Why You Shouldn’t Let Modern Baby Food Anywhere Near Your Baby (& What To Use Instead To Make Your Baby Stronger & Smarter).

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Did you know…

…a baby needs 30g of fat per day to support brain development, hormone regulation, and build the immune system?

Yet, sadly, nearly all modern baby food doesn't even come close to touching this daily requirement. Furthermore, more are chock full of preservatives, added sugars, non-organic, GMO ingredients, and other toxins and additives that harm a baby's muscular and skeletal growth, cognitive development, immune system, and much more.

So I was incredibly pleased when I discovered what I consider to be the best organic baby food out there. As a father, nutritionist, and health consultant, I can tell you with confidence that Serenity Kids baby food—designed and formulated by my guests on today's show, Joe and Serenity Carr—is, bar none, the only packaged baby food I would ever recommend any parent feed to their precious child. As a matter of fact, this stuff is so dangerously tasty that I suspect you as a parent may become addicted to it too. It is wonderfully refreshing to finally see a company doing things right when it comes to perfectly portioned ingredients tailored to the exact needs of a growing human being. I can't recommend this stuff highly enough.

Serenity Carr, co-founder and CEO of Serenity Kids Baby Food, is on a mission to promote wellness starting with the first bite. Formerly employed in tech and logistics, Serenity left her job to pursue her passion of health coaching where she helped clients achieve their personal health goals. Having healed her digestive issues through a lifestyle diet change, Serenity is transforming the baby food industry by developing innovative nutrient-dense products—because every bite counts.

Joe Carr, founder and President of Serenity Kids Baby Food, is a certified life coach and educator devoted to social justice activism. An autism activist and proponent of the Paleo diet, Joe works with other autistic adults and youth to help them harness their gifts and genuinely believes that food is medicine. He is also active with the ManKind Project, helping men develop power with compassion. As President of Serenity Kids, Joe oversees day to day operations and leads sales that will transform the baby food industry.

During my discussion with Joe and Serenity, you'll discover:

-Joe and Serenity's backstories…8:55

  • Serenity:
  • Joe:
    • Undiagnosed autism as a child (mislabeled “obnoxious”)
    • Discovered a gift as a performing artist (acting, singing, etc.)
    • Became involved in social justice causes; became vegan/vegetarian
    • Focused his altruistic efforts toward children after college
    • Met Serenity; introduced to the Paleo diet which helped with many of the social anxieties that had become normal

-How their paths led to an interest in baby food…18:30

  • They attended Paleo FX in 2016 and realized there were no products specifically for babies
  • Serenity began an intensive immersion into the Paleo diet
  • Joe was involved in a startup that was leading to serious burnout
  • The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss opened eyes to creating a product vs. a service
  • Tested and researched their offerings based on the preferences of their friends' children

-Deficiencies and problems with modern conventional baby foods…23:30

  • The USDA recommends 30g of fat per day, no sugars, etc.
  • What they found in grocery stores was the opposite of what even the government was recommending
  • Organic baby foods had on average 9g of sugar per pouch
  • The food is not satiating; it is addictive because of all the sugar
  • Less than 4% of foods had meat; there were no source disclosures
  • Mixed with grains (chicken and rice); zero fat
  • “Flavor window”: what kids eat as babies affects their preferences later in life
  • The Weston A. Price Foundation
  • Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby and Child Care

-How the ingredients Joe and Serenity use for their product are sourced…38:35

  • Desire to support family farms because of their sustainability as well as a personal connection on Joe's end
  • Taylor and Katie of Epic Bars were helpful and supportive
  • Discovered farm co-op's sharing the division of labor involved with the business of farming
  • Grass-fed and pasture-raised beef is far superior to conventionally raised beef

-Why Joe and Serenity offer 4 different flavors that contain no meat at all…44:20

  • Babies have an innate sense of what their body needs; at times it doesn't need as much protein while still needing the fat

-How Joe and Serenity have created the best organic baby food and how they maintain maximum vitamin content…47:10

  • No preservatives added
  • Puree made shelf-stable by canning process;
  • Pressure and heat does not harm fat, protein, minerals, amino acids
  • Veggies begin to lose their vitamin content when they're picked
  • Frozen veggies have more vitamin content than fresh
  • More vitamins are preserved by pressure cooking than boiling

-The biggest challenge Joe and Serenity have faced since launching their company…50:45

  • Environmental concerns with pouches vs. being competitive with other baby food makers who use them
  • They realized that plastics are better for the environment than jars and cans
  • Pouches are BPA free; no detectable toxins
  • Shelf-life is 18 months, although it's technically infinite

