We started Serenity Kids because we wanted our daughter, Della, to grow up healthy and strong. We knew we would be making a difference in the lives of thousands of babies nationwide through our nutrient-rich products and our ethical sourcing. One thing we didn’t expect was the outpour of love that we have received from parents and caretakers on how important our baby food has been to the wellbeing of their child or family member that suffers from a medical condition.
Our mission is to provide the best and most nutritious baby and toddler food for every child and we are so grateful to be on this journey and be able to provide nutrient-dense food options for all.
Here are some of their stories:
Pictured: Ethan, 2 years old
Ethan came home from the hospital at 7 months old post-heart transplant. During his time there, he developed oral aversion from being forced to take life saving medications. This was no one's fault. He went to the hospital at 5 months old breastfed so the new environment was definitely a shock for him.
I started looking for soft puréed foods for him but the grocery store labels were loaded with sugar and ingredients I could not read. Then we found Serenity Kids through an online ad. We got a sample box and it literally changed our lives. We used Serenity Kids pouches during his speech therapies to help him get back on track to eating. Ethan went from refusing anything to looking forward to his pouches. His favourite is the Salmon with Butternut Squash and Beet. As a busy mom with medication reminders, these pouches helped me cut down my busy time to spend more quality time with my baby. I felt comfortable feeding him these pouches because they taste great to me and they contain high quality products with a bonus of NO added sugars or sugary fruits. Ethan still eats his purées at 2 years old. We now mix them into some pasta or some shredded meat. We love Serenity Kids! - Serenity Mom Skyler, @craziieluver
Pictured: Mindy, adult
You owe it to your children or even to yourself to buy the most well thought out, healthy ingredient conscious baby food on the market. Candidly, I have severe autoimmune diseases with co-infections so absorption of solid food is challenging. Recently my doctor suggested baby food as I am barely digesting.
After weeks of researching I was shocked to see all the preservatives and SUGARS used in basically all baby food lines EXCEPT Serenity. I have learned a lot about which foods feed on or create yeast, viruses, bacteria etc in the gut which basically runs our body. When the stomach does not work right the rest of the body does not as a consequence.
Serenity has done their research as they are utilizing organic based, non gmo, hormone free, antibiotic free ingredients. They put together packets in which the ingredients combine well to present a well balanced healthy meal even adults can eat and enjoy.
Most people do not realize that what we ingest is paramount to how our bodies develop, grow and heal. Healthy eating should begin at the onset when a child is born so they start eating foods which can literally affect their health as they grow and develop.
Today, for instance I had grass fed meat, organic sweet potatoes and organic kale which were easily digested without any deleterious side effects.
The wild caught salmon is delicious and tastes better than fish purchased in the grocery store and the squashes are yummy too. There are still many selections from which to choose so I'm never bored and look forward to discovering different meals to enjoy.
Much gratitude for finding this company and for the owner's who thoughtfully created this baby food line. - Mindy S.
Pictured: Luz d’ Luna, 5 years old
My little girl who has cerebral palsy just had bilateral hip surgery last Tuesday out of our home state. We drove from CA to Summit, NJ so she could get this surgery with the best pediatric orthopedist. We traveled with her baby food steamer and processor & vitamin because not only is she on the plant paradox diet but she sometimes can’t eat by mouth and needs her nutrition by G-tube. I make all her meals from scratch because it’s hard to find ready made meals on the go that can still respect her diet, until… I found you! While in New Orleans getting hyperbaric oxygen treatment to prepare her body for surgery, we found your pouches at Whole Foods. I was so happy and relieved that you came up with these healthy meals on the go and needless to say I bought all the pouches they had. I still love making her meals, but with three kiddos 6 & under makes it challenging. These pouches have saved me a lot of time & stress. Not only the convenience of not needing to purchase all the ingredients (which has been difficult during COVID lockdown) but having them delivered every month to sustain my kiddo health and happiness has been a tremendous help. Serenity Kids is now a staple food in the pantry for our G-tube fed girlie. - Serenity Mom Carolina, @caro.kulraj
Pictured: Logan, 2 years old
I just wanted to take a minute to send my gratitude to you for developing this product. I adopted my son out of the foster system. He was born addicted as a neonatal abstinence syndrome baby and as a result he has many health issues. He was suffering from seizures and vomiting almost every time he ate. He has spent many stays in the hospital and has been extremely underweight and global development delayed. Taking this on as a single parent has been quite overwhelming. I have tried as many different food pouches as possible and have tried to find high fat, high protein pouches to get some weight on him. I did a bunch of research on your pouches and decided to try the pouches. He is devouring the pouches and keeps them down! He has gained so much weight and that is huge for him! He is Autistic as well and feeding is a nightmare due to sensory issues, but I find myself less stressed knowing that I have the pouches for him and he’s still eating something healthy! Thank you again for creating such an amazing product that has been so helpful in my little guy's journey! - Serenity Dad Justin Zmijewski, @zimo90
Pictured: Penelope, 2 years old
This is Penelope, our feisty and sweet two-year-old toddler! Penelope was born with a volvulus in her small intestine, which required surgery when she was only one day old. After the surgery, we learned that she had lost 95% of her small intestines, and she was diagnosed with a rare, chronic disease called Short Bowel Syndrome. We also learned that she would rely on other means of nutrition and feeding, probably for the rest of her life, specifically Total Parenteral Nutrition, which is intravenous nutrition that she receives through a central venous line.
