Ask the Expert – Managing Food Allergies

by TwinToddlersDad on March 17, 2013

in Ask The Expert,Food Allergy


KristiWinkels2
Kristi Winkels, RD

Question: We know that my son has major food allergies which include nuts. How do you decide which one to ignore?

Answer:

Knowing which nuts to avoid can be a challenge. First, it is important to distinguish between “nuts”. People often put peanuts and tree nuts in the same category when actually, peanuts and tree nuts are in two separate allergen categories. This is because peanuts are technically legumes, not nuts. It is possible for a person to have a tree nut allergy but still tolerate peanuts and vice versa.

To make things even more complicated, an allergy to one type of tree nut does not necessarily mean an allergy to all types of tree nuts. You can review the list of tree nuts on my website.

Determining which nuts to avoid can be done in a few ways. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), food allergies are most often diagnosed by history. Your child may have eaten something and had symptoms of an allergic reaction shortly after. Taking note of all of the foods that might have been responsible for this reaction is an important part of diagnosis. In children especially, the culprit is often a “new” food, but could also be something that has been eaten with no symptoms in the past.

Once you suspect a food (or foods), the next step is to be tested for an allergy to the food(s). An allergist or immunologist is best qualified to do testing which can include skin prick testing or a blood test. Using your child’s history helps the allergist determine what allergens should be tested. Specific tree nuts can be tested which would help your allergist to determine which tree nuts your child should avoid.

Allergists will often recommend avoiding all tree nuts because of the high risk of cross contamination between the various types of nuts during processing and packaging. It is important to ask your allergist for a recommendation specific to your child. This will likely be based on history and allergy testing done and will be individualized for your child.

Luckily, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 states that foods containing the top 8 allergens must identify those allergens on the label (this includes peanuts and tree nuts). The type of tree nut must be specified on the label making it easier for those avoiding specific tree nuts.

The labeling law, however, does not require labels to include advisory statements such as “May contain traces of tree nuts”. If you’re concerned about cross-contamination, it is best to contact the company to be sure.

References:

  1. US FDA food allergen labeling
  2. Eating with Food Allergies: tree nuts allergy
  3. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology: food allergy tips

©2013 Littlestomaks.com. All Rights Reserved

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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5 Ways to Combat Rising Food Prices

by TwinToddlersDad on July 29, 2012

in Food Facts,Helpful Tips

More than half of the United States is in a severe draught and there is no sign of relief. I was shocked to see this image of a midwest corn field and wondered how the framers must be feeling these days. Anyway, what caught my eye was the news that food prices were expected to rise because of the draught across our nation’s breadbasket. With the economy still depressed, I wonder how much additional stress this is going to cause on a family’s food budget.

It is important to note that the draught is mostly impacting corn production, which is a staple for processed foods and animal feed. Not saying it is good at all, but this is expected to result in beef prices going up by 4-5% with slightly lower increase for pork, eggs and dairy products.

I think we can use this information to our advantage to combat the expected rise in food prices. Similar to the ideas I wrote about in my post 5 ways to by organic on a budget, here are some ideas for you to consider.

Cut down on processed food and snacks

Corn ends up in nearly all processed foods and snacks. If corn supply is reduced, you can bet the prices of processed foods and snacks will also go up. Even if you don’t see the actual price of the product go up, one way manufacturers will pass on the cost is by reducing the amount you get in the box. Either way, you will end up paying more for these products. You can save quite a lot of money by cutting down on these processed foods. Here is some expert advice on how to move from excessive snacking to healthy foods!

Cut down on animal products and frozen foods

Corn goes into animal feed, which is why beef prices are expected to rise. Even though, the average price is expected to go up by only 4-5%, it can put a big dent in your weekly food bill. Unless you go for grass-fed beef, which happens to be expensive anyway, you will feel the effect of this price increase if you are used to beef and beef products on a weekly basis. Sure no summer barbecue is complete without a juicy hamburger, but cutting down on beef in this situation will not only help your pocket book but also help you cut down on saturated fats and cholesterol. As for frozen foods, they tend to be more expensive because of the processing, transportation and energy costs. Plus they usually have a lot of sodium. Cutting down on these foods is also a good way of saving money and improving your health. Frozen vegetables don’t fall in this category unless they are processed in a sauce.

Try vegetarian sources of protein

You might think that cutting down on beef and animal products will cut down on your family’s protein intake. In general, a typical American diet is already quite rich in protein due to heavy use of dairy products and protein-rich processed foods. However, if you are concerned, you could consider a variety of vegetarian sources of protein such as beans, lentils, quinoa, tofu/soy products, nuts (unless there is an allergy issue). Here are 5 sources of vegetarian proteins you can try.

