TUMMY THYME: MY CAREFREE QUEST TO TURN GEORGIE INTO A HEALTHY LITTLE FOODIE

You should probably taste this even if you don’t have a baby. Order here. Seriously.

The idea of starting solids nearly did me in. Seriously. I’m not sure why this was the thing, but for some reason, I had so much anxiety over it. Would Georgie choke? Have an allergic reaction? How much food do I give her? How do I know if she likes it? Do I have to make the food myself? How do I do that? Fruits or veggies first? Pureed meat? Nasty. Fish? Can she have fish? Babies can’t have honey? Oh, because of BOTULISM. What that actual fuck?

At Georgie’s four month appointment, our pediatrician hit me with a casual, “So you should go ahead and start solids tomorrow.” TOMORROW? She’s four months old. We just got the hang of bottles! My pediatrician believes strongly that by introducing foods early (4 months), there’s a greater likelihood of avoiding reactions to common allergens like peanuts, eggs, etc. Now, Andy and I aren’t allergic to anything so this wasn’t something I had previously been concerned about, but… now I was. Do I need an EpiPen lying around just in case? She also wanted me to introduce all sorts of flavors to avoid a picky eater and help curate a healthy relationship with food. Another thing I hadn’t thought about… until now. Then, we talked about what to do if she chokes, and that’s when I started googling, “therapist near me.” I’m a total alarmist - the type of person who hears one freak story and is like, “Yep. That is going to happen to me. I just know it.” Insert facepalm here.

Oh, did I mention the food is GORGEOUS?!

A few days prior to the appointment, Georgie and I had been browsing Erewhon in the Palisades Villiage where we ran into some baby food samples for local brand called Tummy Thyme. They had the wildest flavors – like zucchini and mint. A representative (I wish I could remember her name because I loved her!) told me all the fruits, veggies, legumes, grains and non-GMO proteins they use are organic, locally sourced and frozen immediately after cooking to avoid the use of preservatives. Now, as someone who can barely boil water, I was instantly drawn to their inventive style, fun flavor combinations, and the fact that I did NOT have to cook anything. So, I sampled the pear & cardamom. Seriously? That’s baby food? It was delicious. You know how sometimes you see a cute baby outfit and go, “Does that come in my size?” That’s exactly how I felt… but the culinary version. I took a little pamphlet and made a mental note that when the time comes, Tummy Thyme seems like a great way to turn Miss Georgie into a foodie baby. Little did I know “when the time comes” was right around the corner.

I went with this high chair. Guys. Don’t be me. I bought a very expensive high chair that I do not need. Be my friend, Erica, who very smartly went with this one. I coulda had new shoes. Tisk. Tisk.

Georgie’s first solids: a face full of zucchini and mint

So after our doctor appointment, I made a panic stop at The Pump Station in Santa Monica to buy a high chair and some baby cutlery. Huge Bonus… Guess what I saw? A huge freezer full of Tummy Thyme food. They had the pear & cardamon so I bought some, along with the zucchini & mint. Both flavors came with four, four ounce frozen cubes of baby food. They freeze the food like this to seal in nutrients and avoid having to use preservatives. Upon further research, I learned that most baby food (even organic brands) contain enough preservatives to give them a two-year shelf life. That means Georgie would be eating food older than her. Ew.

That night we thawed a cube of the zucchini & mint (microwave 60-90 seconds) which was super light and smooth – no risk of choking – and Georgie had her first solids! Over the next few weeks, we tried all their other pureed combos: BROCCOLI WITH THYME, PEAR & CARDAMOM, SWEET POTATO WITH CINNAMON, and BANANA, COCONUT & CINNAMON. Georgie loves them all and Mama’s “starting solids anxiety” was quickly dissipating. Except with the honey… BOTULISM? Really? I can’t.

Now, having a picky eater might not seem like the end of the world, but with our lifestyle (we travel like crazy) I cannot be hunting down chicken fingers at ever turn, making multiple dinners to suit everyone’s tastebuds, and/or begging my kid to try a green vegetable. That is not my journey. And of course, I want Georgie to enjoy healthy food, and that is learned in the first few years of life.

I found out through my Mommy & Me class that the founder of Tummy Thyme, Talia, was holding a class at The Pump Station. Yes, I live at The Pump Station. It’s fine. BTW, if you’re not already, get into a Mommy & Me/Parent & Me/Baby Group group somewhere - that support is a true godsend!

Georgie with her new buddy trying all sorts of new flavors in her favorite Baby Bjorn bib.

So I took my mom and Georgie to this event, and we could not have had more fun. They had all sorts of different tastes, colors, and textures woven into all the different foods for the kids to sample. Talia, who is amazing by the way, showed us different, inventive ways to spruce up food on our own. She gave us a detailed cooking guide that showcases great food and seasoning combos. Again, I think scrambled eggs and turkey bacon is gourmet cooking, so this guide has been my lifesaver. If you take one of her classes – she might give ya one, too. Georgie sampled tons of different flavors that I probably didn’t try until I was a teenager. Turns out, she loves Indian food. Who knew? We also went over how to talk to your kids about food and how to make meal time a casual, stress-free event. Talia also discussed how crucial it is not to project your own food preferences onto your children. Guys. I needed to hear this. I have some major food dislikes that I don’t want to pass down to Georgie. I probably never would have served them because of my own biased, but now I’m extremely aware that Gerogie needs to try everything… even fish, mustard, citrus, and all the other things I find utterly disgusting. I want more for Georgie!

After three months of solids (we now do a combo of Tummy Thyme and anything we are having for dinner), I feel Georgie has a really wonderful foundation for a seven-month-old baby. She truly eats anything and everything I put in front of her, and seems excited and stimulated by new, adventurous food combinations. It’s now up to Andy and I to keep ‘em coming and ensure she continues to try new things and build a good relationship with healthy, nutritious food. Will it all turn out perfectly? Probably not. Will she develop her own food preferences? Of course. But for the time being, at least know I’m doing everything I can to encourage bold, healthy eating habits she’ll carry with her forever.

@itstummythyme has awesome tips on their Instagram - like this one!

You can find Tummy Thyme at the Studio City Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles, The Pump Station, Erewhon or online. They currently ship to California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona & Oregon, but I’m dying for them to go worldwide. You should see what we do to get this stuff to Minnesota and New York, but it’s worth it! Hashtag… this is not an add, I just have a whole lotta love for Tummy Thyme. Did I mention I don’t have to cook anything?