I don't want additives for my kids!

IF we believed every food scare or followed every piece of research advice we would struggle to find anything to eat that was deemed "safe".

But recent scare stories about BSE, salmonella and genetically modified foods have sent the sales of organic fruit, vegetables and meat through the roof - and there is no sign of the trend reversing.

As a nation we are becoming more and more conscious of the fact that "We are what we eat".

And nobody is more vulnerable to chemical toxins and pesticides in foods than babies and toddlers.

Compared to their body weight, babies consume far more food than older children or adults, which means that they could ingest proportionally five times more residues than an adult.

A baby's diet mainly comprises fruit juices, fruit, vegetables and milk - precisely those foods where residues are detected most, at a time when he or she is least able to deal with them.

Given all of this, it is hardly surprising that the market for organic baby food is booming.

Many mums may find it too expensive to buy the ready-made organic baby foods that are in the shops.

But with a little bit of imagination, time and effort, parents can make their baby organic meals in the home using ingredients that can be found in kitchen store cupboards and on supermarket shelves for little more than the cost of everyday fruit and veg. Journalist Sharon Dale, mother of two-year-old twins Annie and Grace, has done her best to feed her daughters organic food - even trying to eat organic while she was pregnant.

She said: "I'm 34 and I'm of the junk food generation where convenience food was new and nobody thought it was bad for you.

"I was fed on tinned produce as a child and I don't want that for my children.

"I've always been into healthy eating and I'm very wary of additives. I want to give my children the best start in life."

But Sharon, of Colne, a former reporter at the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, has struggled to find the organic ingredients she wants in East Lancashire's supermarkets and relies on a Yorkshire-based company Beanstalk for her weekly shop.

She said: "It is very hard to be 100 per cent organic without penalising Annie and Grace. They go to parties like other children and we allow them to have chocolate and sweets.

"But all the fruit juice they drink is organic, as well as all our fruit and vegetables.

"I do give them organic meat, but although the quality is very good, I find it very expensive.

"I'd say about 40 per cent of the food we eat is organic."

Even if you struggle to find or afford organic food, basic tips for giving your children healthier food include never adding salt or sugar to your baby's food and giving them sugar-free alternatives to sweet treats such as putting a banana in the freezer and then let your baby chew on that instead of a chocolate bar - also good for sore gums caused by teething.

Always check labels for hidden sugar. Some foods may, surprisingly, have sugar in them including gravy, fish fingers and baked beans. Baby Organix, the UK's leading producer of organic baby food, has produced a whole range of baby food recipes for parents to make themselves in the home.

For a complete list of recipes ring Baby Organix on 0800 393511 or see their website at www.babyorganix.co.uk.

Locally, boxes of organic food are available at the Colne co-operative Just Dust, Church Street Tel: 01282 862505 and Ramsbottom Victuallers on 01706 825070.

HERE are a couple of easy to follow recipes, one for babies aged four months and above, and one for those aged seven months and upwards. Try to use organic produce wherever possible.

BANANA AND COCOA

(For babies aged four months and above)

1. Boil one tbsp of oats with four tbsps of full fat milk and simmer for five minutes.

2. Chop a banana and add to the milk with one tbsp of sultanas and a small tsp of cocoa powder.

3. Bring to the boil again and simmer for a further five minutes.

4. Puree by pushing through a sieve or using a liquidizer.

5. Add water to correct consistency if necessary.

VEGETABLE AND COCONUT KORMA

(For babies over the age of seven months) 1. Peel and chop one small onion and fry with a dessert spoonful of tomato puree and a tsp of olive oil.

2. Peel and chop one medium sized carrot and one small potato.

3 Add to the frying pan with the onion and tomato and add one tbsp of ready cooked butter beans.

4. Add a pinch of ginger, cumin, tumeric and coriander, with two tsps of desiccated coconut.

5. Add two tablespoons of water and bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

6. Puree roughly or mash. The texture should be slightly lumpy. Add extra water if necessary.

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