Published in Business Insider May 2018

Amazon

• Food allergies are potentially life-threatening conditions that often start during childhood and can negatively affect a person for the rest of their life.
• To alleviate parents’ fears of their children developing food allergies, Inspired Start makes a baby food designed to introduce eight common food allergens to babies four months and older.
• By gradually introducing babies to small doses of allergens, parents can help their children reduce the risk of developing lifelong food allergies.
• Note that parents should still consult their baby’s doctor or allergist before proceeding with Inspired Start.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies each year. For some, the effects can be as harmless as mild discomfort, but for others they can be life-threatening.

Food allergies in particular are on the rise. In 2015, the CDC reported that there were 4.2 million children in the US who suffer from food allergies. Since many food allergies arise during childhood, it’s natural for parents to be nervous and consider restricting their young children from common allergens like peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and milk. However, doing the opposite could actually reduce the likelihood of developing a food allergy.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology says that allergenic foods can be introduced to children when they’re four to six months old, which is good news for new parents, but allergens such as nuts are choking hazards that can be difficult to introduce to babies.

Inspired Start is a new fruit puree that’s overcoming this hurdle. Backed by nutrition and allergy experts, it’s the first baby food designed to introduce eight common food allergens (which account for 90% of serious allergic reactions in the US) to babies four months and older.

Each pouch contains one gram of allergen protein, except for the Banana & Tree Nut pouches, which contain one gram of each tree nut protein (almond, walnut, and cashew) for a total of three grams. The ingredients are USDA-certified organic and non-GMO, and there’s no sugar added. In addition, the packaging is 100% BPA-free. Since they come in ready-to-eat pouches, busy parents can take Inspired Start on the go and ensure their kids are always getting both the nutrition and allergen exposure they need.

There are eight flavors available, one for each allergen, and each pouch costs under $3. You can learn more about the different packs available below, but note that you should always to your doctor or allergist before proceeding with a food product such as Inspired Start.

Pack 1

Pack 1 introduces peanut, egg, tree nut, and soy. There are two pouches each of apple and peanut, mango and soy, banana and tree nut, and pear and egg.

Pack 2

Pack 2 introduces wheat, sesame, shrimp, and cod. There are two pouches each of apple and wheat, mango and fish, banana and shrimp, and pear and sesame.

Variety Pack

The Variety Pack is meant to keep the allergens as a regular part of your baby’s diet after they’ve been introduced to Packs 1 and 2, or help vary the diet of older, picky eaters.

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We aim to highlight products and services you might find interesting, and if you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Want to get in touch? Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you’ll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Read More