LittleStomaks

Five for Fridays – Mar 12, 2010

by TwinToddlersDad on March 12, 2010

As part of the National Nutrition Month®, March 10th this month was celebrated as the National Registered Dietitian (RD) Day. I have a lot of respect for registered dietitians – many have answered questions from readers in Ask the Expert column on this blog. I think this recognition is well deserved!

It is Friday again, which means it is time for the usual Five for Fridays! This week, I want to highlight 5 informative posts by registered dietitians who contributed to a recent blogfest. RD’s in this blogfest were asked a simple question – If you could give only one message, what would that be? There is a wide range of ideas from RD’s in response to this question! Check them out and leave a comment to share your opinions.

Get your kids interested in cooking

That is the message from Robin Plotkin in her post Give a kid a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a kid to fish, feed him for life! The idea is simple, yet quite powerful; one that has the potential to totally change our relationship with food and eating. Instead of relying on carry-outs, drive-thrus and ready-to-eat meals, you could get your kids involved in the whole process of putting food on the table. Get their input in meal planning, take them out for grocery shopping, and do a cooking project in the kitchen with them.

We have sort of getting started on it with simple projects like making chicken quesadillas! Try it out, it’s a lot of fun, although it takes a little planning.

**Don’t label food as good or bad, enjoy it**

In her post Enjoy food, Heather reminds us that food should not be labeled as good or bad; rather we should take a look at our behaviors and environment to find solutions to our diet and health related problems. We have become so separated from how our food is grown and where it comes from, that all we can rely upon is the nutrition facts panel on the box. The quality of food is determined by calories, fat, sugar, salt, protein, vitamins and minerals. Not by how it is made, how it is eaten and how it is shared with friends and family. There is a cultural aspect to food and eating which has gone completely missing from modern life.

Heather’s message is a simple reminder to enjoy food without guilt while still being mindful of what your body tells you. Get to know your food and choose natural or minimally processed foods. Her message resonated with me a lot especially after I read Michelle May’s book Eat what you love, love what you eat! The risk here is that if you don’t exercise mindful eating and don’t listen to your body, you can take this guiltless eating along a negative spiral. That works only in food advertising, not in real life!

Eating healthy at home is super easy, give it a shot

You don’t have to be a high-profile chef to prepare simple, wholesome, nutritious meal! Or go out of your way to find ways to include fruits and veggies in your daily diet. Simple, but creative, changes can help you eat healthy everyday according to these eat well tips from Janel. I like her simple approach and ideas for getting fruits and veggies at every meal. She also points out that just by keeping a small inventory of whole grains and proteins in your pantry, lean meats and frozen vegetables in your refrigerator, you can make a variety of combo meals simply by boiling water, heating an oven or opening a can of beans!

Once you get in the habit of preparing your meals at home from simple recipes, it becomes a part of daily routine and doesn’t seem like a big task. Getting your kids involved, as suggested by other bloggers, is also a good idea!

Formula for a healthy diet – 90% plants, 10% animal foods

You don’t need one diet for cancer prevention, one diet for diabetes and one diet for heart disease, says Diane Perves on her blog as she makes a case for a mainly vegetarian diet in her article Only one message. Simply increase the amount of plant based foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds and reduce the amount of animal based foods like meats and dairy. That is the core of dietary guidelines and a variety of diets. The sad fact of the Standard American Diet (SAD) is that the food triangle has been flipped on its head with vegetables at the bottom and animal products providing 70% of the daily calories.

Of course this does not mean that you need to go cold turkey on meat and dairy completely. What it means is that you can start out by making small changes as you work toward getting your food triangle sitting on its broad base rather than its pointy head!

To D or not to D, is no longer the question

Dietitian Debra is clear and emphatic in her recommendation that you take vitamin D supplements during pregnancy and also give it to your children. Food sources of vitamin D are rare and hours of sunshine limited during the winter. Recent data suggests a broad deficiency of vitamin D and recommendations are pouring in from experts about using a supplement and even taking more than the current daily recommendation of400 IU.

