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.

Growing children need both calcium and iron in their early years. This week, Registered Dietitian Cindy Williams explains why you need to balance milk and meat for your toddler so he doesn’t miss out on these critical minerals.

Question: How much milk and meat should I feed my child?

Answer:

Milk

Milk is an excellent source of calcium. Children need plenty of calcium to build strong bones and teeth. Up until 12 months a baby should not drink cows’ milk because the protein is too large for the baby’s immature digestive system. After 7-8 months babies can have a little cooked cow’s milk as part of a milk pudding or custard. Yogurt and cheese are also fine for this age group – and a great source of calcium. Babies who drink cows’ milk before 12 months are at greater risk of iron deficiency.

Up to the age of two children should have full fat cows’ milk. They need the extra energy from the fat for growth. After the age of two toddlers can drink reduced fat milk so long as they are eating a good variety of food.

Up until the age of five, health authorities recommend children should drink about two cups of milk a day. Some toddlers love milk and would be happy to drink it all the time. Stick to two cups a day otherwise they will fill up on milk and have no room to eat their meat and vegetables. Toddlers who regularly drink more than two cups of milk a day are at greater risk of iron deficiency.

In a day they could have milk on cereal for breakfast, a small glass of milk sometime during the day, a little cheese and perhaps a milk pudding or half a carton of yogurt. The amounts will vary according to the child’s appetite. Remember the parent decides the quality and the child decides quantity.

Meat

Meat, especially beef and lamb, is the best source of iron and zinc for a child. The type of iron found in meat is called heme iron and it is easily absorbed. Children can also get iron from non meat foods such as iron fortified cereal, legumes (split peas, dried beans, lentils) and green leafy vegetables. Only about 5% of this iron is absorbed but having vitamin C with the food will increase absorption. Give your child some vitamin C rich fruit such as orange or kiwifruit with their breakfast cereal and they will absorb about four times more iron from the food.

Research has found that children who eat fruit with their meals are less likely to be iron deficient than those who eat fruit between meals.

Babies are born with enough iron stores to last about six months. Premature babies have lower iron stores because iron is mostly stored in the last three months of pregnancy so it is especially important for these babies to start eating iron rich foods sooner rather than later.

At six or seven months a baby can eat cooked, pureed meat, chicken or fish. It provides essential iron for brain development but at this young age is still a top-up after the usual milk feed. By 7-8 months a baby should be eating two or three small meals a day with 2 tablespoons to 1/2 a cup per meal. Increase the amount gradually before increasing the number of meals. Include some cooked minced meat with mashed vegetables most days.

A one year old needs more iron than his or her dad. It is vitally important that toddlers get enough iron from their food. This is when their brain is developing the most rapidly. If they miss out on iron at this stage their brain will not develop to its full potential – and they can’t make up for it later. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends two serves of meat (or protein equivalent) a day for children under six years. A serve is 1oz of meat, fish or poultry or 1 egg or 2 tablespoons peanut butter or 4-5 tablespoons legumes. Remember to give your child an orange or piece of fruit with the egg, peanut butter or legumes to increase iron absorption. Give your child a mixture of meat, chicken, fish and vegetarian meals each week. Variety is good for both their health and training their taste-buds to enjoy different flavours.

KEY POINTS

• Don’t drink cows’ milk before 12 months.
• Toddlers should drink no more than 2 cups milk a day.
• Eat fruit with meals rather than between meals.

©2010 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.

Can you imagine a breakfast cereal which you can customize based on your own unique tastes? Not happy with the amount of sugar in your favorite cereal? Would like to have more of your favorite yogurt covered raisins and less of the freeze-dried strawberries or blueberries? How about other exotic nuts, fruits and seeds not usually available in standard brands?

Well, now you can! If you live in Germany, UK, Netherlands check out mymuseli custom-mixed cereals! I just returned from a symposium on mass customization, a recent trend of producing custom-made products, where I heard this success story. I wanted to share it with you because cereal is such a common breakfast item everywhere.

You can select your personal favorite museli base, enhance it by adding a variety of flakes, and then choose from a very broad range of fruits, nuts and seeds. Over 75 ingredients are available, which can offer you 566 quadrillion mixes of museli -the question is, which one is yours! They claim certified organic quality ingredients, although the nutritional information about the mixed cereal seems to be missing.

