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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

photo credit: DesertNana aka majamom

Chances are you have not had a whole lot of opportunity to ask your family physician or pediatrician about a few rules of thumb for your child’s nutrition. After all, there is hardly any time to talk about nutrition even on a routine wellness visit. Our experience has been no different as the doctor always seems to be in such a big rush to get you out of there!

That is why, I read with great interest an article written by a physician and a registered dietitian published in the American Family Physician, which is a peer reviewed journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The title of this article is Nutrition in Toddlers and it contains a nice table of 7 consensus recommendations you can use to manage your child’s nutrition. I wanted to share them with you in this article.

A toddler diet should include 2-3 servings of milk or other dairy products  per day

Not a problem in most cases unless your child has a milk allergy or intolerance. Milk is a great way to meet your growing child’s calcium and vitamin D needs.

Toddlers older than 2 years old should get 30% of daily calories from fat

Not all fat is bad, even though we live in a world where low fat seems to be the golden rule. What you need to limit is saturated fat or trans fat and watch dietary cholesterol. Very easy to do if you reduce processed foods and rely more on home-cooked meals. Polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats and fatty acids are among the healthy fats you must include in your child’s diet.

Limit fruit juices to no more than 4-6 oz per day and emphasize whole fruits and veggies

It is easy to get comfortable with the no-sugar 100% pure fruit juice label on the box, but fruit juices are no replacement for real fruit. Getting your child to love fruits and veggies takes effort and patience, but don’t give up!

Vitamin supplementation is unnecessary except in undernourished or chronically ill children

I could not agree more! It is natural to worry as a parent, and sometimes feel the pressure to start using a vitamin supplement just to be safe. There days we hear so much about vitamin D deficiency but a supplement is not needed unless your child doesn’t get enough sun exposure or if he does not or cannot drink at least 2 cups of milk. There are situations where you may consider a multivitamin for your toddler, but the general advice is to manage your child’s vitamins and minerals needs through diet and healthy lifestyle.

Good nutritional habits should be fostered by sitting at the table, turning off the television and interacting socially

Sometimes we get so focused on the what of eating, that we forget about the how of feeding! Having a family meal without the distraction of TV or video games is a very powerful way of building lifelong healthy eating habits. Dr Kathleen Cuneo of Dinner Together is an expert in this matter whose opinion I respect a lot. I really like her approach and belief that feeding is parenting. That is what matters in the long run, not the nutritional facts on the label!

Parents should offer children a variety of foods, expose them repeatedly to healthy foods and model healthy eating behaviors

Like it or not, you are a role model for your young child. And when it comes to building lifelong healthy eating habits, your attitude towards food and eating is the most important factor. Being a role model is not difficult; just be consistent and completely natural with your child.

To reassure parents and detect undernourished children, physicians should monitor growth patterns including body mass index

While it is natural to worry if your child falls below the 50th percentile on weight and height growth charts, body mass index is a better tool to assess if your child is overweight or underweight. Body mass index uses both height and weight. It is very easy and you can use an online calculator if you don’t want to wait until your next wellness check appointment.

I think these recommendations pretty much sum up the latest thinking in child nutrition. They are based on sound evidence and practical experience of doctors and dietitians. You don’t have to try to follow all of them on a daily basis. You can try to make them a part of your child’s overall eating habits in the long run. It is also a good idea to tailor your approach to your child’s individual personality without getting hung up on a certain best way to practice them.

Good luck!

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Here is a secret from the world of business marketing you can use to help your toddler build healthy eating habits. I heard about this from a colleague of mine recently. I was thinking about it over the weekend when it occurred to me that it could be applied to building healthy eating habits. In fact, you could consider it for most parenting situations.

Think of companies and brands that you are a fan of. What do they do well to keep you coming back to their products and services? Surely, a lot of companies have good products that meet your needs, but there are some in particular which you keep going back to over and over again.Not only that, you tell your friends about them and get them hooked too! How could it be that they have figured out a way to have you keep doing what they want you to do – that is keep buying their products, sometimes even without thinking!

The secret is CONSISTENCY!

Consistent quality and service builds trust and a natural desire in the customer to keep reaching out for the product. Miss on either quality or service a few times and you lose the customer for good in today’s competitive world. The top companies have figured it out how to do it consistently over and over again. Of course, it does not happen overnight and takes a lot of effort to build.

So how can it be applied to building healthy eating habits in toddlers?

Just like building a bedtime routine at the end of the day, consistency at mealtimes helps your toddler to latch on to foods and behaviors you want him to develop. Here are a few tips for you to try consistently:

1. Eat dinner as a family and only offer whatever you have prepared for yourself. No need for a special Kids Menu at home (via Sandi of @5and1).
2. Make the environment fun and stress-free. Play is the secret ingredient of success at mealtime!
3. Don’t wait until everyone, including your child, is starving to begin dinner. Timing is critical so a little planning will help tremendously.
4. By the same token, avoid forcing your child to sit down and have dinner with you if he just had a snack because of a change in schedule or something else.
5. Understand the division of responsibility in feeding to unleash the true power of family meals, according to Dr Kathleen Cuneo of Dinner Together. Your job is to put food on the plate; let your child decide whether and how much to eat.
6. Make only a few ground rules for both adults and children. Too many rules don’t work, plus they are very hard to enforce. Be a role model yourself and ask help from others in the family to stick to them at mealtime.
7. Avoid talking about food as good or bad. If it is on the table, it is good enough to eat even if the nutritional value is not so good. Nutritional value is best considered before the food reaches your table!
8. Keep everything same or nearly the same each day. No need to be spontaneous about the seating arrangements.
9. If the TV is usually on, let it be even if you are tempted to turn it off after reading in a book!
10. Stay flexible, everybody including your child can have a bad day!

Consistency takes practice and perseverance. But it can be extremely rewarding in the long run.

Moms, what your most useful tips for building healthy eating habits? Share in comments below.

Photo Source: PhotoExpress
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

We just got back from a week-long visit to the Disney World!

It was a great vacation and we had a lot of fun at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and our own cabin at the Fort Wilderness Resort.

