LittleStomaks » Healthy Fats

Five for Fridays – Feb 26, 2010

TwinToddlersDad — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:01:18 +0000

Greetings! I thought of doing something different for this week’s Five for Fridays. Here are 5 videos which caught my eye as I looked for food and nutrition related news. Let me know what you think!

Bode Miller the “ski champ” farmer

Did you know that Bode Miller grew up a vegetarian? I didn’t, until found this video on Phd in Parenting blog! I was so fascinated by it that I decided to dig up the original source. I finally tracked it down on Stonyfield yogurt’s website under their “Yotube” video channel. It makes a perfect pitch for Stonyfield – after all, Bode Miller is no ordinary champion. One unintended message out of this video may be that organic is for crazies only! I think the positioning needs to be a little more mainstream. In any case, this video has a great message aimed to inspire the younger generation.

Watch out! Jamie Oliver is bringing his food revolution to America

It’s official folks! We are a country of fat people. If you have doubts, just check out the statistics on Huntington West Virgina – half the adults are considered obese and rates of diabetes and heart disease lead the nation! Jamie has supposedly the secret formula that can change the mindset: we don’t wanna sit around and eat lettuce all day! It is hilarious and I think it is sure to get good viewership when the show airs on ABC in March. I think it will make great TV, and although I hope it makes a real difference, I am not holding my breath for it! Good luck Jamie anyway.

Tom Vilsack on child nutrition act

Secretary Tom Vilsack answers 5 questions about his plans to expand the child nutrition program. I am all for it; I continue to believe that hunger and obesity are two sides of the same coin. Improving access to nutritious food, including fruits and vegetables, and not just focusing on low salt, sugar and fat is a good idea. Childhood obesity is a serious problem we must address now.

Michelle Obama takes on childhood obesity

If you haven’t yet seen this video by the first lady, you have got to check it out. Even though I think her Let’s Move campaign is destined to disappoint, I do admire her initiative to improve the health of our nation. She has a great personality and her message is clear and in many ways quite inspiring.

Help! My baby is fat – are you serious?

Chubby babies are cute, but is there a thing called a “fat” baby? Well, according to some researchers, people who turn obese when they grow up, begin to show a sign as early as 3 months of age! I find that unbelievable and I think this is going to send a risky signals to new parents. Babies need healthy fat, which if they are exclusively breastfed, is very easy to accomplish. Don’t be afraid of fat; the key is to work towards developing healthy eating habits during toddler years. This is yet another example of how catchy headlines can create a sense of unnecessary anxiety. The video does have some good tips from Dr. Sanjay Gupta, so check it out!

Ask the Expert – Planning Your Weekly Meals

TwinToddlersDad — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:00:58 +0000

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 Victoria Retelny offers a few practical tips to busy parents for planning their family’s weekly meals.

Victoria Shanta Retelny, RD, LDN

Loyola University Chicago – Food & Nutrition Program
Registered, Licensed Dietitian – Nutrition Communications Expert
Media Resource, Nutrition Therapist, Freelance Writer, Speaker
Website: Livingwell Communications
Twitter: @vsrnutrition
Contact: via email from website

Question: Both my husband and I have full time jobs and we always feel rushed to put wholesome food on the table each day for the family. Can you give a few tips for planning our weekly meals good for both our toddlers and us?

Answer:

Certainly!

I am asked this question often. The secret is: have a plan and stick with it. When it comes to meals and snacks, keep a grocery list for the week and do your shopping on the same day(s) every week. Remember, feeding your whole family the same foods – and not making special foods for your toddlers – is the best way to go. By keeping to a shopping schedule you can compile a list of meals and buy ingredients for the week. Also, you will not overspend at the grocery store by making random stops.

When planning easy, convenient meals for you and your family, think about including these components at all meals:

Vegetables/Fruit + Lean protein + Whole grains + Healthy fats

To maintain nutritional balance, half of your plate should be vegetables/fruit, one-quarter should be lean protein, and the other quarter should be whole grains. Keep in mind, frozen veggies are fine to use – they contain just as much nutritional value, if not more, than fresh vegetables.

Here are some healthful meals for your weekly rotation:

Vegetable Pizza with whole wheat crust (100% whole wheat Boboli, assorted vegetables, and shredded part-skim mozzarella and canned crushed tomatoes). Serve with a side salad and vinaigrette dressing.
Chicken and Couscous Primavera (shredded chicken breast, whole wheat couscous, peas, spinach, and tomatoes with balsamic vinaigrette dressing).
Mini Turkey Cheese Burgers & Sweet Potatoes Fries (turkey patties – cut in quarters, mozzarella cheese slices, whole grain buns – cut in quarters, sweet potatoes – cut into slices, drizzled with olive oil and baked). Serve with side salad and vinaigrette dressing.
Whole Grain Macaroni and Cheese (whole grain macaroni, low-fat milk, shredded low-fat cheddar cheese). Serve with oven-roasted broccoli spears drizzled with olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper.
Asian Chicken Salad (shredded chicken breast, scallions, roasted sliced almonds, sesame seeds, shredded carrots, romaine lettuce, whole grain angel hair pasta). Mix with dressing: soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and canola oil. If your kids will not eat lettuce than just serve the chicken with the pasta – my kids call the pasta strands “worms” and love this dish!

Bon appétit!

