Menu Planning

7/30/2010 6:25:37 PM

Each weekday morning I plan out my daughter’s meals for the day. It feels like mental gymnastics (especially since I do it before I’ve had my coffee!). I try to give her a pretty good variety of food for lunch and dinner, but breakfast is usually the same thing: a little bit of breast milk, then 6 ounces of Strauss Family Creamery whole organic yogurt with diced strawberries mixed in and a banana on the side. She doesn’t like a heavy breakfast, so we save the grains for lunch and dinner. I think I have a pretty good system worked out. I batch cook large amounts of different starches (quinoa, brown rice, polenta, oatmeal, sweet potato, butternut squash, potatoes and peas) and then I freeze them in ¼-cup portions. I also do the same with vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, kale, swiss chard, beets and sautéed tomatoes) and proteins (poached chicken thighs, turkey breast, lentils, pinto beans, black beans and split peas). I dedicate one freezer drawer to each category of food and then pick one protein, one starch and one or two vegetables for each meal. I add some fresh fruit and we are good to go--as long as I keep the freezer stocked. Some fresh foods such as diced tomato, plain instant oatmeal, string cheese and Food for Life cinnamon raisin bread with butter also make some great easy additions to meals and snacks (string cheese is our go-to snack). I hope I have given you some ideas for ways to make planning meals for your kids easier. Stay tuned for September when I dedicate my newsletter to feeding kids healthfully.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

When feeding my daughter, we offer her an array of healthful foods at specified meal and snack times and she is allowed to decide what and how much of those foods she will eat. She pretty much eats all of her food at most meals, but lately she’s been going bananas for bananas. She loves to feed herself bananas and control the size of her bites (she likes to take big bites). Most days this week she has eaten two bananas for breakfast. After she finishes the first one she signs that she wants more and we comply with her request. I’m not worried that she’s overeating, since bananas are healthful (remember she’s choosing from among the healthful food I’m offering). It’s important for her to know that she will always have enough to eat at mealtimes and that she is in control of this aspect of her eating. I know that this is just a phase and eventually she will go back to eating just one banana at breakfast when she realizes that she will have one again the next day.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

I’m often asked by parents of toddlers how they can get their kids to eat vegetables. Toddlers are tricky because they are naturally skeptical of everything, especially new foods. As parents, our primary goal with vegetables is to make sure that kids will eat their veggies for the rest of their lives, not just at dinner tonight. Building trust in the feeding relationship and modeling good eating habits are two important factors that can improve your odds of success, as is building good self-esteem into children. Children should come to the table feeling confident and good about their ability to eat. If they don’t trust themselves, how can they trust the person that is feeding them or trust that they will like the food being offered to them? Offer a variety of different veggies at meals (at least one produce item per meal) and present it like you do all the other foods. Be matter of fact about them and make sure that you eat them, too. Don’t make a big deal if they don’t eat them, but you can try to offer them a bite if you are spoon-feeding other foods. In my experience, my daughter loves to feed herself, but sometimes she wants to be spoon-fed some of the food on her plate. I don’t know if her arm gets tired or if she likes having bigger bites than she can give herself, but offering a spoonful here and there definitely helps her eat more than if she were left all alone. I try to find the right balance of involvement: being helpful without being pushy.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

My mom and I disagree about how to handle “forbidden foods” with my daughter. The disagreement arose a few nights ago when we were out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. I had cooked my daughter’s dinner at home and brought it with us because I prefer that she eat mostly organic food and very few restaurants offer any organic foods. She has a very good appetite and was happily feeding herself the last of her steak, pinto beans, broccoli, tomato, brown rice and blueberries when the sweet potato fries we had ordered arrived at the table. We were all eating them off of the serving plate and my daughter wanted to join in. I pushed the plate closer to her so that she could reach it and she began doing what we were doing. We allowed her to eat as much as she wanted and she enjoyed them in a very civilized manner. That night, she slept restlessly and I assumed that she probably had a tummy ache from the fatty fries and the huge dinner that she ate. My mom thinks we should have just allowed her a few fries and not let her eat them as freely as we did. I think we did it the right way, though. She didn’t gorge herself, the fries didn’t replace any of the other foods she was eating (she finished everything except for what fell on the floor), the fries were still nutritious (even if they were fried) and she stopped eating them when she had enough. Best of all, we didn’t have to say “no” or maintain a double standard and she really enjoyed participating in the family meal. For a refresher on using “forbidden” foods, scroll down to my June 9 entry, “Happy Birthday, Baby!”

