GIVEAWAY + Homemade Mother of the Week: Denise Henderson

This post is the fourth in the series “Homemade Mother of the Week.” If you know a woman who is thoughtfully sharing her passion for the planet,  families or the well-being of others, please nominate her for this special recognition.  Send an email with all the details to maureen@homemademothering.com

I’m always looking for healthy snacks to pack for the kids when we leave the house for the morning.  Now that its warming up, I’m especially fond of the little frozen organic fruit and vegetable purees from Square One Organics.  While they are designed for babies, my toddlers are quite fond of them.  When eaten right out of the freezer, they taste just like homemade sorbet.  When thawed a bit, they are easy and fun for the little ones to eat.  I’ve even tossed a frozen spinach disk into our morning blueberry smoothie!

When I found out that a fellow mom was behind Square One Organics, I was super excited.  I’m always so inspired by women who are taking big chances to make the world a better, healthier place.  Denise Henderson, founder and CEO of Square One Organics, definitely deserves the title of Homemade Mother of the Week!

Homemade Mothering: Hi Denise! Welcome to Homemade Mothering. Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Denise Henderson: I am married with twins, Jed and Grace. I am from Addison, Illinois – Go Blazers!! Prior to staying home with the twins, I was a broker on the trading floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. I worked inside the Euro-Dollar pit as an order filler. The pit was a great place to master multi-tasking and quick thinking. Exactly the skill set I needed to be a mom!

HM: Why did you decide to start an organic baby food company?

DH: As an infant, our son Jed was found to be allergic to dairy and soy. His doctor told us to keep him away from foods that he was allergic to and to keep him as healthy as possible while we were waiting for him to outgrow his allergies. I began making my own baby food to be sure the twins were eating clean, nutrient rich organic foods. I was committed to finding the most nutrient rich foods I could find. I was interested in foods that would make a positive impact on their growth and development. I immediately bumped into the word superfoods and decided I would stick with those. I created a tracking system (I love Excel) to make sure they were getting the vitamins and minerals they needed every day. Some of our neighbors say what I was doing and suggested it was a business. Square One Organics came to market in June 2008.

HM: I agree that homemade baby food is a great option.  What has been the biggest challenge about starting your business?

DH: I would say the biggest challenge is balance. I love what I do and have seen firsthand the roll nutrition can play in a child’s life. So, spending unlimited amounts of time on Square One Organics would and is very easy for me to do. But I am a mom. It is the most important job of my life and my absolute privilege.

HM: The biggest reward?

DH: The biggest reward is the gratitude I receive from the families that include Square One Organics in their routine, especially the families dealing with allergies. I have been there. I know that new mom drill. It is tough – you’re tired, you’re getting bombarded with information and really just want to do your best for your child. If by creating SQ1 I have helped that would be great.

HM: Why do you think organic is important for moms and babies?

DH: Babies are a tricky demographic. They are little growing machines that eat small portions yet need so much from their food. Organics are important because they are void of harmful chemicals, making them the obvious choice for families with growing babies. We just want those little bodies left alone to grow freely without having to process additives, preservatives or chemicals.

HM: My son loves your mango flavor – any new flavors/products on the horizon?

DH: Stay tuned!!!

Enter for a chance to win a Square One Organics Prize Pack including:

  • A 12 pack of Square One Organics Superfood Purees
  • A Two week supply of SQ1 Daily Journals
  • A Square One Organics Children’s CD featuring 2010 American Idol Winner Lee DeWyze
  • Shipping and Handling
To enter:
Comment on this post below
***Earn additional chances:
follow Square One Organic on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/SqOneOrganics
subscribe to the Square one E-Newsletter https://www.facebook.com/SquareOneOrganics#!/event.php?eid=178754002176137
“like” Square One Organic on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SquareOneOrganics
Contest ends on Saturday, June 25 at 11:59 pm.  Good luck!
Did you like this? Share it:

Written by

More posts by:

9 Comments for this entry

  1. Cate says:

    I love being able to feed my baby organic foods! I’ve dabbled in making applesauce, and can do simple things like mash up bananas, but with my schedule, I would probably need to buy certain flavors like MANGO. Yum – I want some mango!

  2. Amber says:

    What a neat idea! I love making homemade baby food and think it is important to support a fellow Mama!

  3. Deanna says:

    Go SquareOne and Go HM for recognizing them!!! Love feeding our LO organic veggies and fruits! We plan to try out SquareOne!

  4. Anne says:

    I would love to win this package from Square One Organics! The food looks yummy!

  5. Courtnay says:

    wow the whole spreadsheet idea is perfect (although i can’t figure out the whole spreadsheet thing so likely couldn’t make it happen!)

  6. Cami says:

    We try very hard to make sure our son gets the best organic foods- it can be challenging now that I had to go back to work. It’s great knowing moms are out there helping each other find the best ingredients!

  7. Adele says:

    I don’t know if this giveaway is still open but I’m just now catching up on reading my favorite blogs! I’ve never seen this brand but will start my search for it immediately!

  8. Mary says:

    This looks like a great product with flavors I haven’t been brave enough to try making on my own (quinoa, spinach…)

  9. Melinda says:

    Homemade organic baby food is the best! I love making sure my little man has the very best!

Leave a comment