Seedlings Baby Food

Doctor Recommended Baby Food

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER | PHOTOS BY SUPERSOURCEMEDIA.COM

Imagine how much less worry you’d have if your baby’s food was approved by their doctor first. Now, it can be. Dr. Jennifer Lefner is Saratoga Hospital’s Chief of Newborn Medicine and Chair of Pediatrics. She’s also a mother of two; Sasha, 13, and Olivia, 11, who struggled to find healthy and convenient foods for them when they were babies.

FRESH IS BEST

Last year, Dr. Lefner became the Founder and CEO of Seedlings Baby Food, a company that strives to provide your baby with fresh, locally grown foods. “Fresh is what I think is best for baby. If you look at a jar of shelf-stable vs fresh food, there’s a very big difference in nutrient content, the look, and the smell,” she said. These sensory experiences are key when it comes to developing a healthy eater, says Dr. Lefner.

WHY YOU MAY HAVE A PICKY EATER

The experience of eating needs to be full of varying textures and new taste sensations. “With national brands, you have to be really careful because there’s way more fruit than vegetables and more water content, which makes it less nutritious - but sweeter - so babies will eat it,” explains Dr. Lefner. A baby needs at least 10 to 15 exposures to the same food before they will accept it, she said. “Some of the packaged products essentially are a cookie. They are very high in sugar content and not in fiber. It develops their palate to anticipate vegetables with sweetness as a foundation and that everything they eat will have sweetness to it. Their brain develops to expect that and rejects food that doesn’t.” Seedlings Baby Food has no added sugar, salt, or preservatives.

DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY

“This baby food is not shelf-stable and I don’t want it to be,” said Dr. Lefner. Created for children as young as four months old (to complement the fats and proteins in breast milk that aid in brain development and proper growth), Seedlings foods are made from what is in-season at 9 Miles East Farm and available from nearby farms including Saratoga Apple. Dr. Lefner recommends using the 4 oz. jars within three to five days, but said some will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks, and others for up to two months (depending on variety). She also advises only introducing a new food to your baby every two or three days so you can evaluate if any allergies or sensitivities pop up. Seedlings’ best-sellers include the Stage 1 Apples and Blueberries varieties, the Stage 2 Apple Cinnamon Chia, and the Stage 3 Greek Chicken & Rice. During the winter months, squashes, pumpkins and legumes will be used in the foods, such as the Stage 3 Greens & Beans.

TRANSFORMATION STATION

Although there have been supply chain issues and digital hurdles during the past year, Dr. Lefner said people have been very supportive of the Seedlings organic baby foods, and feedback has been really positive. “I saw a mother, another vendor at the farmers’ market, give her infant a Seedlings food that she’d not eaten before – just fed it to her right then and there. At first, she was not paying attention, then she began looking for it and opening her mouth for the next bite. There was this transformation happening right before my eyes,” said Dr. Lefner.

Find Seedlings Baby Food at the 9 Miles East Farm Restaurant, 64 Excelsior Ave, Saratoga Springs. For new one-click online ordering and home delivery subscriptions, go to www.seedlingsbabyfood.com. SF