But it was a nightmare trying to feed our twins during the entire trip. The usual kids menu items like the fried chicken tenders, pizza and hot dogs didn’t go well at all and they only nibbled at the Mac ‘n Cheese and carrots. Surprisingly, they also rejected the milk and took only a few sips each time. The only somewhat healthy option we found was at Epcot’s Le Chefs de France restaurant, which offered grilled flounder and fresh green beans on the menu in addition to the usual chicken tenders and pasta. Sadly however, it didn’t turn out to be a pleasant dining experience for us because by that time the twins were tired and fussy!

We came to the realization that we don’t eat out and we don’t go on vacations often enough to prepare us for proper eating outside of home!

So to all of you more experienced toddler Moms out there, I have a question this week:

How do you manage your child’s nutrition on extended vacations out of home?

Please share your tips in comments below. Leave your twitter ID, blog or Facebook profile  so I can link to you when I compile your tips in a future post.

Thank you!!

©2009 Littlestomaks.com

It should not come as a surprise to anyone that we are addicted to sugar! What might surprise you though is just how much added sugar we Americans consume every day. A whopping 22 teaspoons according to the news I covered in last week’s Five for Fridays. That comes to about 355 calories or nearly 20% of the recommended 2000 daily calories. Most of this added sugar comes from regular soft drinks, soda, candy and desserts such as cakes, cookies and pies. Consuming this much added sugar is really not necessary because it does not provide any added nutritional value, just empty calories.

It is true that there is no clear link between added sugar, weight gain and obesity. But common sense tells us that if we consume more calories than we can spend by physical activity and exercise, those extra calories will add up. Excessive sugar can also result in insulin resistance leading to Type 2 diabetes. In short, too much sugar is not good in the long run no matter how you look at it.

I think that it is important to tame your child’s sweet tooth by keeping a close eye on it early on. All children love sweet treats, some more than others. At times you may be tempted to give in and just accept that your child might be hardwired for a sweet tooth. But that is no reason for a child to be introduced to soda at a young age. In my opinion, that can count for child abuse! I can live with children enjoying desserts and candy in moderation, but when it comes to soda, I have to draw the line!

I have written about how to manage daily sugar for your child in the past. Recently I posed this question to some of my Twitter followers for their tips. Here is some of what I heard back.

@notdiyheather tweeted about how she does not keep sugar drinks and snacks at home:

She also tries to teach her child that sugary treats are for special occasions and prefers water over juice:

Dr. Taffy Wagner @moneyinmarriage, a mom of twins, has a little more strict approach to managing sugar:

@TheMommyChef suggested that you make your own homemade sweet treats with natural sugars and reduce the amount:

@mamahall offered an interesting formula to control how much candy the children get:

She also suggested to dilute sugary drinks with water when giving them to children on special occasions:

Registered Dietitian @MiltonStokes cautioned against too much control:

Bottom line: it is important to put some boundaries but not too many. I should add that there should not be a different set of rule for adults. As a parent, you have to be a role model and practice what you preach. We don’t drink soda in our household or while eating out – period.

What are your rules and tips for managing sugar for your child? Please leave a comment, I would love to hear from you!

Photo source – GlamourFood by suiker on Flickr via everystockphoto
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

This is a guest post by Christine Kane-McKenzie, owner at “Falling Through the Cracks”, a non-profit she created for single parents who have fallen through the bureaucratic cracks to help them achieve a better future. She is also a distributor for Juice Plus^+®.

A few facts about Childhood Obesity in Texas

The statistics in 1962 showed that 13% of the U.S. population was obese but by 2000 this rate had increased to 31% according to American Sports Data.  The population of Texas is about 24 million. The population of children, ages 10-17, ranks first in the US at 21.4% with 32.2% being overweight or obese, according to Trust for America’s Health .  With that said, those same children rank 31.7% overweight or obese across the US.  Their statistics also show that the state of Texas has 21.4% of children under 18 who are uninsured.  Finkelstein and his collaborating researchers reported in Health Affairs – The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere – a drastic increase in medical coverage for obesity through Medicare/Medicaid since 1998.  In 1998 approximately half of the over $78 Billion spent on health coverage was financed by Medicare and Medicaid.  Through 2006 that number is estimated to have increased $40 Billion. Taking care of our health now will alleviate most insurance costs attributed to obesity.

What I’m getting at here is our children need to understand the importance of good health, good nutrition, and proper exercise practices.  The first step to improving or maintaining a child’s proper weight is to inform the parents about nutrition, exercise, and quality time with children.

How do you determine if a child will be obese? Is it genetic?

The obesity-predisposing genotype is heritable in 10% of individuals according to a 2006 article in the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  Beyond genetics is the susceptibility to dietary variations, along with a major contribution of familial influenced learned behaviors such as exercise and regular activity away from the TV, computer, and video games according to researchers from Canada who published their findings in this article on PubMed.

Does this mean that everyone who has the obesity-predisposing genotype has to become obese?

No. It only means it’s a possibility.

The fact is anyone has the potential to become obese, unless they have hyperthyroidism, if their caloric intake outweighs their physical activity. Eric Ravussin, Chair in Diabetes and Metabolism at Louisiana State University and a prominent exercise researcher, was recently quoted in this TIME magazine article – “exercise is pretty much useless for weight loss”. Exercise is great to keep the body healthy and the ability to stave off disease processes such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and stress levels.  Being in shape strengthens muscles that support the skeleton and alleviates back problems. I, for one, am living proof that obsessively excessive exercise has done nothing for me when it comes to losing weight. I felt great but the weight just hung around. During a five year period I had invested in a local work-out plan and also hired three separate trainers as well.  I was well toned, to say the least, but still gained 5 – 10 lbs and was always exceptionally hungry.

