No more junk food for children with fast, healthful frozen meals

A few years ago, Newbury Park mom Kerry Williams was having a problem common to many mothers of infants: Her baby wouldn't eat.

"I was having a lot of difficulties with my 1-year-old at the time," Williams said. "She was very texture-sensitive and very picky, like a lot of kids are at that age."

Williams found help from a friend, Sherman Oaksbased Susan Stahly, who was making big batches of muffin-shaped foods for her picky kids, chock-full of natural and surprising ingredients like spinach and chicken.

"Susan offered to share some of the food, and it was a hit," said Williams, whose daughters are now 2 and 4. "It was so popular at our house. I became such a huge fan, I started telling her she should sell them."

With no experience in the food industry, the two friends dove into an adventure that is proving successful after only about a year in operation.

Pitter Patties—frozen, muffinshaped foods—come in four varieties, some with meatloaf-like consistency and others more the texture of quiche. Pitter Patties come in chicken, spinach, cheese and spaghetti varieties, which combine protein, vegetables and whole grains. They are made of all-natural ingredients and have no added sugar or salt.

Susan Stahly "When moms are looking for convenience foods for kids, it's all chicken nuggets or corn dogs," Williams said. "This is good food you can just grab from your freezer. We are really proud of our

F P 14 — ingredient labels. Every ingredient on the list is recognized. And they taste good."

Williams and Stahly have recently teamed up with a pediatric dietician to develop further varieties, perhaps focusing on children's allergies.

"Kids' allergies seem to be growing at a very fast rate," Williams said. "A lot of parents are looking for glutenfree alternatives. We already have two glutenfree varieties and two dairyfree."

The ladies call Pitter Patties "pickupable," which means they can be eaten without silverware if kids aren't "fork ready."

"They can pick it up and eat it themselves, which is good for me because I have the most independent children," Williams said. "I can really avoid trying to feed them with a spoon. It's one less problem."

United Natural Foods Inc. has picked up Pitter Patties and is distributing them throughout California.

"We've been working our tails off," Williams said. "Things have really taken off, and we are learning something new every single day."

Pitter Patties are available now in specialty stores in Santa Monica and Brentwood and will be coming to Whole Foods in Thousand Oaks later this month. Whole Foods is hosting a backtoschool fair Sept. 20, and Williams will be on hand to share her treats.

"We are beyond excited," Williams said. "It's all very scary— it's just the two of us, and it's all out of our pockets—but we think other parents are going to help make it very successful."

For more information, visit www.pitterpatties.com.