Ancient Grain Cookies, a new NurturMe product, offers a treat for babies that is high in probiotics, said Caroline Freedman, one of the company’s founders.[/caption]

Austin-area entrepreneurs Caroline Freedman and Lauren de la Rosa said they have seen the popularity of NurturMe, their “tummy-friendly” baby and toddler food brand, grow tremendously since the company’s 2010 inception.

NurturMe is the only company creating baby foods that are free from gluten, soy, egg and dairy as well as promote digestive health, Freedman said.

Over the past four years, she said NurturMe’s sales have increased from 80 percent to nearly doubling year-over-year. A major catalyst for this increase was the introduction of quinoa—a protein-rich supergrain that is hypoallergenic, gluten-free and easily digestible—to its products in 2013, Freedman said. The quinoa-based products have been the top sellers in NurturMe’s food line, which includes more than 20 products divided into five categories: organic quinoa cereals, Power Blend Purees, Quinoa Squares, Ancient Grain Cookies, and organic fruit and vegetable bites, she said.

Freedman (left) and Lauren de la Rosa operate the business out of a Dripping Springs location.[/caption]

“We’ve removed all these allergens from our line, and that’s really become our new focus,” Freedman said. “We’re a free-from baby brand, and then we also incorporate probiotics into our line.”

Probiotics are bacteria that “help with digestibility, making a more comfortable tummy experience for babies,” she said. NurturMe recently launched Ancient Grain Cookies, of which one serving contains more probiotics than 10 cups of yogurt, she said.

“I would say what’s really setting us apart is the focus on digestive health and gut health for infants,” said de la Rosa, who, prior to co-founding NurturMe with Freedman, was the culinary arts teacher at Texas School for the Deaf.

Freedman said she got the idea for NurturMe when she was pregnant with her first child.

“Eight years ago, [baby food] was still pureed food in glass jars,” said Freedman, who now has three daughters. “It seemed very old-fashioned to me and very out of sync with a lot of food trends.”

De la Rosa, who has two young daughters, said bringing healthier, more creative products to the market is the part of the business she is most passionate about.

“I use our products on a daily basis with our 3-year-old and 1-year-old,” she said. “I’m shopping the market all of the time. It’s very easy to pick out what kids like and don’t like.”