The cereal aisle in a typical grocery supermarket is long and filled with a variety of brands and types of cereals. That is why the idea of custom mix cereal may sound strange, but it seems to have caught on in Europe. What do you think of this idea? Answer the quick poll question below.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

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.

Worried your toddler is not getting enough fiber? How much should he consume on average each day? Check out these handy tips from Registered Dietitian Keri Gans!

Question:How much fiber should a 4 year old be getting in his diet? How can I get him to eat fiber rich foods?

Answer:

I really love that you are asking this question. Too many children (and adults) today fall very short on meeting their fiber needs. AND fiber is important for 2 main reasons:

1. Promotes regularity and prevents constipation.
2. May help reduce risk of heart disease and certain cancers later in life.

So how much is needed for our children?
1-3 years: 19 grams
4-8 years: 25 grams
boys 9-13 years: 31 grams
girls 9-13 years: 26 grams

First thing you need to do to get your child to eat fiber rich foods is be a role model. If you aren’t eating them and they are not in your house how can you expect your child to? So pack your kitchen with whole grains, fruits and veggies and encourage your child to eat them the following ways:

1. serve fruit with the skin on them, like apples and pears
2. have fruit cut-up in the refrigerator for easy grabbing, such as pineapple and melon
3. top breakfast cereals with berries instead of sugar
4. serve a breakfast cereal with minimum 3g fiber per serving (if they don’t love start by mixing a lower fiber cereal with it and then gradually increasing)
5. make waffles or pancakes with whole wheat flour
6. use whole wheat bread for sandwiches
7. slice a banana on a peanut butter sandwich
8. whip up afternoon smoothies for a snack that include low fat milk, low fat yogurt and fruit
9. keep raw veggies on hand for munching with lowfat dips
10. make whole wheat pasta and wild rice for the whole family

©2010 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.

Getting toddlers to sit down and eat as a family is a challenge for most parents, us included! What we try to do is to spin interesting stories and silly conversations to keep their interest. Sometimes it is the Diesel Food For a Diesel Engine while at another time it might be something like Eating Salad Like a Giraffe! Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but when it does, it is a great way of capturing their imagination while stretching your own.

We had another silly, but fun conversation at dinner today. Before I get into it, here is what was served so you get an idea:

1. Fettuccine with Turkey meatballs
2. Green beans with olive oil
3. Mixed salad
4. Plain yogurt, Feta cheese, grated Parmesan cheese
5. Plain milk, water

The twins love to eat pasta with a sprinkle of organic cheese (their word for grated Parmesan cheese). They mostly nibbled on the pasta and took only a few bites out of the meatballs. My daughter tried the feta cheese and a little milk from her glass.

The delicious green beans were not even touched! Our initial offers were met with stubborn resistance from both the twins! I knew I had to think of something interesting to nudge them into at least trying a few of them!

An idea popped into my mind as I announced -

“Hey guys, I am hearing a faint voice from your stomach. Let me get closer and use my special powers to listen to what it is saying”

Daughter: (with a huge grin as she lifted her T-shirt to show her stomach) – what is my stomach saying baba?

Me: Hmm..let me listen. I think it wants to eat a green bean. Just like my stomach…Mmmmm, these beans are d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!

Daughter: (giggling) Really? Give me a bean, give me a bean..

I popped one of those beans in my mouth as I announced loudly “bean coming…bean coming”

It worked…she went straight for the beans and pulled one out from the main dish in the center, imitating “bean coming…bean coming” as if to alert her craving stomach!

Me: Now ask what your little stomach would like to eat next…

Daughter: (lifting her T-shirt) My little stomach, what would you like to eat now?

Me: My stomach says it wants another green bean…

Daughter: Me too, give me a bean, give me a bean…

Bean coming…bean coming….

I had her hooked, and even though I enjoyed it a lot and wanted to laugh out loud, I kept the game going! Popping the whole green beans one by one in my mouth and relishing the rich tomato-onion sauce, I continued to eat while pointing to my own stomach. She imitated my every move and ate a few, one after the other, enjoying the taste and making Mmmm… sounds!

After a while, as she seemed satisfied and full, I asked again – “now what does your little stomach want to eat?”

She paused for a moment and reflected back – “it’s full now, it wants to drink a little milk”

Well done, I thought! I didn’t press any further as she finished her milk and left the table.

Bottom line – get creative, get silly and just try new ways of encouraging your kids to eat more fruits and veggies.

Good luck and let me know how it goes!

