Let Your Child Enjoy Snacks The Smart Way

Photo source: Gaetan Lee on Flickr

This is a guest post by TwinToddlersDad. At his blog LittleStomaks you can take a journey with a Dad of twin 2 year olds as he researches the science of nutrition and applies it to his young family.

Snacking is popular…

Adults and kids alike love snacks! They are usually within reach, require little or no effort and provide an instant feeling of satisfaction, even a quick boost of energy on demand. Not a surprise then that the snack industry is big, and poised for enormous growth. According to this report, the global snack food market is projected to be worth $300 billion by 2010! That means you are going to see even more new snack products on the grocery aisles inviting you to just Grab ‘n Go with their fancy packaging and reasonable price. And very likely, more of it will end up in your own kitchen cabinets and find its way into your child’s diet.

Snacking is not necessarily bad, if done right. It can be a great way to introduce small portions of new foods, including fruits, veggies and nuts to slowly build your child’s taste for healthy eating. A growing child needs energy, vitamins and minerals throughout the day, which can come from snacking in small portions at the right time between meals.

..But there is a problem

In reality, many parents struggle with their child’s snacking habits. Even if they try to offer healthy snacks, they find that their children have already developed an addiction for potato chips and crackers, sugary juices and soda, salty cheeses and candy bars. What is even more annoying is that they munch on them whole day - relishing their taste and quick energy - so much that they are not hungry at regular meal time. Soon it becomes a vicious cycle leading to picky eating habits, poor nutrition and many health problems such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes over the long term.

Snacks rich in sugar and simple carbohydrates and low in fat, fiber and protein are quickly digested, which causes the blood glucose levels to rise rapidly, forcing the body to release a burst of insulin. These foods are classified as having a high glycemic index(GI). Glucose, by definition, has a GI of 100. Foods with low GI are less than 55, medium GI are 56 – 69, and high GI are 70 – 100. Uneven production of insulin over time can lead to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. It has been shown that following a low GI diet over a long period of time can result in reducing the risk of developing Type2 diabetes and heart disease.

Another important factor besides the GI is the total amount of carbohydrates in a single serving. The combination of these two is called Glycemic load (GL). Obviously, foods high in both GI and GL are less healthy compared to foods with even high GI but low GL.

Physical health problems aside, there is also a good chance that poor snacking habits can result in behavioral problems such as hyperactivity, moodiness and impulsiveness. Many people believe that foods rich in sugar, artificial sweeteners or color additives can cause hyperactivity, but this has not been conclusively proven by scientific experiments. The link between sugar and hyperactivity is controversial, although many experts do acknowledge a connection with poor nutrition and food allergies.

So what can you do?

Based on a lot of research and some personal experience, I would like to suggest the following 5 tips for healthy snacking.

1. Manage the amount and timing

Snacking should be a bridge between proper meals and not a substitute. I am a big fan of Dr Spock, who advises parents to use “common sense” when feeding between meals. Each child is different, so there is no common formula except that you should try to give small portions of different types of snacks around half way between meals, no closer than an hour or half before the next meal.

2. Set an example

Believe it or not, you are a role model for your child. Children eat whatever their parents eat. In 6 easy steps for helping your child choose healthy foods, I wrote about how even at a very young age, children’s food preferences are shaped by their parents. Children watch what you do, not what you say. So, if you want them to develop healthy snacking habits, it has to start with you.

3. Check the label – go for low sugar, complex carbs and fiber

When selecting snacks, pay attention to the label and the list of ingredients. Select snacks that are low in sugar (anything over 10g per serving is a red flag in my opinion) and carbohydrates should be preferred. Look for dietary fiber under the carbohydrate category. Some fat is good, but try not to go for saturated or trans fats. It doesn’t hurt, of course, if it is fortified with minerals and vitamins, particularly B and C vitamins and iron, calcium and zinc. I have written a few reviews of some of our favorite snacks from Earth’s Best if you are looking for some ideas.

4. Try fruits, veggies and nuts

Snack time could be a great opportunity to introduce a variety of fruits, vegetables and nuts. Not only are they low in glycemic index, they also pack a lot of useful vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. You could also try fruit bars and vegetable juice. Fruit juice, unless prepared fresh at home, should be offered only as a treat. Here are a few ideas for encouraging more fruits and veggies in your child’s diet.

5. PBJ is good but skip the white bread

Peanut butter is an excellent idea as a snack, however go slow on the jelly and, if you can, substitute a whole grain or wheat bread instead of white bread. White bread has both a high glycemic index and glycemic load, which should be avoided as much as possible. Foods containing whole grains slow down the digestion which helps to keep the blood glucose levels under control even when the glycemic load of other foods eaten at the same time might be high.

What is your experience? Do you have other tips for healthy snacking? Share what has or has not worked for you.

Guest Posts Coming Up

Dear readers, I'll be taking a break from posting for a few days while I spend time with family during the funeral for my grandpa. It's been a long week for me being distracted with family crisis; I'm relieved it's finally time to go see family and say goodbye to Gramp.

In case you're a Wizard of Oz fan, you might like to know that there is now one less surviving munchkin. Check out this article about my Gramp, Clarence Swensen. He had a brief life of acting in his youth!

I've lined up some great guest posts about Healthy Snacking, High Fructose Corn Syrup and Pressure Cooking in the next few days. Hope you enjoy these articles and you take some time to visit the blogs of the authors. Each of these bloggers are some of the few I follow on a regular basis for recipe inspiration and like-minded family feeding practices.

Frugal French Toast-Whole Grain

LifeAsMom's recipe swap this week is breakfast. Check this post for other breakfast ideas. Breakfast is a great time to invite your kids to help you cook. For more ideas on how to include kids in the kitchen check out LifeAsMom’s ebook FishMama’s Guide to Cooking with Children. She’s having a sale where you can get this and her Pretty. Cool. Cakes. Book for $2 total! Sale is for two days only, Thursday February 26 and Friday February 27.

Did you know that February is national hot breakfast month? First I’ve ever heard of it, but I like this idea. Our family is such a big hot breakfast fan. My passion for it started in childhood when my mom would get the waffle iron out after church on Sundays and make our big breakfast for lunch. My guess is we didn’t have time for a big hot meal before church and rather than give up the tradition, we rearranged our meals to include it mid-day.

