Natural baby food is definitely a  new kid on the block when it comes to the American market. If you’re anywhere near as old as I am, you’re more likely to remember those cute little glass jars from Gerber and Beechnut that provided busy moms with convenient meals for their little ones for decades. From the late 1920s through the mid-1980s, those brands cornered 85 percent of the market, powered by ubiquitous advertising and that winsome Gerber Baby. Bland and sugary and barely nutritious, they were the first “real” foods experienced by millions of hungry kids. But we’ve come a long way since then.

A Fresh Take on Baby Food

Joe and Serenity Carr met through the Paleo diet community. They found that eating plan to be life-changing—Serenity’s life-long stomach and sleep issues were resolved, and Joe’s autism symptoms were reduced and integrated.

But when they had a little one on the way, they ran into a problem. “We searched all over for natural baby food and found that there weren’t any options that we could trust and feel good about. All we found in the market were products full of sugary fruits that lacked good meat and fats. So we decided to create a new kind of baby food and make it accessible for everyone.” And thus, Serenity Kids was born.

But their vision went beyond just making natural baby food. In addition to making healthier kids, they wanted to make the planet healthier too. One of the key elements of their business became the small family farms from which they source their meats and vegetables. “We source from farmers that use regenerative practices that go well beyond sustainability. We believe that a healthy planet and healthy animals mean healthier babies and happier humans.”

Good for Children—and the Planet

Along the way, the Carrs discovered an emerging paradigm in the modern marketplace: Consumers are increasingly motivated by a desire to support companies with a strong social mission. “Originally, we just wanted better food for our little Della, and we never imagined how many babies we’d be able to feed, small farmers we could support, or animals’ lives we could improve—and that we could help reverse climate change while we were at it!”

Still, the road hasn’t always been easy. As a small passion-driven company, the Carrs’ natural baby foods have struggled to compete against the “Big Food” industry. “We believe consumers want transparency, simple ingredients, and better nutrition for everyone. Big Food has done so much harm to the bodies of Americans nationwide. It’s been a real uphill battle to convince grocery stores that people want ethical products and will pay more for them.”

But for Serenity and Joe, the struggle is more than worth it. “When things get hard, or we’re faced with heavy decisions, we just think of all the babies and mamas out there who need us, and we can keep going knowing that we’re doing it for them.”

make it!

Meat & Veggie Mac ’n’ Cheese Casserole recipe made with Serenity Kids’ natural baby food.