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 Nour El-Zibdeh offers tips for getting enough iron from a vegetarian diet without relying on supplements.

Question: How can I ensure enough iron if my child is on a strict vegetarian diet?

Answer:

Iron is important for health. It is part of hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells, and its main role is to transfer oxygen to body tissues and cells.

Too little iron causes fatigue, decreased immunity, and may impair psychomotor development in infants.  Iron deficiency occurs due to three general reasons:

1. increased needs of iron (growth),
2. decreased absorption (iron in the diet comes from sources that are not easily absorbed, such as plant foods),
3. decreased iron intake (low total food intake).

The prevalence of iron deficiency in the United States is low. However, toddlers are at a high risk because they don’t drink or eat iron-fortified formula or cereal anymore, and their intake of iron-containing foods may still be low. Toddlers who are on vegetarian diets, drink more than 24 ounces of milk a day, or suffer from decreased availability of food are at an increased risk.

Type of iron in the diet

There are two types of iron in the diet, heme and non-heme. Heme iron comes from animal sources and is the most easily absorbed. Non-heme iron is the most prevalent in food, found in both animal and plant sources, but its absorption is less efficient and can be influenced by many factors.

When discussing plant sources of iron, two points must be distinguished. First, the amount of iron in plant foods, and second, the amount that is actually absorbed. For example, half cup of soybeans has 4.5 mg of iron, but the fiber and protein in soybeans prevent its absorption. Half cup of tomatoes, on the other hand, has 1 to 2 mg of iron but is easier to absorb.  Vitamin C improves the absorption of iron, while phytates (in bran and whole grains), oxalates (in spinach, rhubarb, strawberries, nuts, chocolate, and wheat bran), polyphenols (in coffee and tea), calcium, and fiber prevent its absorption.

Tips for vegetarian toddlers

1. Offer a variety of plant foods, especially those high in vitamin C. These include guava, lemon, orange, papaya, tomatoes, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin, and turnips.
2. Choose iron-fortified cereals and grains when possible.
3. If you are interested in numbers, toddlers one to three years old need 7 mg or iron a day, and toddlers over four years old need 10 mg a day. Since iron in plant foods is not absorbed entirely, aim for more than the recommended amount from plant foods, not supplements. Here are some foods rich in iron.
4. Don’t give your toddler more than 24 ounces of milk (cow, goat, or soy) a day. Milk is low in iron and high in calcium (prevents iron absorption), and too much can be filling causing your child to be uninterested in other iron-containing foods. Too much cow’s milk can also irritate the gastrointestinal tract and cause bleeding, which will lead to iron losses.
5. Don’t stress about iron deficiency unless your child shows symptoms, which include fatigue and weakness, pale skin, mucous membranes, rapid heartbeat, irritability, decreased appetite, dizziness, or feeling lightheaded.
6. Consult with your pediatrician if you suspect deficiency, and don’t give your child iron supplements on your own. The human body doesn’t have a way to get rid of excess iron, so too much can be toxic and cause organ damage.

©2010 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.

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 and contributing editor of Parents magazine Sally Kuzemchak offers tips for managing fruit juices in a healthy diet.

Question: Is giving juice to my kids okay as long as it’s 100% fruit juice?

Truth is, if your child eats fruit everyday, she doesn’t need to drink any juice at all. It’s certainly a quick and easy way to fit in a fruit serving and get a day’s worth of vitamin C. But it doesn’t offer any nutritional advantages over fruit. And when you drink juice instead of eating fruit, you miss out on the fiber—something kids (and adults) need more of anyway. One medium apple with skin offers more than 4 grams of fiber, but a cup of apple juice has less than 1 gram. Plus, it’s not hard for a child to meet his C requirements without juice. Just one-half cup of broccoli or sliced strawberries provides more than a day’s worth of the vitamin.

The bigger issue with juice is that a serving provides more calories than a serving of fruit. One cup of orange juice contains about 122 calories, while a whole medium orange supplies just 69. Juice is easy to drink in large quantities: Without the fiber, it’s not nearly as filling as a whole piece of fruit. Children who gulp down multiple cups of juice a day (and many do) can take in hundreds of extra calories—and may start refusing beverages (like water) that aren’t sweet.