I find it uncanny that as parents we often do and say things with out a single ounce of deliberation. Words we’ve never before uttered and traditions we’ve never celebrated until one day the words come out, “hey pumpkin, what’s wrong,” I’ll say. “Pumpkin?!?” I think. I’ve never uttered that pet name before to anyone, and yet it rolls off my tongue when addressing my boys because I heard it so often as a child when my parents talking to me. All the sudden you find yourself rigidly attached to the idea of a hot griddle breakfast being a part of your Sunday routine because that’s just food-a-family-eats on Sunday.

Frugal French Toast
This griddle recipe is frugal because it’s one of the ways I use up whole-grain bread heels. I collect them in a bread bag in my freezer until I have a good sized stash, then I know it’s time for a batch of French toast or home-made bread crumbs (for breading chicken nuggets or parmesan chicken) or cubes (for stuffing). For French toast I get my bread knife out and slice a very small bit of the heel off, exposing a little more of the soft interior to soak up the egg mixture. If you’re feeling really frugal you can save these thin trimmings for bread crumbs or as the binder for meatloaf, meat balls etc.

Cinnamon-a health promoting spice
Cinnamon has substances that work as antioxidants in the body. It's also been shown to reduce blood sugar levels, promote heart health and reduce blood pressure. To increase antioxidant properties replace ground cinnamon every six months, or buy in stick/chip form and grind in a spice/coffee mill before use.

Kid Appeal Tip If your family hasn’t yet made the transition to whole grain bread; this is one way to get a couple slices in. They may not notice the texture difference with the extra spice flavor in the egg-mixture and what-ever sweet syrup/sauce topping you use.

Time Saver Tip Make a large batch and freeze left-overs in a zip lock bag. Take these out and reheat during the week. You don’t want to put these in your toaster, although the reheat well in a toaster oven or microwave for a quick “hot” meal on a school morning. This fast French toast breakfast will be far more nutritious, and more affordable than pre-packaged French toast sticks you can find in the freezer isle.

French Toast Recipe
5 eggs
½ cup of milk
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp of cinnamon (times 2)
¼ tsp of ground or grated whole nutmeg

Mix the ingredients until eggs are lightly beaten and spices are incorporated in a shallow dish (I use a glass pie dish), and pre-heat griddle or skillet on medium. Soak both sides of the trimmed bread heels in egg mixture (soak longer than you would white bread). Add soaked bread slices to a lightly greased (I either use canola spray or a little melted butter) skillet/griddle. Cook 1-2 minutes per side until egg mixture is set and golden brown. After you've used up half the egg mixture sprinkle another 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and mix.

Maple syrup is a better choice than the “log cabin” variety syrups which are all corn (or high fructose) syrup based. I prefer mine with butter and a sprinkle of powdered sugar (no syrup).

Or serve with sieve-licking blueberry sauce, which is my new favorite way to eat French toast. It’s got plenty of super-food blueberries, lemon juice and far less sugar than syrup.

Ready to start your own hot big breakfast weekend tradition? Here’s a roundup of other wholesome hot breakfast’s you can share with your family.

Oatmeal Waffles
Egg Toast
Apples and Oatmeal (this works with pears too)
Steel cut oatmeal with raisins (sugar free)

What’s your family’s favorite hot breakfast?

Giveaway Extended-101 Foods That Could Save Your Life Book

The giveaway for Dave Grotto's book 101 Foods That Could Save your life, has been extended until March 4th at Midnight CST. You now have one more week to enter and win!!

Step One: Go to the review for 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life. Read it and comment on the post.

Step Two: Then go to Freebies4Mom's link and enter the contest.

Step Three: Come back to Freebies4Mom or Food With Kid Appeal on March 5th to see if you are the winner. The winner will be contacted via email.

Good Luck!

Healthy Chili For a Crowd and Swiss Chard

My healthy chili recipe calls for celery (and lots of beans). I didn't have any, but I had the uncooked tough stems of rainbow swiss chard left over from chard and chicken quesadillas the other night, so they ended up in my batch of chili this week.

If you're not familiar with swiss chard, you should try it, especially if you like spinach. It has a similar texture when wilted or sauteed. Chard it looks more appealing; with bright green leaves and magenta stems and veins running through the leaves. For the past two weeks we've been fortunate enough to get rainbow swiss chard in our Central City Co-Op veggie share. Rainbow swiss chard is way cool in my book. I love all the colors, so do the kids.

Little boo ate the chard and chicken quesadillas right up. Big boo protested at the greens hanging out, and removed them prior to eating. He preferred his chard plain and separate from the quesadilla. To each his own. I asked him to eat the chard he picked out of each triangle before he took his next slice of mexican pizza. He was very agreeable. Problem solved, both parties happy. He didn't want the greens mixed with quesadilla, I wanted him to eat his greens.

Click the word "recipe" for my healthy bean chili recipe (this week's post for Happy to Be at Home). This dish omes in handy when you want to cook for a crowd, take a dish to a new mom, sick relative or just have a half recipe to freeze for next week.

What is your kidlet's favorite colorful healthy food?

Dinner Meal Planning with Co-op Vegetables

Dear reader, I'm sorry. I noticed I don’t have many posts about dinner. I’ll tell you why. It’s not because I don’t cook dinner often; I cook at least six nights a week! It’s because I rarely use recipes unless I’m baking. My dinners end up being me looking in the pantry, fridge and freezer and assembling the items together that I have. Many times I create something I've never made before. Other times I add something I need to use up to a family favorite. This style of cooking is not very conducive to sharing a dinner recipe.

I thought I’d list the last week of dinners I’ve done so you can get an idea of what I cook for dinner. I can’t really write recipes for many of them, but I’ll provide a short description of how I prepared things and what side items I made.

I’ve made a mental note that I need to get more of my dinners on the blog, so I’ll be working hard to write down “recipes” I wing in the kitchen.

Eggplant Parmesan and green salad

This was a new one for me. We got a huge eggplant in the share last week and I thought about roasting it and making eggplant hummus, but I had an adult kitchen helper so I decided to bread and fry thick slices of the eggplant. I salted the thick slices, then “battered” them in a combination of home-made bread crumbs mixed with milled whole wheat berries and milk. It wasn’t pretty. They tasted fine, but the “batter” was hard to work with. I mentioned the eggplant was huge right? I had a lot left so I made eggplant parmesan for it the next night. To one diced and sweated onion, I added a can of tomato sauce I added and a shredded raw zucchini (also in the share). I layered sauce, eggplant, mozzarella cheese, sauce, cheese in two baking dishes and served over whole grain angel hair pasta. I baked this in two dishes and one went in the freezer for next. It was very tasty.

