What would the world look like without Moms?

A profound question, one which most of us will have a hard time answering. Check this out:

I am so glad my daughter decided to write this note to her mom on the card I helped her prepare last night:

I think CHERISH is the right word for Mom.

Happy Mother’s Day!

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

We enjoyed a beautiful sunny day to celebrate Easter Sunday!

After an early morning egg hunt with other toddlers in the neighborhood, the twins played hard in the backyard. As the morning turned into noon, it was time for lunch, which they insisted on having outside as a “picnic”!

Here they are,  munching on a turkey-cheese sandwich and cheesy cauliflower. A strawberry-banana fruit/veggie punch from V8 (12 g sugar per serving) went along as the drink.

Hope your family had a wonderful Easter today!

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

Spring is here, which means it is time to start planting again. This year, we have decided to plant new tomatoes, beans and sweet peppers in our raised bed vegetable garden. And a few of our favorite herbs separately in pots.

Here are few pictures of herbs – parsley, cilantro, Thai basil and mint.

It is great to see green around us in the backyard once again. What are you planting this year?

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

Happy New Year! Hope you all had a wonderful time with your loved ones over the Holidays.

I took a little break from blogging but now it feels great to be back! I am looking forward to continuing our journey in child nutrition in 2011, but first I would like to invite you to check out these top 10 posts of 2010 in terms of page views and comments. Some of them were written in 2009 and made the list then, but continued to attract interest in 2010. Science driven, yet practical, nutrition knowledge indeed can be timeless in some ways! Thank you for interest and support over these years.

Whether you are a brand new visitor – or a regular reader of this blog – I hope you will find them interesting and useful as you try to manage your growing child’s nutrition needs. Share your own experience, offer advice, or simply ask a question in your comments below. I would love to hear from you!

	Simple Recipes – Chicken with Quinoa   This is a very easy recipe to make! Quinoa, in my opinion, is the unrecognized superfood because it is a good source of protein and low glycemic index carbs. It also provides a good mix of vitamins and minerals.
	Milk Allergy and Ear Infections   Dairy allergy can be one of the underlying causes of recurring ear infections. This article by Jasmine Jafferali, MPH, explores this issue in a simple, yet practical, Q&A format.
	Ask the Expert – Sushi and Toddlers  If you are a sushi lover and you are thinking about introducing your toddler to sushi, you have got to read this informative piece from registered dietitian Janet Helm. She writes a great blog at Nutrition Unplugged with tons of excellent information about nutrition and food trends.
	All Natural Toddler Multivitamin   My review of Floradix Kinder Love Children’s Multivitamin Liquid Extract Formula attracted a lot of attention because it is based on herbal extracts and fruit juices. It claims to be easy on the child’s digestive system while providing vitamins A, B, C, D and E. It is not a good source of minerals.
	Looking for a Multivitamin Supplement?  This is a “mini” guide to toddler vitamin supplements on the market. If you are considering a supplement for your child, you can use a simple comparison chart in this post. Centrum Kids and Flintstones Complete offer a good balance of complete vitamins and minerals. But the most important advice is to rely on a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
	Product Reviews – Buddy Fruits  This is a simple fruit puree and makes a healthy snack when you are on the go. When we found it in our local supermarket early last year, it wasn’t as commonly available as it is now. Can be a little messy for small children, but overall not a bad choice for a quick snack.
	Basmati Rice: It is Very Easy to Cook and You Will Love It’s Flavor and Fragrance  We love basmati rice! It is an excellent source of low glycemic index carbohydrates. Try my simple recipe to cook it as a separate side dish. You can also try some of the links in this post for other great recipes.
	Simple Recipes – Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms  This is a simple variation of our recipe Chicken with Pasta and Vegetables. It hardly takes any time to prepare and we save it for those hectic days when we have to quickly put something together for dinner.
	Traffic Light and Food Labeling  Clearly, consumers want simple and easy to understand front of the box food labels. FDA is worried about accuracy and manipulation by the food industry. A traffic light based food labeling system is gaining popularity in UK and Australia. It is not perfect, but clearly a step in the right direction.
	Milk Choices for Toddlers   Registered dietitian Jill Castle offers an overview of several different milk choices for toddlers in case cow’s milk is a concern. Jill blogs about child nutrition at Just the Right Byte.

