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
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As we drove back home from daycare today, my daughter made an interesting remark.
“Dad, this fruit juice is very healthy”, as she sipped the last of her fruitablesTM juice.
“What makes you think it is healthy for you?”, I asked, expecting her to read the nutrition facts label on the box.
Yes, ever since we had our small breakthrough when she discovered the word “sugar” at the back of the box of instant oatmeal, she has been reading labels and other information on food packages.
“Fruitables..a juice beverage that is packed with fruits and veggies but has less sugar than other juices and juice drinks”….she read out loud the marketing pitch on the back panel.
“Really?”, I exclaimed hiding my surprise.
“This is one refreshing way”, she continued, “to get healthy nutrition you need every day!
“Very interesting”, I thought. She was reading the whole thing…
“And daddy, long time ago, someone said fruits and vegetables weren’t delicious!”
I found that very funny and laughed out loud because I had not seen the whole message myself. Surely, she made it up I thought.
I decided to take a closer look at the juice box when we reached home. The marketing message was clever, and she did indeed read pretty much the whole thing verbatim. Except the part at the end, which she tweaked a little based on her interpretation.
Clearly, fruit juice is not equal to real fruit in terms of overall nutrition value. The marketing message is clever, no doubt, as it attempts to separate this product from other juices which have added sugar.
One box of Fruitables (200 mL) has 9 g sugar only 66% juice. Quite close to “empty calories”, but not a bad alternative to other beverages when used in moderation.
Clever food marketing messages and package design can attract a child’s attention and curiosity. I think it is good to let them absorb these messages, but very important to help them interpret correctly so they don’t fall for them.
What do you think?
Disclaimer – I have not received any sponsorship or free samples of product from Apple & Eve, LLC for writing this review. For complete nutritional information and other products, visit Fruitables website.
©2011 Littlestomaks.com
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We continue to try various soups from a recent New York Times magazine! Recently, we made this hearty tomato soup.
Saute onion in olive oil; add carrots, garlic and tomato paste. Add chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper and water. Mix well and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Garnish with chopped basil.
Serve hot with pita bread or naan.
Enjoy!
©2011 Littlestomaks.com
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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 Jill Weisenberger offers ideas for foods that can help your child build a stronger immune system.
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Jill Weisenberger, MS, RD, CDE
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Winter colds and flu are making the rounds. In some households, it seems that just as one family member is well, another gets sick. A well-running immune system can mount a powerful attack against viruses and other invaders, so paying attention to diet is especially important now. An apple a day is a good start to keeping the doctor away, but it’s the total diet – not any individual food or supplement – that stokes the immune system and keeps it humming.
The types of foods your child needs to fend off colds and illnesses are the same ones you need. Don’t fall for the hype of immune-boosting supplements and fortified foods. Simply eat a balanced diet. For most, that means a stronger emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Try to eat a whole grain and at least one fruit or vegetable at every meal. Here are a few to try, but again a balanced diet is required – not any specific food.
Beans: Baked beans, kidney beans and others are a powerhouse of nutrients including zinc which may reduce some upper respiratory infections. Smash up some white beans to thicken soups and stews. No one will ever know they’re there. Add red or black beans to salads and pasta.
Oats: another good source of zinc and a perfect breakfast food. Instead of using breadcrumbs, you can also add oats to meatballs and meatloaf.
Bell peppers, broccoli, citrus, kiwis and berries: These are all good sources of vitamin C. Research isn’t clear that extra vitamin C helps treat or prevent colds, but vitamin C-rich foods are packed with other antioxidants and nutrients, so it’s a good idea to include them daily. Clementines are especially nice for children because they are small, seedless, easy-to-peel, delicious and not as messy as other citrus fruits.
Mushrooms: Researchers at Tufts University suspect that the simple white button mushroom may enhance immune function by increasing the production of antiviral compounds. If your kids aren’t used to eating mushrooms, introduce them with foods they already like such as pastas and casseroles.
Finally, don’t forget that frequent hand washing and other good hygiene habits are also necessary to protect your health and your family’s health. Oh and get outside in the sunshine too.
©2011 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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photo credit: Ani Carrington
“If you could be a fruit, what would you be?”, I asked my daughter on a whim at bath time tonight.
“Pineapple!”, she said without any hesitation.
“Why?”, I asked to get the conversation going…
“Because it is sweet and I love it!”, again came the reply without any hesitation…
It came as a surprise because we aren’t really into pineapple in our household. No special reason, it just turns out to be that way.
Maybe they get it at daycare, I thought.
I turned my attention to my son this time.
“If you could be a vegetable, what would you be?”
“a potato”, he said after a brief pause.
“Why?”
“Because I love it”.
Hmmm, it must be the waffle fries we got him last Friday at a Chick-Fil-A take out, I thought.
