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00:00The reason I started this was actually really funny.
00:02You see, I'm not married and I don't have children.
00:04Okay.
00:04But I was babysitting my friend's son once.
00:07And, you know, I was feeding him those pouches from the supermarket.
00:11And it didn't have any flavor.
00:12It didn't have any taste.
00:13Even the color was faded.
00:15So out of curiosity, I just turned it around.
00:18And when I saw the production date, it was produced 10 months ago.
00:2410 months.
00:26And it was going to get expired in two months.
00:27So imagine I was feeding the baby something older than him.
00:31Yeah.
00:32And it's obviously full of preservatives for it to live that long.
00:36Exactly.
00:36Because the date, usually the shelf life on them is one year.
00:40Yeah.
00:40From the production date to the expiry.
00:42Yeah.
00:42So I thought that no way something like this could be healthy for a baby to consume.
00:52All right.
00:53We are back.
00:54It's a new episode of Tell Me Why.
00:56And this is Maria Boutros with you today.
01:00And joining me in the studio is Qadriya Al-Awadi, who is the founder of a company called Bumblebee.
01:06Hi.
01:07And today we're going to get to know Bumblebee a bit more.
01:11Qadriya, firstly, how are you?
01:13I'm good.
01:14Really happy to be here.
01:15Yes.
01:15It's lovely having you in the studio.
01:18So Qadriya, when I read your story and when I read about Bumblebee, I found that so fascinating
01:26because, I mean, you always hear about meal preps for adults.
01:30You always hear about like pre-prepared meals for grownups.
01:35But we seldom hear that for children and for babies.
01:40First of all, I want you to explain to everyone that doesn't know about Bumblebee,
01:44what Bumblebee is and how you started it.
01:47Sure.
01:47So Bumblebee is a frozen meal plan for babies and toddlers.
01:52Our food is, our menu was developed by a professional chef and a child nutritionist
01:59to ensure that, you know, every meal has the macronutrition that the child needs to grow up
02:05healthy.
02:09The reason I started this was actually really funny.
02:11See, I'm not married and I don't have children.
02:13OK.
02:13But I was babysitting my friend's son once and, you know, I was feeding him those pouches
02:18from the supermarket and it didn't have any flavor.
02:21It didn't have any taste.
02:22Even the color was faded.
02:24So out of curiosity, I just turned it around and when I saw the production date,
02:29it was produced 10 months ago.
02:3310 months and it was going to get expired in two months.
02:36So imagine I was feeding the baby something older than him.
02:41Yeah.
02:41And it's obviously full of preservatives for it to live that long.
02:45Exactly.
02:45Because the date, usually the shelf life on them is one year from the production date to the expiry.
02:51Yeah.
02:51So I thought that no way something like this could be healthy for a baby to consume.
02:56So that's when I started asking other moms if they face such a problem here in the UAE.
03:02And a lot of them said, well, yes, we do.
03:04And that's why they're stuck with buying either, you know, the supermarket or their own food,
03:10you know, that they cook for adults that they just have to mash.
03:12And again, those are also filled with salts and butter, you know, how we eat.
03:16Exactly.
03:17So that's how the idea was born, just out of this one babysitting time.
03:23I think that's really cool that, you know, even though you don't have children yet of your own
03:28and, you know, it wasn't something that was common, a common practice in your life,
03:32but you came up with something that could help so many people,
03:36so many mothers out there who might be overwhelmed, you know, with work and life and,
03:42you know, raising more than two kids, two or three kids.
03:44And, you know, you came up with a concept that helps them.
03:48Can you tell me a bit more about how the food is prepared and like the chef and the nutritionist,
03:53like what you did to actually start the process?
03:57Like, how did you approach these people?
03:58How did you propose the idea?
04:00Sure.
04:01So at first I was cooking for the boy.
04:06I was cooking for him and he liked it.
04:08He really enjoyed it.
04:09So I tried to do, you know, something different every time.