-Whether or not there's a market for their product beyond babies…54:30

  • Many adults use it for its convenience, or due to medical issues
  • The age at which parents wean their babies off the product varies widely
  • Baby-led weaning: allowing the baby to tell the parents when they're ready to move to whole foods

-And much more…

Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources from this episode:

Episode sponsors:

  • Kion Clean Energy Bars: Satisfying, nutrient-dense, real-food energy bars with a delicious chocolate coconut flavor! Ben Greenfield Fitness listeners, receive a 10% discount off your entire Kion order when you use discount code: BGF10.
  • Four Sigmatic: I’ve been using Four Sigmatic products for a while now and I’m impressed by the efficacies of their mushroom products. I use them. I like them. I support the mission! Receive 15% off your Four Sigmatic purchase when you use discount code: BENGREENFIELD
  • Away Travel: Away creates thoughtful products designed to change how you see the world, so all you have to think about is where you’re headed next. Getting Away means getting more out of every trip to come. BGF listeners receive $20 off a suitcase when you use my link and use discount code: BEN at checkout.
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Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Joe, Serenity or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

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16 thoughts on “Why You Shouldn’t Let Modern Baby Food Anywhere Near Your Baby (& What To Use Instead To Make Your Baby Stronger & Smarter).

  1. Judy Atlagh RN, BSN, NBC-HWC says:

    Just wanted to throw out there a potential future guest for you on this topic & natural child rearing – Genevieve “Mama Natural”

    She wrote a book 📖 for natural moms equivalent to What to Expect when you’re expecting. She also has an online on demand all natural childbirth class… and since you’re doing not ‘weird’ stuff, she also once freeze dried & consumed her placenta.

    1. I’ve already interviewed her!

    2. Ben Greenfield says:

      https://bengreenfieldlife.com/podcast/nutrition-podcasts/the-mama-natural-week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy-and-childbirth/

      1. Judy says:

        Thank you 🙏

        It’ll be my next listen!

        Love that you share the links.

  2. HIDDELSTON says:

    Good post! Although I’m not a mother or expecting a baby, I still love to listen to your podcast.

  3. Mariana says:

    Hi Ben,

    I am trying to find your recommendations on toddler and children supplements. Do you have a post written about this topic?
    Thanks for all the valuable information you share.

  4. Courtney says:

    Hey Ben, my husband and I listen to your podcast regularly. We love it. We are currently expecting our first child and found this episode on baby food very interesting. I was wondering if there were any recommendations on baby formula? I am going to try to breast feed but would like to be prepared if it does not work out and/or for when we are ready to transition. Thanks

    1. Hi Courtney! Serenity used Sammy’s Milk, a toddler formula made from goat milk. You can read more about her breastfeeding experience here – https://myserenitykids.com/blogs/news/six-moms-fed-my-baby

  5. Jay says:

    Guy who self-diagnoses as an autist because he was a jerk as a kid, yet able to “learn how to be cool,” concludes that babies aren’t getting enough salmon in their early diet. Interesting guest.

    1. Serenity Kids says:

      To be clear, Joe was diagnosed with autism by a licensed therapist.

  6. Stephanie says:

    Ben- I LOVE your podcast. Quick question, are the Kion Essential Amino Acids safe for pregnant women? Thank you!

    1. Serenity Kids says:

      We don’t know anything about this, but is a great question! We’d love to know what you find out.

  7. Dave says:

    I know vitamin content was briefly talked about on the podcast, however I’m a little concerned about a pouch having sweet potatoes and kale in it and showing zero Vitamin A content. Are all these nutrients cooked out during the preservation process, or are there still amounts in the food and it’s just not listed.

    Thanks, love the podcast Ben

    1. The short answer is: yes. The high-heat and high-pressure process does affect the vitamin quality in the vegetables. However, you’ll be glad to hear that it does not affect the quality of the fiber or carbohydrates. It also does not harm the fat, protein, or mineral quality contained in the meat. This is why we always recommend that you feed your little one freshly cooked veggies in addition to our food. We actually dive deeper into this topic in one of our blog posts which you can check out here: https://myserenitykids.com/blogs/news/to-make-homemade-baby-food-or-to-buy-what-s-the-best-food-for-baby

  8. Jarred Cooke says:

    My daughter is dairy sensitive, and about to move away from formula. What are your thoughts on Ripple Milk (Pea Milk)? Is it safe? I saw on their site that it does include Sunflower oil, which I am not knowledgeable on.

    Thank you,

    Jarred

    1. Joe Carr says:

      As far as plant milks go pea milk is one of the better ones. The Sunflower oil is a concern, so you could change it up with other nut milks as well, and just make sure you’re offering other good fat and protein sources (especially from animals). When our daughter couldn’t do goal dairy when she was super congested we gave her bottles of grass fed beef bone broth we simmered with some grass fed beef liver.

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