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

In the past week I’ve encountered a couple of different feeding scenarios that I feel are worth discussing here because I think they are pretty common—and troubling. In the first, a customer told me that the only way to get her son to clean his room is to “bribe him with candy.” In the second, I overheard a parent in a restaurant say to his toddler “finish your chicken and then you can go play.” In other words, these parents are implying “be good and I’ll reward you for doing what I want you to do.” Ugh! These families are going to struggle with feeding and eating if they aren’t already. Kids know when they are being even subtly manipulated and they almost always are less likely to do what you wanted them to do in the first place…and that’s when the battles begin. I don’t even have to tell you that the child in the restaurant refused to take another bite of her chicken after her dad tried to force her to eat more than she wanted to or that candy will become a very important food for the boy who may or may not clean his room because he only gets it when he is “good.” Research shows that when parents and caregivers are overly involved in managing how much and what children eat, children become unable to manage their own eating and may end up being overeaters. Similarly, when “forbidden foods,” like candy, are used as rewards, they become a much bigger deal in everyday life than they should be and children become emotional eaters. They abuse or overeat forbidden foods, especially in response to strong feelings—positive or negative. In both of these situations, the parents are not doing their jobs in the feeding relationship because they are being overly controlling with food. Children know how much they need to eat to satisfy their appetites but parents need to help them preserve what children know instinctively instead of teaching them bad habits.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

My daughter likes yogurt, loves cheese and dislikes cow’s milk—I think. I just introduced it to her a few days ago in a regular cup. She took a sip and then rejected it. I’m being patient, though, and I keep in mind that she needs to try it at least 10 or 11 times before I know whether she will truly accept it. I’ve been offering it to her in both a regular cup and a straw cup (she doesn’t use a sippy cup), either on its own or mixed with some breast milk, as well as both cold and warm. She will take a sip but then refuse it. Today we filled her afternoon bottle with half breast milk and half cow’s milk and warmed it up. She knew what was in it and still drank the whole bottle. I thought she didn’t like the cow’s milk, but now I’m wondering if she really only wants milk from a bottle. I was worried about this happening. I had read that it is best to wean from the bottle completely around 12-15 months and now I’m seeing just how much of a challenge that might be. I think we will stick with the bottle for a while longer and gradually increase the ratio of cow’s milk : breast milk in the bottle until she is only drinking cow’s milk. Since she only drinks one bottle a day, once she accepts cow’s milk completely I will try offering it to her at other times in a different vessel. We just bought some great new Thermos-brand Vacuum-Insulated Leak-Proof Straw Bottle stainless steel straw cups (no plastic or BPA to worry about) that I plan to designate as milk cups.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

I know I’m not alone when it comes to rushing around to get errands accomplished in between my daughter’s meals and naps because I see kids all around town snacking in their strollers, car seats and shopping carts. Snacking on the go in this fashion is the equivalent of mindless eating that many adults struggle with (mindless munching is eating while doing other things and not giving food the respect it deserves). I’m concerned that this type of grazing can lead to some bad habits and overeating when it is practiced regularly. Snacks are just as important as meals; they should be given at regular times (not when kids beg for them), in appropriate places (snacking in the car is dangerous) and they should be nutritious. They should not be distractions, entertainment, handouts or rewards and they should not be rushed. It is important to teach our children early on how to be in touch with their feelings of hunger and satiety so that they can listen to their bodies and regulate the amount they need to eat intuitively. This in turn will help them feel good about their eating and arrive at the weight and sized that they are truly meant to be. However, intuitive eating can really only be learned or maintained (children are born knowing how much they need to eat) when parents and caregivers do their jobs in the feeding relationship by offering kids a variety of healthful foods at regular times and in a supportive manner. Therefore, most snacks, like meals, should be eaten at a table with no other distractions (like TV or toys). Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD, a fellow dietitian and blogger, has some good advice about feeding kids snacks in one of her blog posts: Is Your Kid a “Good” or “Bad” Snacker?

