In my research on the topic of feeding my baby food I came across Yum Tum, and liked their site so much I decided to do a little interview to share with you.
Yum Tum is a delicious concept in feeding babies in toddlers ... how did you come up with the idea?
Heidi and I met at our birth class and later got reunited in a local grocery store when our babies were 4 months old. We instantly became best friends, our kiddos are only two days apart so we were going through the same things at the same times and we have many of the same ideals when it comes to raising our children and that is rare to find. When they were about 5 1/2 months old I remember freaking out because I had a very lovely daughter who cried unless she was in my arms, and my research time was limited and every time I did find something the next thing I read contradicted the article before.
Through many discussions with Heidi we split up the research, bounced ideas and recipes off each other and began our journey to creating healthy happy eaters. We also realized in this process that the only organic options in the market were pouched and jarred, so the nutrients have been cooked right out of them to ensure a long shelf life, up to two years even! They also contain up to 40% water. About five months later a career shift for Heidi came about and I said "Lets start a business!" I have always wanted a business of my own. I have had what I call pretend businesses and was ready for the real thing. When we sat down to think about it, we realized we had very complimentary skills. Heidi has a degree in Business and a Masters in Sustainability. She also worked with start-up businesses counseling them and helping then with their business plans. I have a degree in Art, lots of managerial experience in both retail and restaurants, as well as graphic design and some web design and building experience. The one thing we had in common was our passion for food, nutrition, and healthy babies, so it was obvious that baby food was what we are supposed to do. We started digging into research and after taste tests and really reaching out to parents we were confident there is a market for YumTum.
Everyone is looking to give their baby the very best when it comes to starting solid foods. How are your products different then "traditional" jarred baby food?
Organic, fresh, and locally made: YumTum is not only organic but it is FRESH! We use fresh local produce and freeze it to lock in all of those important nutrients that your little one needs. It's gourmet vegan food!
Gently steamed and pureed in small batches: YumTum steams the fruits and veggies, careful not to cook out any of the important nutrients from your baby’s food. We then puree it in small batches just like you would do at home.
In convenient grab + go bags: YumTum is now in convenient grab + go pouches! Small enough to take on the road or stick in your fridge and scoop out what you need when you need it!
More food in each bite: The only additive in YumTum is love! With only pure fresh ingredients and no added water, YumTum is thick so you get more food in each bite!
Eating YumTum will make your baby a better eater! Babies who start out eating whole foods acquire a taste for the good stuff and learn to prefer it over highly processed foods. Start your baby out right and set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating habits.
In your freezer section: YumTum wants the best for babies everywhere. That is why we freeze our fresh food. No one wants to eat something that has been on the shelf for 2 years, like some jarred and pouch baby food. YumTum contains more nutrient value and tastes amazing!
Nutrient Rich: Other baby food is watery and over processed, we retain valuable nutrients in our cooking process, and then add ground flaxmeal, which is high in fiber and Omega 3’s, wheat germ which is high in protein, vitamin E, and potassium among others. There is even a little spice added to train your little ones pallet!
Our Tummy Grubs are completely unique and vegan. They all contain a complete protein either by combining brown rice and beans or through the use of tofu. Each contains flaxmeal, a little spice, and they are very delicious! They are good for 8 months up. Tummy Grubs are even great for toddlers or babies that have moved onto table food. For example our Black Bean Tummy Grub contains, black beans, brown rice, sweet potato, spinach, flaxmeal, and cumin. It is delicious stirred into a pasta for sauce or my personal favorite spread onto a tortilla, with tomatoes, and cheese or vegan cheese melted on top. Then you know they are getting the nutrients they need and still able to mix it up a bit.
Also as mom's we learned very quickly that good healthy snacks are hard to find. So we knew it was very important to perfect some yummy, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of snacks. Kids love bread so we created a recipe for a Breadstix that has wheat germ, wheat bran, and flaxmeal in it and it tastes great! They are great alone, for dippers, and if you keep them frozen they are perfect for teething babes.
The HoneyDoos contain quinoa and sunflower butter; the kiddos eat them right up. We also wanted to create a healthy on the go morning and afternoon snack, so we have Babycakes which are best described as a moist vegan carrot raisin muffin with a little wheat germ mixed in for protein and vitamin E.
What does a day of food look like in your life?
We get up way before the sun rises on the weekends and start cooking in the kitchen about 6am. We start out by thoroughly cleaning the kitchen and then prepping our fruits and vegetables. We have a variety of ingredients steaming or cooking like the beans and rice, but only make one menu item at a time. We also plan our production so we make all the fruit and veg purees one weekend then ones that contain gluten on another weekend, to minimize any risk of cross contamination. It's just the two of us and we enjoy it! It is nice to have the dad's at home with the toddlers for some bonding and it is nice for us to have adult conversations while we do something we enjoy doing...cooking! Plus we taste each batch to make sure it is scrumptious. We always get so excited because it tastes so good and we feel like we are doing our part to change the world. Once it is pureed we spoon it into silicon cube trays, cover them and transfer them to the freezer. Then on Monday we return to work, pop the molds and package the food.
When it comes to your baby what is the favorite dish on the menu?
We have toddlers so they are the perfect age for our hearty snacks. As our first taste testers, both kids are fans of most anything on the menu. When handed some Appy Kale or Pearrot as a side dish, Heidi’s son will say, “ooh this baby food? Yummy to the tummy!”
Where can people find Yum Tum?
* This post contains affiliate links, but I was not paid by the manufacturer to review this product - I just like it!
I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255.
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