Whatever the reason may be, kids relate to a specific fruit or a vegetable because they love it, not because it is good for them.
So often, we get carried away by the science and what we read that we try to motivate kids to eat fruits and veggies because we think it is good for them.
Somehow, we need to figure out how we can get them to fall in love with fruits and veggies.
What has worked for you? Please share.
©2011 Littlestomaks.com
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We were inspired by a recent New York Times magazine which carries an excellent section on different kinds of soup recipes. We tweaked it a little bit and substituted a few ingredients with what we had on hand. Still, it turned out great!
Put chopped onions, garlic, water and chicken broth in a pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat and let it simmer covered, until onion is tender. Add spinach and parsley and cook until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add yogurt and puree in a blender. Garnish with a spoonful of yogurt and chopped parsley.
Serve hot with pita bread or naan.
Enjoy!
©2011 Littlestomaks.com
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There are days when feeding twins can be a difficult challenge. Then there are days when there is twice the laughter at the table!
We haven’t quite figured it all out, but we have indeed picked up a few tricks along the way.
Recently, I had a chance to share our experience and a few tips in a guest article for InspiredRD, a fabulous blog by registered dietitian Alysa Bajenaru.
Check it out here and share your comments.
©2011 Littlestomaks.com
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A big thank you to all those who participated in the discussion on my last blog article Fruity Cheerios vs Froot Loops where I shared how we managed to switch my daughter to Cheeios from Froot Loops. This was a big deal because she is so fond of Froot Loops that she doesn’t want to try anything else.
But I need to give a special word of thanks to Selmada who left a comment about teaching her to read labels. I tried this idea over the weekend, first with her reading the label on the Fruity Cheerios just to get her used to the contents of a nutrition facts label. She got quite interested in it running her tiny forefinger down the long list as she read out vitamin D, calcium and iron. Later that night at dinner, we talked about the food label and the different items it contains and what they mean. We talked about sugar, fat, protein, vitamin D and calcium. We talked about how calcium and vitamin D made our bodies strong and gave us good bones. We talked about how junk food is full of sugar and fat. We also talked about how different breakfast foods contain different things and why some of them may be better for us. All this conversation happened without the box of cereal on the table as we ate our dinner together.
The next morning, I was quite surprised when she asked for a bowl of instant oatmeal with milk instead of the usual Cheerios! She even insisted on helping me take out 1/2 cup of instant oatmeal mix and mix with a cup of milk; reading the label of course! It was ready in a few minutes and she happily sat down on the table to begin eating it after it had cooled down a little.
I encouraged her to look at the label and find how much sugar the oatmeal had. She ran her tiny finger again and read 1 g. Then I showed her the box of Fruity Cheerios and she read 9 g. As she made the connection, she exclaimed “Cheerios has more sugar than oatmeal”! I said it was ok and we could still enjoy it once in a while.
Then I pointed to the bottle of honey and helped her find the amount of sugar – it was very difficult to find because the label is small and not easy to read.
“16 grams”, she exclaimed in a loud, surprised tone of voice.
“..and that is why we should use only a little bit of honey in the oatmeal”, she suggested after the difference in amount had registered in her mind.
“Yes”, said I as I watched her squeeze out a smaller than usual amount of honey from the bottle.
Her twin brother got interested in checking out the label once he had his own bowl of oatmeal in front of him.
Wow, sometimes things just have a way of coming together!
©2011 Littlestomaks.com
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photo credit: maia hopes.
My daughter loves Froot Loops® for breakfast. Every morning she likes to have a bowl of these colorful rings with milk. As if it is not sweet enough for her, she squeezes a generous dose of honey over it from her Honey-Bear bottle. It has become her daily routine. She does not want to eat any other cereal. In fact, we carried two boxes of Froot Loops with us to India because we knew she was not going to touch anything else in the morning!
I know, it is not really healthy. Surprisingly – and to our great relief – she is not big on other sugary stuff, which is why we don’t try to stop her from enjoying her favorite breakfast cereal. Because eating breakfast each morning is very important, we have accepted her preference.
Still, we have been trying to find a way to reduce the sugar level in her breakfast bowl. This weekend, we stumbled upon Fruity Cheerios® which looked almost identical to the box of Froot Loops sitting on the nearby shelf. Since Cheerios is one of our favorite food brands, we decided to give it a try!
We also bought a box of our regular Froot Loops, just to be safe!
Front of the box labeling on Fruity Cheerios emphasized whole grain, calcium and vitamin D. But on a closer look, as shown in the following table, it has lower sugar and higher levels of other vitamins and minerals compared to Froot Loops.