 Buy fresh and prepare meals at home

It may seem like fresh produce costs more at the supermarket, but the overall cost of a home cooked meal is still lower than processed food or eating out. Family meals are a powerful way to raise a healthy eater at home, which is not only good for nutrition but also strengthening your family ties. Check out the recipe section for ideas on simple, kid-friendly recipes! Want to make it more fun? Get your kids to help out!! Here are tips from the USDA for smart shopping of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Buy in bulk

If these ideas require you to make a big change in your lifestyle, you can try to reduce the impact of high food prices by buying in bulk at a Costco or Sam’s Club. Keep in mind though that sooner or later, even they will have to increase prices or raise their membership fee to pass on the extra cost. We try to use these discount stores for household supplies not for food products.

 

Bottom line – the processed food industry is going to be most impacted by the shortage in corn supply due to the draught. If you reduce your consumption of processed foods, you can easily avoid this situation!

photo by: bionicteaching

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Incredible But True: Rice Contains Arsenic (But Don’t Panic)

by TwinToddlersDad on July 22, 2012

in Food safety

I didn’t believe it either when I read an article recently about arsenic in rice. Yet it seems to be true, which is quite a concern for us because we eat rice almost every day. Many of the popular snacks for kids contain rice. Rice cereal is typically the first solid food given to babies. Some toddler formula, claiming to be organic, contain Organic Brown Rice Syrup (ORBS). Bottom line, rice is very common in both adult and baby foods which makes the issue of arsenic in rice a big concern for parents.

No wonder there was quite a coverage in the news media early this year when a study was published by researchers at Dartmouth which showed high amounts of inorganic arsenic (the bad kind) in formula and food products containing ORBS. Sure it made big news and caused a lot of anxiety for a while. Even Dr. Oz demonized apple juice to make a point about arsenic in a common foods!

But then, like always, the media moved on to other more alarming news. Meanwhile, parents were left without any solid guidance wondering if they were inadvertently poisoning their kids. Turns out, even the FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) does not have any guidance on the allowable level of arsenic in foods although the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has established a limit of 10 parts per billion in drinking water (which means that 1 L of drinking water cannot have more than 10 micrograms).

So what should a parent do? Here are a few suggestions:

Know the Facts

Arsenic is a common element in the soil, which means it can find its way into foods. The question is not if arsenic is present in the food supply, but how much of it is safe. There are toxic chemicals in everything we encounter, some naturally present, some because of industrial pollution. What we need is to know what chemicals are present and limit them to a safe level. In case of arsenic in food, such a level has not been established – but there is no reason to believe that our food is contaminated to such a high level that it poses a very high risk to our health.

Rice has been found to have the highest level of inorganic arsenic. There are several reasons for this – rice is grown in standing water, which may have been contaminated with arsenic. This situation exists in Bangladesh where very high levels of arsenic have been detected in well water. Arsenic containing pesticides are another source of arsenic contamination in soil and water. This situation exists in many areas in the southern US states such as Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, where rice is grown on fields previously used for cotton when arsenic based pesticides were common. Rice from California, on the other hand, has lower levels of arsenic.

Second reason why rice contains high levels of arsenic is because the rice plant, even if grown organically, absorbs arsenic from the soil very well. Turns out that arsenic is very similar to silicon, another element that the rice plant is very good at soaking up. If the soil and water in which rice is grown contains arsenic, then it will readily end up in the grain.

Minimize Consumption and Check the Source

I am not suggesting you give up on rice or rice containing foods completely. But keep it under control – like everything else, you need to consume these foods in moderation. How much is safe depends on the body weight – for adults, normal consumption of rice should be a couple of servings a day, not more than 100 g or so. According to recent estimates, people who eat more than 115 g of high arsenic rice (produced in southern US for example) can exceed the EPA drinking water limit.

It is even more of an issue for children because of their body weight. Limit the amount of foods from sources suspected of having harmful chemicals – this rule applies to everything, not just arsenic.

As I wrote before, it is important to check where the rice was produced. It is easier said than done, because this information is nearly impossible to find for processed foods. Basmati rice is considered to be a safe choice, although it is important to keep an eye on where it is coming from.

Consumer reports recently published data on arsenic in several brands of apple juice.