Oven Baked Chicken legs, Oven Fries and Baked Acorn Squash

Here is a link for oven-baked chicken and oven fries. Baked squash (also in the share) is a regular on our table in the winter when it’s in season. Winter squash is a nutrient dense, affordable vegetable. My preparation isn’t the simplest but it’s the way I love it, so I keep doing it this way. I peel and cube (butternut) or thinly slice (acorn) squash and add in a few tablespoons of butter, 2 soup spoons of organic sugar, and generous sprinkles of ground ginger and cinnamon (1 tsp each if I had to guess amounts…). This goes into a covered casserole dish and bakes for an hour at 350 or roasts for 30-40 minutes at 410. This meal is a bit redundant on starchy veggies, but I try to use the oven heat when I have it on, so it seamed right to toss the squash in while the meat and fries were roasting. The picture is butternut squash. Acorn is less orange, more yellow.

Swiss Chard/Chicken/Cheese Quesadillas.

With the left over de-boned and chopped meat from chicken legs I assembled quesadillas from wilted rainbow Swiss chard, cheddar/mozz shredded cheese mix on whole grain tortillas.

Chili with Cornbread

Recipe for this one coming later this week from my post on Happy to Be at Home. My chili recipe is beanie, and feeds a crowd, or half goes in the freezer for an easy meal the next week.

Oatmeal with Apples

What can I say. The boys and I were out running errands and got home late. We had tons of apples and hadn’t eaten oatmeal in a while. Sounded like a great quick supper to me. Boys loved it too. Here is the recipe for Oatmeal with Apples. I use steel cut oats (preparation method here), and put the brown sugar in while cooking so it makes a syrup. Cinnamon also goes into the apples.

Pot Roast with New Potatoes and Sautéed Green Beans

This was hubby’s concoction. His favorite dinner meal is pot roast. We rubbed the meat down with 1 TBS ground coriander, 1 TBS ground sumac, 1 TBS salt and ½ tsp fresh ground pepper. In the bottom of the crock pot I put in one diced onion and 2 TBS flour and covered that with 1.5 cups of water. In went the roast and I cooked it on high for 3 hours. Then I put 5 red new potatoes (also in the share) on the top of the roast and turned heat down to low for 2 more hours. Before serving, I took out the meat juice and whisked it with a little flour to make gravy. A bag of frozen french (that’s fancy for whole with curly tails on) green beans joined ½ a diced, sweated red onion into a large sauté pan which I covered with a lid. They steamed up, and then I salted and served.

Pot Roast and Gravy over Pasta with Sautéed Kale

I reheated the left over gravy with the shredded pot roast and served it over half a box of spiral whole grain pasta. I rinsed, chopped and boiled the kale (in the veggie share) for 8 minutes, then drained (reserved cooking liquid for future soup). I sweated the other half of the red onion and added the drained kale. Salt before serving. Both the Kale and Green Beans look-and taste-amazing with the purple onions. I love green and purple together in a meal.

Do you plan your meals out a week in advance? I don't. I might have an idea of what 1-2 main dishes or sides are going to be, but usually the rest comes together with what I have on hand.

Whole Grain Banana Bread

I’m in baking mode around here. I seem to do that when I’m thinking of my family and I can’t be with them. My Gramp’s life is winding down, and the family is gathering to say their farewells. I know there will be a crowd of relatives in the days before and after Gramp’s funeral. There are times in life where healthy eating is inconvenient, and nutrition isn’t exactly a priority. I know his care-takers have probably been too distracted to eat, much less eat something their body needs for stamina in a time of loss.

I’m whipping up a batch of wholesome banana bread, full of whole grain (fiber and protein), flax seed (omega-3), bananas (vitamin, fiber and potassium) and pecans (protein, heart healthy oil, and buckets of antioxidants). The natural sweetness of the bananas means there is only ½ cup of honey to sweeten the whole loaf!

This is a frugal way to use up ripe bananas. We use a lot of bananas to slice in cold cereal and sweeten oatmeal and yogurt smoothies instead of using sugar, and that means I end up with a few random too-ripe bananas. I toss mine in the freezer with skins on and collect them until I have enough for a baked banana treat. I let them defrost on the counter before mashing. While you have all the ingredients out and mixer out, make a double batch and freeze one for later.

If you want a little Wizard of Oz munchkin trivia, check out my Gramp’s story in this article.

How do I serve Whole Grain Banana Bread?

When using whole grains and including nuts and flaxseed a slice of banana bread is

• A nutrient packed addition to a lunch box
  


• Makes a healthy snack
  


• Serve it with a glass of milk for a wholesome sweet breakfast
  


• Bring this bread to sick relatives or new moms nurturing newborns

Whole Grain Banana Bread Recipe (click for link) from allrecipes.com
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (reduced to compensate for flax meal)
¼ cups flax seed meal (my addition)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I subbed pecans)

See recipe at allrecipes.com for tips on how to reduce fat by replacing with applesauce, or time adjustment for baking muffins.

Directions Preheat oven to 325˚ and grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Combine oil and honey, then add eggs and mix well. Stir in mashed bananas and vanilla; then stir in salt and flour. Mix soda with water; then stir into banana mixture. Fold in chopped nuts. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

Kid Appeal Tip Don’t leave nuts out for kids! Even toddlers can eat nuts when they are chopped very small in a baked item. You can also grind them in a food processor-don’t blend too long and make nut-butter! Nuts are a great source of healthy fat, protein and antioxidants. Healthy fat and protein are important for developing brains, and many young kids are not yet tolerating meat (hard to chew with only a few teeth). Nuts are a great vehicle to get healthy fat and protein in your youngest eaters to grow big brains! Pecans and walnuts are both great nutrient packed nuts that hold up well in baking.

Did you enter to win a copy of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life? You have until Wed. 2/25 at midnight CST. Click link above to enter.

What do you do with your extra ripe bananas?

Healthy Food is not a Priority for all Parents

I'm am often perplexed when parents throw their arms up in the air about kids who don't eat much healthy food. Healthy food is not a choice. It's a necessity for kids, just like brushing teeth. I don't know about you, but my boys are not always enthusaistic about brushing their teeth. But it takes a special occasion like a major holiday or illness for me to let teeth brushing slide.

