Or maybe that’s just because I was eight years old in ‘99, raiding a fully stocked walk-in pantry with zero parental oversight, blissfully unaware (along with my parents) of the wall-to-wall gauntlet of ultra-processed foods, refined sugars, GMOs, pesticides, seed oils, artificial dyes, PFAS, and carcinogens—Aaaah. Ignorance was bliss. Until it wasn’t.

For me, reality hit junior year of high school in the form of an explosion of cystic acne, gut issues, and food intolerances, resulting in some ADHD with a large side of anxiety. Fast forward to today, I’m 33, and my 15-year gut-healing journey truly began when I prioritized whole, diverse foods and eliminated almost everything else. I can now manage a smear of butter or crumb of gluten without a gut bomb and brain fog, my ADHD and anxiety only appear as occasional spices, and the scars I carry - both physical and figuratively - are constant reminders of the nearing on two decades of misguided advice, band-aid solutions, and pharmaceuticals that never addressed the root cause.

Now, wellness, food as medicine, and mindfulness are my passions and as of late, my job. Not so much out of curiosity, but out of necessity. And like so many parents, I’m doing my best to raise my toddler as consciously and naturally as humanly possible. But let’s be real, HUMAN is the operative word. Every day is a roller coaster of small wins, mistakes, compromises, learning and re-educating.

While the internet has given us access to more knowledge than ever, it’s also a minefield. My Instagram feed is a battleground of nutrition “experts” using fear-mongering clickbait to push their agenda. One ex-MD turned creator swears your toddler needs to eat 44 different organic plant species a week to survive our toxin-ridden apocalypse. Or you can just buy their cure all detox program? Another insists that if it’s not A2 unpasteurized milk, grass-fed beef, Celtic sea salt or raw Manuka honey MGO 2000+ in glass from New Zealand, it’s basically poison. And a third claims that if you let your kid eat their current snack obsession, they’ll lose 12 IQ points, or worse, get the social media censored C word. Update* Since writing this, there has been a mass health influencer campaign against said Manuka honey! The pesticide levels are through the roof. Aaaah, again! 

Here’s the thing: we’re all for conscious eating, transparency, and food policies that prioritize our health. In fact, that’s why Lil’ Gourmets exists! But if you’re just trying your best to feed your kids and feeling as overwhelmed as we are, you’re not alone.

That’s why we’re here—to help cut through the digital noise and bring you some parenting hacks, nutrition advice, and fresh mealtime ideas that will actually help. We’ve rounded up the must-follow creators of 2025. The MVPs of parenting. Online at least. The parents who inspire, entertain, and make life just a lil’ simpler. From navigating meltdowns to whipping up quick, healthy meals, these accounts are packed with tips, tricks, and real talk to help steer your parenting journey away from chaos and towards fun and fulfillment.

Categories We're Recognizing 

We’re celebrating mom and dad creators and expert across the following:

1. Lil’ Foodies

2. Baby Ed 5000

3. Inspiring Moms & Dads 

4. LOL & Relatable Parenting 

5. Parenting Hacks 

First up, let’s talk food. That’s why we’re all here, right? From the first messy, yet glorious bite around 6 months, to the never-ending mealtime negotiations. We. Know. The. Struggle. That’s why Lil’ Gourmets is on a mission to serve up fresh (i.e. refrigerated), organic, nutrient-dense meals that help combat picky eating, raise adventurous eaters fo-life, and give parents a break without the guilt trip. How do we do it? By making veggies taste good! No tricks, no fillers, no nasties, just real, organic veggie-rich meals with zero added sugar, salt, or preservatives. Call us a triple threat, ‘cause there’s no one in the baby food aisle quite like us. Fresh! Side note, because we are fresh, you’ll find us in a fridge in the baby aisle or the dairy near baby yogurt. Check out our store locator for retail locations. 

You may have heard our story on our socials or in our newsletter, but Lil’ Gourmets was born out of our founder’s personal health journey Watch Here. After struggling with infertility, she turned to real, whole foods, cutting out processed ingredients and switching to organic. The result? Two amazing kiddos - the inspiration behind the brand - and a mission to help families make healthier choices from the very start.

But when it came time to feed her own babies, she found herself frustrated by the fruit-heavy, over-processed, mis-marketed options on store shelves—food that was likely older than her babies!

So, she put her corporate background in food to work, blending long overdue innovation with her family’s Indian heritage and restaurant experience, to create something fresh: baby food made with a variety of organic veggies and globally inspired flavors, balanced with nourishing spices instead of masking with fruit and cold-processed (like a cold-pressed juice) to deliver the taste, texture, and nutrition of a homemade meal. 

Now, we’re bringing you some of our favorite lil’ foodies, home chefs, and nutrition experts to keep you educated, inspired, and well-fed through the rollercoaster of first foods, mealtime battles, and picky eating phases.This isn’t your typical 101, first foods or portion sizing, this is graduate level stuff! 

And when you need a quick, nourishing meal on the go? Just grab one of our delicious pouches from the fridge. I’ve been known to sneak a few after a run or on a long drive. Oops. 

All parents to lil’ ones know that food is only half the battle. There’s various stages of sleep struggles, emotional support (more like parental temper control), endless baby and toddler products, early education, and of course milestones that come with mind-boggling regressions. Just when you thought you had it all figured out! 

That’s why we’re sharing some of our favorite feeds: from sleep specialists and parenting educators to product enthusiasts and teachers offering real, practical advice to help navigate the wild ride of raising tiny hangry humans.