Tasty Talk: An Interview with Tastybaby Co-Founders, Liane & Shannan

 Why did you start Tastybaby?

Shannan: I had kicked the idea around a long time ago, and Liane really encouraged me to do it.  Then, I had Louisa and life got too busy, so I dropped it for a while.
Liane:  Once I became a mom and started making baby food for Ava I realized that Tastybaby just had to exist for moms like us, so Shannan and I teamed up.

What’s it like to be best friends and business partners?

 Shannan: Well, we were friends first, so we built a foundation that our business partnership is based upon.
Liane: Also, even as friends we worked on lots of projects together – mostly events for charities we were involved in.  So we know each other’s work ethics and how we both approach problem-solving.

 
Why was it important for you to have an Organic product?

 Liane: There was never any question that our product would be Organic. It’s how we’ve eaten for years, and it’s the only food we would feel good about making for babies – our own or anyone’s.
Shannan: As a Chef, I have a passion for the best ingredients.  Organic fruit, vegetables and meats are simply the purest and finest choices.  From taste to health, we have a total commitment to Organic ingredients.

 
Why frozen, as opposed to fresh?

Shannan: Well, for starters, my grandfather founded Swanson Frozen Foods, along with his brother.  So, I guess it’s sort of in my blood.
Liane: And once we started our research, we found out that frozen technology is so advanced that it is often the best way to preserve vitamins and nutrients.  We use blast-freezing, which is state-of-the-art.  Frozen food is the next best option to cooking fresh food and serving it the same day.  Even the American Cancer Society agrees!

Shannan, how do you think your grandfather would feel about Tastybaby?

 Shannan: I honestly believe he’d be so proud of me.  We’re basically reinventing frozen food for the modern era.  What my grandfather did for his generation was make a revolutionary product using brand new technology.  Tastybaby is not that different – it’s an entirely new food category (frozen baby food) that uses the newest freezing technology.

How did you choose these flavors to launch with?

Liane: Our kids have been our food testers, whether they realize it or not.  The very first “taster” of any flavor is one of our own children.  Then, we try our flavors on other people’s babies.  My son, Cole, has been the official Tastybaby tester since he started eating solids!
Shannan: In culinary school [Shannan attended the famed Le Cordon Bleu School in Paris] we learned all about flavor profiles and how palates develop.  Our baby food flavors are derived from this, so each of our flavors is appropriate for each stage of development for babies, and new tastes and sensations, such as texture, are introduced in a way that we know will help children develop the widest range of eating habits.  The goal is to train them early to eat a variety of healthy foods.

 
What’s your favorite Tastybaby flavor?

Shannan: I am partial to “Bangos.”  I loved the concept and even the name before I even started working on the recipe.  I mean, bananas, mangos and vanilla just sound delicious … and they are!
Liane: I have to go with “Sweetie Pie” [sweet potatoes, apples and cinnamon].  Shannan and I celebrate a lot of holidays together, and we served Sweetie Pie for Thanksgiving instead of my mom’s traditional yam recipe.  Absolutely everyone went crazy for it, from my husband’s 99 year-old grandmother, to my baby.

 
How do you come up with new recipes?

Shannan: I am constantly formulating ideas in my head.  I have a file of dozens of flavors I’m dying to start testing for Tastybaby.
Liane: Sometimes our kids are great sources of inspiration, because they’ll put two foods together we hadn’t thought of!

 
I’ve noticed you have “Limited Edition” flavors.  Why is that?

Shannan: Organic fruits and vegetables are impossible to control!  They are a product of Mother Earth, so certain things are seasonal.  It’s impossible to harvest items like peaches all year long, so when we get our hands on a great crop, we introduce Limited Edition Seasonal Specials like “Life’s A Peach.”

 
Who comes up with your fabulous flavor names?

 Liane: We both do!  Whenever one of us has a great inspiration for a new name, we can’t wait to call the other one.  “Peas On Earth” is the one that makes us both smile, because it is fundamentally reflects what Tastybaby is all about.

 
All your packaging is recyclable or biodegradable.  Why did you make that commitment?

 Liane: I have been a committed environmentalist for a long time.  I am proud to serve on the Leadership Council of the NRDC (Natural Resource Defense Council). It’s impossible to be making a product that is for babies without thinking about the impact we’re having on the planet they are going to inherit.
Shannan: We are living in 2007, and that brings certain realities into focus.  We don’t have control over every aspect of our environment, but we’ve made a decision to always look for options that are safer or that have a less damaging impact on the planet.

 
Does that mean everything you do is “planet-friendly”?

Shannan: I wish I could say yes, but that wouldn’t be realistic.  Our goal is to make choices that are good for everyone – our children and the environment – as often as we can.  Our tag-line, “the flavor of a balanced life” really says it all.  We never attempt to be all or nothing – it’s all a balancing act.
Liane:  It’s almost impossible for most people to live their lives in a way that is 100% pure.  No one can take on the burden of doing everything to save the planet.  But at the same time, no one can afford not to do anything.  Every positive gesture counts.

 
If you could, what lifestyle change would you make to help the environment?

Shannan:  I’ve replaced a lot of products I use in my home – from toilet paper to diapers – to better environmental alternatives.  I wish I would stop forgetting to unplug my appliances when they’re not in use!
Liane:  One of these days we’ll find a product that will replace the plastic containers we’re currently using.  We are really committed to pushing for new and better alternatives.

 
Aside from baby food, what’s the item in your kitchen that must always be Organic?

Both:  Definitely, milk. 

 
What are your kids’ favorite foods?

Shannan:  Sonny is still nursing, so that’s his favorite!  Louisa will eat more brussels sprouts than any child I’ve ever met.  She likes them oven-roasted with olive oil.  That said, she is also quite fond of macaroni and cheese, like most kids.
Liane:  That’s so funny, because Ava actually doesn’t like mac and cheese!  She’s got a soft-spot for French fries, which she gets on occasion.  But her favorite foods are broccoli and avocado.

You always ask everyone this, so here goes: what makes you Tasty?

Shannan:  I can be serious without taking life too seriously.
Liane:  I do the right thing most of the time, but I have good intentions 100% of the time.

Read Shannan's story about her frozen food heritage