Baby Meals

Freezing is a process that maximizes the preservation of nutrients, colors, taste and smell by bringing food to the freezing point much faster than a traditional freezer.

The preservation of meals is thus optimized and allows us to offer you a practical solution with complete peace of mind.

Before we even got into meal design, we dug through reviews from a host of baby food manufacturers and retailers to validate what parents had to say about what's on the market today. Like them, we were shocked by the list of ingredients of certain products that were presented as “nutritious”.

Several parents questioned the nutritional quality of purées and meals for which water appeared in the first ingredients of the list (the more an ingredient is displayed at the beginning, the more its quantity is important compared to the other foods which follow in the list) . Water is essential, we all agree, but it is not nutritious.

It then became an integral part of our mission to offer meals without added water! To do so, you must first have the well-being of your little ones at heart! Second, we have developed a process that achieves a consistency that swallows well without compromising texture.

Also, we made sure to add a drizzle of cold-pressed virgin olive oil (after cooking, during the last stage of production) to allow unparalleled smoothness. Olive oil ?? And yes, did you know that lipids (or “fats”) are essential for development? It is also the latter that allow you to feel satiety. Don't worry about the quantity, it's a very light dosage, as you can see by the order of the list of ingredients!

Finally, as suggested by Canada's Food Guide, make water your drink of choice :)

OH YES ! Laurie is herself allergic to peanuts, tree nuts (with some exceptions), shellfish and previously to lentils and bovine protein. Just to name his food allergies…

The reality of allergies is part of her daily life and she says it so often: The only thing I don't want to pass on to my future children is my allergies!! She compares allergies to a predator that follows her wherever she goes.

Recent studies have shown that the risk of developing allergies does not decrease by delaying the introduction of allergens, quite the contrary. Instead, studies over the past decade suggest that the early introduction of allergenic foods can prevent food allergies in high-risk infants. It is for this reason that we did not hesitate to introduce salmon, edamame (soya), beef (bovine protein), chickpeas and lentils to our recipes. Note that it is important to have first introduced the different ingredients individually before offering our meals including a variety of foods.

Consult your doctor before introducing allergens to baby.

The introductory age recommended on our packaging, 9 months and over, is based on the normal development of a baby's oral-motor skills. That being said, our meals are versatile! You can adapt the texture according to baby's development: pureed, crushed or in pieces. Thus, the age of introduction may vary depending on the chosen texture! Note that it is important to have first introduced the different ingredients individually before offering our meals including a variety of foods.

Refer to your doctor to validate the introduction of complementary foods to your baby.

First of all, let's not start the tomato debate!! We are well aware that the tomato is a fruit strictly speaking, but it is eaten as a fruit vegetable, raw or cooked.

As mentioned in the answer to the question How is it possible not to have water in your ingredient list when it is almost always an ingredient in prepared baby foods? Before we even got into meal design, we did a lot of research through feedback from a range of baby food manufacturers and retailers to validate what parents had to say about the current offering on the market.

We are very aware that fruit is ubiquitous in baby food products. However, several parents referred to their concern about having fruit in everything offered to their baby, even in prepared meals such as chicken casseroles and beef stews. The source of their concern stems mainly from the fact that having fruit in meals helps develop their baby's sweet tooth. Rather, it is necessary to bring the toddler to appreciate the taste of vegetables without the addition of a sweet food!

Of course, fruits are excellent for the health of your mini, but let's not forget the super antioxidant and nutritious power of vegetables! For these reasons, it was very important to us that our meals contain only vegetables and rather to encourage parents to give fruit as an accompaniment to breakfast, as a snack or for dessert.

As clarified in the new version of Canada's Food Guide in 2019, the importance of enjoying a variety of healthy foods EVERY DAY has been highlighted, i.e. vegetables and fruits, whole grains and protein.

As we are committed to meeting the highest nutritional standards to contribute to the optimal development of your little one, we have ensured that each of these three components is found in all our meals, by promoting a distribution aligned with proportions proposed by the guide and the pediatric professionals with whom we collaborated for the recipes. Thanks to this formulation, each bite is complete!

OBVIOUSLY !! During our different tasting phases with baby tasters, we asked parents to measure the portion consumed by the baby. Our goal was to decide on a specific weight in order to offer our meals in the form of predefined portions!