And it's not just about weight. Even kids who are right-sized but have little or no healthy food in their diet need healthy food. Healthy food promotes optimal organ function which will prevent disease in later years. Healthy food is necessary for growth and development not only of the body but also the brain. Why wouldn't parents want superior nutrition to create a brain for their kids that is capable of solving whatever tricky problem a kid is interested in?

Read more of me on my soap box in my article this week at Happy to Be At Home.

I know that socioeconomic issues play a part for some families, as healthy, plant-based, minimally processed food is significantly more expensive than processed non-perishable food. But I know plenty of families where socioeconomics is not an issue who have simply stopped trying to get their kids to make healthy food choices.

After reading the nearly 200 comments from readers about why they want to learn more about food that can save their life, I have to think people have a "why" for eating well. But many people give up on the cause even when they have a motivation. (If you haven't entered to win a copy of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life, you still have time, click here.)

What do you think? Why do parents give up when it comes to helping kids make healthy food choices? How can those obstacles be overcome?

3 Green Peppers I Really Don't Want to Eat

Photo by Toplokkk

I just finished writing a guest post for MomItFoward on learning how to eat foods you thought you hated, so it is somewhat troubling that I'm disappointed I got three green peppers in the fruit and veggie co-op share today. (Not sure when that post will be published but I'll share with you once it's up...)

I've made good strides on red, orange and yellow peppers. I like them roasted and pureed in enchilada sauce. I like them in roasted red pepper soup. I like them raw in salads and raw on veggie trays. I especially like to eat red ones raw with little boo, who is a huge raw red pepper fan.

I've put green peppers in soup and chosen not to eat the soup because the broth got all peppery, ick. I've eaten green peppers raw in salad and not enjoyed them at all. I've roasted them and tried them plain, nope.

There are three of them, and I really have no enthusaism for getting them on the table this week. And I'm not the only one in the family who doesn't eat them. Little boo is a fan of red peppers, but I know if I whip out a healthy version of a stuffed pepper for dinner one night, I'm not sure I could muster the enthusiasm to get everyone to dig in.

I've come to terms with my pepper eating status. I eat three out of the four kinds of peppers, I'm really not going to get hung up about green ones. But eating for sustenance is something I teach my kids. As in, you are hungry, it's meal time, and this is what there is to eat, so eat a little even if it's not your favorite. I know I need to follow suit, and eat these three green peppers.

If I had a dozen tomatoes I'd just make fresh salsa for big boo and hubby. Maybe I'll go buy some tomatoes and solve my pepper problem. Even I like fresh salsa (can't stand the jarred stuff), and this way I use up the peppers and give the family preservative free salsa for taco night (click here for my taco recipe).

Did you enter to win the book 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life yet? See here for details in case you missed it.

Maybe inspiration is just around the corner. Anyone have a salsa recipe to share? One I can freeze would be best.

Suck a Mango Seed & Life Saving Fun Food Facts

I wasn’t able to mention everything I wanted to in the review of Dave Grotto’s book 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life. Here is the review if you missed it, including details on how to win a free copy!

First I have a little mango story for you. It’s not something we eat fresh year round, but when it’s in season and on sale I buy them. Hubby loves to eat mango chunks with mint leaves (both on Dave's list). Before the boys were born we took turns sucking the mango seed and scraping off all the juicy fruit with our teeth. When you get a good one, you don’t want to waste any of the fruit! The seeds are such a peculiar shape; they make it hard to effectively harvest the fruit. Naturally we wanted to share the delights of mango seeds gnawing with our kids, but Little boo hasn’t ever been a big fan of mango.

One morning during breakfast preparations, hubby went to find little boo and whispered in his ear that he was needed in the kitchen for a special surprise. He ran in, and happily accepted the flesh covered seed. Hubby had him climb up on the stool over the sink and he showed him how to scrape off the bits of fruit stuck to the seed. Little boo worked on the seed for a good while, and ever since he’s been happy to serve himself and eat up fresh mango chunks whenever they on the table. Both the boys have tried it with mint leaves too.

Kid Appeal Tip. Sometimes “the sell” is a good way to get a kid interested in a new food. Hubby gave the mango seed status when he singled little boo out, told him he was going to get a special treat, and taught him how to dig his face into ripe juicy sweet fruit. The experience of bonding with Dad may have been enough for him to put aside his aversion to mango long enough to try it. "The sell" is not a practical food introduction technique for daily use. Try it out weekly or monthly and over time, you'll slowly start adding some new foods to your child's diet.

Life Saving Fun Food Facts
Regular readers know I’m a food enthusiast (a.k.a food nerd,) so I’m always intrigued when I learn something new about food. Part of the appeal of Dave’s book for me was how much food trivia was peppered in his book. Here’s a list of some things that caught my attention in the book. My list is actually 4 pages long (certified food nerd here), and I’m not going to share my whole list with you, then you wouldn’t have any reason to buy his book, which I really want you to have.

Many readers that commented in the book giveaway were new parents wanting to create better eating habits for their kids. This is a great resource to keep near the kitchen table (that’s were my ratty, marinara sauce stained copy resides) so that when kids-or husbands-grumble about new vegetable, grain or legume you’ve served up you can redirect the conversation to fun food facts about that ingredient, what the nutrients in that food do to support health. Having something to say to the question “Why should I eat that” other than “because it’s good for you,” goes a long way to making nutritious food relevant for your family.

• Artichokes were ranked 7th out of 100 highest antioxidant containing foods according to a 2004 diet.
• 4 out of the top 20 antioxidant containing foods are beans.
• Celery is antibacterial; it contains polyacetylenes, a substance that is toxic against fungi and bacteria.
• Swiss chard contains zeaxanthin and luetin which both benefit vision. (super hero veggie)
• Cherries contain plant pigments that block an enzyme believed to cause pain, which may help with reduction of headaches.
• Cherries have a laxative effect.
• Coffee-when consumed moderately-(no more than 18 oz a day) is a great antioxidant containing beverage.
• Figs are higher in fiber than any other fresh or dried fruit per serving, and they contain digestive enzymes that promote regularity and aid in digestion.
• Flax meal can be substituted for margarine, butter or other fat in baking.
• Grapefruit has 150 phytonutrients
• The state of IL grows 60% of the world’s supply of horseradish, which is rich in gulcosinolates, cancer and bacteria fighters.
• Make a healthy lollipop as they do in Mexico, pierce a peeled mango’s seed with a fork and start gnawing!
• Roasting peanuts increases level of polyphenols by 22%.
• Pecans ranked in the top 15 on two different studies comparing antioxidant containing foods.
• Red and green peppers are the same; the red ones are the ripe versions of the green ones!
• Pomegranates are suggested to have precisely 613 seeds. I find this unlikely (nature is awesome and all, but precision to 613, come on….) and wanted to test the theory. Decided against it. I know there is a zero percent chance we could count up over 600 arils without sampling some of our test subject….I digress.
  
