A complete and nutritious diet can help your child reach key developmental milestones
Belov is here to help! Simplify mealtime, impart healthy eating habits from the very first bites, and contribute to the optimal development of your little one. This is what Belov is all about
Vegetables, proteins and grains! To which are added a few ingredients to enhance the flavours and provide nutrients!
A list of ingredients that will reassure your parent's heart! No added sugar or salt, no additives or preservatives.
All of our oat blends are
FAQs
What is deep-freezing?
Deep-freezing is a process that maximizes the preservation of nutrients, color, taste and odor by bringing food to freezing point much faster than a traditional freezer.
The preservation of meals is optimized and allows us to offer a practical solution with complete peace of mind.
How is it possible to have no water in the ingredient list of your meals, when it is almost always an ingredient in prepared baby food?
Before we even started creating the meals, we scoured the comments of a variety of baby food manufacturers and retailers to see what parents had to say about the current products on the market. Like them, we were shocked by the list of ingredients in some of the products that were presented as "nutritious".
Many parents questioned the nutritional quality of purees and meals where water was listed as the first ingredient (ingredients are listed in order of quantity used in the product). Water is essential, we all agree, but it is not nutritious.
It then became part of our mission to offer meals without added water!
Finally, as suggested by Canada's Food Guide, make water your drink of choice :)
Your meals contain a few priority allergens, have you thought about that?
OH YES! Laurie herself is allergic to peanuts, nuts (with a few exceptions), mollusks and previously to lentils and bovine protein to name a few of her food allergies...
Allergies are part of her daily life and the one thing she wishes to not pass on to her eventual children is her allergies!!! She compares allergies to a predator that follows her everywhere she goes.
Recent studies have shown that the risk of developing allergies does not decrease by delaying the introduction of allergens, quite the contrary. Studies conducted over the past decade suggest that early introduction of allergenic foods can prevent food allergies in high-risk infants. For this reason, we did not hesitate to introduce salmon, edamame (soy), beef (bovine protein), chickpeas and lentils. Please note that it is important to have introduced the different ingredients individually before offering our meals containing a variety of foods.
Consult your doctor before introducing allergens to your baby.
At what age can I start offering your meals to my baby?
The recommended age of introduction on our packaging, 9 months and up, 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: puree, mashed or in small pieces. The age of introduction can vary depending on the texture chosen! Please note that it is important to have introduced the different ingredients individually before offering our meals with a variety of foods.
Consult your doctor before introducing complementary foods to your baby.
Why is there no fruit in your meals?
First of all, let's not start the tomato debate! We are well aware that the tomato is a fruit, but it is eaten as a fruit-vegetable, raw or cooked.
As mentioned in the answer to the question How is it possible to have no water in your ingredient list when it is almost always an ingredient in prepared baby food? Before we even started creating the meals, we scoured the comments of a variety of baby food manufacturers and retailers to see what parents had to say about the current products on the market.
We are also very aware that fruit are ubiquitous in baby food products. Yet many parents expressed their concern about having fruit in all baby products offered, even in prepared meals such as chicken casseroles and beef stews. The source of their concern is that having fruit in meals contributes to developing their baby's sweet tooth. Instead, babies should be taught to enjoy the taste of vegetables without the addition of a sweet food!
Of course, fruit is great for your little one's health, but let's not forget the super antioxidant and nutritional power of vegetables! For these reasons, it was very important to us that our meals contain only vegetables and instead encourage parents to give fruit as a side dish at lunch, snack or dessert.
Why is texture emphasized in each of your product lines?
First of all, our greatest desire is to be your NINJA ally each and every day. In other words, to help you as a parent, for as long as possible and not let you down by offering a solution that becomes obsolete too quickly! In order to be a nutritional ally on a daily basis, we had to offer products that would be adequate for babies as early as possible in their development and that would continue to be nutritious for their constantly changing needs.
Instead of opting for pureed meals, we opted for TEXTURED MEALS! That being said, it is true that texture preference is unique to each individual, Everyone has different tastes, as they say! Our intention is to offer nutritious meals to all little ones, so the good news is: OUR MEALS ARE VERSATILE! You can offer them in their original form, meaning in chunks, or adapt the texture according to baby's preference and skill development: mashed or pureed. We can't say it enough, each baby is unique and you have to listen to its needs, rather than imposing one or another texture (small pieces, mashed, puree).