I do agree that vitamin D is very important for growing children. However, I am not convinced that there is widespread vitamin D deficiency and that it is very hard to get enough vitamin D in kids via food. All milk is fortified with vitamin D. So is several brands of orange juice. Kids cereals typically have vitamin D fortification. Eating fish even once a week can provide a lot of vitamin D. There is considerable disagreement about what can be considered as deficiency, especially in kids. And there is no real evidence to suggest that the daily dose should be increased beyond the current recommendation.

Having said that, there is no harm in using a supplement within the suggested dose if that offers you a peace of mind. There are always special situations where your child may definitely benefit. Here is how you can tell if your child may have a vitamin D problem. If you suspect that your child may be in this situation, consult with your doctor first.

Enjoy and let me know what is on your mind.

Photo Source: noahg on Flickr via everystockphoto

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Product Reviews – Andean Dream Quinoa Pasta

by TwinToddlersDad on March 11, 2010

in Organic Foods, Product Reviews

I have been keeping an eye on quinoa products lately, particularly after we found the Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta recently. As a grain, quinoa has exceptionally high nutritional value, but it takes a while to develop a taste for it. You can try it in a recipe like our popular chicken with quinoa, or even serve as a side dish all by itself!

Pasta made from quinoa flour certainly is a novelty in my opinion. This way, kids can get to develop a taste for quinoa in a familiar form. We found this particular quinoa from Andean Dream in our local Whole Foods Market. What invited my interest was the fact that this pasta was made from a mix of organic quinoa flour and organic rice flour, unlike the corn flour used in the Ancient Harvest Quinoa.

Here is our short review – if you try this product, let us know how you like it.

Here is what we like about this product -

USDA certified organic
Gluten free
No saturated fat or trans fats, no cholesterol
6 g protein per serving, 3 g fiber
Quinoa is rich in B vitamins and iron
Quinoa is low in glycemic index

Here is what we don’t like about this product -

Does not taste like pasta, more like a rice noodle

Overall, I think it is worth a try! It may work well in oriental recipes which use rice noodles!

Disclaimer – I have not received any sponsorship or free samples of product from Andean Dream for writing this review. For complete nutritional information and other products, visit Andean Dream’s website.
©2010 Littlestomaks.com

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Simple Recipes – Eggplant With Ground Beef

by TwinToddlersDad on March 10, 2010

in Simple Recipes

Ingredients

1 eggplant cut lengthwise into thin, small slices
1/4 lb lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely or crushed in a food processor
3 medium tomato, finely chopped or crushed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (or parsley)
1 tbsp tomato paste
pinch of salt, black pepper, oregano, dry mint, cumin

Method

Saute onions in about 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add beef and spices, mix well and saute until it turns light brown. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and mix well. Set aside.

Pan fry eggplant slices in olive oil until they turns soft. Spread the beef mixture on top of the eggplant slices in a thin layer. Cover and cook on low heat another 20-25 minutes or until fully cooked. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

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Ask the Expert – Obesity and Weight Loss for Children

by TwinToddlersDad on March 9, 2010

in Ask The Expert

Ask The Expert is a weekly column on Littlestomaks.com. The idea is to have a reader-submitted question answered by a nutrition expert or a pediatrician. Feel free to submit your question in the comments section below.

This week, Registered Dietitian Caryn Roll advises against trying weight loss for overweight or obese children. Instead she recommends that you help them grow into their current weight through healthy eating and physical activity.

Caryn Roll, BSc, BA, RD

BSc (McGill), BA (Carleton University)
Member Ordre Professionnel des Diététistes du Québec
Over 10 years of experience in the field of private nutrition care
Expertise in cholesterol control, diabetes and weight loss
Website: Montreal Nutrition
Twitter: @MTRLnutrition
Contact: Email carynutrition@gmail.com

Question: My child is obese. What can I do to help him lose weight?

Answer:

Weight loss is generally not recommended for children. The goal in helping an obese child is to have them grow into their current weight. This can be achieved through healthy eating and regular physical activity.