That said, if you want to work juice into a healthy diet, here’s how:

1. Stick with the current recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics: No more than 4-6 ounces for kids age 1-6 years, and no more than 8 ounces for older children. Diluting it with equal parts water will stretch small amounts further. Make milk the default beverage with meals and water the go-to thirst quencher in between meals.
2. Serve juice in a regular cup at the table (or highchair) with a meal or snack. Avoid letting your child drink juice from a sippy all day, which encourages over-consumption. Bathing the teeth all day in sugar, even the natural kind in fruit juice, can also increase the risk for cavities.
3. Choose 100 percent fruit juice, which will contain more natural vitamins and antioxidants. Fruit “drinks” contain just a little bit of juice and a whole lot of added sugar.
4. Keep only one type of juice in your house at one time, such as a carton of orange juice OR boxes of 100 percent apple juice so kids aren’t tempted by multiple kinds and flavors.

©2010 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.

Greetings! It is Friday again, which means it is time for the usual Five for Fridays! If you are just joining, this is where I highlight some of the recent food and nutrition related stories. This is also my soapbox where I offer my rants and not-so-scientific personal opinions! Sometimes, I also highlight the work of some of my favorite nutrition bloggers. Your comments and personal opinions, especially if you disagree with me, are most welcome and highly valued!

So, here are this Friday’s five! Enjoy and let me know what is on your mind.

Fruits and vegetables do not reduce cancer risk, but that’s no reason to give up on them

It appears that eating fruits and vegetables only slightly reduces your risk of getting cancer according to a recent study analyzed by Dr Ayala in her very insightful article “Another apple-a-day may save more lives than the Toyota recall“. Does it mean that we should ignore the advice of 5 fruits and veggies a day and bypass the produce aisle in the grocery store?

Absolutely not argues Dr Ayala and I agree completely. A diet rich in fruits and veggies has many benefits for your overall health and well-being. If there is anything you should ignore, it is studies like this and the sensational headlines that inevitably follow in the mass media.

I have a real problem with such studies and I am amazed they get funded in the first place! I doubt if they offer any value to the common public, except probably to the media machine hungry for anything that can be labeled as health related.

By the way, check out the long list of authors who wrote the original paper in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Granted that everyone has to make a living, but come on, this is crazy! Work on better hypotheses and solve some real problems!

To lose weight, take a cold shower

This may sound totally insane, but new research is suggesting that you can train your body to burn more calories simply by getting used to a cold environment! Turns out that exposure to cold activates brown fat inside your body, which is known to produce heat (which means burning calories) in contrast to the insulating nature of the regular fat. Believe it or not, researchers are discovering that obese mice are able to burn off half of their fat within a week simply by living in a cold environment even if they eat more than 1.5 times their usual diet.

It appears that our bodies have a built-in heat producing mechanism to offer protection against cold. Babies are born with brown fat which helps them keep warm long before they learn how to shiver. Even adults have this brown fat but it is not active. Cold environment activates the brown fat, and so does a special protein discovered by researchers at Harvard. Some are now thinking about developing a drug to encourage production of brown fat to solve our obesity problem!

Don’t get too excited though! Keep in mind, that a healthy weight is a result of achieving and maintaining the right energy balance your body needs. Energy in minus energy out equals weight gain (or loss) – it is that simple. You don’t have to torture yourself by taking a cold shower every day, or wait for a fancy anti-obesity drug!

Don’t fall for the low fat label, you may actually eat more calories

Would you believe that putting a low fat label on snacks causes people, especially those who are overweight,  to underestimate the calories and actually eat more? There is a devilish effect from this health halo, writes registered dietitian Janet Helms on her blog Nutrition Unplugged this week.

I found this research quite fascinating, although, not really surprising. This is the result of clever marketing messages on the package, which are designed to lower the resistance and enhance the urge to eat. This is no different from advertising for other products which often targets the hidden desires and aspirations of consumers. Brand associations are powerful, and once they stick, consumer choice is nearly automatic. Why is it that you always pick the same brand of toothpaste, shampoo and laundry detergent even though other options, including cheaper store brands, are available on the same shelf? It is the job of the marketer to make the product irresistible by serving consumer needs at many different levels. And some of them are very good at what they do!

The problem, I think, is not with the marketing slogans on food products. Although this notion is quite popular among today’s experts who propose imposing limits on food marketing, even to the extent of imposing a twinkie tax! The problem is in a total lack of awareness and self-empowerment on the part of the common consumer.