Watch for Latest Developments

Even though, there is no guidance from the FDA on safe arsenic levels, they seem to be working on it. FDA claims to routinely monitor arsenic in apple juice and now they have expanded the program to arsenic in rice and rice based foods. A study is expected to come out this year.

Bottom line – be informed, read the labels, check the source and consume in moderation.

photo by: ♥siebe ©

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When I Grow Up

by TwinToddlersDad on December 19, 2011

in Having Fun

Recently, my 5 year old son came up to me and announced his desire to become a train engineer when he grew up! Everyone in the family, by now, is aware of his fascination with trains, which consumes him every minute of the day. But this was taking it a little too far, I thought to myself. No doubt, train engineers do important work, but their profession is not generally considered to be at the top of the list. Such lack of ambition bothered me a little at first.

What happened next was an interesting turn of events through the day which took me on an emotional roller-coaster ride. I share this experience in an article on whattoexpect.com and I invite you all to check it out.

Here is the link to When I Grow Up. Share your thoughts and feelings in a comment below.

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

 

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Vitamin D Calculator for iPhone and iPad

by TwinToddlersDad on December 6, 2011

in Product Reviews,Vitamins

Exciting news everyone! After a lot of work over the last few months, our vitamin D calculator app for iPhone and iPad is finally live on Apple’s iTunes app store. It is a really cool app which allows you to easily estimate the daily intake of vitamin D from foods, multivitamins and casual sun exposure. It also connects you to a vitamin D calculator page on Facebook and Twitter.

Click on the link below for a free download! Don’t forget to rate and write a review.

Vitamin D Calculator - Naveen Agarwal

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Fun with food: 10 ideas to help your kid eat healthy

by TwinToddlersDad on September 26, 2011

in Helpful Tips

This is a guest post by Amanda Kidd. By profession, she is a writer and internet marketer . She is a health buff and a strict follower of a healthy lifestyle. Her health guide specifically includes healthy food to maintain physical and mental health. She also helps parents with her write up regarding health problems in children.

It has often been seen that kids are very fussy about food. They usually prefer junk food that does not have any nutrition. They fail to understand that proper nutrition is very essential for their overall development. It is the parents’ responsibility to teach them healthy food habits. If kids consume nutritious food right from the beginning, they will obviously grow up to become healthier human beings.

One main reason for the children to opt for junk is that they feel it is tastier and looks attractive as well as delicious. Today, fast food centers are coming up with smart ideas to prepare and serve their junk food. We often find food being served in pretty boxes with cute toys, different colors, funny shapes and mouth-watering smell. All this is sure to attract these kids who do not understand that the delicious-looking food actually lacks all the nutrition.

In such circumstances, parents should come forward to help their kids in developing good eating habits. Kids often have the misconception that healthy food is boring. This is not true. Nutritious food can also be turned into tasty and interesting preparation.

Kids often like to add some fun to their food, so why not be a little creative and turn your daily food into something funny that would attract the kids toward the dining table? It is generally seen that all kids love finger foods, different types of dips and scoops, different sauces and toppings, colorful frosting and fillings, unique shapes and foods that they can easily have on the go. All these features can even be added to nutritious homemade food.

So, do not worry about how you will convince your kids to have healthy food daily. Modify your food and add the fun factor to it and see your kids grab it. Some of the ideas that can help your kids eat nutritious food are:

  1. Give them breads and biscuits made of whole grain. Try and find biscuits with interesting shapes. You can also cut them at home to give them funny shapes.
  2. If your kid loves dips, you can prepare healthy dips at home with the help of yoghurt, cheese and fruits. These will look good and taste awesome.
  3. Make healthy vegetable sandwiches with onions, cucumbers, tomatoes or any other vegetable that your kids like.
    Instead of making a simple round pancake, try being creative and give different shapes to the pancakes and offer it to your kids in the breakfast.
  4. You can also make tasty fruit salads by mixing different kinds of colorful fruits. Kids often love berries so you can encourage them to eat strawberries, blueberries or any other berry of their choice.
  5. If they really want to have pizza, prepare one at home. Use whole grain and add the toppings of their choice to make their personal pizza.
  6. Another idea to make them eat good food is to involve them while shopping for vegetables, cooking or serving. Let them take the decision.
  7. They will love it. It has always been seen that the kids who love cooking often enjoy eating.
  8. A lot of whole grain pasta and noodles are available in the market. You can prepare them with lots of sauce and vegetables. Kids will love it.
  9. You can also prepare smoothies with fruits, yoghurt or milk. It is very tasty as well nutritious.
  10. Encourage them to snack on some healthy nuts, popcorn, salads or fruits. Also, make them develop the habit of drinking lots of water.