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

My daughter just turned one and a whole new world of food is opening up now that she can have dairy products. I have been offering her the wonderful whole milk yogurt from Strauss Family Creamery, a Northern California organic dairy where the cows eat grass so their milk contains the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA naturally. Omega-3’s are vitally important for optimal brain development and it is best when they occur naturally in food sources such as fish, as well as meat, eggs and dairy from grass-fed animals. Saturated fats are also important for brain development, so please continue to offer your 12-24-month old child full-fat dairy products.

Speaking of new foods, she also had her first “treat.” We gave her an organic vanilla cupcake as her birthday cake and she happily dug into the frosting, but didn’t care much for the cake underneath. It was the first time she had a sweetened food. She liked it, but only ate a few fistfuls and when she had enough, she moved on to play with some toys that she found more interesting. I was proud of both of us for managing sweets so casually. Here are some tips for thoughtfully including sweets and treats in your child’s diet on occasion: Using "Forbidden" Food.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

I feel that I do a good job of fulfilling my responsibilities in the feeding relationship with my daughter. I offer her a variety of healthful foods at scheduled meal and snack times and I follow the formula of including a serving each of a protein, a vegetable, a starch and a fruit at mealtimes. However, the other day at lunch she did not want what I was offering and started throwing her food on the floor. My first inclination was to start offering her other foods that she might prefer to eat. I had to stop myself and remember that we were each doing our jobs (she decides if and how much to eat), and she was just deciding that she did not want to eat what I was offering. Although her lunch consisted of foods that she normally likes, she simply did not want to eat them. It was my job to respect her feelings, not to keep offering her foods until we found one that she felt like eating. She would not go hungry, since snacktime was in just a couple of hours. I was shocked, though, to discover just how easily the feeding relationship can break down if I’m not careful to protect it. My little girl is a toddler now -- she is asserting her will at mealtimes, playtimes and naptimes -- and that means that her caregivers and I have to be extra vigilant in reading her cues and showing regard for her feelings as to if and how much she eats. Respecting my daughter’s feelings is an important way to build self-esteem and trust and to foster independence.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

There are two articles in this week’s New York Times that I want to share with you. They are about foods that pose choking hazards for children. I already knew about some of the foods that are mentioned here, such as grapes and hot dogs, but I was not aware of just how dangerous popcorn could be (it can make its way into the vocal cords and lungs). As my daughter approaches her first birthday, these articles have reminded me that it is time to renew my infant and child CPR certification. I was also reminded how important it is to keep a very watchful eye on my daughter while she eats. She has never actually choked, but on one occasion she got so excited about what she was eating that she put too much food in her mouth at once and got very scared when she couldn’t manage it all. It was a frightening experience for both of us! I never want to repeat that again, so as she expands her repertoire of foods, I will bear in mind the information in these two articles:

The 10 Biggest Choking Hazards and Labels Urged for Food That Can Choke.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

Last week I saw a six-month old baby in her infant car seat with a bottle of milk propped up so it was hanging off her lip and milk was dribbling into her mouth. I asked her dad why he wasn’t holding her bottle for her and he said she preferred to “hold” her own bottle. I see babies holding their own bottles all the time, but just because they can do it doesn’t mean that they should do it. (I will not even go into how dangerous it is and the negative impact that propping a bottle can have on a child’s oral and ear health.) The practice of propping the bottle signifies a breakdown in the parent-child feeding relationship because the caregiver is not doing their job, which is offering milk and helping the child consume it in a sensitive, observant manner. Babies eat best when they feel secure and supported. Therefore, when it comes to milk feeding (whether breastmilk or formula from a breast or bottle), babies need to be held close and cuddled while they drink. Leaving them alone in their car seat to feed themselves will make a baby feel lonely and insecure and he or she will not get the amount of food that they really need. If a baby’s emotional needs are not being met (i.e., they are not being cuddled and caregivers are not sharing control of the feeding), then they will most likely overeat or undereat. If a child’s early experiences with eating are consistently negative, it could be the beginning of life-long struggles with emotional eating and will impact their relationship with food for the rest of their lives. Bottle-feeding is a skill and it requires a lot of work on the caregiver’s part to learn to relinquish control and pay close attention to how a baby wants to be fed. Even if your baby is almost done with bottle feedings, like mine is, it is still a good idea to brush-up on your bottle-feeding skills.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