Basically, we need to expend our energy on daily activities in balance with caloric intake. Think of it this way. Our ancestors (yes, even the kids) gardened, plowed fields, bailed hay, walked or ran everywhere, scrubbed everything around the house and barn by hand, took care of farm animals, and so forth, so their energy expenditure equaled or exceeded their caloric intake (in some cases they may have not had enough food).  In any case, there were still a few individuals who became obese due to genetics.  Now days kids get up, run out the door without breakfast, get on the bus for school, sit in a desk most of the day (most schools only have P.E. a couple times a week now), come home, relax in front of the TV/video game and eat unhealthy snacks before a hearty dinner, then off to bed.  Where’s the energy expenditure?

What can be done before it begins or reverse the weight gain in children?

Children follow what they see.  If your routine is to stop at the local drive-thru, you’re setting the scene for obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, and other chronic health risks.  Delayed satisfaction is a great lesson for our children in this era of remote controls. Cooking wholesome nutritious meals together as a family will benefit everyone in more ways than one.  The main point is, as a parent, what we do as parents we pass on to our children.  We all want what’s best for them… is obesity one of those things?

Trimming the fat tips for the budget and the waistline

Here are a few tips for Cutting eating costs – even with special diets based on an article by the Chicago Family Health Examiner:

• Look up sites for coupons for whole foods.
• Go to farmers markets instead of the fruit & veggie aisle at the supermarket.
• Stop going out to eat so much and make good choices when you do.
• Have fun growing a garden with the kids – an herb garden, tomatoes, broccoli, and peppers are easy and really don’t take up a lot of room to plant.
• Look into supplementation  like Juice Plus+^® – 17 organic whole fruits and veggies, ground up and put into caplet’s for adults and chewables and gummies for kids for about $1.50/day.
• Another good site to look at is called “The Science of Appetite”. It has tips on what foods make you eat more, what people eat around the world, how to curb your appetite, and more.

Family fun and exercise = Quality time

Quality time is the most important part of having healthy balanced children.  Taking time to talk about health together is just as important as talking about drugs and alcohol to your kids.  Everyday should have some sort of fun activity that is shared by the family such as:

• Playing football or baseball
• Walks around the block a couple times a day
• Ride bikes
• Roller blade
• Skate boarding
• Dancing together

©2009 Littlestomaks.com
Disclaimer: I have not received any sponsorship from Juice Plus+^® and publication of this article is not an endorsement of their products by Littlestomaks.com

It has a funny name, but it’s nutritional value is not a joke!

Honestly, we did not know about quinoa until very recently, and chances are it hasn’t yet gotten on your shopping list either. Check it out; in fact it is so nutritious that at one point even NASA looked at it for long duration space flight missions!

Here are a few interesting facts about quinoa, tips for cooking and a few simple recipes.

It looks like a grain but it is not

Quinoa (pronounced as keen-wa or kin-wa) sold in stores is actually a seed of the plant, which is closely related to plant species such as beets, spinach and tumbleweeds. According to the wikipedia entry on quinoa, it is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a grass. Rice, wheat, barely, maize, oats are examples of cereals. Usually it is pale yellow in color, but some of the species can be of different colors. For example, recently we got red quinoa:

Check out this article for more details on the history of quinoa.

It is super easy to cook

We cook it almost exactly the same way we cook basmati rice.

Mix 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa in a large saucepan. Add a little olive oil and stir well to mix. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat and cover tightly. Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until all water is absorbed and quinoa is soft. When cooked, the grain appears soft and translucent. The germ ring is visible along the outside edge of the grain as seen in the picture below:

It is important to wash the quinoa thoroughly with water before cooking otherwise you will get a slightly bitter after-taste. In its natural form quinoa has a coating of saponin, a bitter tasting chemical, which is usually washed off during processing. Still, it may contain a small amount when you buy it in stores. You can easily wash it off, or soak it in water for an hour or so before cooking. Sometimes, we use chicken broth to cook with instead of water. Or make a recipe with vegetables or chicken after cooking separately. Here are links to two of our recent simple recipes you can try -

Chicken with quinoa

Grilled chicken with quinoa and salad

Here are some more quinoa recipes from the Quinoa Corporation. We bought their Ancient Harvest brand of organic quinoa from Wholefoods.

It has excellent nutritional value

According to the Quinoa Corporation, here are a few nutritional facts about quinoa:

• It is 35 on glycemic index, which is quite low. Low glycemic index foods are good for you because they do not cause the blood glucose levels to rise rapidly after they are eaten. That means your body is not working overtime to produce insulin after you eat.
• It is alkaline (meaning not acidic but basic), which is good for maintaining the acid balance in your digestive system.
• It is an excellent source of carbohydrates and dietary fiber. It is also a good source of protein.
• It has a lot of vitamins and minerals like iron and zinc.
• It is gluten-free.

Here is a nutritional facts label from Wikipedia:

You can find it in Whole Foods or other specialty health stores

We usually buy quinoa from our local Whole Foods market. Check out your local area or look for a specialty store selling natural or organic health foods. You can also buy in bulk from the Quinoa Corporation.

Go ahead, give quinoa a try! And feel free to share a recipe if you like it.

©2009 Littlestomaks.com

Happy Friday! Here are 5 interesting nutrition stories of the week that caught my eye. Enjoy and drop a comment to let me know what’s on your mind.

Doubts emerging about restaurant calorie labeling

It has been a year since the chain restaurants in New York City started labeling their menu items with calorie content. A new report raises questions about its effectiveness in changing consumer behavior in the short term and solving the problem of obesity in the long run. New York City estimates that menu labeling will reduce the number of obese New Yorkers by 150,000 in 5 years and prevent 30,000 cases of diabetes. In a city of over 8 million people, these are small numbers; still many are questioning these estimates. Plus many restaurants seem to be “cheating” by posting lower calorie numbers than actually present in certain food items when tested. Does it mean that menu labeling does not work? I think it all depends on your viewpoint. It is not a silver bullet for the obesity problem; simply a step in the right direction. As long as it makes people think twice about buying the high-calorie food, it has a chance to change attitudes. Posting calories is just a start – in fact, complete nutritional information including salt, fat and sugar content should be made available if a consumer wants it. It takes a long time to change consumer behavior and we should keep taking small steps like calorie labeling. This is not a time to shoot it down!

