Baby Food Porn: 10 Sources of Natural Num-Nums

(Happy Baby frozen organic baby foods; photo by Maren Caruso)

It’s easy, convenient and, perhaps best of all, really cheap to load your cart with 50-cent jars of pureed, cooked-to-within-an-inch-of-its-life sustenance, but for parents seeking something more than Beech-Nut or Gerber, the main option has traditionally involved a food processor, frequent trips to the produce aisle, and lots of trial and error. (We won’t even get into growing your own food…)

All things considered, that’s still the smartest way to ensure your baby is getting the highest-quality nummers, and if you’d prefer just to scroll to the end of this list, we’ve even got the links to prove it. For those of us who are pressed for time, however, there’s an ever-growing number of flash-frozen, refrigerated and nutrient-packed food available, much of it with the organic and all-natural clout to match its good taste.

Here, then, are 10 healthful baby-food lines even we at Droolicious would eat — and many we already have. (Burp.)

1) Earth’s Best Organic: This list excludes corporate behemoths like Gerber (too easy), so based on sheer market penetration, Earth’s Best is looking like the 800-pound gorilla of organic baby foods. Though the company has teamed with Sesame Street to offer toddler-friendly frozen organic breakfasts, snacks and meals, most of us are probably familiar with Earth’s Best via the jarred and boxed foods we’ve plucked off the shelf at Target, Whole Foods and other big retailers. The other companies in this round-up, of course, swing the opposite way toward the cold aisles. (Store Locator)

2) Happy Baby Premium Organic Baby Meals: One of the longest-running U.S. distributors of frozen organic baby foods, Happy Baby also makes some of the yummiest mushy concoctions out there. From the squash/apple variety pack (pictured) to the chunkier, DHA-supplemented Baby Dhal and Mama Grain, Happy Baby’s wares are nummy and vividly colored enough — thanks to flash freezing, which also keeps valuable vitamins intact — that even Mom and Dad may find themselves taking a nibble. (Store Locator)

3) Homemade Baby: Though we’re swooning over Homemade Baby’s description of its organic num-nums as “hand prepared and kettle-cooked under a chef’s supervision,” the stuff looks as mushy as any other food here. Available in three stages, from smooth to semi-chunky, Homemade Baby’s foods do have a neat feature in their “Meal Integrity System,” which is a fancy way of saying the company can trace the ingredients used in your kid’s food via a production number. (The true test of a type-A, anal-retentive parent is how many of you will.) Look for it in the refrigerated section. (Store Locator)

4) Maddy’s Organic Meals: It may not mean much to parents living elsewhere, but for Midwesterners, it’ll be good to know that Maddy’s flash-frozen organic baby foods — which, like many others featured here, also come in three stages of chunkiness and flavor complexity — come from ingredients grown in America’s heartland. Unfortunately for the rest of us, Maddy’s distribution hasn’t yet extended beyond that same heartland, but if you’re in the Midwest, you can help spread the word online. (Store Locator)

5) Mom Made Foods: If you remember Oprah’s show about Moms Who Made Millions (I don’t, but that’s what Google is for), you may recall this little Virginia-based company, which, after just two years in business, has racked up enough awards and press coverage (including a 5-Minute Time Out on Babble) to make the competition take notice. The concoctions, also frozen to lock in their flavor, color and nutrients, have until recently been limited to the basic flavors above, but the newly announced Mom Made Meals and Mom Made Munchies lines will expand MMF’s flavors to include burritos, cheesy mac and pizza — all organic, of course. (Store Locator)

6) Nummy Nums Baby Cuisine: Besides their great name, Nummy Nums offer some of the more complex flavors we’ve found among frozen baby foods, including Orzo Pasta with Sauce Bolognese and Broccoli, White Cheddar and Quinoa pilaf. The company uses the term “all natural” to describe its ingredients — no emphasis on what, if anything, is organic here — and if your little one isn’t quite at the adventurous stage yet, pick up some of the delicious, milder Mango Vanilla (pictured) or Strawberry Banana Purees: Whatever baby doesn’t eat, you will. (Store Locator)

7) Peas of Mind: Peas of Mind foods also live in the freezer aisle, but you won’t find any simple purees here. The company’s “Puffets,” firm, hand-held casseroles bursting with ingredients like organic fruits, veggies and legumes, are a great way to sneak nutrients into your kids’ bellies. Because of the size and texture, Peas of Mind’s foods are aimed at little ones 12 months and over, and if your child suffers from food allergies, you’ll want to pay attention to the ingredients list, as whole milk and yolk-free egg noodles abound. (Store Locator)

Plum Organics: While the well-distributed (Target and Babies ‘R’ Us) Plum offers simpler and single-ingredient organics for delicate palates, the company’s more complex flavors sound good enough for the grown-up dining table. Black Bean Tomato Ragout, Mango Mueseli and Turkey with Harvest Vegetables are among Plum’s newest additions for the 9- to 12-month crowd, but if you ask us, the 6-month crew has it even better with Pumpkin Banana. (Store Locator)

9) Tastybaby: If Tastybaby’s website, packaging and overall image seem like the perfect pairing of culinary creativity and whip-smart communications, credit the moms behind the company: One is a world-class chef who worked under Wolfgang Puck; the other, an Ivy League journalism grad and former TV reporter. Between ‘em, they’ve found ways to make baby food appealing not just to kids (fun names like “Peas on Earth” belie the presence of mint and brown rice in the dish), but also to parents (thanks in part to celebrity endorsements from Jessica Alba, Law & Order alum Elisabeth R