Now that my daughter is 11 months old, she is eating three solid meals and sometimes a snack in addition to three milk feedings each day. Planning her menus is challenging since I want to give her balanced meals that include a variety of foods in different, colors, textures, flavors and temperatures. I have to include at least one or two finger foods, at least one fruit and one or two vegetables, and something starchy and substantial, like beans or grains. Next month, when she cuts out more milk feedings, we will have to add more protein sources to her meals, such as yogurt, cheese and cow’s milk. Thankfully, I have a large variety of homemade foods stored in the freezer, so I can just heat up her different meal components and add fresh fruits. She still doesn’t eat recipes, just plain individual foods. Next month we will begin to feed her more mixed foods, as the goal is to have her share our food and eat meals together as a family. Here is a typical days’ menu of her solid foods:

Breakfast: Oatmeal made with water and breast milk, blueberries (finger food)

Lunch: Black beans with olive oil, sweet potato, asparagus, banana (all finger foods)

Dinner: Turkey breast, kiwi (finger foods), braised red cabbage, quinoa

Snack: Grated apple (finger food)

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

It finally happened. There is actually a food that my daughter doesn’t like: egg yolks. She really, really does not like them. They were her new food this week and no matter how we prepared them, she spit them out, so we had to do something that I normally advise against: we hid them in her rice cereal and tricked her into eating a few bites because we needed to know if she was allergic to eggs. Eggs are in so many foods that her diet would be limited going forward if she had not passed the egg test.

I am strongly against tricking kids into eating their food because it can lead to distrust in the feeding relationship. In general, if you start manipulating children with food then they will rebel and behave badly at the table. Their eating skills will suffer as they become more demanding and less capable of eating a variety of foods. If you feel that your feeding relationship with your child is suffering, see Ellyn Satter’s advice about The Picky Eater. In the meantime, I will not trick my baby again, but I won’t give up on eggs, either. I will offer her eggs again in the future, perhaps prepared another way, but I won’t be upset if she chooses not to eat them. It is, after all, her job to decide if and how much she will eat.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

I was so proud of my daughter the other night when we had another family over to our house for an early dinner. I grated half of a peeled apple and quartered some blueberries and put them in our Un-believe-a-bowl (an awesome bowl that suctions to a tray or table). We all sat down at the table together and started to eat. My baby happily dug into her own food and kept herself busy for over 30 minutes, while still managing to be engaged in the conversation and giggling and jabbering with the other child at the table. Now that she is feeding herself, we are one step closer to having true family meals where we all sit together and eat the same foods. That day is right around the corner and I’m getting ready for it. My April newsletter is all about planning and executing family meals since cooking on weeknights is a major challenge for me. I want to have a plan in place when the time comes so that I can continue to support my daughter’s healthful eating habits. For help with planning your dinners read Menu Planning Strategies.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

I can’t believe that my little baby will be ten months old this weekend! I’m excited about this age because there are so many new foods that she will be able to eat this month. Following my allergist’s advice, we will try oatmeal first and if that goes well, we will add wheat (your child’s pediatrician may have different advice). After that, she’ll get some egg yolk (egg whites are OK after one year of age). This week, in preparation for her expanding diet, we are trying some organic extra virgin first cold press olive oil so that she can have more mixed foods instead of just single foods. The ultimate goal is to have her eating what we eat (minus the salt) by 12 months. It blows my mind that in the next two months she will drop two milk feedings and transition to table food. Right now, she is getting into hand feeding herself grated apple, spaghetti squash and raisins, but she still likes to be fed and use the spoon herself. Here are some guidelines for feeding babies between ten and 12 months: 10-12 months old Solid Food Chart.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

I just realized yesterday that I haven’t given my daughter her daily dosage of vitamin D in a couple of weeks. The bottle must have rolled into the Black Hole that lives under our glider and I probably forgot about it—out of sight, out of mind is this exhausted mommy’s new reality! Today I read a new study that has found that most infants, regardless of if they are breast- or formula-fed, are not getting enough vitamin D. Vitamin D supplements had previously only been thought necessary for breast-fed infants, since breast milk is low in vitamin D and formula is fortified with it. About 70% of all children and adolescents could also benefit from a vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D is important for the formation of strong bones, a strong immune system and the prevention of heart disease and possibly type 1 diabetes. Here is an article about the study: Even on formula, babies not getting enough vitamin D. I will order a new bottle of vitamin D (I like the Carlson Baby D Drops) today and I recommend that you check with your pediatrician about adding in a supplement for your child if you don’t already.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