04:12I tried to look up some recipes online just to understand what's healthy, what's not for the kid.
04:18And then I realized, I started telling, because it was during the pandemic and, you know,
04:24that was like a baby boom.
04:25Yes, exactly.
04:26So a lot of my friends also had babies and I was sending it to them and nobody minded,
04:30of course, especially, you know, was sitting at home.
04:32Yeah.
04:34So I got good feedback and I decided, you know what, let's turn it into something else.
04:38Let's make it into a business.
04:39So that's when I approached, I started to look for some chefs who are specialized in baby food
04:44and it was hard, but I found one.
04:47And then I find a childhood nutritionist.
04:50Her name is Yasmin and she's from mypedia clinic.
04:52Yasmin had dad and she's amazing, you know, and together, you know,
04:57we developed a set of menu that gives, you know, the child all the nutrition that they need.
05:03You know, it maximizes everything that they need in just one small little packet.
05:08That's, you know, free from salt or sugar.
05:11So that's how we began.
05:13And then because our menu changes every season.
05:17So, again, every recipe that we get, we get also from, you know,
05:21we try to choose the ingredients that are just filled with a natural vitamins,
05:26if that makes sense.
05:27Like, for example, beetroot, it's rich in iron.
05:30So you can have that instead of, you know, taking a tablet or taking some medicine.
05:34Right.
05:34So that's what we try to give for babies.
05:36Yeah.
05:37And it adds a sweetness as well.
05:38So, like, instead of adding sugar, it gives it the natural sweetness.
05:41Exactly.
05:42Those are some trade secrets.
05:43Yes, exactly.
05:45I mean, I'm a bit of a cook myself.
05:46That's why I can tell from ingredients.
05:49And, you know, it's fascinating as well, because as adults now,
05:54we ourselves are starting to look at the ingredients that we're consuming.
05:57So imagine how important it is for a baby.
06:00Like, as an adult, I recently went through this where I had some gut issues.
06:04And I realized that a lot of the ingredients,
06:07a lot of the things that we don't pay attention to really affect our health.
06:10And that's why it's crucial to do that for our children.
06:13And I applaud you for, you know, the business that you've started,
06:18because you're helping mothers raise children
06:22that have a healthy future, you know, eventually.
06:25Okay.
06:26So, you know, with children's products, it's very tricky as well.
06:30Like, there's a lot of, like, safety and, like, regulations.
06:34Can you tell us about the journey?
06:35Like, some of the challenges you may have faced,
06:38the successes that you've experienced, and that kind of thing?
06:42Well, as you know, here, of course, they care a lot about the safety of food.
06:46Yes.
06:47You know, where I noticed, you know, even before entering this space,
06:52I noticed when I was asking my friends who work, you know, in the health department,
06:56they all said that, you know, here we have one of the most stringent control,
07:01because the government cares so much, right,
07:03about its people, about what we feed them, about the safety of the food.
07:07So I knew entering it wouldn't be so easy.
07:10But then going to the baby business, it's even harder,
07:12because there is so much, you know, rules and regulations that you have to follow.
07:16But, you know, thankfully, you know, we followed each and every single one.
07:18We adhere to everything that the government has said, you know, for us.
07:25And now we know we're operating, we have our approval and everything.
07:30It wasn't easy.
07:30But, you know, it's like a checklist that we have to go through.
07:34And the way, of course, we keep our food safe is, you know, through temperatures.
07:39Of course, as soon as we cook the food, we have to freeze it.
07:43And even this way, it's not just about safety,
07:45but it's also about preserving the nutrients of the food.
07:47Of course.
07:48Because when you keep them, let's say, frozen,
07:50as opposed to giving it another treatment, which is extreme heat,
07:54the extreme heat, which is what the supermarkets do,
07:58they deplete all the nutrients, you know, from the food.
08:00When you heat it up so much, all the nutrients just boils away.