That being said, it is true that texture preference is unique to each individual, ALL TASTES are in nature, we say! Our intention is to offer nutritious meals to all little ones, so the good news is: OUR MEALS ARE VERSATILE! You can offer them in their original form that being chunks, or adapt the texture according to baby's preference and skill development: mashed or pureed. We can't say it enough, each baby is unique and you have to listen to their needs, rather than imposing one or the other texture (small pieces, mashed, puree).
We promote the word textured on our packaging but we are actually referring to ALL textures, as long as the chosen one is suitable for baby 😊 The introduction to different textures should be safe and enjoyable for our tiny tots.
When it comes to our oat flake blends, we wanted to offer babies the comforting experience of a more traditional oatmeal! What's more, Belov is committed to innovation! Putting another traditional cereal on the shelves, that we could call "powdered", was not in line with Belov's mission. Our tasty blends can even be added to baby's favorite preparations: muffins, pancakes, etc.! OHH YESSS! By being iron-fortified, we help you contribute to the recommended daily intake! OHHH WOOOWWWW!
Your meals are said to be complete, what does this mean?
As outlined in the new version of Canada's Food Guide in 2019, the importance of enjoying a variety of healthy foods EVERY DAY - vegetables and fruits, whole grains and protein - has been emphasized.
Since 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 included in all our meals. Thanks to this formulation, each bite is complete!
Have you considered offering your meals in portions?
ABSOLUTELY!! During our different tasting phases with baby tasters, we asked parents to measure the portion consumed by the baby. Our objective was to determine an optimal weight in order to offer our meals in set 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 the appetite of one baby versus another. NO!! The same baby can have a completely different appetite from one day to the next! This variability can be explained, among other things, by: the quantity of milk ingested during the day and night, the quality of sleep, the size of breakfast and snacks, the age, the stage of growth, their mood, their teeth, the quantity of water ingested during the meal, whether they are voracious eaters...
After several brainstorms, we concluded that THE optimal solution was to let parents portion the meal themselves. The GOOD NEWS is that our meals are easy to portion because they are not filled with water (so they are not a block of ice!!). The desired amount is easily portioned with a spatula, spoon or knife, or whatever you have on hand!
PRO tip: We recommend starting with a small portion and adjusting if the amount proves to be insufficient. This way, food waste is avoided 😊 Don't forget to put the unthawed portion back in the freezer until the next meal!!!
How many meals does one product equal?
As mentioned in the previous question " Have you considered offering your meals in portions? It was impossible for us to determine a precise quantity that would answer every baby's needs. For example, a 9-month-old baby may eat 25 grams, just as a 6-month-old baby may eat the same amount. Several factors influence the appetite of our adorable babies (many examples above!!) In doing so, it is your baby's appetite that will determine the number of meals per tray.
Even today, Flavie, soon to be 3 years old, devours Belov on a daily basis. That's right, our meals are nutritious, even for children of her age and let's face it, 24 hours in a day is not ENOUGH 😅 At her age, she sometimes eats half, sometimes three quarters of the tray, all depending on her appetite!
Until what age can I offer your meals?
The target age for our products is 6 to 24 months. This period includes the introduction of complementary foods and extends to the end of the crucial first 1000 days of life (including the duration of pregnancy). This phase is crucial for the health of an individual and is the ideal opportunity for a parent to offer all the benefits of a healthy and varied diet! Moreover, during the first months of a child's life, it is not recommended to add salt or sugar to mini's meals (WHO, 2009) and our products are aligned with this. Hoorayyy!
On our packaging, the recommended age of introduction is 9+ months, but the texture can be adapted for an early introduction (refer to the question " At what age can I start offering your meals to my baby?")
Truth is that our products can also support the nutritional needs of young children, in fact even those of adults. Obviously, we are aware that the size of our products is a little too small for an adult, however, we encourage you to taste the "Belov" difference, you will be pleasantly surprised by the quality and flavour of our products. It's our promise neither baby nor you will make a face!
Consult your doctor before introducing complementary foods and to validate the nutritional needs of your baby.