How can you fight the influence of such powerful marketing? Not by banning these products, but by making smart choices. Consider a mix of an offensive-defensive strategy by building your family’s personal brand. That will be your anchor which can offer some strength against the currents of powerful brand marketing. Also check out Janet’s insightful suggestions on how to enjoy real foods and practice mindful eating.

Many ways to enjoy vegetables, give it a try

More people are trying to include veggies in their diet and that is great news! Even better, there are so many ways to enjoy vegetables whether you like them raw, medium or well done according to the Fooducate blog, which offers helpful tips for making smart choices in the supermarket. There are many useful tips in this particular article, but this one resonated with me the most:

If you are thinking about incorporating more vegetables into meals, worry less about the healthiest preparation method, and figure out the tastiest and most convenient use case for you.

I think this is great advice. A large variety of vegetables are available in a typical supermarket today, whether in the fresh produce section or in the frozen foods aisle. Plus there is no shortage of recipes – you can check out our own simple recipes section for ideas! So go ahead, give it a try and share your vegetable story!

Calling all recovering picky eaters

My blogger friend Jenna of KidAppeal is on a mission! Inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, she wants to register 1000 recovering picky eaters in a month and help them develop a taste for a wide range of wholesome food. Interesting idea; so I am supporting her by spreading the word out. Now, you might be considered a recovering picky eater if:

• there are foods you don’t eat simply because you don’t like them even though they are good for your health; and
• you want to shrink the list of objectionable foods because you want to eat better and set a good example

If this is you, check out her blog and sign up! You got nothing to lose except a few bad habits!

Enjoy and let me know what is on your mind.

Photo Source: robbie jim on Flickr

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Cranberry juice is a favorite of our daughter who insists on drinking it in her favorite monkey cup! We get the no sugar added, 100% juice from our local Publix supermarket. There are many different types available, although we tend to pick either the pure cranberry juice or cranberry & blueberry blend.

It is commonly believed that cranberry juice prevents urinary tract infections (UTIs), but the science behind this belief has not been that strong. Recently, a team of researchers at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts has shown that drinking cranberry juice can prevent UTI causing bacteria such as E. coli from sticking to the urinary tract and forming a biofilm in it. Bacteria present in a biofilm are responsible for causing and sustaining a UTI. There are certain chemical compounds called proanthocyanidin in cranberry juice which have been shown to prevent these bacteria from sticking to surfaces. This effect of cranberry juice is thought to last between 6 – 24  hours after drinking.

Here is what we like about this product -

1. No sugar added, artificial flavors or colors
2. Added vitamin C

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

1. Even without added sugar, each serving of 1 cup has 36 g sugar! Granted it is coming from fruits, but clearly loading up on cranberry juice is sure to interfere with normal foods including real fruits and veggies. Portion control is a must! Or dilute it with water.
2. It contains a blend of various juices including grape, apple, cranberry and blueberry juice. It is not clear if cranberry juice is the major portion of the mixture.

Overall, we still like this product because it offers more benefits compared to other fruit juices. However we are recommending that you use it in moderation and emphasize real fruits and veggies.

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

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

I wanted to try these snacks from HappyBaby after I read Mothers of Invention, a story in the Wall Street Journal about Mom entrepreneurs. Plus, we had been getting similar snacks from Gerber like the fruit puffs and yogurt melts anyway, so this certified organic option had good appeal. I found them in our local Babies ‘R Us, but you can also find them  in Super Target and WinnDixie.

They taste quite good; even I couldn’t resist popping a few of these melts in my mouth!

Here is what we like about this product -

1. USDA certified organic
2. Contains live active cultures for digestive health
3. Contains 2X more protein than Gerber’s yogurt melts
4. Provides 13% vitamin D and 12% calcium for kids 1-4 year old. Gerber’s yogurt melts on the other hand contain no vitamin D and only 4% calcium
5. No saturated fat or trans fat, no cholesterol
6. Gluten free, no soy, no wheat

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

1. Slightly higher sodium than Gerber’s yogurt melts (don’t understand why!)
2. There is added sugar even though in small amounts
3. Very little fruit although the packaging prominently displays ripe strawberries! Don’t consider this a fruit substitute by any means, it has no fiber!
4. High cost. One trick I used was to mix a few melts in yoplait yogurt at snack time and offered it to my son! He loved the crunchy, quick melting texture with the otherwise soft fruity yogurt. You can also use plain yogurt.