Web statistics are surely important, but here are a few of my personal favorites. I hope you will check them out and leave me a comment with your opinion!

1. Surprising easy solution for preventing childhood obesity
2. How worried should you be about your underweight child?
3. Do children need more vitamin D?
4. Nutrition trivia – 10 facts to know about protein
5. Resting metabolic rate and weight management

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

We are finally back after a 2-week long family visit to India! It has taken us a full week to get back to our normal schedule. Finally, the twins are sleeping through the night and not waking up at 3 a.m. in the morning! Traveling back and forth across more than 10 time zones had its challenges, but the trip was worth it and a lot of fun.

Hopefully, you have enjoyed the fabulous guest articles while we were away. Here is the complete list in case you missed any of these articles:

Want Your Kids to Eat More Veggies? Teach Them How to Cook!

Meal Makeover – Family Pizza Night

Ask the Expert – Feeding a Picky Eater

When Food and Sinusitis Meet – Reflux

Heart Disease in Children?

14 Healthy Habits We Can Learn From Children

Ask the Expert – Soy Milk Alternatives

Gardening With Kids

I am looking forward to getting back to sharing our ongoing adventures in child nutrition!

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

This is a guest article by pediatric ENT specialist Dr. Russell A. Faust, who blogs at Ask the Boogor Doctor.

We adults with reflux know it as heartburn. Other symptoms include burping and sour taste. That sour taste is regurgitation of stomach contents to the back of the throat (yuk!).

It’s called gastro-esophageal reflux (GER), and more than 135 Million, or about 44% of Americans, have reflux at least every month.

Babies, Infants, Children

We know reflux in babies and infants as “spitting up,” and we can all recognize the spitty baby from the white curds on their chin.

Most of these babies will outgrow their reflux without harm, and without intervention. Most will never have symptoms.

A small minority of infants and children with reflux will experience symptoms. Symptoms of reflux in children can be stealthy. They almost never complain of heartburn. The symptoms that they experience are usually indirect – they cough, wheeze, have chronic throat-clearing, recurrent bronchitis, or chronic sinusitis.

This is when simple GER becomes GER Disease, or GERD.

What I wanted to review here today is a connection that does not seem intuitive – that between reflux and sinusitis.

How in the World Can Reflux Cause Sinusitis?

Similar to the link between reflux and ear infections, there are two schools of thought on this connection:

1. The first is based on a theory called the Unified Airway Model. This theory states that, because the upper aero-digestive tract is derived of the same lining, any inflammation occurring anywhere in that tract will stimulate the other areas also. Simply put, otitis can cause sinusitis, can cause asthma, etc. There is pretty good scientific support for this theory.
2. The second thought it that if reflux reaches the back of the throat and lining of the nose, the resulting inflammation and swelling can cause sinusitis. There is pretty good scientific support for this theory too:  studies have found gastric enzymes inside the middle ears (in cases of chronic otitis), or inside the sinuses (in cases of chronic sinusitis). This is pretty direct evidence that gastric contents has been regurgitated up to that level of the upper airway (not a pretty thought).

What is the Clinical Evidence for a Connection?

A study reported in 1999 (Bothwell) found that 89% of their pediatric candidates for sinus surgery were able to avoid surgery simply by treating for reflux.  89% avoided surgery!!

A study published one year later (Phipps) reported that 63% of children with chronic sinus disease had reflux, and that sinusitis improved in 79% of them when their reflux was treated.

That same year (2000), another group (Yellon) reported an even stronger correlation between reflux esophagitis and sinusitis:  When they looked at the esophagus (food swallowing tube leading to the stomach) they found inflammation of the esophagus (esophagitis) in 100% of the children with sinusitis. That is, in their study every child with sinusitis had reflux esophagitis.

These correlations do not prove that reflux causes these symptoms, but there is strong implication.

What Can You Do With This Information?

Other symptoms to raise suspicion for GERD include:

• Cough, worse at night
• Wheezing, worse at night
• Choking at night
• Stomach ache, worse in the morning
• Chronic throat-clearing, worse in the morning
• Recurrent bronchitis
• Recurrent and chronic sinusitis
• Failure to thrive (difficulty gaining weight)

If your little monkey has chronic sinusitis, or any of these other symptoms, reflux should be considered as a contributing factor. Improving, or even eliminating, the symptoms might simply be a matter of treating the reflux. It still amazes me that I “cure” asthma or sinusitis in my clinic when I recognize reflux as the major causative actor and treat it.