08:05But when you freeze it, and when you keep it at the optimal temperature,
08:08everything is retained.
08:10So this is how we also ensure not just the safety,
08:13but that the vitamins stay in the food itself.
08:16Wow, that is an eye opener.
08:17I don't think a lot of people know that.
08:19So thank you for educating everyone.
08:23Okay, so going back to the menu,
08:25you mentioned the menu and how it changes every season.
08:28Can you tell us some menu items, like some of the things that you've come up with?
08:32Are you involved in that process?
08:33Or is it just the chef and the nutritionist?
08:35Because you were saying you prepared the meals initially yourself.
08:38Yeah.
08:39So I actually did take some courses.
08:43I have a certificate, actually.
08:45I'm a certified chef as well.
08:47Amazing.
08:48Yeah.
08:48And I knew I wanted to pursue this full time.
08:52I wanted to make sure that, you know, when I started the business,
08:55I wanted to be involved in every part of it.
08:58Yeah, of course.
08:58To make sure that it goes well.
09:00Yeah.
09:00So yes, I do check the recipes every time.
09:03Of course, I have a team that's amazing and that helps also curate recipes.
09:07But I also like to have some input.
09:09So for instance, if I go to a restaurant and I like,
09:13like, for example, lasagna,
09:14it's something new that we're going to introduce.
09:16So I really liked it.
09:17But I remember a lot of the parents come to me and tell me,
09:21do you have anything just vegetarian?
09:22Mm hmm.
09:23Because we have a lot of, you know, protein based foods and meats.
09:26So they asked me, do you have anything vegetarian?
09:27So then I thought, OK, how can I turn this into something vegetarian?
09:32Something that kids would eat, something kids would love.
09:34So, you know, this is when the chefs come to experiment,
09:37to try different, you know, different vegetables to see what works.
09:40And for the seasonal, because, you know, we have our own farm
09:44that we get ingredients from.
09:46And then the excess we buy from somewhere else.
09:47But it's seasonal, you know, like strawberries, for example.
09:51Mangoes come in the summer.
09:52That's when they're, you know, most delicious.
09:54So that's why we have some seasonal menu.
09:56OK. Can you tell us some of the dishes that you offer?
09:59Sure. So the constant menu that we have all year round
10:03is like the meatballs and sauce.
10:05And, you know, this one, you can add it to a pasta.
10:08You can add it to rice, to bread, however you like it.
10:11But then the seasonal things is like mango tango.
10:14This is something we have strawberry quinoa.
10:16That's again, seasonal.
10:18And we also have now artichoke season is approaching.
10:23So we have some things like artichoke pasta as well.
10:26So those are some seasonal things.
10:28Can I buy those? Those sound very yummy.
10:30Of course. You know, one of the parents was for the mango tango and the strawberry.
10:35We also have another one, berry blast.
10:37So sometimes what the parents do is they would take it and put it over their granola.
10:41Oh, they would put it, you know, over like their acai bowl.
10:44Yes. You know, their granola bowls over, you know, just some Greek yogurt.
10:48So, you know, that's that's multi-use.
10:49And we get so happy to see how curative some parents can get with their food.
10:53Very nice. That's very nice and very resourceful.
10:55And obviously, when the children see their parents eating it,
10:58you know, it encourages them also to eat healthy and like to eat the food as well.
11:02OK, so let's say I'm a mother and I'm looking to buy, you know, your products.
11:08Where can I find them?
11:09And do you take custom orders?
11:12Like, let's say, like a mother wants like a meal prep of a certain type.
11:15Or are you just like, is it like a set menu and it's seasonal?
11:21So for now, you can only order online
11:25because it comes, you know, direct from the kitchen where we have total oversight.
11:28Yeah. We're looking, of course, now to slowly go into supermarkets.
11:32Right.
11:33But for now, it's just through the website, bumblebeefood.com.
11:36OK, you can order and the food would be there,
11:39would be with you in two days, maximum three days.