Overall, we are very excited about this product. It can be a handy on-the-go snack. Give them a try and let us know your opinion.

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

Photo Source: HappyBaby
©2010 Littlestomaks.com

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 Jodi Greebel offers a few quick breakfast ideas for your toddler.

Jodi Greebel, MS, RD BS, Biology from Duke University, MS, Nutrition and Dietetics from NYU Experience: Private nutrition counseling practice 5+ years, Co-founder DinDins toddler food, author The Little Black Apron Expertise: Pediatric Nutrition and Weight Loss for Adults Website: DinDins Food , Citrition, LLC Twitter: @DinDinsFood @JodiRD LinkedIn profile: Jodi Greebel Facebook: DinDins Contact: via contact page on DinDins Food website

Question: What are some quick breakfast ideas for my toddler?

Answer:

As you probably have heard a million times, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast provides the energy your child needs after many hours of not eating. Kids who eat breakfast are at a healthier weight, are sick less frequently, are happier and are more likely to get all the nutrients they need in their diets. Unfortunately, it’s easy to skimp on breakfast with the typical chaotic mornings which never seem to be long enough. With these quick ideas, there’s no longer a reason to give a less than healthy breakfast or worse, have your toddler skip breakfast. Whether you are looking for something easy to feed your toddler while you are getting ready or something convenient to grab and go when you are on your way out the door to school or daycare, try out some of our suggestions:

• Drinkable yogurt with a clementine
• Portable pureed fruit (such as Plum Tots Organic Mish Mash sold at many supermarkets and on diapers.com) with mini box of Cheerios
• Whole wheat English muffin with 1 slice melted cheese (just pop in the toaster) and banana
• Healthy muffin such as our Cranberry Zucchini mini muffins from DinDins
• Mini cottage cheese and box of raisins
• Applesauce (or other flavor such as mango/peach) and mozzarella string cheese
• Thomas’ Whole Wheat Bagel Thin with veggie cream cheese and lettuce
• Kozy Shack Original Rice Pudding (also available with no sugar added) with raisins
• Cereal such as Kashi Mighty Bites plus handful blueberries in a resealable bag (cut blueberries in half if your child is not old enough to eat whole ones)
• Instant oatmeal such as Arrowhead Mills with dried cherries (make night before and store in microwaveable container). Reheat in morning, grab spoon and go
• Fage Greek Yogurt with Strawberry or better yet, add your own fruit to Greek yogurt

Please remember to avoid serving low-fat/nonfat dairy products until your child is over 2 years old.

©2010 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.

The theme of this year’s  National Nutrition Month is Nutrition from the Ground Up! Last week, I posted 2 responses from registered dietitians who suggested going back to basics on nutrition in light of this theme. Here are a few more opinions on the question of What does Nutrition from the Ground Up mean to you?:

Dina Rose, PhD Sociologist and author of It’s Not About Nutrition wrote:

First and foremost, it means eating foods that come from the ground, not a factory.  Then it means paying to foods not nutrients.  We should give less attention to the nutrient by nutrient science that encourages us to decompose our meals into the nutrients they provide more attention to the whole foods that we actually eat.

Registered dietitian Cindy Williams found herself thinking about the following two points:

Most of our food originally comes from the ground. A great guide to healthy eating is to choose foods which we can still recognise as coming from the ground – fruit, vegetables, beans and wholegrains. They provide a whole host of health giving properties.

Good nutrition starts young. From the moment we are conceived our health is being determined by what our mother eats. The food we feed our children, and our attitude to food, greatly determines our child’s future health.

Registered dietitian Nour El-Zibdeh suggested that we treat food as more than as a sum of nutrients and make small changes to develop a deeper connection to its origin:

When I think of Nutrition from the Ground Up, many thoughts come to mind. It means that there’s more to food than a sum of nutrients, that no supplement pill when nourish my body the way real food would.  It means that it matters where my food comes from and who’s been caring for it. It means that I will teach my kids to enjoy, love, respect, and be thankful for the food they have, and it’s not just a product they pick from grocery store shelves. But it also means that any steps that I make to eat more wholesome and real foods need to be realistic, practical, affordable, and not drastic, so that I can maintain it on the long term.

For someone looking to eat more wholesome foods, the steps they need to take depend on where they start from. If they’re used to packaged frozen dinners, then putting a meal together from fresh ingredients is change. For someone who always makes a fresh meal, buying local, season, from a CSA or farmers market might be the type of change to make. It’s an individual decision, and I can only encourage and inspire my clients, provide them with the right tools, and trust them to do what they feel is best for themselves, their families, and their community.