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 Best of Littlestomaks in 2009

TwinToddlersDad — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:22:37 +0000

It has been an excellent year blogging about toddler nutrition! When I started writing back in the Fall of 2008, I did not realize how exciting it could be to learn and write about all aspects of a young child’s nutrition and growth. Blogging has also given me an opportunity to connect with both experts and moms in a unique way!

As we close on 2009, I would like to reflect upon the more than 220 posts I have published on this blog. Whether you are a brand new visitor, or a regular reader of this blog, I invite you to check out these top 10 posts of 2009 in terms of page views and comments.

Enjoy and let me know what is on your mind!

	Attachment Parenting and Toddler Nutrition This post by Annie of PhD In Parenting explains what it means to feed your child with love and respect. It is one of the 8 guiding principles of Attachment Parenting.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	5 Reasons to Consider a Multivitamin Supplement I heard a variety of opinions from Moms who took my Global Toddler survey about use of multivitamins. In this post, I highlight 5 main reasons why you might consider it for your child. Vitamins should not be used to “fix” nutrition and eating issues; rather you should rely on them to supplement a balanced diet.
	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.
	Help! My Kids Don’t Eat Enough Fruits and Veggies! This is a very common concern of most toddler parents. In this article, pediatrician Dr Ayala Laufer-Cahana offers a few practical tips to get your kids interested in fruits and veggies. Check out her blog at Ayala’s Herbal Water.
	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.
	Think Play-Nutrition-Rest for Long Term Health of Your Children Play is an important part of your child’s physical, mental and emotional growth. Combine it with good nutrition and enough rest for long term health of your toddler.

Web statistics are surely important, but there are a lot of other articles which I am particularly very passionate about. Here are a few of my favorites. I hope you will check them out and leave me a comment with your opinion!

Simple Recipes – Avocado and Pears Salad

TwinToddlersDad — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:56 +0000

This is a very easy recipe for a quick salad! We stumbled on it in Recipes from the Heart, a cookbook we recently purchased to support the Operation STEM-ulus from the U.S. Foodservice to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to needy families. We adapted it slightly to match the ingredients at hand. We don’t normally eat avocado but this recipe turned out to be a great introduction and extremely simple to prepare. We are definitely hooked and plan to try this fruit in other recipes!

Ingredients

2 avocados, peeled and diced into small cubes
2-3 pears, peeled and diced
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp diced green onions
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Combine avocado, pears, tomatoes in a salad bowl, toss together to mix well. Sprinkle cilantro and green onions. Mix olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and spread over the salad uniformly. Serve with baked tortilla chips or toasted bread.

About avocado

via Wikimedia

Avocado is a fruit native to the Caribbean region but now grown in many countries across the world. It is very popular in the US, which is in fact is the third largest producer in the world. 95% of the US production comes from Southern California (source: Wikipedia)

Avocado has very high dietary fiber, loads of vitamin B, C, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. It also provides a lot of monounsaturated fats, which is one of the good fats you should aim to increase in your growing child’s diet.

Ask the Expert – Whole Milk and Toddlers

TwinToddlersDad — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:00:10 +0000

This week, Family Physician and Registered Dietitian Dr. Shelley Meyer recommends you consider switching to 2% milk as long as your toddler is growing appropriately. Whole milk is recommended for children between 1-2 years old.

Shelley Meyer, DO, MS, RD

Education:
- Residency: Family Medicine, St. Anthony’s Denver, Co;
- Medical school: University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine;
- Nutrition: Masters, Georgia State University, Bachelors: University of Florida;
- Dietetic Internship: Grady Hospital
Experience: Family Medicine Physician, Registered Dietitian
Expertise: Preventive Medicine, Wellness, Integrative Medicine

Question: How much whole milk is necessary? Should my nearly-17-month-old be drinking whole milk all the time? I worry about her fat intake a lot because there is heart disease and hypertension in our family in a BIG way – I want to get her started correctly down a road that will help her to avoid those issues.

Answer:

This is a great question that comes up quite a bit with parents of infants that are making their transition into toddlerhood. Previously, the AAP recommended that any child between one and two years old have only whole milk. The premise behind this idea was that the additional fat in whole milk was needed for appropriate development of the brain, as 80% of brain development occurs in the first two years. In addition fat has more than twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates and proteins, and is thus a great way to ensure adequate energy intake for the early toddler years.

However, due to the rising rate of childhood obesity and the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular disease in the general population, in 2008 the AAP revised their recommendations. So, in your case, where there is a strong family history of heart disease, you may opt to use 2% milk as long as your child is growing appropriately. In the case of an obese child 2% may also be the best option. Remember, though, that fat is needed for brain development so be sure your young toddler is getting 45-50 grams of fat per day.

Product Review – Gerber Graduates Fruit Puffs

TwinToddlersDad — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:00:45 +0000

Although these whole grain puffs are beginner snacks meant for babies recently introduced to solid foods, our twins still love to munch on them! The only difference is now they can eat a whole lot more than the suggested one serving in the 6-serving box. They come in several flavors – we have tried the peach and strawberry flavors so far.

Here is what we like about this product -

Only 25 calories per serving, none from fat (although I think good fat is important for small children)
No trans fats, no saturated fats, no cholesterol, no sodium
Only 1 g of sugar per serving
Good minerals and vitamins – iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, vitamin E
Whole grains, real fruit purees and extracts, no HFCS

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

It is not organic
No dietary fiber
The small puffs are a mess to clean up afterward
It is still processed food – better to switch to fruits and other healthful snacks which will actually make your children feel full.

Overall, not a bad alternative to many other packaged foods and snacks on the market.

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