11:42But that's because, you know, we make the food fresh to order.
11:45And it takes some time, you know, to freeze it as well.
11:47Right.
11:50And some parents also, of course, talk to us.
11:52They send us a message.
11:53You can just send us an email or a message on the Instagram
11:55if your kid has any allergies or if you're confused, you know,
11:58which stage to feed, what to feed.
12:00And we're really happy to help.
12:02Some things that we can do, of course, is substitute some ingredients.
12:05We have had some mothers whose babies are lactose intolerant.
12:09So we removed, you know, we removed any dairy and we substituted it with vegan cheese.
12:13So we're always happy, you know, to accommodate as much as we can.
12:16That's actually very useful.
12:17And I think that's that's something you can't find in the supermarkets
12:20because more often than not, you have to buy the product as is,
12:24like you don't have the pleasure to customize it.
12:27OK, amazing.
12:28So moving away from bumblebee a little or actually it might be related.
12:32And that's why I'm going to ask you.
12:34You've been selected as part of a United Nations women's program.
12:38Can you tell us a bit more about that?
12:40Sure.
12:40So the program is about businesswomen and their idea, you know, it's to help them grow.
12:48So I applied to it and I was very, very honored to be selected as part of it.
12:51So it's a mentorship program where other leaders in the field help you,
12:57you know, help you grow, help your business grow.
12:59And luckily, that was also when I was first starting the business.
13:02So my mentor and the resources available at the time really
13:07helped me to grow and helped me to understand the market and helped me even to
13:14sometimes put the right pricing because, you know, we're new entering the market.
13:18The pricing was different as inflation went upright because
13:22the past two years you've seen what happened to the prices of like the supermarkets.
13:26And of course, we always want to have the best
13:30prices for our customers.
13:31But then at some point, you can't keep up with the prices.
13:35So this was really good help.
13:37You know, our mentor was amazing, Jen.
13:39She really, really helped me to, you know, to get it right.
13:42Amazing.
13:43Amazing.
13:44And so how is this going to help you in the future as well?
13:48Like, can you tell us a bit more about your growth plans and your future plans?
13:52How has this program helped you?
13:54I think one of the best things that the program did was just help me see beyond my current goal.
14:01Because when I first started, of course, my goal was to just give my customer healthy food.
14:06That was the goal.
14:08But then when I was part of the United Nations and I saw all those incredible women with their
14:13different businesses, I noticed the foundation of it all is that every single one of those
14:19businesses was centered around helping others, each in their own different way.
14:24But this is what it was about.
14:26And then this is when we started to think a little bit broader, like,
14:31how can we help the community?
14:33How can we help the people around us?
14:35Not just, you know, the customers, not just the target, but everybody else around us.
14:39How can we help kids even abroad who can't have access to our food?
14:44You know, in what other way can we help them?
14:47And this is how, you know, one of the steps that we took
14:51was to align our vision with the National Strategy of Wellbeing.
14:55And as well, we also have partnered with a few charities
14:59that, you know, build schools and that provide foods for children internationally.
15:03So, you know, this helped us just think, I suppose, more selflessly.
15:07So you mentioned the National Strategy for Wellbeing in 2031, I believe is the date.
15:13How is your business in line with that?
15:15So the essence of the strategy is for the people of the UAE to lead a better and healthier life.
15:23That's the main essence, you know, of the strategy.
15:27So, you know, one of the pillars, of course, is the health of adults and of children as well.
15:35So how we aim to help with that is to provide the healthy food for children.
15:40You know, one thing here that a lot of people, I suppose, don't know,
15:44because even I didn't know that, is just the danger.
15:49And I'm careful about using that word, but the danger of salt in baby food.
15:55We all know how bad sugar is, but nobody tells us just how bad salt is.
16:00So many studies have shown that introducing salt
16:03to children is almost a direct link to childhood obesity.
16:08You see, when like, for example, babies under one, you put salt in their food,
16:12they get used to it.