Penelope has done an amazing job of weaning her TPN over the last couple of years, and is down to only 30% of her calories from TPN! We started using Serenity Kids baby food pouches about a month ago, and have seen tremendous growth since introducing the pouches to her tube feeding regimen. She doesn’t eat a lot of meat or vegetables orally (we try, but she’s a picky toddler whose favorite foods are cheese and strawberries!), so these pouches are the perfect supplement to her diet. We have continued to see growth and seen her output significantly improved since we started tube feeding her the pouches two times per day. We will soon start doing three daily, since she’s tolerating them so well! We’re hopeful that we can continue to increase her tube feeds so we can get her off of TPN in the future. - Serenity Mom Kelsey Gorder
Pictured: Maisie, 3 years old
My daughter Maisie is almost 3 years old. She was born with short gut syndrome which means she doesn’t have enough intestine to absorb nutrients in typical ways. Part of what helps her is having a G-tube in her stomach through which we give her puréed foods. We have to be very careful about what we give her though -- sugar leads to a lot of digestive issues for her. She also needs as many good calories as possible. Finding Serenity Kids has been a life changer for us. It is exactly what she needs and none of what she doesn’t. The syringes we use to feed her through the G-tube fit perfectly in the pouches so they make it super easy to feed on the go too. She has always struggled to gain weight but since we’ve started using Serenity Kids, we’ve seen some amazing weight gain and minimal digestive issues. We’ve been on such a long journey of finding what works for her, and now our monthly delivery of Serenity Kids makes me so happy knowing how great it’s been for her and our family! - Serenity Mom Sarah Gillespie Ellis
Pictured: Emma, 2 years old
Miss Emma Helton, two years old, was born with Down syndrome and a major heart defect that required open-heart surgery at 14 weeks of age. She often struggles to some degree with feeding/eating and recently hit a major setback. She wanted to eat NOTHING.
Our kids born with Down Syndrome typically lack strong facial muscles, tend to have smaller mouths, and sometimes, protruding tongues. Also, we face developmental and cognitive delays of various levels, and, for Miss Emma, eating and feeding herself have been tremendously hard.
Working alongside her therapy team, we knew that we had to get creative and think beyond the norm. Emma loves complex and intense flavors. Then, I was recently introduced to Serenity Kids by another mom. We desperately needed to increase the amount of protein in Emma's diet and Serenity Kids provides wonderful options that Emma enjoys. As a parent, I love the fact the meals are created with ethically sourced meats, organic veggies, and bone broth. All ingredients that are crucial to Emma's overall health, growth, and development.
Miss Emma loves all of her Serenity Kids meal pouches! And, she's quickly developed a favorite, Wild Caught Salmon with Organic Butternut Squash and Beets. Thank you, Serenity Kids! - Serenity Mom Rhonda, @rondamathishelton
Pictured: Makai, 2 years old
Makai has been loving Serenity Kids for a year! He just turned 2 in September and feeding hasn't always looked this easy. Makai has Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), Laryngomalacia (a misshapen larynx and esophagus), and Eosinophilic Esophagitis (basically, it's an allergic inflammatory reaction to food in the esophagus) among others. We were so excited to find delicious flavors that were organic, not full of sugar, and were allergy friendly!
When I saw Serenity Kids’ Salmon flavor, I brought a few pouches to both our nutritionist and our feeding therapist who were both impressed! Makai has been much healthier since we began this journey. Less sugar in his purees means less inflammation which equals better overall health. Healthy fats are critical for cognitive, brain, and eye development.
Feeding children with low muscle tone can be a huge challenge, food literally gets "lost." The bold flavors are so amazing, not only for low tone children! I love knowing what's actually going into my child's food. I am so thrilled to have access to a brand that cares as much about my child's nutrition as I do. I can't say enough about these purees! - Serenity Mom Ayla, @adaywithmakai
Pictured: Lily, 2 years old
We are huge fans of Serenity Kids! While Lily doesn’t eat anything by mouth, Serenity Kids has been an integral part of her physical and developmental growth. The tip of a syringe fits perfectly into the mouth of the pouch, allowing us to easily feed her on-the-go or when she needs a quick snack. We love having access to quality ingredients in such a convenient package! - Serenity Mom Jess, @lilyslittlelungs
Pictured: Gail, adult
If you or someone you love (child or adult) is struggling with Eosinophilic disorders (Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EOE) – affecting the oesophagus or Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis (EGE or EGID) – affecting the entire digestive system) or other diseases like Parkinson's (and others that cause swallowing dysfunction), I highly recommend you look into Serenity Kids – it's a delicious, nutrient-dense option that's easy to swallow!
If you're at all familiar with these autoimmune diseases you'll know that: 1) You very often can’t swallow food without extreme pain, panic or choking which can lead to extreme food fears, 2) This often leads to extreme malnutrition and/or is accompanied by nutrient absorption issues, and 3) Traditional medical treatment protocols include liquid steroid concoctions and can involve horrific liquid or elemental diets containing synthetic vitamins or in some cases tube feeding!
As an adult personally dealing with EGID, I wish I'd found Serenity when I was first diagnosed. I was extremely nutrient deficient and most commercial options were not suitable as they contained added sugars and ingredients that didn't meet up to my AIP (Autoimmune Protocol Dietary requirements - if you want to learn more about this, visit my blog). Serenity Kids has created some truly delicious products that you actually WANT to eat. Even though my condition has improved dramatically, I still love the convenience of carrying Serenity pouches with me so I can stay on track with my AIP diet in a pinch. They're perfectly tasty at room temperature but exceptional when you heat the pouch in a bowl of warm water.
Ever since I learned about Serenity Kids, I could see a much bigger purpose for these amazing nutrient packed pouches. With elderly family members who often don't eat because they're not feeling up to cooking or they simply can't stomach much because of their health concerns, it's good to know that easy options like this are available, allowing them to get much needed nutrients into their bodies without sacrificing good taste! Seriously – Beef Pot Roast baby food that tastes like real pot roast... you can't go wrong! - Gail Shankland, @aiprecipecollection