Here a few nutrition tips that might help:

Parents are in control of what they purchase and prepare for meals and snacks. If it becomes difficult saying no to your child about a particular food then consider keeping it out of the house.
Give your child the choice. When they are hungry, offer something healthy. If they ask for something junky you need to hold firm and tell you child they can have the healthy choice or nothing. It sounds harsh but it is our job as parents to make sure our kids eat properly. Save treats for special occasions and for once a week family time (ice cream parlor, Sunday night desserts, family game night etc…)
Children need to be aware of their hunger and satiety cues. If they continue to eat after they are full they will put on weight. As a parent, it is important to understand that children can be hungry anytime and not necessarily at designated meals and snacks. Consequently, ask your child if they feel full before serving second helpings.
Make sure your children’s portion sizes and food choices meet the recommendations for Canada’s Food Guide or the USDA Food Guide Pyramid. Remember, if the food in question is not on your food guide then it should be considered a sometimes food.

Disclaimer – Information provided in Ask The Expert column on Littlestomaks.com is intended to give you general guidance on a question related to toddler nutrition. It is not meant to be treated as medical advice. You are welcome to contact this expert for a detailed consultation on your specific situation to determine what actions, if any, you should take regarding nutrition and health of your toddlers. We do not recommend you to take any action based solely on the information presented in this column. Experts have agreed to provide their professional opinion on toddler nutrition related questions on a voluntary basis and no compensation is offered to them by Littlestomaks.com.

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I Have a Hungry Emergency

by TwinToddlersDad on March 9, 2010

in Having Fun

The twins got the idea of a hungry emergency from Little Einsteins, one of their favorite shows on Disney. In this particular episode, the Little Einsteins team goes on a mission to collect ingredients for a rocket soup to help their rocket out of its hungry emergency! They loved it when rocket’s tummy grumbled with hunger and its hungry emergency meter reached its highest red alert level.

As soon as the show was over, they rushed into the kitchen and got on their chairs and started yelling: Baba we have a hungry emergency! Suddenly, their breakfast this past Sunday turned into a game!

My daughter generally eats Froot Loops with milk and honey, while my son favors Raisin Nut Bran, mainly because he likes to pick out the raisin cookies! In addition to their usual cereal, we also offered some strawberries, pears, blueberries and feta cheese. They had a blast digging into all of them just so they could get over their hungry emergency!

Breakfast on weekends are special for us. This is when we get to enjoy our breakfast the Turkish way. Cut fresh fruits, vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, mint with olive oil, feta cheese, olives, toast, veggie omelette or hard-boiled eggs, beef salami are all shared in small plates laid out on the table. Although it is common to eat toasted bread with butter, strawberry or cherry jams or honey, we skip the butter these days and use cheese spreads instead. Freshly brewed hot Turkish tea and orange juice are also served. Sometimes we invite our friends over for a weekend brunch that goes on for a couple of hours!

Try this hungry emergency game with your little ones and let us know how it goes!

This post is a part of Big Words Little Foodies from Jenna of KidAppeal, who is encouraging parents to keep track of funny quotes their kids come up with at mealtime. Check her column out for stories from other parents.

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The Building Blocks of Nutrition for Children with Food Allergies

by TwinToddlersDad on March 8, 2010

in Ask The Expert, Helpful Tips

This is a guest post by Lauren Morgan to support the National Nutrition Month® along a theme of Nutrition From the Ground Up.

Lauren Morgan

B.S. Human Ecology & Nutrition (University of Tennessee)
Dietetic internship (University of Maryland)
Website: Lauren Morgan
Blog: The Blue Plate Special
Twitter: @lagmorgan
Contact: via email from website

One of my favorite topics is food allergies because it is so personal to me. My parents discovered I was allergic to peanuts when I found the peanut butter in the cupboard, and then they found a little girl who was swollen as could be. Soon after, I found that I was allergic to tree nuts (all of them), green peas, salmon, and soy. Even though my parents had to steer me away from all of these dangers, they were still able to feed me a wholesome, nutritious diet. For those of you who have children, grandchildren, or loved ones with food allergies you know just how hard this can be!

