A Fun St. Patrick's Day Healthy Snack

This is a repost from last March that we thought you would like to see again.

Here's a really neat idea for a St. Patrick's Day (or any day) rainbow fruit platter that is not only fun to make, but also healthy!

From the March 2010 issue of Family Fun Magazine:

Anyone else have great snack ideas for all of the preschool/elementary classroom parties?

Katie's Nutrition Nook: Dealing with the Picky Eater

Does one (or worse--both) of your children make meal time miserable by refusing to eat anything except for macaroni & cheese…OR pizza…OR worse? If so, here are some tips to help you teach them to try and like new foods--even the healthy ones!

Limit liquids.

• Far too often children carry around sippy cups full of milk, juice & juice drinks. Remember that children (and adults) only need about 24 oz milk/day and 4-6 oz 100% fruit juice/day (no more than 8 oz for adults). Other beverages are just empty calories filling your child up with zero nutrition and loads of sugar, which makes them less likely to eat the food you offer them. Watch how much you’re giving your kids to drink and offer only water the hour before meals.

Try, try again.

• Sometimes kids won’t eat a food the first time it’s offered, but don’t give up. It may take 10 or 20 times before your child finally decides to try that food, but they will eventually try it and they just might like it too!

Disguise if necessary.

• If you’re worried about your child’s overall nutrition (especially when it comes to vegetables), it never hurts to hide healthy options in sauces or casseroles. Find a food processor-it might become your new best friend.
  

Offer with familiar food.

• If you put a plate full of new foods in front of your kids, they are less likely to try all of it. If they’re stuck on macaroni cheese, pair the new food along with the old.

Let them help.

• Whether shopping at the store or preparing dinner, if they help, they may be more interested in trying it.

Be a good role model.

• As much as we wish it didn’t matter what we ate, it does. If they see you eating or NOT eating a certain food (or beverage) chances are the child will want to model their parent’s behavior. If you want your child to eat their peas, be sure you eat yours too!

Encourage, but don’t force.

• Encourage your child to try the food, but don’t require them to eat the entire portion. One bite is better than none and the next time around, they may try more.

Limit TV time

• Or any other distractions during mealtime. If the TV is on, so will be commercials for sugary cereals and other unhealthy foods that are targeted at children, making the vegetables on their dinner plate look much less appetizing.

So the next time your twins scream about wanting junk food or throw their vegetables across the room, take a deep breath and remember these tips. Hopefully they will ease some of your mealtime stress.

Feel free to comment below or email me with any questions you might have. Whether the questions are about weight loss, specific plans for you, general nutrition needs for you and/or your children, or whatever, I am here to help you!

As well, if you have suggestions for topics you would like me to discuss in Katie's Nutrition Nook, please let me know.

~ Katie
CMOTC MoM and Nutritionist

Article: The Hidden Health Risks of Food Dyes

CMOTC mom Katie B. found this article on food dyes to be interesting and wanted to share it with all of us. It's definitely worth the read! Thank you Katie!

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The Hidden Health Risks of Food Dyes

By Milton Stokes, M.P.H., R.D., "Live or Let Dye,"

November/December 2010 issue of Eating Well

How bad is Red 40 and more synthetic dyes?

Americans are now eating five times as much food dye as we did in 1955. That statistic isn’t as surprising when you consider that since then food dyes have made more and more of our foods colorful—from breakfast cereals to ice creams. While natural colorants made from foods like beets are available, many manufacturers opt for synthetic dyes—which may have dangerous health consequences, particularly for children, according to a recent report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. This is why the nonprofit Washington, D.C.-based consumer-watchdog group has asked the Food and Drug Administration to ban them. Such man-made food dyes appear in ingredient lists as a name of a color with a number following it: Blue 1 and 2, Citrus Red 2, Green 3, Red 3 and 40, Yellow 5 and 6.

The three most widely used culprits—Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Red 40—contain compounds, including benzidine and 4-aminobiphenyl, that research has linked with cancer.

Research has also associated food dyes with problems in children including allergies, hyperactivity, learning impairment, irritability and aggressiveness. A U.S. study published in Science found that when children who scored high on a scale measuring hyperactivity consumed a food-dye blend they performed worse on tests that measured their ability to recall images than when they drank a placebo. A 2007 British study found that children who consumed a mixture of common synthetic dyes displayed hyperactive behavior within an hour of consumption. (These children had not been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD.) The results, published in The Lancet, prompted Britain’s Food Standards Agency to encourage manufacturers to find alternatives to food dyes. In July 2010, the European Parliament’s mandate that foods and beverages containing food dyes must be labeled as such went into effect for the entire European Union.

Preliminary evidence suggests that many children have a slight sensitivity to food dyes—and a smaller percentage are very sensitive. “We see reactions in sensitive individuals that include core ADHD symptoms, like difficulty sitting in a chair and interrupting conversations,” says David Schab, M.D., M.P.H., assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and co-author of a 2004 meta-analysis that found food dyes promote hyperactive behavior in already hyperactive children. Even so, says Schab, this isn’t the most compelling reason to give up food dyes. “Foods with dyes are often riddled with other nutritional problems, like excess calories and fat,” says Schab, who points out that childhood obesity is a far greater public health concern.

Bottom Line: If you’re concerned, ditch the potentially dangerous synthetic dyes. Look for foods bearing the green-and-white USDA certified organic label, but be aware that foods labeled “made with organic ingredients” may still contain synthetic dyes. You can also check product ingredient lists for beet, carotenes, annatto, capsanthin (a paprika extract)—as all are natural colorants. Counterintuitively, the terms “artificial color,” “artificial color added” or “color added” also indicate that nature-derived pigments were used since synthetic dyes must be listed by their names.