Well dear parents, you won't be surprised to read that there is NOTHING more variable than a baby's appetite, not even the weather!! It's not just about one baby's appetite versus another. NENO!! The same baby can have a completely different appetite from day to day! This variability can be explained (among other things!!) by: the quantity of milk ingested during the day and at night, the quality of sleep, the size of lunch and snacks, age, stage of growth, mood, teeth, the amount of water ingested during the meal, if it is a gourmand or not...

After several brainstorms , we concluded that THE optimal solution was to let the parent portion himself for his little one. The GOOD NEWS is that our meals are easy to portion, as they are not filled with water (so it's not a block of ice!!). The desired amount is easily portioned using a spatula, spoon or knife, to name a few examples!

PRO Tip: We recommend starting with a small portion and adjusting if the amount isn't enough. In this way, food waste is avoided 😊 Don't forget to put the uneaten portion back in the freezer until the next meal!!

As mentioned in the previous question " Have you considered offering your meals in portions?" », it was impossible to decide on a precise grammage that would exactly meet the appetite of all babies. For example, a 9 month old baby can eat 25 grams, just like a 6 month old baby can eat just as much. Several factors influence the appetite of our adorable babies (plenty of examples above!!) In doing so, it is your baby's appetite that will determine the number of meals per tray.

Even today, Flavie, almost 3 years old, devours Belov every day. Yes, yes our meals are nutritious, even for children of her age and let's face it dear parents, 24 hours in a day is not ENOUGH 😅 At her age, she sometimes consumes half, sometimes three quarters of the tray, depending on his appetite!

Our meals are dedicated to ALL infants in Quebec REGARDLESS of the method recommended by the parent. Our goal is to offer healthy and tasty food, without segmenting children according to one approach or another. Each of the methods has its advantages (and its disadvantages!!) and what is important, FIRST AND FOREMOST, is that your little one has all the essential nutrients for his proper development.

It is important to specify that even following the autonomous approach, purées are part of the baby's diet and even following the traditional approach, the pieces are part of the baby's diet!! Yes yes. Most of us associate independent feeding with chunks and traditional feeding with mash. While what distinguishes one method from another is if the baby brings the food to his mouth himself, rather than with the help of mom or dad. If baby uses a spoon to eat yogurt or compote on his own, it is indeed independent feeding! At a few months old, he probably won't have the elegance of royalty with his spoon, but he will be just as cute!

Finally, be guilt-free by having a personalized approach! In reality, baby observation must be prioritized and ultimately you have to adapt to him! Let's keep in mind that the most important thing is to make sure that baby gets all the essential nutrients for his proper development through nutrition, which plays a key role in this regard! Let's also not forget that foods rich in iron are essential!

We have all heard that you have to peel vegetables before eating them. This recommendation, which seems legitimate, is not always essential! You have to look at the nutritional quality of vegetable skins to understand the reasoning. For most vegetables (and even fruits!), the skin is packed with micronutrients in MUCH greater proportions than the flesh itself. In fact, vegetables (and fruits!) are composed mainly of water, some even 95% water. For example, the eggplant peel contains fiber, flavonoids and magnesium, while the flesh has a water content of about 90%! Thus, by keeping the skin of the vegetables, the nutrient supply is more significant! That being said, it is true that for some toddlers, the peeling of vegetables can be more difficult to manage. While doing so, it is important to be vigilant and monitor your child's skill development to determine their ability to eat a meal with vegetables that have their skins on.

Consult your doctor before introducing vegetables with peel to baby.

First of all, our greatest desire is to be your everyday NINJA ally. In other words, to help you as a parent for as long as possible and not to be left unawares by offering a solution that becomes obsolete too quickly! To be a daily nutritional ally, we had to offer products that would be suitable for baby as early as possible in his development and that would continue to be nutritious for his constantly changing needs.

In doing so, rather than opting for mashed meals, we bet on TEXTURED MEALS! That being said, it is true that the preference of the texture is specific to each one, ALL TASTES are in nature, as they say! Our intention is to provide nutritious meals for all little ones, so the good news is: OUR MEALS ARE VERSATILE! You can offer them in their original form, either in pieces, or adapt the texture according to baby's preference and the development of his skills: crushed or pureed. We can't mention it enough, each baby is unique and you have to listen to their needs, rather than imposing one or another of the textures (pieces, crushed, mashed).

We put the word textured on our packaging and in reality, we refer to ALL textures, as long as the one chosen is suitable for baby 😊 The introduction to the different textures must be safe and pleasant for our little ones.

