The Importance of Experiencing Real Dashi in Childhood

Food memories from childhood stay with us even as adults.
Simply letting children experience the real aroma and flavor of ingredients from an early age will help them to appreciate the original flavor of food more strongly, so we recommend starting food education with dishes such as dashi, which are easy to come across as additive- free .

table of contents

• The importance of using additive-free dashi from an early age

• The benefits of eating additive-free foods during childhood

• Recommended baby food using easy-to-make additive-free dashi

• It's also important not to be too conscious of additives

The importance of using additive-free dashi from an early age

The bodies of babies and children are very delicate, so the most important thing is that the ingredients and seasonings they put in their mouths, including baby food, are safe and reliable.
Recently, there has been an increasing demand from health-conscious people who want to choose healthy ingredients and as natural foods as possible for the sake of their children, their families, and themselves, and the "additive-free" category is becoming increasingly popular.

Is it really okay to have no additives?

It is dangerous to choose a product based solely on the wording on the packaging without understanding what it means to be additive-free.
This is because many additive-free dashi stocks contain yeast extract, hydrolyzed protein, dextrin, etc. Even if they are additive-free, there are very few products that are truly additive-free and are made only from natural ingredients.

Even additive-free products have ingredient labels that you should be careful of

• Yeast extract
• Protein Hydrolysate
• Dextrin

Although these are not additives, they are artificially created to create a strong flavor that does not exist in nature. If you want to enjoy the deliciousness of natural ingredients, these are ingredients you want to avoid.
As a countermeasure, it is important not to choose a product just because it is labeled "additive-free," but to make your selection after fully understanding the product.

The benefits of eating additive-free foods during childhood

Chemical seasonings have a strong umami taste that erases the umami of ingredients. Preventing children from experiencing the taste of ingredients themselves during their early childhood, which is an important time for them to develop their sense of taste, is a cause for concern as it could have a negative impact on their later eating habits and health.

So, what are the benefits of introducing additive-free foods into childhood?

One of the benefits is that it makes it easier to change your diet.

As mentioned at the beginning, food memories from childhood will always remain with us even as adults.
For the sake of your health as an adult, it is important for you to experience the taste of real, additive-free food during your childhood.

It is said that once you reach your 30s, your basal metabolic rate starts to slow down, making it necessary to switch to a low-fat diet.
It is said that by helping children develop memories of mild flavors without relying on additives during childhood, it is easier for them to switch to lighter-flavored, low-fat foods after they reach their 30s, so it can be said that childhood diet contributes to future health.

Recommended baby food using easy-to-make additive-free dashi

Recommended recipe 1: Vegetable soup

I made a simple soup by boiling my favorite carrots🥕 , onions and potatoes🥔 in this consomme👩

Recipe for this product

Recommended recipe 2: Minced chicken and vegetable pilaf

This dish is made by mixing seasoned minced chicken and vegetables with rice. You can taste the gentle flavor of butter and consomme!

Here is the link to this recipe

Recommended recipe 3: Fluffy egg Chinese soup

A simple Chinese-style soup made with Chinese stock. The soup is slightly thickened with potato starch and then beaten eggs are poured into it.

Here is the link to this recipe

It's also important not to be too conscious of additives

For the sake of your baby's and children's daily health, we want to avoid foods and seasonings that contain additives as much as possible, but many of the products currently on the market contain additives.
Also, even if a product is labeled as "additive-free," in many cases it actually contains yeast extract, protein hydrolysates, dextrin, etc.

And choosing only those products that are free of additives from among them is an extremely difficult task; it not only takes time and effort, but can also be very stressful.
It is best to avoid additives if possible, but we don't recommend worrying too much about them. It is important to consume them in moderation so as not to accumulate stress for yourself.

In order to support all those who cook for such important people and the environment, the Maeda family has developed and sells soup stock made using a patented method that does not use any additives, salt, or seasonings, as well as yeast extract, protein hydrolysates, or dextrin.

Additive-free chicken consommé 100g

Additive-free Chinese soup stock 100g

Additive-free Ultimate Japanese Dashi 100g

Additive-free chicken soup 100g