16:13You know, they get used to the salty taste.
16:14So then when you serve them something without it, they just don't want it anywhere.
16:18They think it doesn't have any flavor.
16:20And what salt does for really small kids is it affects their kidneys
16:25in a way that they can't filter it out.
16:27And for others, it's retained in the body.
16:29It retains, you know, with water.
16:31So it contributes to, you know, obesity.
16:35And not to mention, like, you know, the more salt you eat,
16:39eventually the more salty food you want.
16:41And what's more salty than fast food?
16:43Exactly.
16:43Right?
16:43That would hit the right craving that the kid wants.
16:47That's why, you know, when you give them, like, compare any kid, that's how I grew up.
16:52You know, when mom gave us McDonald's, it was so different than what
16:55my mom cooked the chicken nuggets at home.
16:57Oh, of course.
16:58Right?
16:58Because that one is filled with salt and MSG, right?
17:00To improve, to enhance the flavor.
17:03But the one at home, my mom does it, it's clean.
17:05It doesn't, for me, it didn't have any taste.
17:07But it was years later that I understood it was, you know, the salt.
17:10That's the culprit.
17:11Yes, exactly.
17:13Exactly.
17:13And in a way, I feel like your business is also in line with the strategy because
17:18you're raising healthy generations by promoting, you know, healthy foods,
17:22you know, that have less preservatives, less harmful ingredients, and so on and so forth.
17:28How are you going to take the business a step further?
17:32We aim to, you know, at first I wanted to really focus on growing the business
17:37and putting my name there.
17:38And now that we've achieved that, now the next step is
17:41I'm slowly partnering with nurseries, with schools, you know, to educate parents,
17:46to educate kids on just how to make healthier choices.
17:49You know, we always get self-conscious when we hear the word healthy,
17:54either because we think, oh, am I fat?
17:56What are you saying?
17:58Or because we think it might not taste good.
18:00But you know, at Bumblebee, we like to prove otherwise.
18:04That it's not that at all.
18:06You can have the exact chicken nugget that you want.
18:08We will cook it for you.
18:10We just won't deep fry it, for example, right?
18:12We're going to give you the pizza that you want,
18:14but it's just not going to have, you know, like sugar in it.
18:17And you wouldn't think that it does, but it's just hidden,
18:19you know, when you buy it from the supermarket or from any other brand, right?
18:23So this is how, you know, we aim the next step is to slowly educate the schools
18:27and the parents about, you know, the ingredients that they put in their food.
18:32Even the benefits of just family time, you know, with everybody now busy.
18:38It's so hard now to sit together as a family.
18:41But the family time at mealtime is so important.
18:44It benefits.
18:45Studies have shown it benefits every single family,
18:47every single, sorry, member of the family from kids.
18:50You know, they learn to be less picky eaters
18:52when they see everybody eating the same meal.
18:54Parents, you know, their bonds grow stronger
18:56and it even reduces the stress levels in men.
18:59So many studies have shown that when they sit around their family.
19:02So we want to promote, you know,
19:04we want to keep promoting that importance of a family unit,
19:08which is all centered around food.
19:10Amazing. Amazing.
19:13So currently you're offering frozen foods.
19:16Are you planning on offering hot meals at a certain point?
19:20Is that something that's part of your plan?
19:22We're thinking about it because we've had some interest
19:24from nurseries and schools, you know, to ask about if we have,
19:29you know, if we provide something.
19:31So this is not something we're looking at right now,
19:33but it may be, you know, in the medium term.
19:36But we will be introducing for a limited time just to see,
19:39you know, just to test it a bit.
19:40It will be dry food, so snacks.
19:43So some dry snacks, you know, like cookies
19:45and those kinds of things.
19:47We're going to introduce them because a lot of our customers
19:50have been requesting, you know, something other than frozen.
19:53So dry is all what we're going to offer for now.
19:56That's very nice.