Ask your pediatrician or pediatric boogor doctor about it.

Finally, Jan Gambino’s book, Reflux 101, is a great place to start if you have questions reflux in your infant or child, and what you can to do about it.

Next month I am reviewing how we test for reflux, and treatment options for reflux (conventional and alternative), and I invite y’all to come visit.

Resources:

1. Nelson, Chen, Syniar, Christoffel. Prevalence of symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux in infancy. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine 151: 569-72; 1997.
2. Stroh BC, Faust RA, Rimell FL: Results of Esophageal Biopsies Performed During Triple Endoscopy in the Pediatric Patient. Archives of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, 124: 545-549; 1998.
3. Bothwell M, Parsons D, Talbot R, Barbero G, Wilder B. Outcome of reflux therapy on pediatric chronic sinusitis.  Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Vol. 121(3): 255-262; 1999.
4. Phipps CD, Wood WE, Gibson WS, Cochran WJ. Gastroesophageal reflux contributing to chronic sinus disease in children. Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Vol. 126: 831-836; 2000.
5. Yellon RF, Coticchia J, Dixit S. Esophageal biopsy for the diagnosis of gastroesophgeal reflux-associated otolaryngologic problems in children.  American Journal of Medicine. Vol. 108: 131s-138s; 2000.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Recently, I connected with Jan Hoadley of slowmoneyfarm through a Twitter chat on food. It occurred to me that she would have an interesting perspective on getting kids interested in food by connecting them to its source. I was delighted when she accepted my request to send an article on this theme to share with all of you. Here it is; enjoy and share your opinions in comments below.

photo credit: Vikas GarG

Getting kids to eat better can be tough. When my Godson visited this past summer he had a chance to go from consumer to participant in growing food. With age appropriate chores he helped move tubs of rabbit manure to layer in a renewed raised bed. He stated without hesitation moving “bunny poo” was his least favorite thing to do! But he also saw the results in mixing soil into the manure and the basil, bean and pea seeds that sprouted forth from the results.

He helped water peppers, dried rosemary and learned what different types of mint taste like. He chewed a leaf of stevia straight from the garden and appreciated the super sweet taste. He learned to harvest rose hips and what they are used for.

But he learned much more than that also. He learned to not take for granted the abundance of food at our grocery stores, whether it’s premium organic or just what one can afford. He learned chickens are not vegetarian when he held a worm up for me to see and a team of chickens closed in to snatch it from between his fingers! He learned to appreciate the chickens for the eggs that he collected, brought in and mixed up for French toast. He learned to cook eggs – with supervision – without worrying about doing it ‘wrong’.  And when he took it for granted he learned another lesson – just because we have plenty it’s not good to waste it. This was learned as he juggled three freshly collected eggs and watched all three break on the ground. He wasn’t too happy about the consequences of that but it’s something he likely won’t do again!

The concept of getting food from the garden or the chicken yard was foreign when he arrived, but when he left to go home he had a new appreciation of food that we so often take for granted. The work it takes to produce it took new meaning during a lesson with rosemary.

The rosemary bush he trimmed from is well established. He snipped a basket of stems, rinsed it off, arranged it in the dehydrator and adjusted it to the right temperature. Once dried he individually took the stems and stripped the leaves of rosemary to package. We talked about the price. “$10 for that?!” he said in disbelief as he looked at the package of rosemary. I asked him to ponder what his time was worth processing it, and the growing of it. Did he want to work all day for the price of a pizza? Or was this quality package of seasoning worth a fair price?

It brought not only an increased awareness of value but the choices we – and all consumers – make. He learned about the raising of rabbits with a new litter and the loss when a rabbit died. There was a chance to learn to make decisions and see the results of those decisions.

This can be reproduced anywhere. A small raised bed can be ornamental flowers or an ‘edible landscape’ that teaches as well as feeds. Many times children are more apt to try things when they see it grow and become food.

The connection to a food supply – even if just for one meal – can create an increased awareness about food. Once this is started, many children are naturally curious about “what else” is out there to learn.

Good food doesn’t have to be boring! From growing to processing to cooking it’s a chance to get kids involved! Groups like 4-H have been doing this for years, but it’s also done on farms across America.