  
• Lettuce is the second most popular consumed veggie in the US after potato.
• Fiber from rye appears to be more effective on maintaining bowel health than wheat.
• Walnuts contain melatonin a hormone that aids in normal sleep patterns.
• One cup of watermelon has the same lycopene content in two medium tomatoes.

POM Wonderful Juice Giveaway

Cathy at A life less sweet is having a giveaway for a coupon for free POM Wonderful Juice. Click here to enter the give away, and read her two cents on another healthy food book, Food Matters.

What food item have you turned a kid on to using "the sell" technique?

Life Saving Food Recipe Round-up

Yesterday I posted a review of Dave Grotto’s Book 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life. In case you missed it, and details on how to win a free copy, click here.

In an effort to get more people, kids included, eating life saving foods, here’s a round-up of some of the recipes I’ve posted about on Food with Kid Appeal that include one or more of the 101 Foods Dave talks about in his book.

Almonds (milkshake), almonds 2 (snack)
Apples (oatmeal), apples 2 (applesauce)
Avocado
Bananas
Basil
Beans, beans 2 (pasta salad)
Blueberries (yogurt), blueberries 2 (milkshake), blueberries 3 (sauce)
Broccoli
Cabbage (salad), cabbage 2 (veggie tray)
Carrots (crock-pot) carrots 2 (salad), carrots 3 (veggie sauté), carrots 4 (veggie tray)
Cauliflower
Celery, celery 2 (veggie tray)
Chocolate, chocolate 2 (cookies)
Cinnamon (waffles), cinnamon 2 (cookies), cinnamon 3 (spiced seeds)
Cloves
Corn
Cranberry
Cumin
Eggs, Eggs 2 (egg toast)
Flax (waffles), Flax 2 (cookies), flax 3 (cornbread), flax 4 (oatmeal)
Garlic (ranch dip), Garlic 2 (pesto)
Ginger
Grapes
Honey (yogurt), Honey2 (milkshake)
Kale
Lettuce
Millet
Oats (oatmeal), oats 2 (waffles), oats 3 (breading), oats 4 (oatmeal)
Olives (pesto) , olives 2 (slaw dressing)
Onions (taco), onions 2 (crock-pot), onions 3 (stir-fry), onions 4 (stuffing)
Oranges (popsicle), oranges 2 (sauce)
Oregano
Parsley, parsley 2 (ranch dip)
Pears
Pecans
Pineapple
Plums
Pomegranate (pork chops), Pomegranate 2 (pasta salad), pomegranate 3 (snack)
Potatoes
Pumpkin (seeds), pumpkin 2 (cookies)
Quinoa (crock-pot), quinoa 2 (stir fry)
Raspberries
Salmon
Soy beans
Spinach (milkshake), spinach 2 (crostini) spinach 3 (pesto)
Strawberries (treat), strawberries 2 (milkshake)
Tomato Tomato 2 (veggie tray)
Walnuts, Walnuts 2 (snack)
Wheat (yougurt), Wheat 2 (tortilla), Wheat 3 (toast), wheat 4 (chicken), wheat 5 (waffles), wheat 6 (cookies), wheat 7 (stuffing), wheat 8 (pasta salad) wheat 9 (cookies), wheat 10 (breading)
Yogurt

This isn’t even half of the items Dave lists in his book! Curious what I'm going to make a point of getting in our diet? Aramanth, spelt, rye and teff are some grains I’d like to try to cook with. Cardamom, cloves, coriander and turmeric are spices I’d like to integrate into more meals. Currants, guava, papaya, passion fruit and figs are some fruits I’d like to start eating. Artichoke is a vegetables I’d like to expose the boys to. Chocolate is something I’d like to include more often as a special drink or in desserts. And while we went through a tea phase when little boo was one, I don't make it often for the boys-even though I love drinking tea. I'd like to get in the habit of having tea (red tea is high in antioxidants and caffeine free) available for them to drink as an alternative to 1% milk and 100% fruit juice.

To stay on top of more kid friendly tips and recipes that include life saving food ingredients, subscribe to Food with Kid Appeal via RSS feed or for article updates via email (see the side bar to the right to do either).

Oh yeah, another general house-keeping note, if you're a regular reader, check out my new about me page. I hated the old version and drafted rewrites a dozen times in the past few months and was uninspired by all of them. Finally have one I don't hate. Whaddya think? Read here.

Have a recipe for me to try? Link to it in the comments, or on the forum in this thread.

101 Foods That Could Save Your Life Review and Giveaway

At last! I have finished Dave Grotto’s book, 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life. I read his book cover to cover; every health benefit, every recipe, every detail of food history. And now that my works is done, ONE Food with Kid Appeal reader will get a chance to win a free copy!!Read the review first, and then find out how you can win.

In his introduction Dave talks about eating optimally. Optimal eating can be defined as including health supporting foods in your diet as often as possible. His prescription for a healthy diet, is a list of foods you can eat. He does not talk about what not to eat in this book. Simply put, Dave’s book is a long list of things you should eat (doability) plus chef inspired recipes (taste) which equals a diet that is sustainable.

His eating philosophy mirrors mine. Before I was feeding my family, I relied on restaurant meals and convenience foods to supplement what few meals I made at home. Kids often induce change in a parent’s life, and for me that meant cooking at home more often, eating less restaurant meals, and using less convenience foods for daily sustenance. I’m actually quite surprised that I’m leaner and have more energy compared my previous decade. I’m a terrible dieter, usually falling off the wagon after a few days of a new regimen. To be honest with kids, a love of cooking, a business and a hobby that includes a heft of writing and research; lengthy and rigorous exercise is not a part of my life. I know for a fact that the reason I have crazy amounts of energy for all my pursuits and I’m as lean as I was as a teenager is because my “feeding the family” prescription includes mostly health promoting whole foods. By the time I’ve prepared, eaten and fed my family wholesome food, we’re satiated and there’s little need for refined, processed, convenience foods.