19:58Do you feel like the Middle East lacks businesses like Bumblebee?
20:02Do you feel like the market just doesn't have enough businesses
20:06that promote healthy eating for children?
20:10I think it does.
20:11I think there is a gap in the market for that,
20:13which is why I started even to begin with.
20:17But to be honest, when I first started,
20:18which was a couple of years ago,
20:20there was just two businesses or two or three.
20:23Because when I actually wanted to start, it was before 2020.
20:26It was just around 2019, but then the pandemic hit.
20:28Right.
20:29And I have a daytime job.
20:30So then I had to put that on hold.
20:32I had to put Bumblebee on hold and focus on my day job
20:36because it was unprecedented, right?
20:37It was something that hit everyone by surprise.
20:40So Bumblebee had to be put on hold until I could launch it
20:43about a couple of years later.
20:45So during that time, a couple of businesses also came out.
20:49But today they are growing.
20:50I think that people are starting to notice that,
20:53OK, there is a gap for the baby food.
20:55So let's start.
20:57So in the UAE, I think there are enough now.
21:00But it's starting to grow now in the Middle East itself.
21:02There isn't many in the Middle East.
21:03I remember doing my research when I first began.
21:06There wasn't many, but they're slowly starting to realize
21:09that this is an untapped market.
21:10I mean, it could be an expansion opportunity for you.
21:14You could maybe expand to the wider region.
21:17And then maybe, you know, I mean, first the GCC, I guess,
21:21and then to the wider region,
21:23if that's something that you plan on doing it.
21:25I mean, we hope so.
21:26Yeah, we hope so.
21:27You know, maybe one day in the future, we can look to that.
21:30Our goal, I remember, was just when we were selling in Dubai,
21:33we got our first order from Abu Dhabi.
21:36The very first order that I ever got, it wasn't from Dubai,
21:38it was from Abu Dhabi.
21:39It was, you know, not a family member, not a friend.
21:41Amazing.
21:42So I remember that order perfectly.
21:43I was so happy, but I couldn't deliver it.
21:45It was in Abu Dhabi.
21:46We didn't have the means to deliver it.
21:47Yes.
21:48So, you know, today we delivered to all seven emirates.
21:52And our customers have even taken our baby food
21:54because it's frozen.
21:55So you can take it abroad.
21:56Yes.
21:57So we've reached seven countries so far.
22:00So, you know, hopefully, I think expansion internationally makes sense.
22:04Yeah, that must make you feel so proud
22:06because a business is sort of like your baby
22:08and you're feeding it the right ingredients, you know, to succeed.
22:11So you were saying that they take the food abroad,
22:13which I've seen a lot of businesses have started doing,
22:16like not necessarily baby food businesses,
22:19but I've seen dessert businesses or like bakeries sell their goods
22:24and like sell you like a little manual on like how to travel with the food
22:29and how to keep it, you know, fresh and avoid it from spoiling.
22:33Is that what you do as well?
22:34Like, do you tell people how to store it properly
22:36and how to travel with it properly?
22:38Yes.
22:39So a lot of parents, the best way I would recommend is first just to message us
22:44because we're still, you know, developing the manual, as you said,
22:49you know, because it depends on every flight, on every destination.
22:52Right.
22:52The rules differ slightly.
22:53So what we recommend is just contacting us
22:55and we'll hand out everything.
22:56We'll explain everything for you.
22:59But in general, the food that we send comes in a box.
23:02Okay.
23:02In a foam box.
23:04All the parent has to do is just change the ice
23:07because we have fresh ice, if that makes sense.
23:09Okay, yeah, yeah.
23:09So just change the fresh ice to dry ice.
23:12That's it.
23:12That's all you have to do.
23:13Just take it, put it, just go through the airport security,
23:16put it in the bag, you know, with the rest of the, you know,
23:19with the rest of the bags,
23:20it doesn't have to come to the cabin with you.
23:22Right.