And registered dietitian Amber Pankonin wrote a few points to summarize her discussion with fellow dietitians:

We agreed the message was simple- eat more fruits & veggies. (That is visually displayed in the logo by the cornucopia in the “eat right”) However, did ADA tailor this message in light of recent events? For example, we all know the first lady paid professionals to plant a garden at the White House. Were they making a political move here?

As an RD, I encourage my patients & clients to eat a variety of foods including fruits, veggies, whole grains, milk & lean protein. Does this slogan imply that good nutrition only involves eating fruits & veggies? What if I eat beef, fish, or turkey? (Thus the question from my tweet- what if I eat something that walks, swims, or flies?) What if we eat food that does not come from the ground? One RD discussed that it revolves around the food chain- the animals have to eat the grains & veggies but will the general public make that connection?

And to sum it all up, @psmom tweeted:

growing or knowing where much of our food comes from!

I think a common theme here is paying more attention to the real source of our food. It’s not just about what we grow from the ground, such as fruits and veggies, but also animal products if they are obtained in a natural way. If we raise animals out of their natural environment, load them up with drugs to increase yield, then those products are not really from the ground. What we eat is part of an ecosystem, but somewhere along the way in our quest to increase the output of our food factories, we seem to have forgotten it!

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 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.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Maybe it was the new giraffe poster TwinToddlersMom used for decorating the kids’ room the other day. Or maybe it was the eating broccoli like a dinosaur video I saw on KidAppeal. Whatever it was, all of a sudden I found myself coming up with a new challenge for the twins that night at dinner – hey guys, let us eat this salad like a giraffe!

I demonstrated – exaggerating my every move – how they could pull out a piece of leafy lettuce from the salad and slowly put it in their mouth with their neck stretched long.

It was hilarious, and it worked! Within minutes, my daughter was digging into the salad bowl, pulling out leafy lettuce and shoving it inside her mouth – look, I am eating salad like a giraffe! Even my son, who doesn’t show any excitement for anything green, quickly join in the fun.

It didn’t last very long though. They did not like the taste of lettuce and soon they were spitting it out. Still, at least they gave it a shot!

The salad is very easy to make. We usually get a ready-to-eat box of organic mixed greens to throw in a quick salad along with cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions and fruits (whatever we can find – pears, apples, strawberries). Sometimes we add nuts, raisins, chopped cilantro, pitted olives, pickled mushrooms and peppers. In short, whatever is available at hand! We have even made a salad out of avocado, pears and tomatoes. Weird combination, I know! But this is the only way we seem to be able to get our daily quota of fruits and veggies on busy workdays.

Our usual dressing is a mix of olive oil and lemon juice, which we add to the salad right before serving.

Try it 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.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Just like thiamin, which I wrote about recently, riboflavin is another B vitamin commonly found in fortified foods such as cereals, enriched flour, pasta, sauces, baby foods, energy drinks.  In case you have wondered what it is and why it is needed, here is some research for you in a simple Q&A format. I am following up on my article on vitamin A from a few weeks ago. Let me know what you think of this format and if you have any other questions that I did not cover here. I will get them answered by one of our experts and post them under Ask the Expert column.

What is Riboflavin?

Riboflavin is also known as vitamin B2, one of the 8 B vitamins needed for many important cell functions inside our body. In short, they are needed for healthy functioning and growth of child’s body. Together they are also known as vitamin B complex especially in nutritional supplements.

Riboflavin, like the other B vitamins, is soluble in water. Cells in our body need energy produced by special biochemical reactions. Certain types of enzymes help these reactions happen, but they too need help from coenzymes produced by riboflavin. Obviously, this is very complex chemistry, but the point is that riboflavin is an important player in the chemical reactions that produce energy at the cellular level. Recently, high doses of riboflavin have been found effective in preventing migraine headaches. Seek medical advice before using riboflavin for migraines.

It is also used as a food coloring because of its yellow or yellow-orange color. The more soluble riboflavin 5′-phosphate is called the E101 food color.

Why does my child need it?

According to the 2nd edition of the PDR for Nutritional Supplements, riboflavin is involved in the conversion of carbohydrates, fat and protein into energy required for cell functions. Riboflavin also has antioxidant activity which protects your body from reactive oxygen radicals. Just like the other B vitamins, riboflavin plays an important role in your child’s metabolism.