Jan's Godson on the farm

My notes: Slow Money Farm offers you a chance to grow the garden you want. Unlike a CSA, you can pick and choose what you want them to grow for you in your garden spot. It is an interesting concept and very similar to something I have been independently thinking about for several years. One of the ideas I shared in a recent article to promote veggies was “why not establish community farms where people could rent a small space and grow veggies?” I am glad to learn that Slow Money Farm is doing something similar although I have not checked it out personally. I hope to learn more about them through Jan. In the meantime, go check out SlowMoneyFarm on Facebook.

Ever since we planted a small vegetable garden in our backyard in July, it has been a lot of fun watching the plants grow and actually bear some fruit. We planted 3 tomato plants, 3 Japanese eggplants and 3 sweet pepper plants. It wasn’t until yesterday that I noticed one red tomato on the vine. It was such a great sight after watering these plants for over 2 months. The single red tomato was in such a brilliant contrast with the green (and some brown) around it, I simply had to get the camera out and share a few pictures with you!

The brown leaves you see all over? I have not had much luck fighting against the bugs. Recently, I decided to try an “organic” pest control product. It was based on sesame oil and fish oil. I guess I may sprayed a little too much because it looks like my tomato plants are under a lot of stress. Any tips will be highly appreciated.

We have had much better luck with our pepper plants and eggplants. We harvested several green peppers for a fresh salad:

The good news is that the pepper plants are still active!

Last, but not the least, we have enjoyed the Japanese eggplants tremendously this season.  There have been quite a few for several rounds of our favorite grilled eggplant and yogurt salad.

Tell us what you have been growing this summer if you have a vegetable garden. Also share your protecting plants from pests in a natural, chemical-free way.

Enjoy!

photo credit: jbelluch

Would you offer Cheetos® to your 1 year old? What about soda?

I was at a birthday party this weekend where I noticed someone giving a small child a piece of Cheetos. The child clearly relished the taste as she licked away the last bits of cheese from her mom’s fingers. One point of view could be that it is ok to introduce different tastes at an early age. Others may say that this is how children get hooked on junk food and that is why we have a childhood obesity problem.

What do you think? Do you have a list of forbidden foods you will never let your child eat no matter what?

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

We are taking the idea of eat local to a whole new level…just kidding!

We now have a small vegetable garden in our backyard. I know it’s a little late because the summer in North Florida seems to be at its peak right now. But hey, better late than never, right?

Anyway, we have planted 3 Japanese eggplants, 3 sweet peppers, 3 tomatoes and a bunch of parsley and mint. I am using  a mix of simple top soil and cow manure in an attempt to stay away from heavy fertilizers. Not sure how it is going to turn out, but I want to give it a shot.

The main goal behind this garden is to get our twins interested in growing plants. I am hoping it would further increase their attachment to fruits and vegetables. They are beginning to show a little interest in getting water out of our rain barrels every evening to feed the plants and flowers. They also like to dig up the soil and make a mess everywhere! We are thinking of getting them a set of new colorful garden tools.

If you have a vegetable garden, I would love to hear your advice and suggestions about managing without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Please leave a comment below.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

News about childhood obesity is everywhere these days. Hardly a day goes by without a screaming headline in the media about this issue. Jamie Oliver has further popularized it by his TV show and even Mrs Obama has taken up this cause via her Let’s Move campaign. There is no doubt that we must address childhood obesity, but what about the problem of underweight and short stature? How worried should a parent be if their toddler falls under the 5th percentile in weight and height?

Recently, registered dietitian Teresa Wagner tackled a reader question in our Ask the Expert column about a toddler not gaining weight. I received a follow up email from another reader who was worried that her 8 month old child was below the 5th percentile and not eating much. The tone of her message reflected her extreme worry and frustration at not knowing what to do.

There is a reason why our media does not focus on this problem. The numbers, when taken as a whole nationwide are not that high. See below a chart based on the 2008 data CDC’s Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS) on growth indicators. The PedNSS system is a public health surveillance system which monitors the nutritional status of children from low income families under Federal programs. Data comes from public health clinics where these children are seen for routine care, nutrition education and supplemental food.

Percentage of children 2-5 years old who are underweight or of short stature is between 3-5% for Whites, Blacks and Hispanics. These numbers are even smaller for American Indians and Alaskan Natives. Compared to the 20-30% obesity rates, these numbers are too low to capture the attention of mainstream media and policy makers. Besides, the media loves to show extreme images of either very fat kids or severely malnourished starving kids from the third world countries. Anything else does not make the cut for prime time!

