Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Halal Baby Food

Update - this post only covers sources for halal baby food, not organic halal, which is not currently available in the US.

Before you introduce your child to meat, it is relatively easy to feed him or her cereal, vegetables and fruit, so halal becomes an issue when they are around 7 months of age. Gerber makes a great selection of veggies and fruits in handy reusable (though I don't know if Gerber intended them to be resuable) plastic cups with lids.

Once your child is ready for meat, there are three potential sources for halal baby food, and each is more expensive than the last. Don't delay feeding your child meat without consulting a pediatrician to make sure his nutritional needs (especially with respect to iron and protein) are being met.

(1) The cheapest and safest way to feed your child halal is to make it yourself. Very few butchers sell organic halal meat. You can enter organic as a keyword at zabihah.com for a list of grocers. Organic kosher meat is easier to come by. If you don't choose organic meat, avoid cold cuts, hot dogs, and other meats high in nitrates. Boil, mash well, and mix with mashed rice or other vegetables.

(2) Nature's Noor - this Detroit based company is defunct. Online references are out of date.

(3) Mumtaz - Not organic, but halal. "For Mums who care." This UK based company is selling their products in the UK at many Boots locations, and we also found it for sale in Lahore, Pakistan. They offer two lamb and two chicken meals. Twelve pounds buys twelve assorted jars (veg and non-veg), but assuming you only want non-veg, then for ten pounds you can buy twelve jars of one meat flavor. They are finalizing distributions agreements in the US and Canada. I'll report more once it becomes available on this side of the pond. Visit their website here.

(4) Petit Gems - Not organic, but halal. This company is also based in the UK, but they didn't answer their phone when I called. Read more about them at their website.

If you choose organic, not-halal meat, then try Earth's Best brand. It's available at grocery stores and in bulk at Babies R Us, and gets great reviews from my friend's toddler. You can find Earth's Best close to you using their store locator.

11 comments:

Iman said...

I think this is a great idea. Love the posts so far.

dc mama said...

you forget about that other option, get halal baby food from your martha-stewartish friend/mother/relative.

no seriously, i've been working on the food too - i now have a small baby-food mill going on in my kitchen.

bubble butt said...

Gotta love the mumtaz range, they clean and tasteful too.

but please be aware of the petit gems, i gave my 10month old daughter the chicken one, and all i found was chicken veins, it was disgusting! i would only feed my daughter the breast of the chicken, not the rubbish!

ive sent a complaint to petit gems, let you know more when they get back to me..

it would be nice though to get the mumtaz range over in the states.. about time america got a peice of the pie!

munz said...

salam.. sister, did you have any updates on halal baby food in the US? i saw this post and it seems to be from 2007....

jazakz... munz

Muslim Mom said...

My baby flew past the jarred food phase and I never followed up. But, with #2 on the way, I will call up the company and see what the situation is regarding distribution.

Anonymous said...

There is the Moroccan brand vitameal and pharmameal from agrofoodindustrie.com

Muslimah said...

Salaams,
I have tried Petit GEMS Halal baby foods and I am very happy with it. Wide range, tasty flavours and certified by a trustworthy monitoring body.
Thought I would let you all know.
Salaams & Ramadan Kareem sisters.

Anonymous said...

There's a new online halal baby food company in Canada called HalalYums.com. Their baby food is well priced and tasty.. My son loves it.

Anonymous said...

I know this is an old post.. But there's a Canadian company called Halal Yums that sells halal baby food in a dried form. Very convenient to use and no preservatives. You can check them out at www.halalyums.com

Salams

Anonymous said...

There's also a new dry halal baby food (chicken and beef flavored) that's available in Canada and through their website. It's Halal Yums and a lot of people are saying good things about it. MashAllah they are the first halal baby food in north america.

Anonymous said...

Great, Good enougth for all cultures. all can relax at a Mixed culture childrens party
or gatherings.