Parenting skills require practice, especially if you intend to use a particular parenting method. At my house we practice the RIE Approach (Resources for Infant Educarers). According to www.RIE.org, the method is “based on respect” and “helps raise authentic infants who are competent, confident, curious, attentive, exploring, cooperative, secure, peaceful, focused, self-initiating, resourceful, involved, inner-directed, aware and interested.” We emphasize respecting my daughter and communicating with her before we touch her or do something with her (for instance, when we feed her, we tell her what the food is, offer it to her and then allow her to decide whether she will put it in her mouth; we don’t yet worry if she doesn’t eat anything since solids are still just for fun). Last week I had the opportunity to observe one of my daughter’s caregivers feeding her lunch. Many of the principles we had originally explained to her had fallen by the wayside, and it was a good reminder to me that feeding and caregiving are practices. Since much of how we interact with my daughter is counterintuitive to us first-time parents, it takes a lot of practice before the communication and interactions become second nature. I realized that it is a good idea for my husband and me to periodically check in with ourselves and our baby’s caregivers and make sure that we are all using Ellyn Satter's Division of Responsibility in Feeding and RIE in our daily caregiving. Whatever parenting method you use, I urge you to do the same.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

One of my daughter’s playmates has recently been diagnosed with iron levels at the low end of the normal range. Her mom was wondering what to do to keep the iron levels of her 10-month old from falling any further. I had several suggestions. First, breast milk is the best source of iron for a baby. There is not a lot of iron in breast milk, but the little that is there is readily absorbed by the baby. Fortified formulas and cereals contain more iron than breast milk, but they have to since that iron is poorly absorbed by the baby. All formula and some infant cereals also contain calcium, which further inhibits iron absorption. I advised the mommy to continue breastfeeding, to make sure that the supplementary formula she was using contained iron in the form of ferrous sulfate (the most absorbable form of supplementary iron) as well as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and to switch to an infant cereal that was not calcium-fortified. In addition to breast milk, the best way to get more iron in your baby’s diet is to feed them foods that naturally contain iron. Adding organic dark meat chicken, lamb or beef (check with your pediatrician first) to your baby’s diet will add iron and enhance iron absorption from other sources. For a listing of foods that contain iron, see my June 2006 newsletter article (scroll down to page 3). Iron-rich foods must be eaten with foods that contain vitamin C in order to facilitate absorption. Here is a list of fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamin C: Dole Vitamin C foods Although many of the foods on these lists (shellfish, nuts, seeds, citrus, seedy berries, tomatoes and peppers, to name a few) are not appropriate for children under 12 or even 18 months, there are plenty that a younger baby can eat.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

This week I’ve been reading how important it is to let children develop at their own pace. I thought my baby would be eating finger foods by now, since she is almost 9 months old and most books say that babies should be starting with finger foods at that age, but she doesn’t seem to be ready yet. She’s still enjoying being fed her exotic purees and smashed-up versions of Tuscan kale, asparagus, artichoke, kiwi and quinoa. Once in a while she’ll bend over in her high chair to put her mouth over some food that spills on her tray, but she’s not yet transferring it from her food-encrusted hands to her mouth. However, I’m not going to rush her into the next stage of eating. I’ll check in every few days by placing a small, soft chunk of food on her tray and will casually model feeding it to myself, but I don’t force her to follow my lead. I try to strike a delicate balance between being interested in her eating and giving her the space to explore the food she is eating by, for example, playing with her spoon or schmearing food around her tray. I try to be patient with and accepting of all of her behaviors, whether it is learning to feed herself, crawl or express herself verbally or otherwise. The Gesell Institute of Human Development has some valuable information about allowing children to develop at their own pace:Parent Questions

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

My daughter doesn’t have any teeth yet—and I’m in no rush for them to come in, either. A local pediatric dentist recently told me that the later baby teeth come in, the stronger they tend to be. He also explained that bacteria get introduced to the mouth when teeth come through the gums, which can affect oral health as well as long-term health. We know that certain bacteria in the mouth that cause gingivitis can also affect heart health, so good oral hygiene early on is important. Furthermore, mothers often pass the bacteria in their mouths along to their children, so it is also important for moms to take care of their own teeth. For more information about the connection between gums and heart health, see Dr. Andrew Weil’s answer to the question “Do Clean Teeth Promote Heart Health?”. Caring for your baby’s teeth should start when the first tooth appears, or sooner if you want to establish a dental hygiene routine (just wipe baby’s gums with a piece of gauze before bedtime). For information on caring for your baby’s teeth, see the American Dental Association’s sheet “Baby's First Teeth” (February 2002)

