needy family. Also, Plum Organics has teamed up with Preserve to collect and recycle the caps from their pouches and other brand's. So, start a collection at your school, office, or with friends and find a drop off location near you.
   
   
2. Teach Colors & Counting with a Sensory Box - I started saving the round tops of baby food pouches, every time I found a new color or shade. I took a couple of months to get 12 different colors. I then put them in a StrideRite Shoe Box that had Sesame Street characters on it, which I saved from a recent sneaker purchase. I then presented them the box, which they loved opening and seeing the rainbow of colors inside. Each day, we'd point and name the colors together and soon they would open the box and say the colors out loud without me even asking them to. They also enjoy lining them up, stacking them and throwing them. I do make them collect and put them away each night though. Surprisingly, they have't grown tired of this box yet, in fact, it has outlasted more expensive toys too. We have now progressed to counting the caps, for a new level of learning.
   
   
3. Use Caps to Make Crafts - Pinterest, as you can imagine has a lot of ideas for using the colorful caps to make picture frames, puppets, ornaments, necklaces and a whole lot more. Follow this board for more Pouch Cap Crafts & Activities.
4. Play-Doh Fun - You can use the caps as wheels for Play-Doh cars or use as Play-Doh cookie cutters. Best of all, unlike other cookie cutters or stencils, you can always toss these after kids are done playing, so no clean-up.
   
5. Tic Tac Toe - Collect two sets of colors and play some tic tac toe! Great for when traveling.
6. Make a Very Hungry Caterpillar
   

Any other ideas? I'd love to hear them :)

Speaking of recycling, Scrap Metal Prices in LA to Dispose of Metals in Greener Recycling, CA.

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Beech-Nut's New Line of 100% Natural Baby Food

I am proud to say that I have successfully been making my son's baby food for at least 75% of their meals (post & recipe here). I feel like 'Super Mom' knowing they are eating only the very best, all-natural food. However, with twins, I can't seem to make their homemade baby food fast enough. I'll usually whip up large batches at least 2x a week, just to fine their jars and supply in the freezer are empty again. This is when I purchase quality in-store baby food and/or when we're traveling and need something more convenient, yet still healthy. 

This is why I'm excited to have had the chance to try Beech-Nut's new line of real food for babies that is 100% natural and inspired by homemade, so parents know exactly what their babies are eating. If you look at the ingredients list below, it reads just like how mine would with just whole fruits and vegetables inside - and nothing else! No additives or preservatives, not even water! 

100% Natural Ingredients

Beech-Nut uses innovative technology to create baby food that is unlike anything else that I've seen on store shelves. Their gentle cooking™ method ensures the freshness of their fruits and vegetables, without adding water, so the food is never over-processed. Their blends include raw fruits and vegetables, instead of cooking them first in order to avoid cooking nutrients away. Love that!

My boys ate up the four that we tried without any qualms and liked each of the different varieties that they tried. The line includes 40 fresh new flavors, like Just Honey Crisp Apple and Just Bartlett Pears, and delicious combinations like Beets, Pear & Pomegranate and Just Pear, Raspberry & Asparagus, so there's something for even the pickiest of eaters to enjoy. They also have a few trendy ingredients in some blends like Chia and Quinoa too, which I definitely want to try next.

Beech-Nut's New Line of Baby Food

Yet another positive, the baby food comes in BPA-free glass jars, which I've been re-using for the food I make too. Also, aesthetically, I love the packaging and the jar shape even, too cute! I also just learned that Beech-Nut's manufacturing plant is LEED-certified and located in Amsterdam, NY, thus they are an environmentally-friendly brand too.

The new Beech-Nut line will be available in stores, including Wal-Mart, Kroger, Meijer and Publix, in spring 2014. The suggested retail price of a 4.25oz bottle is $1.09

Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored campaign with Beech-Nut and MomSelect. All thoughts and opinions are my own (and the twins too!).

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Easy Sweet Pea Homemade Baby Food Recipe

Total time: 15 minutes

The most time-consuming part about making homemade baby food is the chopping, peeling and steaming of the fruits and veggies. But thankfully I found a shortcut for making a fresh pea puree.

According to Cooking for Baby by Lisa Barnes "Frozen peas are the next best thing to fresh spring peas: they're available year-round, and they will save you the time and effort of shelling."

