The $10 Costco Find That Made Me a Better Mom — And a Better Cook

If you’re a parent, I don’t have to tell you that mealtime is a struggle. There’s a reason why kids’ menus usually feature grilled cheese and hot dogs. So, when faced with transitioning my child to solid foods, I swore up and down that I wouldn’t raise a picky eater.

Like many a modern mom, I embraced the idea of Baby Led Weaning. Coined by British PhD and former midwife Gill Rapley, the practice refers to the notion of mush-free mealtime. More importantly, it means letting your child feed themselves from the very start of weaning. No spoons, no airplane sounds, no pouches. The family eats together, baby included.

For a working parent, it sounds like a dream! No homemade baby food? No messy purées? Done. Until you realize that by feeding your child what you eat, you really need to take a look at what’s on your dinner plate.

One of the main tenets of BLW (as it’s called) is salt regulation. Suddenly my liberal sprinkles of salt needed to be behind me, and my taste for taco seasoning had to take a backseat.

Thankfully, I knew who could help me. When searching for a one-stop-seasoning, I looked no further than my culinary mentor, my Aunt Elaine. No sooner had the query left my lips before I was met with an enthusiastic “Costco!”

At $10, the Kirkland Signature Organic No-Salt Seasoning is the only resident your spice cabinet will ever need. And with a 14.5-ounce bottle, you won’t need anything else anytime soon anyway.

I’m not going to lie to you — I enjoy salt. A true Southerner, I salt my tortilla chips as soon as they hit the table. I sip my margaritas with a salty rim. I love a good salty European licorice. I worship at the altar of Lawry’s, god of seasoned salt. I was not ready to let go. But with this in my arsenal, I rarely reach for anything else.

Although my son is well past the one-year mark, and totally able to accept salt in moderation, we put this on everything. Roasted veggies? Done. Steaks? Sure! Chicken? Why certainly. It’s a dry rub, a replacement for regular ol’ salt, and a catch-all for adding a flourish of flavor to just about anything.

I still enjoy my salt when I can. However, I’m happy to have found a safer alternative to serve my family, even if it does go atop macaroni and cheese more often than not.