Celiac disease 4 times more common today than 50 years ago

New research from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., according to a New York Times article, suggests that today there are 4 times more diagnosed cases of celiac disease compared to the 1950′s. Celiac disease is a serious immune system reaction to gluten (protein in grains such as wheat, rye, barley) which attacks the intenstines and disrupts the absorption of nutrients. A lot of early cases or gluten intolerance remain undiagnosed. Even though the headlines seems alarming, it is still a small number. I do not mean to diminish its impact, but there is no reason to panic and stop eating wheat or other grains simply because you experience digestive discomfort a few times. Surely, you should discuss it with your doctor who can do a complete checkup. I say this because there is a lot of hype about gluten-free diet these days. Lower your intake of processed foods, and eat more whole grains. Go gluten-free only if needed, and only after consulting with your doctor.

50% of food lost from farm to fork

Amazing, isn’t it? No wonder, the food prices are so high. Improving the efficiency of our food supply chain will not only be good for the environment, it will also result in lower food prices. It strikes me as ironical that when it comes to food prices, the farmer gets the major portion of the blame. Also, the focus is on fertilizer-hungry, high-yield crops which results into a massive over-production. If only we could focus on the supply-chain efficiency, then maybe we could have a more sustainable food chain. This, and other interesting quirks of our current food supply chain are included in this entertaining video from IBM social media – check it out!

Most physicians and nurses use dietary supplements – should you?

A survey of 900 physicians and 277 nurses sponsored by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) showed that about half of the physicians and nurses used dietary supplements regularly. Overall health and wellness was the most common reason given for using these supplements. They were also quite likely to recommend dietary supplements to their patients for a variety of reasons. I think the CRN, which is a trade association representing manufacturers of these supplements, can hardly be considered an unbiased agency for this type of a study. After reading the whole report, I can also say that their sample of physicians and nurses cannot be treated as random. Therefore, the high positive response in favor of supplements cannot be considered as representative of all health care professionals out there.

Having said that, I personally take a multivitamin on a daily basis because I know that even a fruit and vegetable rich diet today is not sufficient to provide all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Our industrialized farming methods have depleted the nutritional quality of the soil, and fruits and vegetables today are not as rich in vitamins in minerals as they were several decades ago. If you are not taking a supplement, discuss with your doctor if you should. Be careful while selecting the dietary supplement – they are not regulated by the FDA and there are many quality and safety problems. Don’t fall for the out-of-the-world claims for all sorts of miraculous treatments and cures; if they sound too good to be true, probably they are. Exercise the same caution when selecting a nutritional supplement for your toddler. For more tips, read Dr. Husbands answer about toddler nutritional supplements on my Ask the Expert column.

Tips for dining out with preschoolers

Dr. Kathleen Cuneo of Dinner Together, who wrote a guest post here, alerted me to this excellent article for tips on dining out with preschoolers. We have personally experienced this challenge because we have to manage two – not one – energetic toddlers while trying to enjoy our own meal. I think her advice of having realistic expectations from your toddlers is right on the money. We have to simply accept that most preschoolers cannot sit still the whole time. This article offers 7 very practical tips you can use with your little ones. One of our tricks is that we order something for our twins right away and request that they bring it within 5-10 minutes. That’s probably the most we can keep them interested in sitting at the table without anything to eat. Once their food arrives, we order ours and feed them while it is being prepared. Of course, if the service is good, we remember to leave a generous tip.

Enjoy your  weekend! And let me know what you think.

Photo source -The Wandering Angel on Flickr
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

This is a guest post by Dr. Kathleen Cuneo. She is the founder of Dinner Together, LLC, which provides education, consultation, and coaching to families with concerns about their children’s eating behaviors. Over the last 2 decades, Dr. Cuneo has helped parents and children of all ages including those with special needs. Follow her on Twitter @dinnertogether.

When I am asked by parents about what they can do to raise healthy eaters, my recommendations focus on the “how” of eating rather than the “what.”  Feeding children takes place in a relationship, most often a parent-child relationship.  Feeding is parenting.  It can be confusing and overwhelming at times, but it is so important.  What you do as a parent and how you approach your feeding relationship with your child can help set the stage for them to develop a healthy relationship with food and maintain a healthy weight, as well as to maintain a healthy relationship with you.

Mastering the “how” of feeding your children involves a number of factors, but one of the most important is getting in the habit of eating together with your children.  Research has shown family meals to be associated with better nutrition and academic success in children.  Frequent family meals have also been associated with lower risk for obesity, disordered eating, and substance abuse in children and adolescents.

Despite its importance, many parents struggle with getting the family together for meals regularly.  The reasons are numerous and varied.  Work schedules, children’s after school activities, and parents’ discomfort with eating and/or cooking are all potential obstacles to family meals.  Another potential obstacle, especially for families with younger children, is the child’s mealtime behavior.  Some children are picky eaters who can make mealtimes unpleasant, especially if their pickiness gets enacted by whining, complaining, or throwing food.  Some kids can’t sit still at the table and make it challenging for the rest of the family to enjoy a sit-down meal together.  Other children can disrupt the family meal with boisterous, overly-active, or other uncooperative behaviors.

I formed Dinner Together, LLC in any effort to help families find solutions to some of the obstacles they face in having successful family meals.  My experiences as a psychologist and as a parent to three children help me to help other parents.  Families with toddlers can face special challenges with feeding because this is both an exciting and frustrating time of learning and growth.  As your toddler is learning motor skills and trying to find their independence, you may find yourself feeding a very different child than the baby who sat patiently with an open and eager mouth waiting for you to spoon feed her.  Parents need to adjust their feeding expectations for this “new” little person developing before them.  A toddler will not likely be able to sit still and focus on eating (or anything else for that matter!) for more than ten minutes.  A toddler will likely reject many foods.  They may like something one day and reject it the next.  This is all normal and to be expected.

So what is a parent to do?  In a nutshell, my best advice is captured in three tips.

• First, have patience.  Raising a successful eater takes time.  There will be ups and downs along the way, but stick with it, don’t give up, and have faith.  Try not to get too discouraged with your toddler’s rejecting ways and don’t stop offering all those healthy foods you want him to eat.