As a parent, it is natural to worry. It becomes a personal issue and fancy nationwide statistics do not make a difference. The frustrating part is that it is not always possible to get enough credible information to make informed decisions. The result is that each day becomes a battle to force feed a child in the hope that she will put on some weight. Since children have a natural ability to regulate their food intake based on their current needs, it may seem like they are not eating enough. Anger, frustration and despair are the emotions most parents feel under these circumstances.

Here are 5 questions you can consider to assess the situation and take appropriate actions

Is there a trend in my child’s growth chart numbers?

A single data point on the growth chart, although important, should not cause concern. Take time to understand growth charts and their limitations so you can use them to evaluate the general growth pattern of your child. Another thing to keep in mind is that your child may not be in the normal range for both weight and height. For example, our twins are tall for their age group but lag behind in weight. From this perspective, I like the BMI for age chart because it takes into account both weight and height at the same time. You can use this online calculator for BMI chart or ask your doctor about it.

Is there a medical reason for slow growth?

This is where keeping a close eye on your child’s growth pattern will help you find medical issues that may be affecting her growth. There may be known birth defects or undiagnosed metabolic or digestive disorders. Severe case of reflux like GERD is also a concern. Detecting them early and working with a specialist for corrective action is very important.

Is there a specific reason for poor appetite?

Nearly all toddlers are picky eaters and it is natural for them to frequently show poor appetite. But if it persists over a long period of time, you will need to be extra vigilant so you can find the root cause. Are there food allergies? Special environmental or seasonal triggers? Does a change in menu or feeding schedule help? The important thing is to pay attention to the unique needs of your child so each feeding is most effective. Siblings around the same age, twins or multiples need different treatments based on their individual personalities. Clearly a challenge for most parents, but there is no perfect answer. Practicing the principles of attachment parenting and nutrition can help.

Does my child seem different than his siblings or other family members?

Although it is not always a good idea to compare your children, you have to take into account your family history and genetic makeup. In some ways, a consideration of these factors is probably more important than the growth charts which are based on population averages. If your family ethnicity is not one of mainstream population, it is unlikely that the growth chart standards will be accurate for your child. Evaluate your child’s height, weight and BMI through the lens of your family’s history to determine if there are differences you should be concerned about.

Are there any special circumstances in my family?

Every family goes through ups and downs – financial, emotional or health-related – often over an extended period of time. Assess if you have certain stresses in your personal life or your family situation at the moment. Even toddlers pick on them easily even if they cannot articulate it. If these problems persists over a long period, there may be slow weight gain or even a loss in weight. Recognize these problems early and seek help from family, friends or your doctor to manage them.

One last thing to remember – early childhood height and weight is often a poor predictor of adult height and weight, except in the case of overweight or obesity. You may be surprised how fast your child can grow upon reaching puberty. Keep a close eye on the growth charts, spot the problems early and take appropriate action. No need for excessive worry just because of a couple of low points on the charts!

Most importantly, focus on building healthy eating habits. Offer a variety of foods in healthy balance and moderation.

Are you concerned about an underweight child? Please share your personal story in a comment below.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

This giveaway is now closed. Comments #44 and #86 won the $25 gift certificate from Restaurant.com and comment #149 got the $50 Target gift card. Congratulations!

Give yourself a treat this Mother’s Day!

Enter this giveaway to win a $50 gift certificate from Target!

And that is not all – we are also giving away 2 $25 gift certificates from Restaurant.com which can be used at over 13,000 restaurants in the United States (except Hawaii and Alaska).

Note: you must be a subscriber to the Littlestomaks newsletter to enter this giveaway.

3 simple ways to win (choose one or more if you like)

1. Leave a comment with an answer to this question: If you could ask one question to your pediatrician or a nutrition expert about your child’s nutrition, what would it be?
2. Become a fan of the Littlestomaks Facebook page for tips and updates on toddler nutrition. Leave a comment.
3. Tell a friend to sign up for the Littlestomaks Facebook page. Look for the “Suggest to Friends” link under the Littlestomaks logo on the Facebook page. Leave a comment.