Try these ideas and watch your kids developing healthy eating habits. Eating good food is very essential. These days, as most of the parents are working, they have very little time to think about the food their kids are eating. The ideas given above are simple and easy to follow. They are good for your kids and make them enjoy whatever they eat.

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How to use psychology to talk to your children about nutrition

by TwinToddlersDad on August 15, 2011

in Helpful Tips

This is a guest post by Allison Gamble, who has been a curious student of psychology since high school. She brings her understanding of the mind to work in the weird world of internet marketing, and is still trying to teach herself not to clean her plate.

Human Snowman
Creative Commons License photo credit: left-hand

Food and nutrition are difficult subjects for adults, and even more so for kids. A child’s taste preferences are influenced by outside sources almost from birth, so it doesn’t take a psychology degree to realize that it’s necessary for parents to guide them in making healthy food choices.

Clearly, your kids don’t think about nutrition the way you do, so you need to look at things from their perspective in order to avoid common pitfalls in the emotional realm of food and eating.

Kids and Healthy Eating Habits

Kids begin to develop preferences for food at a very young age. If you want your kids to grow up eating a variety of foods, aim to give them a number of options as these preferences develop. As they get older, encourage them to choose different kinds of healthful, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Even if you make many wholesome foods available, chances are your kids will want something sweet from time to time. Instead of slapping a label of “bad” or “unhealthy” on desserts and treats that will turn these foods into guilty pleasures, allow your children to eat them in reasonable portions. If they ask why they can’t have more, use their questions as an opportunity to talk about how different foods affect the body. Your kids will probably notice that they feel better after eating fruits and vegetables than after candy or cake, and helping them to understand why goes a long way towards giving them the tools to make good food choices in the future.

Above all, be a positive role model for your kids. If you’re constantly hung up on calories, fat content, carbs or weight, your kids will be too. Remember that kids are extremely observant and will often do what they see you doing, regardless of what you say.

The Many Faces of Food

For kids and adults alike, food is more than just physical nourishment. Advertisers work hard to target kids by using specific situations, emotions, and ideas to convince youngsters that eating a certain food will yield a positive result. Unfortunately, parents can be just as much at fault when it comes to attaching emotion to food. Saying things like, “You can’t have cake until you finish your vegetables,” or “If you’re good today, we’ll go get ice cream,” sets kids up to think of food in terms of reward or punishment instead of health and nutrition.

Odds are, your kids know how to listen to their bodies much better than you do. Young children haven’t yet been exposed to societal pressures that make adults fixate on food choices. Kids naturally eat when they’re hungry and stop when they’re full, an instinct that’s important to honor. Forcing kids to clean their plates when they’re not hungry or don’t feel well leads to the feeling that they must eat even if they don’t want to, undermining the natural cycle of hunger and fullness. Don’t worry if your child doesn’t eat very much one day or decides he’s not hungry. Instead, let the matter drop and go do something else he enjoys. When he’s ready to eat, he’ll let you know.

Teaching kids to make healthy food choices is as much a matter of showing as it is of telling. Giving kids a positive perspective through discussion and being a good role model leads to intelligent choices based on facts about nutrition rather than perceived ideas of good and bad. Kids know how to listen to their bodies, so as a parent, all you have to do is nurture that natural instinct.

In summary

  • Encourage your children towards healthful, whole foods.
  • Don’t turn desserts and treats into guilty pleasures or rewards.
  • Be a positive role model
  • Let your child eat intuitively. They’ll eat when they get hungry. Don’t force it.

What has worked for you? Share your tips!

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

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Not So Wild About Farmed Salmon For Vitamin D

by TwinToddlersDad on July 18, 2011

in Vitamins

ocean's
Creative Commons License photo credit: Naomi Ibuki

When it comes to getting vitamin D from food, salmon is popularly known as one of the best sources. The Office of Dietary Supplements, a department of the National Institute of Health, lists a 3 oz serving of salmon (sockeye) as having over 100% of daily value of vitamin D. Salmon is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, one of the healthy fats your growing child needs for brain development.

I was, therefore, very surprised when I looked at the nutrition facts panel of a can of pink salmon at the grocery store this weekend. It did not list any vitamin D at all!

How can it be when the common knowledge is that salmon provides a high level of vitamin D?