• Second, relax about the nutritional content of individual meals.  Your child’s health is not determined by the nutritional value of a single meal.  Look at patterns in food intake over a period of time – more like a week’s work of meals

• Finally, understand the division of responsibility in feeding.   Familiarize yourself with Ellyn Satter’s classic work, stating that parents are responsible for the what, when, and where of feeding, while children are responsible for whether and how much.

For more information and ongoing tips, recipes, and strategies for cooking and feeding, sign up for my free e-newsletter at www.dinnertogether.com and follow my blog at www.dinnertogether.blogspot.com.  Currently, I am running a gift card giveaway and recipe contest which expires July 12, 2009.  Read more about it at my blog.

Photo Source – www.dinnertogether.com
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

Happy Friday! Here are 5 interesting nutrition stories of the week that caught my eye. Enjoy and drop a comment to let me know what’s on your mind.

Clues to the Mediterranean diet

It is now well accepted that the Mediterranean diet has good health benefits. But why it works so well and how important are the individual components in providing this health benefit has not been so clear. In a new study Anatomy of the health effects of Mediterranean diet, researchers have found that low to moderate consumption of alcohol, low consumption of meat and meat products, high consumption of vegetables, fruits, olive oil and legumes are the main factors which contribute to the healthfulness of this diet. It is tempting to break down a diet into its specific components to explain why it works or why it does not work. That is what Michael Pollan might call classic nutritionism - a tendency to break apart foods into components to explain effect on health. But, diet is only one of the factors for overall health and longevity – lifestyle and culture, as well as good healthcare are also critical. Still, I think that studies like these are useful, as long as we don’t lose sight of the big picture.

Now a sweetness enhancer rather than an artificial sweetener

Consumers want low or zero calorie sweeteners, no after-taste and naturally sourced ingredients in their food and beverages. That is why there is a lot of buzz about Stevia extract,which is being touted as the real, natural sweetener since it is produced from a plant. But it does give an after-taste, something the food companies are trying fix by adding taste masking ingredients in Stevia formulations. Taking a slightly different approach, Redpoint Bio – a company I wrote about recently in my article on salt reduction technologies – has now discovered a totally natrual sweetness enhancer RP44 that can work with almost any type of sugar. What it means is that this new ingredient can allow a dramatic reduction in the level of sugar needed in beverages or baked foods. They still have to get FDA approval, so it will be a while before it begins to appear in processed foods. I am not necessarily thrilled by this invention because it does nothing to reduce our reliance on processed foods. But it does show that specialty food additive industry is busy at work trying to help the food processing industry meet new customer expectations.

Food industry asks Obama to create a Presidential Commission for fighting obesity

In a letter to the President, several organizations, industry experts and academics are urging a creation of a Presidential Commission on Healthy Weights, Healthy Lives to combat the obesity epidemic. The idea is to coordinate the activities of the Department of Human Health and Services, USDA and other agencies involved in food and health policy. Sounds like they want more bureaucracy on top of an already monstrous bureaucracy – this is insane! I feel bad saying this because there are some very decent organizations behind this – the American Diabetes Association, American Public Health Association, Shape Up America, United Fresh Produce Association, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and a few others. Food companies who are the purveyors of sugary-salty-fatty foods are notably missing from this list. I really don’t believe that more regulation will have that big an impact – I think policy should shift towards consumer awareness and incentives for prevention so that consumer demand forces food industry to innovate and move away from these unhealthy foods. It is beginning to happen, but not at the scale at which it can be sustained at the grassroots level.

Grocery stores going back to basics for recession-struck shoppers

The middle aisles, where you find canned veggies, fruits, cereals, pasta and sauces, is bringing the dough for grocery stores and supermarkets in the current recession according to this Wall Street Journal story. Private label and store brands are selling well and filling more shelves in these stores as consumers go for basic food staples for dining at home. I was amazed to learn that a store can make nearly 70% of its profits from these middle aisles! They are also providing more coupons for items in these shelves and bundling ingredients for home-cooked meals. Seems like low cost packaged food is winning the race in this recession and the fresh produce along the outside aisles is falling behind. Have you noticed a change in your grocery store? How has your shopping changed in the current environment?

Six ways to get your toddler to sit at the dinner table

Here are some great tips from Pediatrician Dr. Joanna Dolgoff to get your toddler to sit at the dinner table with you and not run around the whole house or in the restaurant! We struggle with this problem too since our twins are now out of their high chairs and insist on enjoying their new freedom while we try to eat dinner. My favorite tips from her article are – bring activities to the table (coloring, reading), and engage your child in a conversation. Check out her post and share your tips in the comments below.

Enjoy your weekend! And let me know what you think.

Photo source - Spiralz on Flickr
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

I have signed up for a 4-week nutrition and physical activity program at work! I am so excited about this program that I wanted to share it with you. It has been only a week, but I am already beginning to see a change in my daily diet and level of physical activity. So check it out, and if you want to give it a try, feel free to modify it to suit your needs.

The Program

• First, we had to select a team of 4 and register at our Fitness Center. You could do this as a family, or find a couple of friends to join you. Select an inspiring team name to make it real and interesting.
• Each team has an “empty” plate at the beginning of the week. After completing the activities assigned for the week, teams can earn “portions” to fill their plate. To get a “full” plate, each member of the team must complete these activities to a certain level.
• Teams earn raffle tickets based on how full their plates are at the end of each week. There is a bonus raffle ticket if a team earns all four full plates at the end of the program. After it is all over, they will be able to win “fun and exciting” prizes in a raffle.

The Activities

There are 6 “portions” on a plate with different goals/activities for the week:

1. Fruit – all 4 members must eat breakfast within 2h of waking at least 4 times per week
2. Meat/Bean – Complete a nutrition trivia worksheet each week
3. Grain – all 4 members must complete at least 30 minutes of exercise (or 10,000 steps) on 4 days of the week
4. Vegetable – at least 2 members must eat 7 or more servings of fruits and veggies 3 days of the week
5. Dairy – at least 2 members must eat 1 or more of the healthy food items marked with the Full Plate Club logo in the cafeteria
6. Oil – different activity for each week: complete health profile; take a group fitness class; find the nutrition fact sheet for at least 1 meal at your favorite restaurant; complete one of the 12 online program on stress management, nutrition or weight management

Why I am excited

The main reason I am excited is that I am now eating more fruits and vegetables each day! And I am realizing that it is quite hard to get 7 servings in a day – you really have to eat a fruit and/or vegetable at each meal.