In order to eat optimally, we need know what foods support our body’s systems and organ function. That’s where Dave’s book is super handy. The book is organized alphabetically for easy reference. The 101 "foods" contain fruits, vegetables, grains, herbs, spices, beverages (hot chocolate or coffee anyone??), legumes and dairy items. The book also has an appendix for sample meal plans and a phytochemical and nutrients appendix. The second appendix is my favorite (admittedly, I'm a food dork). This is a handy reference if you want to determine which foods increase bone density, improve heart function/prevent coronary heart disease, or maintain a healthy digestive tract. If you or a loved one has a health need you can focus first on incorporating foods that could help relieve constipation or prevent a heart-attack.
Once you know what foods are great for your body and will promote the energy you need to fulfill parenting, professional and personal goals, you need to know how to make those foods tasty. Dave includes a recipe for each of the 101 foods. Many more recipes can be found online by doing a key-word search in a search engine. What’s more, is that many of the foods in his book are great eaten in their raw form, which means you don’t need to be a cook to get these foods into your family’s diet. When optimal eating becomes a way of life for you, you may even become inspired to learn preparation techniques for some of the foods that require cooking!

Dave’s book is a great resource for

• a home cook to know which foods should be a part of optimal eating.



• anyone wanting to slow down the effects of aging such as macular degeneration, bone density loss and memory loss.



• anyone who hates dieting that wants to lose or maintain weight; busy yourself with eating as many foods-that-could-save-your-life as you can and forget about what you can’t eat.



• anyone who wants to prevent heart disease, cancer, digestive problems, diabetes than have to treat it.



• anyone suffering from illness or disease that wants to add dietary solutions to other medical treatments.



• foodies obsessed with know why whole grains, eggs or blueberries are so good for us.

If you aren't the winner you can buy a copy from Amazon, here. My copy resides by the kitchen table. Whenever I make a new vegetable the boys have never seen before, something they haven’t learned to appreciate, or even an old favorite I pull Dave’s book out. Little boo often asks, “what does oatmeal do for your body? or “ what does avocado do for your body?” Even at 2, he understands that what he puts in his mouth supports his body. The boys are especially attracted to food that helps with eyesight, grows big muscles, gives them energy to ride bikes or run around the playground, attack sick germs, and grows big brains that help solve tricky puzzles.

I partnered with Heather at Freebies4Mom to do this giveaway. To qualify to win, enter a comment on this review post on Kid Appeal telling me why you want to know more about food that can save your life. Include your name and the portion of your email address before the @ symbol. Do not leave your full email address in the comments section here. Then go to Freebies4Mom (click here) and enter to win the book. While you’re there check out some of her other great freebies for mom! The contest closes Wednesday Feb. 25th at midnight CST. You must enter a comment here on Kid Appeal AND register to win on Freebies4Mom for a chance to win.

Here is a round up of recipes I’ve posted about here that contain the 101 Foods. Stay tuned later this week for a post about body benefits your kids can get from the 101 Foods.

Sweetheart Treats Recipe Swap-Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Image from hotchocolate.net

This is for LifeAsMom’s Sweetheart Treats Recipe Swap. Take a look at this link and see what sweet treats her readers are swapping this Valentine's day.

My mother-in-law’s birthday is Valentine’s Day. I like to make cakes for loved ones on birthdays. MIL isn’t the biggest sweets eater in the world, but she does love a good chocolate dipped strawberry, so that’s always been her birthday cake from me. Now the boos are here, this tradition is extra fun and delicious.

The great things about chocolate dipped strawberries according to this health conscious foodie mama who likes to share the kitchen with the kids are:

• Chocolate dipped fruit has two ingredients, and doesn’t require precise measuring. Chocolate and clean, dry fruit. That means even toddlers can help.


• All the ingredients are healthy. You heard me right. Chocolate too! The darker it is the more antioxidants it has. Cocoa has more phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity than any other food including tea, wine and blueberries! Eight strawberries have more vitamin C than an orange and are high in fiber. Strawberries are second only to plums in cancer and heart disease fighting flavonoids.


• There is absolutely no reason to buy fruit already dipped. They are easy to make, and pre-dipped fruit is quite pricey. Strawberries are often on special around Valentine’s Day. Buy a pint of the largest strawberries you can find (they don’t have to be the pricey clamshells), and a package of quality chocolate chips. If budget allows you can buy fancy bars, but a name brand bag of semi-sweet chips will do the trick.


• most kids go for chocolate so you shouldn’t have much problem winning kids over on a sweet treat they helped make that’s good for them to boot!

Quality of chocolate matters- According to Dave Grotto in 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life, the more processed the chocolate is the less flavonols it will have. Look for chocolate labels that boast its nutrient content. Stay tuned, I’m almost done reading the book, the giveaway will be happening soon. Also, darker chocolate has less sugar than milk chocolate. White chocolate contains none of the health benefits of "brown" chocolates containing cocoa.

Kid Appeal Tip Chocolate has caffeine in it. An eight ounce serving of cocoa has no more than 10mg of caffeine (coffee, tea and cola have 20-120mg). So while you don’t want tots to gorge on chocolate close to nap or bed time, a reasonable amount of chocolate for kids is OK.

Preparation
Rinse the berries and pat them dry. They must be completely dry before you dip. Leave stems on. If any are bruised, cut bruises off and eat right away. Don’t dip cut berries. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or foil.

Heat a couple inches of water in a large sauce-pan and turn to high heat. Put a small sauce pan or stainless steel bowl over the water to create a double boiler. As soon as you get bubbles in the water turn heat down to medium. You want to avoid a roiling boil which will make it hard for you to control the bowl. Add the chips to the bowl and stir occasionally until chips are melted. You can add a dribble of oil to the chocolate if you want strawberries to appear shiny vs. matte finish. Do not get any water in the chocolate and do not over heat, as it will change the consistency of the chocolate. Take bowl off water when almost all the chips have melted, continue stirring until smooth. You can put it back on the water if the chocolate cools you need to smooth it out again.

Hold berries by the stem and coat with chocolate on all sides. Lay the berries down on the baking sheet. If you have left over chocolate pull out nuts, graham crackers, pretzels or dried fruit and use up the rest of the chocolate. If you’re feeling ambitious, melt some white chocolate and drizzle white stripes over the dipped items. Put the cookie sheet in the fridge to set the chocolate. The berries will last in an airtight container for a few days in the fridge.

Are you surprised? Did you know chocolate was a super antioxidant food that could be included in your child's diet?

How much sugar is too much for kids?