How much Riboflavin should my child be getting?
What are good sources of Riboflavin?

For infants, the FDA has recommended a daily amount of 0.6 mg. And for toddlers less than 4 years old, the recommendation is 0.8 mg. Pregnant and nursing women are recommended to take about 2  mg per day. Healthy adults are advised to take about 1.7 mg per day.

Riboflavin is usually present in most plant and animal food sources although in small amounts. Yeast extract is exceptionally rich in riboflavin, and organ meats like liver and kidney are also good sources. Here are a few examples of different food sources and amount of riboflavin per serving (source: wikipedia and Linus Pauling Institute):

1. Cooked spinach, half cup = 0.2 mg
2. Asparagus, about 6 spears = 0.14 mg
3. Almonds, cooked, 1 cup = 0.8 mg
4. Fortified breakfast cereals, 1 cup = 0.5 – 2.0 mg
5. Milk, 1 cup = 0.34 mg
6. Egg, cooked, 1 large = 0.27 mg
7. Cheddar cheese, 1oz = 0.11 mg
8. Fish, salmon or halibut, 3 oz (deck of cards) = 0.1 mg
9. Chicken/beef, cooked, 3 oz = 0.16 mg
10. Bread, whole grain or enriched flour, 1 slice = 0.08 mg

Riboflavin is destroyed by ultraviolet light. As you can see, riboflavin is naturally available in many common food sources. There is really no need to look for a nutritional supplement for riboflvain although you will find many multivitamin products on the market. Check out my review of some of the popular kids brands of multivitamins.

Riboflavin is well tolerated without any adverse effects. There is no reason, however, to take a high dose of riboflvain supplement.

What happens if my child does not get enough riboflavin?

According to the PDR for Nutritional Supplements, riboflavin deficiency (also known as ariboflavinosis) can cause any of the following conditions:

1. Cracked or sore lips, especially on the outer corners
2. Sore throat, redness or swelling of the lining of the mouth
3. Magenta tongue
4. Skin lesions, dermatitis
5. Poor iron metabolism and absorption, lower hemoglobin levels
6. Vascularization of the cornea

These symptoms are medical conditions and should be interpreted by a doctor. It is not common for riboflavin deficiency to occur in isolation. Usually it happens when a lot of other vitamins are also absent because of poor nutrition, digestive disorders or other medical conditions.

Should I be concerned about riboflavin deficiency?

Since riboflvain is commonly available in many foods and cereals, it should not be a big concern. However, if your child’s diet is mainly junk food and not enough whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables, you may want to pay attention to his overall vitamin B needs.

What do you think? What changes, if any, would you consider making to your child’s diet so she gets enough riboflvain? Do you have recipes that use food sources rich in riboflavin? I would love to hear from you!

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

I learned about Plum Organics from The Mothers of Invention, a story about Mom entrepreneurs in a recent issue of the Wall Street Journal. I was so impressed that I decided to try their squeezable fruit purees with our twins. I found them in our local Babies ‘R Us, although they are also available in Whole Foods. They have a broader range of pureed products, including both fruits and vegetable purees for babies. Since we are not at the baby stage any more, I was happy to find the mish-mash line of products for toddlers. Still I ended up buying both the baby and tots products just to try them out.

Just like the Buddy Fruits I reviewed a few weeks ago, these fruit purees come in a squeezable pouch. It came in handy as a snack when my daughter woke up from her afternoon nap and stepped outside to play in the backyard!

Here is what we like about this product -

1. 100% fruit, no sugar added
2. USDA certified organic
3. Does not need to be refrigerated if unopened. After opening, you can keep the leftover in the fridge for 24 hours
4. 3 fruit options available – peach, banana, strawberry
5. The fruit and vegetable blend for babies comes in 6 varieties with blends from sweet potato, corn, apple, spinach, peas, pear, pumpkin, banana, mango, peach, apricot, and carrots. Even though they are targeted for babies, I think they will go well with toddlers too

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

1. Can be a little messy if the child squeezes the tube before putting the open top end in the mouth
2. High cost; 1 packet costs over a dollar. They happened to be on sale that day in Babies ‘R Us at $10 for 10

Overall, we are giving them a thumbs up despite the high cost. Hopefully, the cost will come down with new packaging innovations.

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.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com