Real Meals for Babies and Tots: Try a Taste of lil’gourmets

After consulting with pediatricians, nutritionists, and flavor consultants, Shibani launched lil’gourmets to make her fresh and delicious meals available to babies and toddlers. Read on for why it's a win-win for both parents and kids.

By Whitney C. Harris September 4, 2019 Partner Content

Introducing food is one of the most exciting milestones in your child’s first year of life. But have you ever actually tasted store-bought baby food? Go ahead. Give it a try. Jar or pouch not tasting so fresh and healthy? After discovering that most baby food available today is highly processed and either overly sweet or too bland, Chicago mom of two Shibani Baluja started making her own food full of hearty, nutritious veggies, and light on fruits. Read on for the scoop on Shibani’s company, lil’gourmets and why it’s a win-win for both kids and busy parents.

Special offer: Try lil’gourmets for just $3 a meal by using code REDTRI3 with the purchase of two or more boxes. And to learn more visit lilgourmets.com.

The Scoop

After consulting with pediatricians, chefs and nutritionists, Shibani launched lil’gourmets to make her fresh and delicious meals conveniently available to parents of babies and toddlers. Instead of using mostly apples and bananas to cover up the taste of vegetables, Shibani opted to rely on spices to enhance the flavors of those vegetables. The result was spoonfuls of bold and earthy veggie goodness, naturally low in sugar but big on taste.

Why You’ll Both Love the Meals
The meals are all 70-95% vegetables and beans and come in four flavorful varieties:

Organic Sweet Potato Curry: Made with 100% organic sweet potatoes, coconut milk, spinach, a squeeze of lemon and lime juice, and a blend of spices
Organic Moroccan Butternut Squash: Made with 100% organic butternut squash, carrots, chickpeas, a squeeze of tamarind and lemon, and a blend of spices
Organic Coconut Cauliflower Mash: Made with 100% organic cauliflower, carrots, peas, coconut milk, a squeeze of tamarind and lime, and a blend of spices
Organic Cinnamon Beets & Apples: Made with 100% organic beets, a bit of apple, a squeeze of lemon, and a hint of cinnamon and ginger

These chef-inspired flavors can help develop a young child’s curiosity and palate, while the minimal processing allows your baby to absorb the essential nutrients in the veggies to boost growing brains and bodies. Each 3.5 oz lil’gourmets cup exposes your little one to new tastes, textures, colors, and aromas, and can be served directly from the fridge or placed in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.

A single serving packs enough nutritional punch to stand as a meal for baby, or to offer as a side dish for a hungry toddler or preschooler. Try Cinnamon Beets & Apples on the side of beef or substitute for an applesauce snack; let your toddler dip their grilled chicken in Sweet Potato Curry or Moroccan Butternut Squash; or pair Coconut Cauliflower Mash with a fish or grain, like quinoa or pita bread, or even sprinkle with ground cashews for a nutty flavor. Talk to your baby and let your child see how you think about, prepare, and enjoy food and family mealtime will take on a whole new dimension.

Benefits Beyond a Delicious and Healthy Meal
The lil’gourmets servings are all packaged in clear cups so your baby will get lots of spoon-feeding and fine motor skills practice, plus plenty of chances to recognize satiety cues and relish parent/caretaker bonding. And, all that time you spend together with your baby in a highchair sharing a meal? Setting a positive relationship with food by providing healthy and hearty meals will help your kiddo blossom into a healthy and happy eater.

It's Convenient

The lil’gourmets model couldn’t be easier. The meals—ala-carte or subscription—are delivered refrigerated to your door, saving you time and energy to do all the other things you love doing. Just order a box of the organic veggie meals, store them in your fridge and your little one will enjoy fresh and flavorful foods every day. What’s more, lil’gourmets meals are made with only organic ingredients, just 3-5 grams of sugar per serving, and everything is non-GMO, vegan, preservative-free, and gluten-free. So you also save yourself any worry over what you're putting in your baby’s bowl.

Want to give it a taste? Try lil’gourmets for just $3 a meal by using code REDTRI3 at lilgourmets.com with the purchase of two or more boxes. And to learn more or see the list of local grocers they are sold at, visit lilgourmets.com.

—Whitney Harris