Three Cheers For Happy Bellies

Rice cereal is the traditional and most recommended gateway food for babies on their path to a lifetime of healthy eating!  I'd like to share my absolute favorite rice cereal starter: Happy Bellies Organic Brown Rice Cereal.

I discovered Happy Bellies when our daughter Izzy was born in 2008.  At the time, the popular brands of rice cereal only came in a box with an open/close flap that could not be well secured on it's own. The packaging was frustrating to me because I was always worried about the contents becoming stale and I usually poured either more or less than what I intended on feeding Izzy. Then, during a quick trip to the grocery store, I came across Happy Bellies Brown Rice Cereal. It came in a cylindrical tin with a lid. I learned that this brand is certified organic and "the first baby cereal with probiotics for digestive system health and the only organic cereal with DHA and Choline to support brain and eye health"!  All that and it met all of my packaging needs? This was a major score for a new mother!

I was hooked on Happy Bellies baby cereal brand for Izzy, which can be mixed with heated breast-milk, formula or water. Incorporating solids into your little darling's diet can be a challenge because it is recommended that only one new food be introduced a week, making it a long and delicate process. Some babies are intolerant of certain foods, but we were fortunate to be able to take a more aggressive approach, as Izzy did not have any allergies, and we introduced her to a new food every three days. We kept her rice cereal as a breakfast staple and included pureed fruits like apple, pear, banana and strawberry to the mix as time went on.

Since our daughter was born, Happy Bellies has produced a line of food and snacks for babies, toddlers, big kids and adults. Our son was a fan of their combinations as an infant and I can say that given the opportunity, he could be sustained by their "Super Toddler Bars" alone.

For all you mommies out there that are about to start the adventure of meal making for your little darlings, please check out Happy Bellies and stay tuned for our upcoming posts on making your own baby food, store bought baby food brands we loved, the perfect storage containers and our favorite feeding products!

With love,
Mrs. Darling