Based on what I have learned from my own life living with food allergies and now that I am in the field of nutrition, I have developed some building blocks for developing healthy, nutritious lifestyles in children with food allergies:

Eliminate the allergens. This one seems like common sense, but it is very important. Completely eliminate the food allergen(s) from your child’s diet, and if necessary, their home environment.
Look for balance. Check out the great resources at MyPyramid.gov (check out the section for preschoolers) to see what a balanced diet looks like and compare what your child can eat. Try including foods from as many of the food groups as you can. If your child has multiple allergies this may not be possible, so include as many foods as they can eat from each group.
Keep it interesting. Children like foods that look interesting to them, so try to have variety to keep your kid interested and feeling like they get to eat many foods. One great way to do this is to add different colors. Try doing red, yellow, and orange peppers sometime- the colors are so bright they just stick out to kids!
Talk with your kids. It is so important to talk with your children about their food allergies. They should know what foods to avoid, why they should avoid them, and how to share this information with teachers, friends, and out at restaurants as they get older.
Have fun! Children can feel deprived when their diets are limited and they can’t eat the same foods as their friends. Try cooking together with them to make some fun dishes. For example, if your child cannot have pizza, make your own! Try a fruit pizza and let them pick the fruits that they add. There is so much room to be creative and kids will have fun with it, too!

Here are a few useful websites for more information on food allergy:

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
FoodInsight.org Resources on Food Allergy
American Academy of Asthma Allergy & Immunology

What has worked for you? Share your tips in comments below.

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Five for Fridays – Mar 5, 2010

by TwinToddlersDad on March 5, 2010

in Five For Fridays

Greetings! This month, the American Dietetic Association is running its National Nutrition Month® campaign. It is a public awareness program designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. This objective is very much aligned with the focus of Littlestomaks because we are all about helping parents of toddlers make smart choices about their child’s nutrition and lifelong healthy eating habits. That is why I will be supporting this campaign by writing articles along this year’s theme of Nutrition From The Ground Up. I would like to call upon my fellow nutrition and food bloggers to do the same! I am also open to ideas if you want to collaborate!

It is Friday again, which means it is time for the usual Five for Fridays! Here are 5 nutrition related articles that caught my eye. Enjoy and do share your opinion in the comments below.

Link between childhood obesity and heart disease gains strength

30% of obese 3-5 year old children show higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), which is linked to inflammation and is known to predict heart disease and stroke. This is nearly twice the rate at which high levels of CRP are seen in children with healthy weight. This data is based on a recent study of 16,000 children between the ages of 1-17 published in the journal Pediatrics and cited in this week’s Wall Street Journal.

It does not mean that children who show high levels of CRP will definitely develop heart disease when they become adults. This is because CRP can be elevated due to a lot of other reasons. Still, this is a strong link between obesity and heart disease and suggests that early childhood obesity needs our immediate attention. The question I would like to get answered is if these high levels of CRP can be reversed in obese children if their weight is managed as they grow. If I find out, I will write about it!

Flooded by snacks, kids are becoming constant eaters

Kids get 27% of their daily calories from salty, fatty and sugary snacks and constant nibbling starts as early as 2! This is what a recent snacking study found from surveys of over 31,000 kids. Clearly, this is becoming a big challenge for most parents who are trying hard to encourage their kids to develop healthy eating habits. Availability of all kinds of snacks combined with our culture of bringing something to eat for every event means that kids are constantly munching.

I think the main problem is that there is no separation anymore between a regular meal and snacks – which are supposed to manage our hunger level between meals and not act as a substitute. To that end, it is important to drive an understanding – and acceptance – of this notion of separating meals from snacks at an early age. And of course, we as parents have to be a role model by consistently showing the desired behavior.

It is not about healthy snacks, although a lot of products claim to be just that. It is about healthy choices which kids should be empowered to make right from the start. If they recognize their hunger cues, and are in the habit of eating full, wholesome meals at regular times, I am sure they will be able to manage snacks on their own.