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

The mother of a ten-month old recently asked me what she should be feeding her baby for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Is it OK to order macaroni and cheese off a kid’s menu at a restaurant, she wondered< I thought this was a great question, as there are amazingly few resources that give us good information about the appropriate progression of food introductions. Unfortunately, there really is no easy answer because all babies are different and they all start solids at different times. Furthermore, babies develop at different rates, especially when it comes to teeth and their ability to chew and swallow. However, the most important thing to keep in mind is that breast milk and> or formula is the most important source of nutrition for babies in the first year. That means that solid foods are really more about familiarizing your baby with different flavors, textures and temperatures and learning how to eat and drink. At ten months, progressing slowly and introducing new foods early in the day (for potential allergic reaction reasons) over three or four days is still the protocol. With that in mind, I think plain, single foods are better than recipes that contain several foods or ingredients. I generally recommend wholesome, minimally-processed foods for children and adults because foods are most nutritious, satisfying and health-promoting in their natural states. Experts differ in their opinion of when to introduce wheat, egg yolks and dairy into a baby’s diet, but I recommend waiting until at least ten months for wheat and egg yolks and 12 months for dairy foods if there is no family history of food allergies (and possibly longer if there is a family history—talk to your pediatrician). Here is a sample menu for a ten – 12 month-old: Baby Menu. If you ever have a doubt about a food, the safest route is to keep the meal plain and simple.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

I just met with the mother of a 3-year old and a 5-year old (with another baby on the way). She was seeking advice about how to get her kids to eat something besides carbs like bread, pasta, rice and crackers. Vegetables, fruit and protein were in short supply in her family’s diet, mainly because every member (including her husband) likes and dislikes different foods and she was tired of being a short-order cook. I know this mom’s story is not unique by a long shot and I also know that this could be my own reality one day if I’m not careful. Once a pattern is established of making different foods to please everyone and making a big deal about what is not getting eaten, it is really difficult to make changes. Establishing a new feeding relationship takes commitment, patience and time. I reminded the mommy that a child needs to be exposed to a new food at least 11 times before he or she starts to accept it; so, for example, before deciding that your child doesn’t like carrots, you should offer them raw, steamed, roasted and even cut up in different ways. However, it’s important to respect your child’s likes and dislikes once they are established and don’t try to trick them into eating something by hiding it in the food without telling them. I suggested the following: At each family meal, offer at least one food that each family member likes; make trying a new fruit or vegetable a family project where the kids get to pick the food, find a recipe for it and help prepare it for a meal; bring the kids into the kitchen and get them involved in meal preparation; don’t make a big deal about trying stuff or not liking something; and practice Ellyn Satter’s division of responsibility (it is up to the parent or caregiver to decide when where and what healthful foods to offer and it is up to the child to decide if and how much they will eat). For more tips on how to raise successful eaters, check out this link from the website Dinner Together.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

Hunger is instinctual, but eating well is a learned behavior. As a parent, it is my job to teach my daughter how to eat and have a healthy relationship with food, and these lessons start very early on. People are always surprised to see my seven and a half month old drinking water out of a glass instead of a sippy cup. This activity is one of her favorite things to do and she is learning to do it well. I can tell that she feels very proud of herself as she takes sips from her little glass that is a mini version of mine. I am teaching her how to drink, eat and sit at the table by making eating enjoyable for her and by modeling these behaviors. We have started having family meals, both at home and at restaurants, at which we all sit down and eat together. Although she can’t feed herself yet, we feed her at the table in between courses or bites and she is both watching us eat and participating in the “conversation” and rituals associated with having an enjoyable meal. Soon we’ll be advancing my daughter’s eating skills from spoon-feeding purees to finger-feeding small chunks. If you’re interested in reading more about this topic, Ellyn Satter, a registered dietitian and psychotherapist, shares some of her infinite wisdom about teaching kids how to eat in her handout Helping Children Be Good Eaters.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