When I showed the Fruity Cheerios box to my daughter, she paused for a moment but then happily tried it instead of the Froot Loops. Just for the record, I did not try to trick her into thinking that I was giving her the usual Froot Loops. Plus she can now read the box anyway!
She still added the regular dose of honey….oh well!
Overall, I think it is a better choice, but in some ways you could call it the lesser of the two evils. There are, no doubt, healthier breakfast choices, but then we don’t have that option right now. We plan to slowly start introducing her to other foods at breakfast.
What do you think? Share your child’s breakfast favorites in comments below!
Disclaimer – I have not received any sponsorship or free samples of product for writing this review. For complete nutritional information check out Fruity Cheerios and Froot Loops.
©2011 Littlestomaks.com
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This is a guest post by Isabella York.
As a mother, proper nutrition for my children is first and foremost on my mind. To raise healthy children, I must pay attention to what I feed them. It is common knowledge that living right means eating well, and that a healthy lifestyle starts at a very early age. My kids are on the younger side (Girl Child is 6, Boy Child is 4), so it’s easier to instill the practices that lead to good health. Lately I’ve been transforming family meals, and I’m proud that I’ve got several nutritious dishes on hand that are easy to prepare and that my children enjoy. While researching, I came across several web articles on cooking methods. It seems that how you prepare food in general has a huge impact on its nutritional content.
Of course, our earliest ancestors had no qualms about nutrition, with food being mostly about survival. Most viands were eaten raw until the discovery of fire, which came much, much later. With the knowledge of planting and harvesting, vegetables and other grains were introduced. At this time various cultures, mostly the Egyptians and Chinese, were all about spices as a form of enhancing the taste of their food. Once the trade routes were firmly established, this practice quickly spread to other parts of the world. Very soon, new dishes were being introduced to the general public and this resulted in the publishing of the first cook books. Cuisine evolved with the demand for new gastronomic delights, and now there is a focus on the nutritional content of food – and how preparation methods affect that nutritional value.
Any type of food preparation entails a loss of nutrients to some degree. However, some aspects of the process of preparing food cannot be overlooked due to other health purposes. For example, some forms of raw food may be harmful to your health, such as raw eggs that cause Salmonella poisoning. The main objective of proper food preparation is to ensure that the food isn’t over processed. For optimal nutrition, cook only as much as necessary to maintain essential vitamins and minerals, and here’s how:
Meat
The main health deterrent in meat and poultry dishes is the grease that comes from the use of too much cooking oil. This practice not only detracts from the taste but piles on the pounds as well. It’s ideal to use techniques that don’t include oil or batter. Shorter cooking times are also desired in the event that large amounts of grease cannot be avoided. These methods include:
Fruits/Vegetables
This food group possesses vital nutrients, and improper cooking methods could detract from their precious store. Even before the actual cooking begins, fruits and vegetables must be properly washed, peeled, and cut.
Most nutrients are present in the skin and just below the skin of fresh produce. More often than not, it is advised that they be eaten raw after washing in cold water, since hot water tends to dehydrate them and results in a loss of moisture and possible nutrients. When peeling, keep the amount removed as thin as possible and avoid including the fleshy portions. Cutting fruits and vegetables should also be done with care to avoid bruising which results in loss of nutrients.
Steaming and stir frying are ideal to cook vegetables. These techniques do little to detract from valuable nutrients and, in the case of steaming, do more to lock them in and preserve them in the food. Boiling, on the other hand, should be avoided since the prolonged cooking time inevitably depletes vegetables and fruit of their nutrients. If you are preparing vegetable soup, this method is suitable since the nutrients lost from the vegetables remain in the broth.
Pasta/Grains
This is a category I generally stay away from, as I don’t like how I feel after I consume gluten, and I’m not a fan of gluten-free pastas and breads, and their alternatives. What I and my family like is rice. It is a nice alternative, especially because it comes in so many forms and can be healthy. For Mother’s Day two years ago the kids bought me a rice cooker (Smart Husband gave me pretty earrings), and it saves me a lot of time; it allows me to cook without having to think about cooking. I use simple, old-time preparation methods for the lentils – I buy Goya lentils and I soak them overnight. To get the kids to eat wild rice and lentils, I add a dash of sea salt to their servings. It’s a simple, nutritious solution.
Now that you know, always keep in mind that it’s not only what you eat but also how it’s prepared. Hopefully, these methods will help in preparing healthier meals for your children as well as yourself. Of course, don’t forget to add imagination to every dish so that they will be not only nutritious and appealing to the palate, but they’ll also be attractive to the eye as well. Your children will definitely enjoy meal times from now on.
Isabella York is a mother dedicated to a healthy and organic lifestyle, without giving up her life in the process. Along with raising her son, she works for Balsam Hill, a purveyor of Artificial Christmas Trees and Christmas Trees.
©2011 Littlestomaks.com
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