When it comes to our oat blends, we wanted to give baby the comforting experience of a more traditional oatmeal! What's more, Belov is keen to innovate!! Shelving another traditional cereal, which we might call 'powdered', was not aligned with Belov's mission. Our tasty mixes can even be added to baby's favorite preparations: muffins, pancakes, etc. ! OHH YESSS! By being fortified with iron, we help you contribute to the recommended daily intake! OHHH WOOOWWWW!

The target age of our products is 6 to 24 months. This period includes the introduction of complementary foods and extends until the end of the crucial period of the first 1000 days of life (including the duration of pregnancy). This phase is decisive for the health capital of an individual and it is the ideal opportunity for the parent to offer all the benefits of a healthy and varied diet! In addition, during the first months of a child's life, it is not recommended to add salt or sugar to mini meals (WHO, 2009) and our products are aligned with this. HUUURAAAA!

On our packaging, the recommended introductory age is indeed 9+ months, but the texture can be adapted to make an early introduction (refer to the question " At what age can I start offering your meals to my baby?”)

In REALITY, our products can also support the nutritional needs of young children, in fact even an adult. YES YES ! Of course, we are aware that the format of our products is a tad too small for an adult! However, we encourage you to taste the "Belov" difference, you will be pleasantly surprised by the quality and flavor of our products. It's PROMISE SWORN, baby and you won't wince!

Refer to your doctor to validate the introduction of complementary foods and your baby's nutritional needs.

We prefer the stovetop cooking method for different reasons!

First, we were informed of the toxicity of using certain materials when heated. More specifically, although some plastics are advertised as “safe for the microwave”, there can be a migration of particles… All this is quite complex, so for the rest, we put on our super SCIENTISTS hats!!

There are several types of plastic and each has its specific melting point. On the other hand, even if the melting point of a plastic, for example PET, is 255°C, the particles that compose it move when it is heated. How can you heat a plastic at home? It's quite simple, dear parents!!! When we reheat food in the microwave in a plastic container, its temperature increases by the same token and causes the agitation of the particles that compose it, which can cause the migration of these said particles into the food. Not very SHARP let's face it...

Since this information is not available to the general public (we had almost a chemistry lesson to understand all this haha), we prefer to bet on cooking on the stove. In this way, we avoid contributing to increasing exposure to the migration of plastic particles in baby's food. HOWEVER !!! If you use a glass or porcelain container to heat baby food in the microwave, don't worry, there is no potential particle migration for these materials 😊

Secondly (and a lot less complex), we prefer this method of preparation for the final result it allows to obtain! Indeed, the food will have quietly simmered over low heat for a few minutes, thus an unparalleled harmony of flavors!

What's more, you will find that the smell released is all the more amplified and so pleasant for all those who will have a good DRAFT of our meals!! In the end, it may just be us, but using a small saucepan and stirring a few times during cooking gives us the feeling of having spent hours concocting this delicious baby meal, IT'S LIKE A REWARD!! Keep it simple 😉

This suggestion was added to the stovetop mode to prevent the meal from sticking to the bottom of the pan. In reality, when the ingredients defrost, the surface in contact with the bottom of the pan could CRAMER!! Baby may not have the ability to talk, but he will know how to communicate his lack of appreciation if you serve him a burnt meal! In doing so, by adding water the ingredients can quietly thaw and then simmer to offer baby a creamy and delicious meal 😊 As proposed on our packaging, you can even substitute water with any other binding agent: broth, sauce , vegetable puree, etc. The choice must obviously be without salt or added sugar ! Also, parents who decide to introduce our meals before 9 months can make it easier to manage the different textures by adding a larger quantity of the chosen binding agent or even mash the meal with a fork or reduce it to a puree.

Regarding the microwave preparation mode, the addition of the binding agent is optional depending on the power of the microwave and obviously on the baby's ability to manage the pieces as they are or to prioritize a different texture (mashed or mashed). For example, if you want to offer the meal mashed, adding water or any other binding agent will allow you to obtain a smoother texture!

The important thing to remember is that as a parent, YOU are the BEST OBSERVER of your little one 😊 Each child is unique and so is their development. The progression towards textures can be a worrying step for the parent, it is better to be more than less careful! If you want to gradually introduce gritty textures to baby and eventually transition to the binder-free pieces, that's great too! Remember that the most important thing is not the method or the texture, but that the baby has all the essential nutrients for its proper development!