23:22And when you reach there and it's going to stay frozen for like 10, 12 hours.
23:27Oh, amazing.
23:28It's enough to go to Australia or even America.
23:30Yes.
23:32And then when you reach the hotel, just pop it in the freezer and that's it.
23:35Amazing.
23:36Yeah, so you can enjoy it, you know, and the best way to heat it
23:38because it's just little packets.
23:40So the best way to heat the packets is just putting them in hot water.
23:43So it's so easy and convenient, you know, for parents when they travel
23:47because I know when you travel to a different country,
23:49some people can be wary of the ingredients that they feed their kids.
23:52Yes.
23:52Especially, you know, if, you know, they have some religious restrictions,
23:56some dietary restrictions, they can't have that.
23:59So we provide that for them.
24:01So they don't have to worry, you know, about it when they travel.
24:04Yes, yes.
24:04I mean, and it's down to just the allergens that might be in certain foods
24:08that upset a child's stomach because, you know,
24:10they're way more sensitive than us.
24:12So it's always good to, you know, travel prepared.
24:16My last question, I know that you are a busy woman
24:19and you have such a thriving business.
24:22What's your advice for parents?
24:26I think I would say don't take the time that you have with your kids for granted.
24:34I know I don't have any kids, so I'm not speaking, you know,
24:37but I've seen it, you know, when I was babysitting,
24:40because when the pandemic hit, we all stayed at home.
24:43So I was babysitting my friend's children a lot.
24:48And they used to come over for weeks at a time,
24:51you know, to stay over while their parents,
24:52because their parents were doctors.
24:54So they went out.
24:56But they were afraid to come home, you know,
24:57to their kids because of the COVID and everybody was so worried about it.
25:01And we had our, you know, like all our grandparents, our kids,
25:05you know, the most vulnerable.
25:07So they stayed with us.
25:08And, you know, that's, of course, one of the reasons why I was testing on them.
25:12But they always used to say, like, oh, I miss my kid.
25:15I miss my baby.
25:16I miss them.
25:16You know, I miss having time with them.
25:18And they realized that, you know, before that, when they were working,
25:22even if they were sitting on the table,
25:24they weren't really sitting on the table.
25:26Their mind was always elsewhere.
25:28Their mind was, you know, somewhere else.
25:30So that time that you sit with your baby, especially at mealtime,
25:34you may not feel it now.
25:36But five years, 10 years down the line,
25:38you're going to appreciate and you're going to understand
25:40just how much of an impact it had on their mental health
25:43and how strong the bond is and how it grew, you know, with your kids.
25:48And advice from a nutritional aspect?
25:51Even from a nutritional, like,
25:53you know, when you sit with your kids,
25:55they learn not to be picky eaters
25:57because they learn to eat what you eat.
25:59So, for example, so many moms say,
26:01oh, my baby doesn't like to eat broccoli.
26:03My baby doesn't like to eat Brussels sprouts.
26:05I say, do you eat them?
26:06And they say, no.
26:07I say, well, don't eat them together as a family
26:10or even cook it with them.
26:12Some things, you know, for the slightly older kids,
26:14like the toddlers, when they begin to understand,
26:16involve them in the cooking process,
26:18give them, you know, the sense of independence
26:20that they can control what they put in their own food.
26:23They might not eat at all, but they'll take a bite, right?
26:25And this is how it begins.
26:26They take one bite, two bites.
26:28And then the next thing you know, it's going to be their favorite.
26:30So even from a nutritional standpoint,
26:33if you want your kid to become less of a picky eater
26:35and eat more healthy food,
26:37begin with yourself, you eat it.
26:39And then if that doesn't work,
26:41make your child part of the cooking process.
26:43That always is, you know, our top advice for them.
26:47Great advice.
26:48Honestly, lead by example.
26:49I think we all know that.
26:51Kadria, thank you so much for your time.
26:53Thank you for joining us today.
26:54Thank you for having me.