Second, I am regularly eating salad with dinner, which I used to do in the past only occasionally. One trick we use is that we add some of our favorite fruits – strawberries, peaches, blueberries, mango slices, even pieces of cantaloupe or watermelon – in the salad. We also throw in almonds, sunflower seeds or walnuts! In short, everything goes, because that’s the way we can get it all in one meal.

Third, I can now mix walking with my workouts to complete the physical activity requirement. I usually go for a run or light strength building workout 3 times a week. But that is not enough since I am told we need to maintain a good level of physical activity at least 5 times a week. Now I can just go for a long walk on the days I can’t hit the gym and complete my 10,000 steps. I have also signed up for yoga once a week!

Why it works

I don’t think that winning a prize at the end of the 4 weeks is the driver for me. I think here are a few reasons it is working so well -

• Being in a team encourages you to complete your activities, after all you don’t want to “let your team down”
• The program is quite flexible and comprehensive
• It is only a 4 week program, not going to last forever
• It is educational – you need to look up nutrition information online to do those trivia worksheets
• It is fun to see your team’s plates “fill up” on the board
• It gives you something different to talk about with your friends and co-workers around the water cooler!

So wish me luck that I can stay with the program for 4 weeks and get used to the 7 servings of fruits and veggies a day!

This program is designed for adults, but I am sure you can tweak it to work with your young kids if you like. Share your ideas and opinion in comments below.

©2009 Littlestomaks.com

Our twins enjoying snacks at their daycare party

I have a guest post today on the Raise Healthy Eaters blog by registered dietitian Maryann Jacobsen. I was inspired by Dr. Joanna Dolgoff’s answer on last week’s Ask the Expert column regarding managing concerns about quality of daycare food. A few ideas came to mind as I thought about our experiences with the daycare our 3 year old twins attend.

Head over to Maryann’s blog and read my post which summarizes these ideas in 5 ways to ensure good nutrition at daycare. Share your experiences with daycare and what has worked for you.

This is a guest post by Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen. She is the creator of www.RaiseHealthyEaters.com as well as mom of two, registered dietitian and freelance writer. After becoming pregnant in 2006, Maryann began to research pregnancy, child and family nutrition. She shares her research-based resources and insights on her blog.You can follow her on Twitter at @mtjacobsen.

When I first introduced my daughter to solid foods, she ate most of what I put in front of her – green, orange and otherwise.  Being a dietitian, I was ecstatic to have a good eater.  But other moms warned me to expect a new, pickier version of my daughter as she entered toddlerhood.  “Enjoy it while it lasts” they told me.

At about 18 months my daughter did become skeptical of certain foods.  She no longer stuffed broccoli in her mouth and wouldn’t pick off my dinner plate at restaurants.  But because I knew how to handle her with effective feeding strategies, she has stayed a pretty good eater.

I have learned that “how” you feed you toddler is as important as “what” you put on the table.  Here are feeding strategies that can make feeding your child a monumental task – or a sure delight.

1. Encouraging them to eat more than they want – It’s tough for parents to watch their child take a few bites of their meal and then declare that they are done.  As a result, many parents will encourage their little ones to eat more or even offer rewards for finishing part or all of their meal.

   Why this backfires? Children are born with the ability to self-regulate food intake by eating when they are hungry and stopping when full.  When parents insist that children eat more, they are teaching them to ignore what their bodies are telling them.  Children can grow into adults who ignore their satiety cues, eating more than their bodies need and gaining weight.

   A better strategy: Ask them if they are sure they are done eating and then excuse them.  Basically, allow them to decide how much to eat.  Ellen Satter, RD, author of Secrets to Feeding a Healthy Family, encourages parents to employ what she calls “The the division of responsibility” – parents decide the “what” and “when” of feeding and children decide “how much” to eat.

2. Feeding only their favorite foods – When kids are extremely picky, sometimes parents will provide them only with foods they like.  They figure “why waste food if they aren’t going to eat it”

   Why this backfires? In Secrets Satter talks about how it takes repeated (neutral) exposure for children to learn to like a variety of foods.  If you don’t give a child the opportunity to learn, they will grow up with a short list of foods they can eat.

   A better strategy: Follow the division of responsibility and decide what’s on the menu at mealtime.  Provide meals that are a mix of foods you know your child will eat and other foods that make up a balanced meal.  For example, if you know your child will eat grilled cheese, serve it with fruit and some milk.  Trying a new dinner?  Make sure there are two items at the table that your child is likely to eat.

3. Being pushy with healthy foods – When I talk to parents they tell me they never force veggies on their children.  But when I observe them I find subtle coercion going on.  One mom might say, “Mmmm….veggies are so good and good for you” and another might say “you usually like broccoli, how come you didn’t touch it tonight?”

   Why this backfires? Studies show that kids pressured to eat consume less food than those not pressured.  And if kids eat only to please their parents, they probably won’t eat the same foods when their parents aren’t around.

   A better strategy: My daughter never ate asparagus when I prepared it as a side dish for dinner.  I kept serving it and putting it on her plate and she’d take it off saying, “no, no, no!”  One time I left it off her plate by placing it in a big serving dish.  For the first time ever, she grabbed two pieces and ate them.  I sat their silent smiling on the inside.

   All you can do to help your children eat a variety of foods is to repeatedly expose them to it without saying a word. When your children are old enough, let them serve themselves.

4. Restricting access to empty-calorie foods – Sometimes parents completely restrict foods that offer little to no nutritional value. Or when they do offer something like sweets, they make sure they have to complete a task in order to get it (clean room, eat veggies, finish homework etc.).