My husband thinks that this blog should be called “Super Psycho Organic Mommy” instead of “Healthy Families.” It’s true that I am very cautious about what I put into my baby’s body and my own, but I don’t think I’m too over the top. After all, you can never be too careful with such a tiny living, growing being, can you? I have some specific concerns about preventing food allergies, other allergies and asthma in my daughter because I suffer from these things personally and I don’t ever want to see my baby struggling to breathe. We avoid products that contain vinyl, foam and pesticides as much as possible and try to keep plastic to a minimum (it’s impossible to avoid plastic) since these materials are linked to asthma, allergies, reproductive problems, hormonal disruptions and even cancer. A recent study at UC Berkeley found that babies and young children are much more susceptible to the effects of pesticide residues on foods than adults (65-130 times more sensitive) and many kids only develop the enzymes needed to protect themselves from those chemicals after age 7. In addition to only feeding my baby organic foods, I also use feeding bowls and bibs made from cornstarch instead of plastic and glass baby bottles. Even her highchair is made of wood and contains very little plastic. If we do use plastic, we never put it in the microwave or the dishwasher and I recommend that you take similar precautions. If you are interested in learning more about and purchasing safer baby products, check out these websites: www.safemama.com and www.thesoftlanding.com.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

y daughter is a “gourmet” eater. I don’t mean that she’s a little foodie (it’s too early to tell if she’s taking after me yet); I mean that she is a slow and deliberate eater who savors each sip and bite of food. When I complained to her pediatrician that it took 90 minutes to nurse her, he explained that children have different eating styles and they can’t be changed. He’s right: rushing my babe never works. As she’s gotten older, she has gotten a little bit faster at eating, but her general eating style has not changed. I’m glad I understood her approach to eating before we started solids so I knew what to expect from her at the table and, more importantly, so I could explain it to her caregivers. Whether your child eats quickly or slowly, takes breaks or goes steadily, eats a lot or a little, or loves food or can live without it, it’s vital to your feeding relationship that you respect their style and let them set the pace. Think about how you would feel if anyone ever forced you to eat faster than was comfortable for you, or took your food away before you were done eating, or even shoved food in your mouth and made you eat it when you weren’t hungry. Doing that to our children will only make them feel bad about themselves and their eating and it will put a strain on your feeding relationship. Accepting and respecting your child’s eating style and working with it will help prevent food fights later on. Take some time now to pay attention to your little eater’s patterns and preferences; it will serve you both well in future feedings.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

he primary goal when you introduce your baby to his or her first “solid foods” should not be to provide him or her with calories or nutrients; these early feedings should be all about your baby learning how to eat and becoming familiar with different foods. My daughter’s first solid food was avocado. She liked it and really enjoyed playing with the spoon and practicing putting it in her mouth. Over the weekend, I steamed some organic locally grown butternut squash that I got at Gelson’s and mashed it up with some breast milk. She loved it! The color, texture, temperature and flavor were intriguing to her and she had a great time smearing it all over herself and generally becoming acquainted with eating. I think she is getting the hang of spoon feeding after a week of practice. I can’t emphasize enough that starting your baby on solids is not meant to provide calories or nutrition in the first couple of months; it is about helping your baby establish a healthy relationship with food and practicing sharing the responsibility of eating and feeding between babies and their caregivers. The registered dietitian Ellyn Satter is the expert on establishing good feeding habits. Here is a link to a page on her website that explains the division of responsibility succinctly: https://ellynsatter.com/showArticle.jsp?id=399§ion=397. I will be talking a lot about this incredibly important parenting topic in future posts.

Be Healthy,

- Jessica

irst foods are on my mind this week as my 6 month old daughter will be starting solids this weekend. I have been puzzling over what to give her as her first solid food, interviewing doctors, dietitians and friends for their suggestions. Most people give their baby rice cereal for their first food, but I don’t want her very first food to come out of a box. I want to start her on something natural and wholesome, not something processed. I have settled on organic avocado. It is high in healthful fats, which babies need, as well as iron, B vitamins, vitamin E and vitamin K and carotenoids. Avocados also have a creamy texture that is perfect for babies and they do not require cooking. She will get organic rice cereal eventually, since it is fortified with iron, which is essential to brain development. In the meantime, I will start by feeding her some avocado mixed with a little breast milk to make it the right consistency and we will go from there. I will keep you posted about our progress and which food we choose next. For more information about first feedings, check out Dr. Sears’s page, Starting Solid Foods

Be Healthy,

- Jessica