Today we are going to talk about a method of introducing baby food, called Baby Led Weaning, have you heard of it?

According to the BLW method, the first few months of food diversification are not focused on the act of eating but on exploring food. The baby begins by learning to manipulate food and use the mouth to discover the taste and texture of food.

In a first stage, the baby may not be able to swallow the food, just handling it. Milk – breast milk or artificial – is still present as the main source of energy and nutrients since most babies require small amounts of solid food until they are between 9 to 12 months of age.

Thus, the baby is left with the decision to move to solid foods, while physical contact with the food allows him to refine hand-eye coordination, motor dexterity to pick up the spoon and chewing ability.

According to this method:

• The baby is included in family meals. Curious, he observes what others are doing and participates in the meal;
• The baby is not fed by the parents, but is encouraged to pick up the food and bring it to the mouth without help;
• Food is cut into pieces that are easy for the baby to grasp;
• It is the baby who decides what foods to eat, how much to eat and at what rate;

Preparation of first foods:

Fruit
The fruit must be washed and cut into slices (never into small pieces).

Pineapple, apple, pear, avocado, banana, melon.

Vegetables:
Vegetables can be steamed, boiled, grilled, roasted or sautéed. They should be firm for the baby to hold but soft for him to chew.

Broccoli and cauliflower: trimmed and with the stalk, which serves as a handle;
Sweet potatoes, potatoes or pumpkin: cut into sticks or wedges leaving the skin intact;
Other vegetables: lettuce, peppers, leek, onion, carrots, chayote, beets, cabbage, mushrooms, parsnip, sprouts, cauliflower, among others

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Ingredientes

• 1 maço de couve kale picado
• 2/3 de xícaras de nozes
• 1/4 de xícara de parmesão ralado
• 3 colheres de sopa de azeite
• 1 colher de chá de sal
• 1 pitada de pimenta-caiene
• 1 dente de alho
• Suco de 1 limão

Modo de preparo

1. Coloque as nozes em uma forma, leve ao forno até elas ficarem um pouco torradas e pique elas;
2. Em uma vasilha, adicione o alho, o suco de limão, o azeite, o sal, a pimenta e misture;
3. Em uma tigela, adicione a couve picada, despeje a mistura anterior por cima e misture com as mãos;
4. Adicione as nozes, o queijo, misture bem e sirva.

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Ingredients:

1 bunch of chopped kale 
2/3 cups of nuts
1/4 cup of grated parmesan
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
1 clove of garlic
1 lemon juice

Method of preparation:

Place the walnuts in a tin, bake until slightly browned and chop them;
In a bowl, add garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper and mix;
In a bowl, add the chopped cabbage, pour the previous mixture over the top and mix with your hands;
Add walnuts, cheese, mix well and serve.

Meet our new producer, from Montijo, Mr. Alcides, who is been producing Organic Strawberries for more than 20 years in the South Bay close to Montijo, 30 minutes from Lisbon.

Mr. Alcides has different varieties of strawberries, including Albion, Italian, and others that confer more acidity or more sweetness to the strawberries. 

We are glad to work with a new small producer that takes good care of the products and worry with the quality!

Meet our new producer, from Beja, João Pedro from Quintalão bio, and check out the benefits of this amazing grain.

• Producing chickpea in Alentejo

Quintalão Bio is producing in organic production for more than 20 years and João Pedro is the youngest member of the family, who decided last year to plant chickpea as an alternative to oat and olives. In May the flower had grown and after that the pod where the grain is have developed. In August he realized the harvest and cleaned the grains and then dried them.
João isn't making any treatment with pesticides or herbicides, and is just waitig for nature to give it her best.

• Benefits of Chickpea

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are part of the legume family.
While they have become more popular recently, chickpeas have been grown in Middle Eastern countries for thousands of years.
Their nutty taste and grainy texture pairs well with several other foods and ingredients.
As a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fiber, chickpeas may offer a variety of health benefits, such as improving digestion, aiding weight management and reducing the risk of several diseases.
Additionally, chickpeas are high in protein and make an excellent replacement for meat in vegetarian and vegan diets.
Check here for full article on benefits of chickpeas.

Time Magazine states 4 reasons why you should eat organic:

1) Fewer pesticides and heavy metals
Fruits, vegetables and grains labeled organic are grown without the use of most synthetic pesticides or artificial fertilizers. (The National Organic Standard Board does allow some synthetic substances to be used.) While such chemicals have been deemed safe in the quantities used for conventional farming, health experts still warn about the potential harms of repeated exposure.

2) More healthy fats
When it comes to meat and milk, organic products can have about 50% more omega-3 fatty acids, a type of unsaturated healthy fat, than conventionally produced products, according to a 2016 study in the British Journal of Nutrition. Organic milk tested in the study also had less saturated fat than non-organic.

3) No antibiotics or synthetic hormones
Conventional livestock can be fed antibiotics to protect against illness, making it easier for farmers to raise animals in crowded or unsanitary conditions. The FDA limited the use of certain antibiotics for livestock earlier this year, but loopholes in the legislation still exist. And with the exception of poultry, conventionally raised animals can also be injected with synthetic growth hormones, so they’ll gain weight faster or produce more milk.

4) More antioxidants, in some cases
In a recent six-year study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers found that organic onions had about a 20% higher antioxidant content than conventionally grown onions