   Why this backfires? Consider a 1999 Study published in Appetite.  Girls with the highest level of snack food restriction at home ate the most snack foods when they were freely offered after a meal.  Restricting palatable foods, or making them a reward for mundane tasks, makes such items even more attractive and can lead kids to overeat such foods when given the chance.

   A better strategy: Show your children how to eat empty-calorie foods in moderation by providing them 1-3 times a week as part of a balanced diet.  For example, have cookies and milk for a snack or chips with a sandwich. And use other non-food items to reward good behavior.>

5. Limiting how much they eat – While toddlers are known for erratic eating, a select few eat very well.  In fact, parents of these children often worry about weight problems and may attempt to control how much their child eats at mealtime.

   Why this backfires? My dad grew up very poor where food was scarce.  After he and my mom married and had 5 kids, he made sure to finish our plates whether or not he was hungry (at least my parents didn’t make us finish them!).  But he dealt with a weight problem his whole life.If you limit how much your children eat at mealtime, they begin to see food as scarce which can lead to obsessive food thoughts.  This is why diets don’t work – purposely limiting food intake makes people want to eat more.

   A better strategy: It comes back to the division of responsibility and letting your child decide how much to eat.  Your job is to provide balanced, nutritious meals with empty calorie (fun) food in moderation and to make physical activity a normal part of their life.

To sum up
It’s not always easy trusting children to know how much food they need.  But try to remember that your goal is bigger than just having a toddler that eats well – it’s having a toddler that grows up to be a healthy, happy and confident eater.  The right feeding strategies may not guarantee this, but it sure can increase the likelihood that your child will never have to diet, fight chronic disease or waste one minute feeling guilty for enjoying the pleasure of food. And that makes it all worth it.

References

Fisher JO. Restricting access to palatable foods affects children’s behavioral response, food selection and intake.  Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;69(6): 1264-72.

Birch SR, Daniels MW, Gilman AH, Lichtenstein KT, Steinberger J, Stettler N, Van Horn L. Dietary recommendations for children and adolescents: A Guide for Practitioners. Pediatrics. 2006:117:544-59.

Fisher JO.  Effects of age on children’s intake of large and self-selected portions. Obesity. 2007;15(2):403-12.

Secrets to Feeding A Healthy Family: How To Eat, How To Raise Good Eaters, How To Cook by Ellen Satter, RD

We are all aware of the growing problems of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Eating too much junk food, sugary drinks and lack of physical activity is to blame. But how to tell if you or your child is consuming too much sugar each day, which in the long run adds up to cause these problems?

In this week’s Ask the Expert, Registered Dietitian Dina Lindquist offered several tips on how to “tame your child’s sweet tooth“.  As a parent, it is natural to worry about too much sugar, but exactly how much is too much?

Interestingly, it is not possible to find the answer to this question from the Nutrition Facts label on food packages. How could it be that there is a percentage daily value (%DV) for fats, carbohydrates, cholesterol, sodium, proteins and all kinds of vitamins and minerals, but not for sugar? All you can find for sugar is the amount per serving in grams. Without a total daily amount, it is not possible to assess if that 13 g sugar per serving of Fruit Loops or 22 g in a glass of Orange Juice is “way too much”.

In the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the USDA recommends a maximum of about 8 tsp (~32 grams) of added sugars each day on a 2000 calorie diet. It still does not tell you anything about the total sugars, part of which comes naturally – for example in fruits or juices – and part from added sugar. So it remains a guessing game, and as a concerned parent you find yourself agonizing over a cookie or a piece of candy wondering if you are turning your child into a sugar junkie!

Well, guess no more! After researching several sources, I have put together this estimate which you can use as a guide -

1. No more than 25% of the daily calories should come from total sugars
2. Each gram of sugar is about 4 calories
3. This comes to a daily maximum of 125 g for a 2000 calorie diet. Remember that toddlers need only about 1200 – 1600 calories based on their activity level. So the maximum amount for them is 100 g.
4. Any food item which contains more than 20% of this maximum (about 20 g) in a single serving is definitely a red flag. This is because it is very hard to control the serving size at one time unless each serving is individually packaged.
5. Fruit juices, even without added sugar, should be used in moderation. Try the fruit instead – at least their sugar comes with fiber, vitamins and minerals! Another option is to water the juice down or reduce the quantity.

How do you keep track of how much sugar your child (or you for that matter) is consuming each day?

Photo source: squacco on Flickr
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

I am happy to announce that this young blog has reached a milestone! This is my 50th post!!

To celebrate this milestone, I decided to ask my Twitter followers to share their own toddler nutrition tips. I felt that this would be a good way to celebrate our collective wisdom. After all, nothing beats the real-world practical tips from parents who are living the daily challenge of feeding 2-5 year old toddlers!

Here you go then! Enjoy these tips and try them out if you like them. And yes, do not forget to follow these wonderful people on Twitter. Simply click the hyperlink to their Twitter ID below.

On Trying New Foods

• @portraitsbyeric – When introducing a new food, make sure to give it at least a 3 to 4 day testing period for reactions. Can be different types of reactions. Such as breaking out on arms and sneezing after eating certain foods as an example.
• @stylekid – Don’t wait to long to introduct new and or ethnic food choices! Let them explore new flavors from an early age!
• @MiltonStokes – No need to engage in food fights. Just keep introducing a new food. It may take 10 or more tries.
• @AndreaLifeCoach – Resist temptation to take the easy way when it comes to feeding toddlers. Have some favorites & mix in new tastes/new foods
• @nahiacreations – New foods, don’t give up on the 1st, 3rd, 10th try.
• @viralmarketmom – They go through a phase when they refuse eat – doctors say not to worry – does not hurt them – they’ll eat when ready.