Also, in Top 100 Baby Purees author Annabel Karmel writes "I tend to use frozen peas, as they are just as nutritious as the fresh variety." (Both of these books are great reads for parents looking to make their own baby foods)

I also recently spoke with the folks over at Pinnacle Foods, which makes Birds Eye veggies and they said that their crops are frozen within four hours after harvest and they process vegetables in 24 hours, or as fast as possible to lock in peak freshness. Where as, veggies from your local grocery store could be coming all the way across the country and who knows when they were harvested.

Directions:

So, I took their sound advice and my free bag of Birds Eye Steamfresh frozen sweet peas and popped it in the microwave for 6 minutes, which was just enough time to steam the peas and make them nice and soft (no shelling needed). Next, I dumped the contents into my food processor along with some water, 2 sprigs of mint from my garden and a 1 tbsp of coconut oil (or olive oil) and blended the veggies until they were pureed smooth enough for my 8-month-old boys to eat. I then scooped the baby food into storage containers for future feedings. Done. It was super easy and probably only took me under 15 minutes in all. I'll definitely be taking this easier route again soon. I plan to try their Steamfresh cauliflower next.

Recipe Variations: 

Since this discovery, I also did the same recipe above, but added in a peeled, small Golden Delicious apple steamed and pureed too, which they of course seemed to like more, plus it made the mixture a bit smoother with the juice from the apple. I also did the same but blended in a boiled and cut up pear, which they also liked. You can also mix in tot apple juice or breast milk or formula to make it smoother for younger babies too. Also, it took the second time eating it for my son Ben to like peas, but Logan took to it immediately.

Why Peas?

Peas are typically recommended for introduction into a baby's diet between 6-8 months old. Did you know that one cup of peas contains more protein that a tablespoon of peanut butter and also provides Calcium, Vitamin A and C and Iron too? Love it!

The end result. Yum!

Related Homemade Baby Food Posts:

• Baby Brezza Baby Food Maker Review
• Making Homemade Baby Food with Munchkin's Fresh Baby Food System
• Teeney Tiny Foodie recipes

Disclosure: I recently received free coupons and samples of Birds Eye Steamfresh frozen vegetables and attended their media event in NYC for tips on getting kids to eat more veggies. However, I did NOT receive compensation or direction for this post.

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Baby Brezza Baby Food Maker Review

My adventures making homemade baby food continues. Since my last post, I've cooked and froze sweet potatoes and squash for the boys and it was super easy thanks to the one step Baby Brezza Prima Baby Food Maker from Williams-Sonoma. I'm in love with it! I feel like a super mom now making my own baby food, I never thought I could.

Unlike the other kinds of machines out there, this one is a one-step baby food maker. You just fill the steamer, put your ingredients in the 4-cup plastic bowl, choose from a preset time setting or set your own and walk away because it will then steam and blend it all for you. Like a slow cooker, just set it and forget it! It's so easy and the purees comes out a lot smoother making a perfectly cooked and blended meal ready for feeding your child in a half-hour or less. The preset dial for a lot of the main baby foods from string beans to carrots make it even easier since you don't have to calculate cooking times or find a recipe, it does it all for you.

Take a look:


The Baby Brezza makes cooking baby food  fun, I seriously look forward to making my twins food each week! I get so excited and carried away, that I make several batches and freeze the extra food for future feedings. In fact, I think I have to get an extra freezer for our garage soon to accommodate it all, but let's face it, with twin boys I was probably going to have to do that eventually anyway.

For parents wishing to make homemade baby food, I honestly can't recommend the Baby Brezza enough. It's great! I only wish I had registered for it before the babies were born. Sure, you can also use a blender or food processor to make baby food, but those devices don't also steam your veggies and fruits, nor can it all be done in one easy-to-use machine. I tried the food processor route, but it left the food too stringy and thick. Baby Brezza also makes a smaller more compact machine for under $100, but the bigger model was recommended to me since I am cooking for two babies at once.

I know some reviews complain of mold, but as long as you clean the parts right away and dry it like all baby supplies it's not a problem . Do NOT put the cup in the dishwasher either, this can cause it to crack.

Oh, and the baby food storage freezer cups are by OXO Tot.

Related Homemade Baby Food Posts:

• Easy Sweet Pea Homemade Baby Food Recipe
• Making Homemade Baby Food with Munchkin's Fresh Baby Food System
• Teeney Tiny Foodie recipes

Read More »