Turns out that not all salmon is created equal when it comes to vitamin D, or even other healthful nutrients. The problem seems to be an abundance of farmed salmon in our food supply, both in the fresh seafood section as well as canned and prepared meals.

As I researched this issue further, I came upon a scientific paper by Dr. Holick and co-workers from Boston University, who actually measured the amount of vitamin D in both wild salmon and farmed salmon. They found that the farmed variety contained 10-25% of the amount of vitamin D available in salmon. Dr. Holick explains the difference in this video, simply in terms of what the two feed on:

While the wild salmon could have as high as 1000 IU of vitamin D, the farmed variety contains about 250. There is also considerable debate about PCB’s, dioxins, antibiotics and artificial colors in farmed salmon.

Looking at it from the lower nutritional value and health/environmental risks, I am not sure if low price of farmed salmon is a good reason to make the choice. Not saying you need to give up on farmed salmon, but you certainly need to factor these issues in your purchase decision.

Another thing to keep in mind, vitamin D in wild salmon can vary in a broad range depending on the source and type. Ask questions and read the nutrition facts label before buying.

Here is a nice summary of the amount of vitamin D from various fish sources (Source: Holick paper)

Type of Fish Vitamin D (IU)
Blue fish 280 ± 68
 Cod 104 ± 24
 Grey Sole  56 ± 36
 Salmon, Farmed  240 ± 108
 Salmon, Wild 988 ± 524
 Trout, Farmed 388 ± 212
 Tuna Ahi-YT 404 ± 440

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

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Does Your Yogurt Contain Vitamin D?

by TwinToddlersDad on July 10, 2011

in Product Reviews,Vitamins

All milk in the United States is fortified with vitamin D (1 cup = 25% daily value). So it is natural to think that yogurt and yogurt products should also have vitamin D. After all, they are all made from milk.

Not really.

Although, there is a trend now to add vitamin D to yogurt, there are still a lot of products out there with no vitamin D.  I decided to do a little research this weekend at the local Walmart. Here is a summary of what I found:

 

Yoplait original is the top of the pack with 50% DV of both calcium and vitamin D. The new packaging shows this fact prominently on the front of the box. Stonyfield is another good option but their Oikos brand organic greek yogurt does not have any vitamin D. Dannon, our long time favorite has a lot of catching up to do!

When I asked my Twitter followers about this, @peekababy informed me that the Yobaby and Yokids brands from Stonyfield also has added vitamin D. Sure enough, a quick check on their website showed that they have 25% daily value of vitamin D added to each serving.

With so much news on vitamin D deficiency, especially in kids, you would think that all yogurt brands would start fortifying their products with vitamin D.

What is in your yogurt? Take a peek inside your refrigerator and check if your yogurt contains vitamin D or not. Then leave a note below with the brand name and amount of vitamin D in each serving.

Disclaimer – I have not received any sponsorship or free samples of product for writing this review. For complete nutritional information check out the websites of these products.

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

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Simple Recipes – Stuffed Green Peppers (Biber Dolma)

by TwinToddlersDad on June 30, 2011

in Simple Recipes

Now that our herbs and veggie garden is beginning to produce, we decided to prepare one of our favorite recipes with fresh green peppers. It is very simple, yet quite wholesome. We make it quite often, but using fresh peppers from the garden really gave a nice flavor.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

  • 1/2 dozen medium sized green bell peppers
  • 1/2 lb lean ground beef
  • 1/2 cup basmati rice
  • 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped or crushed in a food processor
  • 1 tomato , sliced
  • 1 tomato, crushed in a food processor
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 1 tsp tomato paste
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt, pepper to taste

Method

Saute onion in olive oil. Add crushed tomato, salt an pepper and cook until onions are soft. Add ground beef and cook until beef turns light brown, stirring occasionally. Add rice and mix well. Cook for a little while more. Rice does not need to cook completely.

Wash green peppers. Slice off the cap but keep it aside for covering the peppers later. Remove seeds to create a cavity. Wash well.

Fill the pepper cavity with cooked beef and rice mixture. Don’t overpack but fill to the top. Cover with the cap and arrange in a deep pot. Arrange sliced tomatoes in a layer on top. Add warm water, tomato paste and remaining juice, if available, from the beef mixture around the peppers. Water level should be high enough to cover the peppers a little over half way.  Cook covered on low to medium heat until peppers and tomatoes are cooked to the desired softness.

 

Peppers are  a good source of fiber, vitamin C, iron, calcium and potassium.

Biber Dolma is the Turkish name for this recipe!

Enjoy!

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

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