This is an article sumarizing one of the chapters in the book I wrote for the class I teach. Find out how much (or little I should say) sugar is recommended for kids. It's not that much! Interesting to note that when sugar consumption gets up over 16% of daily calories, nutrition starts to suffer. Turns out there aren't a lot of nutrients in most sweetened things. And even "healthy" snacks that are sweetened can add up fast. I was amazed how fast 7 tsp of sugar a day adds up when sweetened cereal, yogurt, snacks and jelly in a PBJ are in the daily diet.

Read the whole article on A Life Less Sweet.

Cathy writes about a life without High Fructose Corn Syrup. If that's something you want to do, here's a good article she wrote to get you started.

Rock Star Mashed Potatoes-my kids still won’t eat them.

Image from Exhibitor Online. Dinner was a mad rush tonight and no time to take a photo.

My apologies for my absence, hubby and I were away for the weekend at a wedding. The happy couple served mashed potatoes to their guests in a really fun way that I was sure would make even my kids swoon for mashed potatoes. If you follow me on twitter or this blog you know that my kids eat a variety of vegetables (including onions, mushrooms, red peppers, purple cabbage and swiss chard) but neither one of them like mashed potatoes. They eat roasted, baked, boiled and fried potatoes, but not mashed potatoes. As an infant Little boo ate mashed potatoes with relish, but as of about 12 months, he has refused them every time. Big boo has never cared for them. It’s not for lack of opportunity. I love them; I make the food, so they end up on the table 2 or 3 times a month!

They don’t eat my mashed potatoes with roasted garlic, or nana’s mashed potatoes with gravy or KFC’s mashed potatoes with gobs of sodium. They do not like mashed potatoes, Sam I am.

The wedding potatoes were served in a martini glass and a server spooned on sour cream, butter, chives, shredded cheese and bacon at each guest’s request. They were rock star potatoes, and eating them out of a martini glass was fun! My kids love build-it-yourself-meals and they especially love anything they get to add copious amounts of cheese and butter. I had high hopes for winning over at least one kid. I made them tonight, and no. My crafty plan, inspired by a fabulous wedding, did not prevail. At least not yet.

I set the potatoes up in the kitchen with little bowls of cheese, sour cream, butter and chives. I used heavy glass goblets instead of martini glasses. I asked them to fix up their potatoes while I served the other courses. Little boo was very agreeable to the presentation and happily piled on sour cream, cheese, and butter. He skipped the chives. He was happy to eat the bites that weren’t tainted by any mashed potatoes, but once I stirred the toppings into the potatoes he didn’t try another bite. Big boo was still pouting (to put it mildly) about having to come in from riding bikes and opted out (again, putting it mildly) of potatoes to start with. When he’d made some progress on meat and other veggie side, he asked for a treat. I reminded him that we only eat treats after we eat grow food, and that he hadn’t tried the potatoes yet. He sat quiet at his plate for a while and then without a word went over to the potato bar and fixed himself a glass. He ate half his serving with no complaints, and then enjoyed a York peppermint patty.

I have to admit. I’m disappointed. After Thanksgiving I’d officially given up on encouraging the boys to eat mashed potatoes. They eat such a variety of veggies and take potatoes in many other ways, that their avoidance of mashed potatoes doesn’t really leave a hole in their diet. I guess I keep getting sucked back into sharing my passion for mashed potatoes because I’m a potato lover and mashed is a particular favorite. I don’t experience this kind of let down when they aren’t into other veggies. Isn’t it funny how my love of potatoes makes me irrationally upset when the boos don’t eat them mashed?

I suppose I need to take my own advice and just keep offering it, showing enthusiasm for it and eventually they will eat them. Or, it may just be that instead of more mainstream food hang-ups like peppers, mushrooms or raw tomatoes my kids will always protest mashing potatoes.

Here’s a round up of other posts I’ve done on build-it-yourself meals the kiddos love.
Oatmeal
Yogurt Bowls
Taco Night

Spill it. Do your kids love or hate mashed potatoes?

Lunchbox Love-Unwrap Some Fruit

This is for LifeAsMOM’s weekly recipe swap. Check out her post for links to other ideas for Lunchbox Love. This is hardly a recipe, but this special wrapped treat is how I say “I love you” to my guys when we spend the day apart.

A few months ago I posted about the boys lunches and how the stuff in their lunch box doesn’t look the same as the stuff in their friend’s lunch boxes. When we’re at home away from juice boxes, pretzels and fruit snacks they eat their whole wheat PBJ, raw veggies, yogurt bowls or cottage cheese n fruit with relish. But when they’re at school, their peer’s colorful packages containing salty or sweet snacks leave them wanting something different than my menu. I took a hint from Dave Grotto, author of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life and decided to include Sunsweet Ones, individually wrapped prunes in their lunches. For those of you visiting from LifeasMom, stay tuned to Food with Kid Appeal in the upcoming weeks for a review of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life and a chance to win a free copy!

When I opened the package today, Big Boo looked in and said, “Ooh what are those yummy candy in a wrapper?” and after eating one, “yum, so sweet, just like candy.” The human brain is somehow wired to infer tastiness and treat with individually wrapped items. It’s more likely that advertising and packaging budgets for food manufacturers are to blame for this association, but in this case it works in our favor.

Sunsweet Ones are just dried plums and one other additive as a preservative. It’s hard to find anything in a box, wrapper or package with just two items on the ingredient list. Eating one small prune gives the same fiber you’d get from eating a whole plum. And since they are a fruit they are loaded with antioxidants. When fruit is dried the natural sugars concentrate and the flesh of the fruit gets chewy. You end up with a mouthful of sweetness you wouldn’t expect from a piece of fruit.

For other healthy lunch box ideas see this post.

I know, the picture in this post is completely unrelated. One night big boo wanted to help get dinner on the table so I set him to task with pouring milk. This is how he worked that task! It was too precious a moment not to get captured. Plus, it's a better shot than the one of the individually wrapped prune, ha! The other morning he made my bed and his. Not sure where he got that idea because (shame shame) I am not a daily bed maker. You should have seen his bed. Comforter pulled up neat. All his lovies with their head on his pillow. Symmetry with two dinos on each side of the pillow. I love that kid!

What do you put in your loved one's lunch box to show your love?

Crock Pot Cooking-Chicken, Soup and Roast

This week at Happy to Be At Home I wrote about my week of crock-pot cooking. I'm still not certain if it saves energy or not, but I do enjoy having the house smell good all day, and a less hectic dinner prep in the evening.

