Solid foundation: Aussie-made baby food

Life with a little one can sure be a wonderful whirlwind, but it can get so messy, right? Starting solids is a particularly big milestone, and it’s important to ensure hungry babies get the nutritious meals they need. However, navigating what to feed them or finding time to make appealing dishes can be tricky. Enter Sweetpea: easy baby food for tough eaters.

Sweetpea is the new Australian dried baby food from a Melbourne-based family business that offers a quick and wholesome meal solution to help busy parents. According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, new mothers go from spending a weekly average of two hours caring for others to a whopping 51 hours, and also spend up to 25 hours doing housework. But if you’ve got a fast and simple solution to turn to at mealtimes, at least feeding your baby can be one less thing to worry about.

Healthy development

Nutritionist and mother of three Claire Power says that she wishes Sweetpea’s products had been around when her children were first starting on solid foods.

“It can be overwhelming for new parents, with so many options and styles with purées or baby-led weaning,” she says. “From four to six months, I recommend starting with smooth purées and increasing texture and flavours rapidly. Vegetables and fruits should be some of the first foods babies try. As should an iron-fortified meal such as the Sweetpea mixes. Iron is a very important mineral for little ones’ healthy development.”

No nasties

Power says Sweetpea’s baby meals are the ideal first foods for babies. They’re full of good stuff, made in Australia and have no nasty additives included.

“I especially like that they’re a dry food that only requires warm water to instantly become a convenient, delicious and nutritious plant-based meal with wholegrains, protein and iron,” she says. “The Sweetpea range is also great for including different tastes and textures. It’s important for babies to be exposed to this.

“As a mum and nutritionist, I think Sweetpea’s banana porridge, baked beans, mushy veg and pumpkin risotto are the perfect healthy and quick snacks for little ones starting solids. They’re also ideal for busy parents, and are super smooth and easy on little tummies.”

Aussie grown and made

Sweetpea’s products are all made with Australian-grown fruits, vegetables and grains, and are fortified with iron. Sweetpea’s unique drum-drying facility allows recipes to be quickly cooked and dried to ensure nutritious meals with complete food safety and peace of mind.

To make your Sweetpea meal, you just need to add 80ml of warm water to 10g of dry product for an easy-to-prepare, Australian-made nutritious meal that’s ready in minutes. You can serve it with a spoon, but they’ll probably just use their hands.

If you’d like to start your baby on Sweetpea, the range is available in Coles and from the Sweetpea website. Products include banana porridge; mushy spuds, corn and peas; smooshed baked beans; and pumpkin risotto. The products are not suitable for infants under four months. Sleep not included.