Full Disclosure (a.k.a. the fine print)

1. You must be a current subscriber to the Littlestomaks newsletter
2. Open to individuals only from US and Canada, no commercial outfits
3. I will select one winner for the Target gift card, and 2 winners for the Restaurant.com gift cards by drawing random numbers using random.org. These numbers will correspond to the number assigned to your comment on this post. So, if you want all your chances to be counted, leave a separate comment for each; not all in one comment
4. Make sure to leave a valid email address when you fill the comment box. This should be identical to your email address where you receive the weekly newsletter
5. If you win, you will need to send me your mailing address within 48 h of receiving notification or I will draw another winner
6. Allow up to 2 weeks to receive your gift certificate(s)
7. This giveaway will end at midnight EST on Saturday May 8, 2010
   

Let’s play!

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

This giveaway is now closed. Comments #5 and #17 are the winners of this book.

Teaching good behavior and manners to toddlers is not easy! That is why I am so excited to introduce you to this delightful, and surprisingly effective, illustrated book by Leslie McGuirk and co-author Alex von Bidder!

The main character of this book is Wiggens, a chocolate Labrador puppy, who is such a handful for his parents that they don’t know what to do with him anymore! They do, however, manage to find a special and elegant place where puppies of all kinds can learn refinement and good manners. This special place turns out to be the Four Seasons Restaurant in New York city where Wiggens finally manage to learn 10 useful manners with the help of the Saint Bernard!

I loved the illustrations in this book. I am glad that Leslie chose a chocolate Labrador puppy for her story because my son loves anything brown! He was so attracted to the puppy that he sat down patiently with me as I read the story to him and his twin sister. We have been doing this for the last couple of days and I am pleased to report that they are now beginning to memorize the good manners from the book. I am amazed by the effect it has had on them and recommend it highly to all toddler parents!

Check out this video for why there is such a buzz about this book!

And now the good news!

The folks at Candlewick Press were kind enough to donate 3 copies of this book to me. This book is so good that I am keeping one copy for myself, but the other two are up for grabs!

Here is what you need to do to be a lucky winner:

4 simple ways to win (choose one or more if you like in a separate comment)

1. Leave a comment with an answer to this question: What is your most difficult restaurant manners problem with your toddler (2-5 years old)?
   
2. Leave a comment with an answer to the second question: Share a difficult dining out experience with your toddler where you had to manage a “bad manners” situation and how you handled it
   
3. Become a fan of the Littlestomaks Facebook page for tips and updates on toddler nutrition
4. Tell a friend to sign up for the Littlestomaks Facebook page. Look for the “Suggest to Friends” link under the Littlestomaks logo on the Facebook page

Note: to maximize your chances of winning, a separate comment for the above 4 ways to win is required

Full Disclosure (a.k.a. the fine print)

1. You must be a parent of at least one toddler 2-5 years old
2. Open to individuals only, no commercial outfits
3. I will select a winner by drawing a random number using random.org. This number will correspond to the number assigned to your comment on this post. So, if you want all your chances to be counted, leave a separate comment for each; not all in one comment
4. Make sure to leave a valid email address when you fill the comment box
5. If you win, you will need to send me your mailing address within 48 h of receiving notification or I will draw another winner
6. Allow up to 2 weeks to receive your book
7. This giveaway will end at midnight EST on Sunday April 25, 2010
   

Let’s play!

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Through the month of March, I posted a series of articles on this year’s National Nutrition Month theme Nutrition from the Ground Up! It has been very interesting for me to read and compile a broad range of diverse opinions on the question What does Nutrition from the Ground Up mean to you? Hope you have had a chance to read this series; if not, I have posted the links at the bottom of this post.

Here are a few final thoughts….

Jodi Greebel, a registered dietitian and co-founder of DinDins toddler food wrote:

I think Nutrition from the Ground Up can have many different meanings including starting with the basics of nutrition. To me, it means helping children build a healthy foundation of eating habits. The habits we learn as a child stay with us. It’s much easier to teach good eating habits to children than to try to undo bad ones in adults. For parents to teach “Nutrition from the Ground Up” to their children, they may need to examine their own eating habits. Do I eat at least 7 servings of fruits and vegetables each day? Do I choose healthy fats? It can be a great time for parents and kids to start eating healthier by slowly working on these goals. Maybe start by incorporating a fruit at breakfast each day.