If you are facing this situation, check out these handy tips on managing snacks and treats by one of our experts.

Confused about which diet to pick? Get your genes checked!

We have all heard about low-carb and low-fat diets, and you have probably tried them all! If nothing seems to work, check out this new technology of a genetic test for diet. It may just point you to the right direction!

It is yet another weapon in our fight against overweight and obesity. Now you can find out if you are genetically predisposed to lose weight on a low carb diet or on a low fat diet. In a study of 133 overweight women, a substantially higher weight loss was reported when their diet was matched with their genetic predisposition. A separate study shows that 45% of white women have the low carb genotype while 39% have the low fat genotype. The test looks at variations in 3 genes known to affect metabolism of fat and carbohydrates.

Don’t run out to get this test yet because these results are far from conclusive. More research is needed especially with a larger group of men and women across different racial demographics. It is an important trend however, we are finally in the era of personalized medicine and nutrition!

FDA issues warning letters to rein in food labels

This week the FDA issued several warning letters to 18 food companies including high profile names such as Nestle, POM Wonderful and Beech-nut. The big guns are out to shoot down the front-of-box claims, which according to some, are getting out of control these days. There are some, including the prominent Marion Nestle, who are suggesting an outright ban on these front-of-box labels.

If you look closely at the reasons for most of these warning letters you will notice something interesting. FDA is complaining that labels like “low sodium”, “low fiber”, “plus vitamins and minerals” are not allowed on products intended for children 2 years or younger because appropriate dietary levels have not been established for children in this age range. Now whose fault is that? Clearly, inaction from the FDA has created a vacuum which is being filled by savvy marketers. It is also clear that there is a need for front-of-the box labels. Busy consumers do not have time to read and absorb the Nutrition Facts and ingredients list on the back or side panels. They want something quick that helps them decide whether they should buy a certain product or not.

The rest of the world is already moving ahead with standardizing front-of-box labels, an example of which is the traffic light food labeling system. There is no perfect answer, but we need something that works. I hope the FDA takes this on and not simply try to appear like they are doing something by issuing warning letters!

Big Words from Little Foodies

Finally a shout out for my blogger friend Jenna of KidAppeal, who is running a weekly column on her blog called Big Words from Little Foodies. She is inviting toddler parents to share mealtime funny comments they hear from their kids in response to the food on the table. We have had a lot of fun lately with our twins as we try to engage them with funny stories and watch their response! Check out stories from other parents and recipes they have shared as part of this column. We too have contributed to it with articles like diesel food for a diesel engine and eating salad like a giraffe! Share your stories of mealtime fun in comments below.

Enjoy and let me know what is on your mind.

Photo Source: just jane on Flickr via everystockphoto
©2010 Littlestomaks.com

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Product Review – Plum Organics Tots Fiddlesticks

by TwinToddlersDad on March 4, 2010

in Organic Foods, Product Reviews

We discovered the Plum Organics brand products recently. After trying their mish-mash fruit purees, which our twins liked a lot, we decided to check out these baked fruit and snack grain sticks. Once again, it was quite a hit and the pack of 12 “berry” fiddlesticks was gone in only a couple of days!

You can find them in Babies ‘R Us and Whole Foods.

Here is what we like about this product -

USDA certified organic
No saturated fat or trans fat
No cholesterol
Gluten free
Uses brown rice flour, tapioca flour, garbanzo bean flour
Only 40 calories in a serving of 2 sticks – good for portion control

Here is what we don’t like about this product -

Very little fruit, although the packaging is quite attractive with pictures of fruits and vegetables
There is added sugar even though in small amounts
No denying that this is processed food – yet, there aren’t any vitamins and minerals. Surprising because part of The Plum Promise according to the package is “always nutrient rich”. I would consider this simply as a fruity cookie!

We are still excited about this product because the twins loved it and because it can be a handy treat with a build in portion-control feature.

Disclaimer – I have not received any sponsorship or free samples of product from Plum Organics for writing this review. For complete nutritional information and other products, visit Plum Organic’s website.

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