On Fruits and Veggies

• @smallsteps5 – Always have fresh fruit readily available in an attractive bowl.  Eat healthy in front of your kids. Keep trying foods because it may take time before a toddler/child is familiar with it.
• @FoodieTot - Appeal to toddlers’ curiosity by exploring vegetables in varied colors — yellow beans, orange peppers, purple carrots.
• @momsatwork – Feed them in courses, with the healthful stuff (fruits/veggies) first — when they’re hungriest.
• @hendlind – I give her the veggies first, then the rest of the meal. Otherwise she throws them on the floor :)
• @littletechgirl – Hide veggies in stuff that they like: chunky veggy filled spaghetti, etc. :)
• @thefutureisred – Cook simple things with your child frozen yogurt pops, mashed potatoes/squash, fruit slushies in the blender
• @MommyMellie – Have fun with dip!  Yogurt is a great dip and helped my two try new foods, including raw veggies!
• @MagicDandelions – Add grated zucchini to boiling pasta during last minute of cooking. You can hardly taste it in spaghetti, alfredo, etc. yet is a simple, fast way to add extra serving of veggies to a meal. :)

On Snacks and Juices

• @rebeccasullivan – My 2 year old’s nutritionist said purple grape juice is vitamin-rich albeit dangerous if they spill!
• @phdinparenting – Snacks, snacks and more snacks! A lot of kids won’t eat much during a meal, but will graze over the course of the day.
• @sthrnfairytale – Grapes, cheese cubes and apple chunks on coffee stirrers are a great, fun and nutritious snack for little hands and mouths
• @SchoolLunch – Both my 2 year old and 5 year old love salt free rice cakes with ripe avocado smeared on them… It has become the usual snack between lunch and dinner around 3:30 PM.
• @laviyah – My nutritional suggestion would be smoothies! They are an awesome way for children to get whole food nutrition. The base for most of my smoothies is home made sesame seed milk. Sesame seeds have an incredibly high calcium content.
• @LaMamaNaturale – Snacks include organic-clementines r hot right now/any fruit really, hummus and veggies, Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies- :)
• @LaMamaNaturale – We’re not big on juice just yet- but if Mr. Tristar does get juice it’s organic and watered down about 1/4 juice- rest H2O
• @MamaHeartsBaby – DD loves plain yogurt & cottage cheese, sometimes we’ll add flax seed oil to up the nutrition factor. She loves it!

On Reducing Sugar

• @ReizaM – If you don’t start with sugar, there’s no need to reduce. We never started our kids with candy/sweets and no problems.
• @phdinparenting – Mix pureed fruit with plain yoghurt instead of buying prepared yoghurt
• @kristydegregory – I switched our yogurt/choc milk to organic brands using evaporated cane juice instead of sugar. I also switch from cookie treats to organic fruit/nutsmix with choc covered almonds w/evaporated cane juice in the choc.
• @thefutureisred – We use no sugar in our house. only raw honey, maple syrup and stevia.
• @journeywJackson – Lots of whole grain snacks and tons of fruit keep him interested and away from most unnatural sugars
• @Valerie4012 – Instead of candy I try to give my 3yo dried fruit. Still sweet but not nearly as bad for her.
• @JoyofDiabetes – We only give them a choice of 1 dessert after dinner…they choose. we allow it or not…usually just limit the quantity
• @thepassivedad – No sodas, but we do allow ice cream once a week for our 5 and 3 year old.

On Mealtime Behavior

• @VanillaPumpkin – Be in control of meal time, little reason for them to much differently than the rest of the family.
• @DrAyala – Don’t make a special kids’ meal:It’s impractical, unnecessary,& counterproductive. make 1 good meal you can enjoy together
• @peekababy – Buy a cheap, washable rug and put it under the high chair. Listen when they say they are ‘all done’ or plate will fly.
• @svtwinmom – Some might disagree in favor or real conversation, but I read thru piles of books during mealtimes. Kids eat & learn at the same time. Rotate thru chapter & pic books. My boys are 4. Some ex: anything Usborne or Barefoot Books & whatever is topical or of interest to my boys. Current faves are new books: Beware the Frog by William Bee (full of surprises) and One by Kathryn Otoshi. Rec by local children’s bookstore.
• @journeywJackson – We put small toys, blocks, cars, etc on top of high chair…helps most times
• @mommadefoods – Empower your child to make healthy choices about what to eat and how much. They will feel empowered, for example, if you offer them the option of healthy choice #1 or healthy choice #2, such as peas or carrots.
• @goodLifeEats – Son sees OT for feeding: she says parent’s job is what,where,&when to eat, toddlers job is how much.

On Supplements

• @DrAyala – supplement tip: For healthy children a healthy diet is the best source of vitamins and minerals. No supplements needed!
• @goodLifeEats – Son drinks pediasure instead of milk for vit & calorie supps. Also takes omega & calcium gummy vitamins (Great price @ Costco)
• While it is always recommended that your child should get all the necessary minerals and vitamins from a balanced diet which includes plenty of fruits and veggies, here are 5 reasons to consider a multivitamin supplement for your toddler
• If you are considering a multivitamin supplement for your child, here is a review of a few popular brands.

Miscellaneous Tips

• @portraitsbyeric – Use a rice milk or almond milk versus what is being marketed pasteurized cow’s milk. To get the veggies in early – make your own veggie drink or purchase a 100% veggie drink with no sugar such as Vfruit which has an Apple, Carrot and Pineapple Blend. To alleviate wheat challenges – use spelt pasta, spelt bread, etc. when purchasing juice for toddlers – make sure it is 100% juice. Read the labels. Dilute the juice with water also.
• @sthrnfairytale – Green food coloring mixed into eggs and then scrambled with eggs and ham while reading.. Green Eggs and Ham. A winner!
• @redwhiteandgrew – Not only are beans/rice a cheap and “perfect protein combo,” but the varieties provide endless options. Growing even small amts. of food fosters appreciation/desire for whole foods. Tots can try .
• @goodLifeEats – Get kids involved in cooking/groc. shopping, helps teach about healthy food choices & is fun activity. mine love it!
• @goodLifeEats – Most kiddos love pasta, buy whole wheat because it’s healthier.
• @portraitsbyeric – Check your local Health Food store and see if they offer Toddler Cooking classes. They instill healthy eating & nutrition. Usually 1x a month until summer. They also stress not overeating. Our twins attended for a yr and a half. Cooked great.

Do you have a nutrition tip you would like to share?

Photo source: clspeace on Flickr.com
©2009 Littlestomaks.com