Click here to see how I made Chicken and Rice, Chicken and Rice Soup, and Pot Roast. One of these meals had cauliflower greens in it! The locally grown cauliflower that comes in our co-op share comes intact with outer greens attached and it seemed a shame to waste them.

Feeding Baby: Getting Started

In the first feeding baby post: an overview, I mention that baby food is an opportunity for baby to practice eating skills so that when he’s off milk and requires nutrients from food, there are many flavors and textures he will tolerate and eat. Milk is great. Babies get all they need from one liquid and feeding your little one is quite simple. Master the breast or bottle, and you’re golden. Food is a whole different ball game with lots of choices and nuances.

Sadly, most first time parents don’t get the support they need to make the transition from bottle to spoon to table food from their pediatricians. I don’t really fault the pedis because they are busy with vaccines, fevers and growth charts, but that leaves new mom with a lot of unanswered questions about how to feed baby.

Logistics
Feeding baby is about to become far more complicated than it used to be. Until your baby is somewhere around one, you will be involved with milk feedings and food feedings. More of your day will be spent feeding baby, and outings will have to factor in not only bottles/breast but also spoons, bibs, and little jars of mush. I promise, it gets better as baby comes off some of the bottles and is eventually drinking from a cup. Just be prepared for several months were it seems like every activity around baby is related to his nutrition (or the cleaning of your clothes, his clothes and the high chair).

Diapers are different

Diapers are another area where you may not get much guidance about what changes baby is going through. Her single ingredient purely liquid diet is about to change radically. And that means urine will smell different and poop will change color, consistency and odor. Baby’s digestion has to acclimate to a variety of new ingredients and less liquid states of food. Baby will also have to figure out how to get said thicker poop out of their bodies. This will take some practice on their part, and they may seem to struggle with it.

Go slow with the food! You were probably instructed to start off with one meal a day, a small portion of it and mix it with quite a bit of milk/formula. Even if baby shows quite an appetite for spoon food, stay slow until you know baby can get out what you put in. Increase food amounts and frequencies when you know baby can get rid of food waste comfortably. Elimination shouldn’t be painful for them. Struggling/fussing is OK; it will be an unfamiliar sensation for him. Pain is cause for concern (if baby cries inconsolably for extended periods when trying to eliminate, call your doctor for appropriate treatment). BMs may slow down in frequency too, no worries there. You may also end up with a baby who is able to eliminate comfortably once every 3-7 days. My girlfriend had one of these, and little boo was like that too. Once breast milk was out of his diet he got pretty regular and was eliminating once a day or more. The average is probably 1 or more times every--or every other—day. Extremes are possible, and totally normal.

Unless you see dark, pebble-like stools, baby is not constipated. Many first foods are “constipating” to begin with, and when rice cereal is the only food in their diet, too much will be a problem. If you notice baby is uncomfortable when trying to eliminate, try putting her on her belly, or standing her up. It will be hard to get a more solid BM out when baby is sitting in an infant seat or up on her bottom. Talk to her a little; explain to her what’s going on. You just being there will offer comfort while she figures this new sensation out.

Schedule
Where does milk fit in? Most books advise you not to try to spoon feed a starving or full baby. In the morning give baby her normal first milk feeding, and sometime before the next feeding, do “breakfast.” Once you’re feeding more than one meal a day, you can either do half milk then meal, then rest of milk, or just schedule meals so they aren’t right on-top of or too long after milk feedings to avoid the starving, full sensations. If baby is too hungry, she’ll be cranky and may resist the new way of eating food.

First Food
Which food to start is another choice. Most babies start off with commercially available rice cereal flakes to which breast milk or formula is added for the age appropriate consistency. Baby’s digestive systems aren’t ready for whole grains until six months old, so if you start with cereal before six months you don’t have any option except refined rice cereal. My family feeding philosophy is whole foods oriented, so boxed refined grain flakes didn’t appeal to me for baby’s first food. I opted to start off with avocado and then bananas which made up little boos first meals until he was six months when I started him on home made brown rice cereal. This might seem odd, but I think to other cultures that don’t box/jar feed babies the way we do, and to earlier times when people didn’t have markets to shop at to buy special baby food. Mother’s of yesteryear fed their little ones from the table, whatever baby could handle according to the amount of teeth in their mouth.

I’m not suggesting you forego the Dr’s orders and avoid infant rice cereal. Your baby will be fine whether he starts off with rice or something else. I would encourage you to switch to whole grain baby cereals once baby is six months old. You can find these in the same flakes as refined rice cereal in the baby food isle or in the organic section of the grocery store. Whole grains have far more nutrients than refined grains. If you’re already in the habit of cooking the family meals, there’s no reason not to cook for baby too. Big boo never ate from a jar. Little boo had some jarred food to supplement what baby food, and pureed meals I made. I had less time to make food for little boo given the active toddler I was busy chasing. I'll go into making your own baby food in later feeding baby posts.

I guess for me, the goal was to get baby from milk to table food. The transition to the family meal was easier not going though a bunch of special tiny jars. Adult food is usually not bland, single ingredient over cooked food that you find in jars. So why expose baby to those textures/flavors when that’s not what he’ll be eating in a few months? Obviously I avoided sweeteners, sodium and overly spicy foods. For months, our family meal was probably a little blander than we might usually enjoy to accomodate the baby's needs. When enough base ingredients had been introduced to little boo, I would just toss what-ever I made for dinner in the Magic Bullet with water or milk and make a puree for him. Breakfast was usually whole grain cooked cereal (brown rice, millet, oatmeal, barley, etc.) with mashed pear or banana, lunch was usually some veggie purees I’d made and frozen in ice cube trays.

Sleep
You may also notice sleep habits change when food is part of their waking day. I recall for little boo, he started taking a predictable morning and afternoon nap when he started solids. This made eating schedule easier too. Wake, drink/eat, play, nap, wake, drink/eat play, nap, wake, drink/eat, play, bath, bed.

When
The current wisdom for baby to start solids is between 4-6 months. For both my boys, day sleep patterns were impacted by solid food feeding. They both napped during the day before starting solids, but the timing varied depending on when they woke up, how long that first wake/nap session was etc. The food seemed to get them on a predictable nap schedule having them nod off within a 30 min window and sleep longer once in the morning and once in the afternoon. If you have need to influence day sleep patterns you may want to start sooner than later. Otherwise, the choice is yours.

If you have questions/concerns about feeding baby, check out the feeding baby thread on the Forum.