FAQs

If you have a question or need some help, please contact us at any time at support@pure-palate.com and we will get back to you, or have a look through some of the most frequently asked questions about our products and services: 

 

Do you use organic ingredients?

Yes!  95% of our foods are organic – we always buy organic when it is available through our suppliers, who are listed below (on our current menu, only papayas, salmon, and cod are not organic – papaya, because none of our suppliers offer organic papaya at this time, and salmon and cod, because the USDA does not currently classify any fish as certified “organic).”

We never buy non-organic from the Environmental Working Group’s “dirty dozen” list (list of foods with highest levels of pesticides), and we only source our ingredients from suppliers we trust to maintain the highest quality standards, for your babies, and for ours (see below).   

 

Where do you source your foods?

Currently, the majority of our foods are purchased through Whole Foods, as we have confidence that their strict quality standards and commitment to sustainable food systems, will help us deliver foods that are good for your baby, and the planet. When Whole Foods does not have an ingredient that we need, we will source locally from Kroger, HEB and Sprouts.

 

Where do you prepare your foods?

All of our foods are prepared, stored, and shipped from our dedicated space within the immaculate Orange Artichoke Kitchen at 818 W. 19^th Street in the Heights, where our chef advisor Emily Ferrara makes delicious, wholesome meals that are perfect for busy families (and new parents!).  Emily’s foods are usually pick-up only, but if we are delivering our BabyBlocks to you and you are also an OAK customer, we are happy to add Emily’s meals to your delivery to help you feed the whole family.  Just order OAK meals through OAK’s web site and specify ‘deliver with Pure Palate’ in your order form.

 

Why are your foods frozen?

In addition to helping you experience #fullfreezerfreedom (no more stressing while stuck in traffic about how long it’s going to take to pull a meal together for your starving, fussing baby in the backseat – our real meals are ready in seconds), frozen baby foods also have clear advantages over shelf-stable alternatives:

Better food – freezing locks in freshness for months, eliminating the need for the high-heat production methods of conventional baby foods that destroy the nutrients, textures, aromas, and flavors that freezing preserves.

Better for baby – better food quality and flavor means easier acceptance of new foods – fast-tracking your baby’s progress toward healthy eating habits and making things easier on you. 

Better for planet – with 40% of fresh food ending up in landfills, we see frozen as a critical tool in the fight against food waste.

 

How do I store my BabyBlocks?

Food must remain frozen (stored at <0°F)) until intended use (see below – how to prepare).  

 

How long will my BabyBlocks last in the freezer?

For optimal taste and nutrition serve within three (3) months. Note, under proper frozen storage conditions, quality of baby food will maintain for up to six (6) months. 

 

How do I prepare BabyBlocks for my baby?

Food can be thawed in the refrigerator overnight (38 degrees Farenheit or below), or in the microwave* at 30 seconds per BabyBlock.  

*if thawing with microwave, you must ensure not to overheat, and ALWAYS stir and test temperature before serving.  Microwaves heat unevenly and at different rates dependent on wattage, so hot pockets can occur.  

If thawing in the refrigerator, serve within 48 hours.

If thawing and warming in a microwave, serve immediately (after checking temperature, per above) or store in an FDA-approved insulated food storage container for the time indicated by the storage container’s manufacturer.  

Once thawed, our products must be consumed within 48 hours. These instructions should be strictly followed and products should be discarded after that time.

 

How many BabyBlocks should I use per meal?

Every baby is different, and their appetites grow (and sometimes stall) at different rates as they develop.   Growth spurts, teething and sickness can have a big impact on how much or how little your baby eats at each meal, which is another reason why we find the 1oz portions so handy for portion control.  

Just starting solids?  We find that most babies just starting on solids only need a little taste each meal (1-2 blocks) as they get used to eating, and then after a week or two you can increase the number of BabyBlocks according to your baby’s cues (hunger cues are opening mouth for more, leaning forward toward the food/spoon, crying or being fussy when food is gone. Full cues are turning head away, refusing to open mouth for more or getting distracted).

Experienced eater?   We find that babies who are used to eating 2-3 meals a day, and especially those over 6 months of age, tend to eat 3 – 4 BabyBlocks per meal.  You might find that this will increase during growth spurts when your baby may suddenly seem to eat more than you!  Or a bad bout of teething can send their appetite off a cliff.  If you are on our Excite and Inspire stages and mixing in our Texture Top Ups, you can experiment with different flavor combinations, amounts and texture-to-flavor Blocks ratios to keep your baby on their toes. However we always recommend against mixing fruit BabyBlocks into our veg-based Blocks or Savory and Spiced Blocks, as the fruits will mask the real food flavors in the recipes.  

 

How can I serve pure palate meals on the go?

We love the Thermos brand Foogo Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel food jar, as we’ve found that it’s the perfect size for baby-sized portions, and true to the manufacturer’s claims, it keeps our heated baby meals warm for up to 5 hours.  Simply heat  the BabyBlocks as indicated above, transfer to the thermos (don’t forget to pack a bib and spoon) and head out to daycare drop-off or an adventure around town.     

 

What if my baby just doesn’t like something?

Don’t worry if your baby doesn’t seem to warm to a new food immediately – studies show that many foods can take 10-15 tastes before a baby accepts them.  Studies also show that repeated exposures, to a variety of foods and flavors, is the single easiest way to encourage acceptance of a broad range of healthy foods and avoid picky eating.  It’s all about building familiarity – with the concept of novelty in food, and with the tastes and textures of particular foods.  Don’t worry about funny faces either, when babies experience new tastes, they will often make funny (even horrified) faces – but experts say this is often a response to something new, not an expression of distaste.   So keep offering a food that your baby initially rejects and you should see increased consumption with each attempt.  Our feeding plans are specifically designed to develop and expand your child’s palate with every meal, but if you are having trouble with a particular food, we can work with you to apply other clinically-proven acceptance tactics, or connect you with one of our partner Registered Dietitians for more one-on-one help.  You can always reach us at support@pure-palate.com for help or questions.  

 

What if I can’t be at the delivery address (eg home or office) to accept delivery?

Because our products need to remain frozen, we hand-deliver to ensure that someone is able to accept the delivery and place the contents immediately into the freezer.  If you cannot be at home / at the office at your scheduled delivery time, please let us know if there is someone else who can accept your delivery for you (eg a colleague or neighbor). Any person at the delivery address who accepts a delivery from Pure Palate is presumed to be authorized to receive such delivery and will accept the delivery under all of the same terms and conditions that would apply had you accepted the delivery yourself. If you cannot arrange for another person to accept the delivery, then you can skip a delivery by contacting us at support@pure-palate.com, or drop us an email at the same address and we will do our best to find another solution.  

 

How do I skip a delivery or cancel my subscription?

You can skip a delivery as many times as you like by emailing us at support@pure-palate.com (as long as you let us know before the 11:59 CST deadline, on the Wednesday prior to your delivery).  If you decide that you would like to cancel your subscription, we’ll be gutted to see you go, but you can cancel at any time by emailing us at support@pure-palate.com – you just need to let us know before the 11:59 CST deadline, on the Wednesday prior to your delivery.   If you let us know after the weekly cutoff, you will still receive, and be charged for, the next week’s delivery.