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 Online references are out of date.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.