Milton Stokes, registered dietitian and owner of One Source Nutrition offered a very interesting perspective and suggested we stay grounded in the present as we consider our health and nutrition:

In the work I do, I see a lot of individuals with eating disorders and negative food relationships. The theme Nutrition from the Ground Up is most applicable to my clients. I counsel them to keep their heads where their feet are–right on the ground, right there in the room with me . . . instead of worrying about what happened food-wise yesterday or last week. They only can deal with the present meal and then do a little planning for meals to come. Excessive worry never promotes health. It’s like sitting in a rocking chair, rocking incessantly, and expecting to arrive at a new destination. So with that I say start where you are; take it one meal at a time. And enjoy!

Here are the links to other opinions on this topic:

Nutrition from the Ground Up means “Back to Basics”

Nutrition from the Ground Up means “Food from the Ground”

Nutrition from the Ground Up means “Real Food”

Expert tips for Nutrition from the Ground Up

What do you think? What does this notion of Nutrition from the Ground Up mean to you? What small changes have you made to your family’s diet recently?

Please share in your comments below. I would love to hear from you!

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

The theme of this year’s National Nutrition Month is Nutrition from the Ground Up! To some, the notion of “Nutrition from the Ground Up” means going back to basics, while to others it is about food from the ground. Here are a few more comments in response to my question What does Nutrition from the Ground Up mean to you?

Jill Castle, a pediatric dietitian and author of Just The Right Byte wrote:

Nutrition from the ground up, to me, being a pediatric dietitian, means real, whole foods from the start—and without major compromise. I encourage parents to not fall into the trap of processed foods, junk foods, and overly sweet foods in the home. As young children move into the world, and all its temptations and food norms, a solid, healthy, “real” food environment at home is the best defense against any friend’s home, school nutrition program, or church donut routine. Children need to feel that they have a safe, supportive, nourishing food environment in the home—the “ground”. Build nutrition knowledge, healthy eating habits, and positive food relations from there!

Megan Carroll of  Tomato Tots offered a very different perspective about what real food means to her twins:

My children like to eat their foods, that look like foods. It probably has something to do with the way we cook and the way we eat. If they see the process of any single ingredient and what it goes through then it is more appealing to them. For example, we recently went to a Chinese restaurant that specializes in Alaskan King Crab and squab. They brought the crab to our table alive to show it to us first, and then back fully cooked in the shell. My daughter (twin A) ate it up, she loved taking the meat out of the shell. She does the same thing at home with local Dungeness. Our son (twin B) wanted to share the other specialty with Daddy… my husband had been telling him about pigeon and even had shown him a picture of what the cooked bird looked like, sadly for him it did not come to the table alive….. When it did come to the table my son asked for the mouth. Of course that is not the edible part or at least the restaurant figured we didn’t want it, so it wasn’t served to us like that but it did come with its little legs and wings splayed.

At home when we cook a chicken we usually do it whole and they ( both of them) love the drum sticks and the parts that look like recognizable parts. Other examples are we cook whole fish, and they will eat it up, but not touch fish sticks. We went to a fish dock one day to buy some seafood and our daughter would not let us leave until we bought our prawns with their heads on.

This is not just a meat phenomenon, because they love their vegetables in whole form as well. Peas are best out of the pod. We tried to mash them the other day and they wouldn’t have anything to do with them!

Deana Coleman answered my question on LinkedIn by suggesting that we stop relying on synthetic supplements and go back to real, natural food:

I’m in my final year of studying nutrition and each day I am becoming more and more disillusioned by the modern process of merely subscribing nutritional supplements. I am a firm believer that we should be putting those micronutrients and minerals back into the soil we have damaged so we are producing real food again. Supplementing ourselves with all sorts of synthetic micronutrients is doing more damage to our food system as we all seem to be prepared to just accept how badly damaged our soil is and believe in all the marketing garble and hype that supplement companies are spinning to us.

Get back in the garden and back in the kitchen and away from the supplement shelf in the store!!

These opinions reflect just how far removed we have become from the source of food we eat. Food to us is what comes out of  a box, not what is produced in a farm somewhere, even though the picture on the box attempts to make us imagine that. What we eat is the list of ingredients on the box, not the real food it was intended to be!

What do you think? What does this notion of Nutrition from the Ground Up mean to you? What small changes have you made to your family’s diet recently?

Please share in your comments below. I would love to hear from you!

©2010 Littlestomaks.com