5 Ways to Go Greener With Your Baby

Regardless of your feelings for global warming or eco-friendly lifestyles, it’s obvious that green products are the best choices for your baby. Why wouldn’t you trade chemicals and plastics for natural, healthy options? Check out five of the best green products you can get for your baby.

• Organic foods

  Grabbing a jar of food of the shelf is certainly convenient, but is it the best thing for your baby? One of the greenest things you can do for your child is making organic baby food for them. When you make their food, you know exactly what goes into it and it’s a fresher option than a jar. For make-ahead meals, freeze baby food in ice cube trays and pop them out as needed. If you absolutely have to buy jars of baby food, go for the organic, all-natural kinds.

• Eco-friendly toys

  Green toys are good for your baby in more ways than one. Aside from the fact that they are environmentally friendly, green toys can help teach your child about sustainability and to love nature. Most babies put things in their mouths, so it’s important to make sure the toys you give them are a natural as possible. Search for old-fashioned wooden toys or items made from organic materials. As they get older, you might look for toys made out of recyclable materials.

• Cloth diapers

  While many may enjoy the modern convenience of disposable diapers, maybe they actually had it right back in the day. If you are truly looking for a way to go green, use cloth diapers. They are a much more eco-friendly option than disposable diapers, which can take anywhere from 200-500 years to decompose. And when you consider on average a baby will go through 6,000 diapers, you will find that cloth diapers are the greener choice. Fortunately, cloth diapers have been revamped from the olden days. Forget about diaper pins; most cloth diapers come fitted with snap closures or Velcro strips. You can also find many cloth diapers made from environmentally friendly fabrics, such as organic cotton or hemp. As an added bonus, cloth diapers are much cheaper than buying 6,000 disposables!

• Natural skin care

  When shopping for skin care products for your baby, you might be shocked at the sheer volume of products available. But the best products are the ones that are fragrance-free, organic and as natural as possible. A good rule of thumb is if you don’t know what everything on the label is, it probably isn’t green. If your baby has sensitive skin, or you want to use an all-natural product, try olive oil. It’s inexpensive, unscented and works just as well as any lotion.

• Green bedding

  While babies don’t always sleep regularly, they do sleep a lot. If you want your baby to enjoy the green life, go for organic bedding. Regular mattresses are often treated with chemical fire retardants that could seep into your baby’s body. To avoid putting your baby near chemicals that could harm him or her, go for a natural wool or organic cotton mattress. As far as bedding, look for bamboo or organic cotton blankets and sheets that are eco-friendly and won’t irritate sensitive skin.

You choose the best of the best for your baby, so why not do the same for yourself? If you live in an energy deregulated area, you have the power to choose your own retail energy supplier. Some of these suppliers even offer green energy options that allow you to offset 100 percent of your energy use. To see if you’re eligible to make the switch, visit: www.energyproviderstexas.com.