Fabulous Finger Foods

CMOTC member Kathleen P. shares this great article she found on first finger foods. Thank you Kathleen!

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Fabulous Finger Foods

By Sally Kuzemchak, R.D.

When introducing finger food they can be a nutritious bite. Remember: cut everything into small pieces (try pea size at first), and try a few at a time. Begin with softer foods between 6-9 months, and once they get use to finger grasping you can try firmer foods at 9-12 months. Stay away from choking hazards like hot dogs, popcorn, raisins, nuts, seeds, and hard raw vegetables. And as always, consult your doctor with any questions.

Here are 50 Nutritious Delicious foods!
(Note that the below should be cut up into very small size pieces for little fingers.)

• Small bites of cherry tomato
• Sliced blueberries or raspberries
• Whole-wheat rotini pasta
• Corn niblets
• Avocado (small cubes)
• Whole-grain couscous
• Small, low-sugar O shaped cereal
• Ripe mango or papaya
• Whole wheat french toast
• Cooked green beans
• Cooked (and peeled) white or sweet potato cubes
• Chopped hard boiled egg (after 12 months)
• Cooked zucchini or squash
• Mozzarella cheese
• Well –cooked asparagus tips
• Sliced grapes (chopped)
• Mini rice cakes
• Grilled-cheese sandwich, cut into strips or cubes
• Brown rice
• Ripe apricot
• Whole grain pancakes
• Tiny, well cooked broccoli floret pieces
• Whole wheat macaroni & cheese
• Kiwi
• Well –cooked diced carrots
• Teething biscuit or Zwieback crackers
• Whole-grain toast with all-fruit spread
• Fruit cocktail (slice cherries and grapes well)
• Whole-grain waffle
• Grated or shaved apple
• Shredded cheese or cheese crumbles
• Fork-smashed canned beans or chickpea or Hummus on a small tiny piece of pita
• Graham crackers (avoid honey varieties until 12 months)
• Ripe honeydew, cantaloupe, or watermelon (seeds removed)
• Tofu
• Bites of whole-grain muffin
• Pineapple
• Ripe peaches
• Cooked pearl barley

Bon Appétit!

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We also have a few other posts on this topic if you are interested in reading more:

Starter Food Advice (from CMOTC moms)

Transitioning to finger foods (favorite finger foods CMOTC moms have used)

Farmers Markets

Farmers markets are great places to get the freshest and best quality produce, meat, eggs, cheese, bake goods, honey, maple syrup and preserves/sauces (as well as many other things!). Many times your produce, if not the other products too, are also cheaper than supermarkets. In addition to that, there are many more benefits. Like, you get to know (and trust) the people who are growing/raising/making the food that you feed your family, you are supporting local business, you are reducing your carbon footprint, and, in many cases, you are reducing the unneeded additives in your family's diet (from artificial coloring/flavoring, to preservatives, insecticides, hormones, etc) just to name a few.

Not to mention it's also great for your children. No doubt my five year old's favorite person is Ms. Sue of Sue's Kitchen at our farmers market. She makes the most incredible pies we have ever had (no kidding, they are amazing and I had never been a huge pie fan before). Aside from that, even though he is shy, when we are eating the food we buy from the market every week, he is talking about all the farmers or bakers that we bought it from. We have also visited a few of the farmers from our local farmer's market for their u-pick seasons, maple syrup festivals, fall parties, etc. This year we are going to visit them and help in the garden or the barn for an hour or two as well, as most farmers welcome you to visit and help (even if you aren't in a CSA). It's just a great way to teach your children so much, in additional to all the other fantastic benefits of buying from farmers markets.

Below is a comprehensive list of farmer's markets in Central Ohio, which was created by restaurantwidow.com.

Tuesdays
Worthington:: This year marks the first weekday market in Worthington! 4pm - 7pm at the Sharon Memorial Hall, 137 E Dublin Granville (161)

Downtown:: Pearl Alley Market 10:30am - 2pm on Pearl between (and including) Broad and Gay Streets. This market features tons of food vendors and makes a refreshing change for lunch breaks. Park on Long or Spring and walk if you don't like looking for parking.

Hilliard:: 4pm - 7pm this market begins on June 15th, Corner of Main & Center Streets.

Wednesdays
Dublin:: 4pm - 7pm at the Dublin Community Church, 81 W Bridge St (161, just west of Dublin Road in Old Dublin). This market has grown to 15 vendors, and there is plenty of easy parking lot parking for those who might skip other markets because of heavy traffic. There is a gluten-free bakery, a bonus for many people.

Westerville:: 3pm - 6pm at the corner of N. State and E Home streets (uptown Westerville). Strangely, this is one market I have never been to, owing to the fact that I've worked Wednesday nights pretty consistently since beginning RW. I have a friend who lives in Westerville, however, and she likes this market a lot.

Creekside (Downtown Gahanna):: 4pm-6pm beginning June 30th. This market includes crafts and jewelry as well as produce. Going to Creekside is like a little vacation, especially if you live in an urban area. It's really charming. That being said, I haven't been to this market yet. If you go, please let me know how it is.

Athens Farmer's Market:: 10am - 1pm 1000 E State St in Athens (about 1 hour SE of Columbus) Athens is widely considered to be the Berkeley of Ohio - they have an amazing food scene for being a small college town.

Upper Arlington Farmer's Market:: 3:30pm - 6:30pm Mallway Park, 2096 Arlington Avenue.


Thursdays
Blendon Township:: 3pm - 6pm. this is a brand new market for 2010, so that's cool. This market is located in Southern Westerville, at 6350 Hempstead Road.

15th St Market:: I am super excited about this market, because it is the closest to home, and I have Thursdays off throughout this summer! woohoo! I am also excited that students might be encouraged to shop for local produce.

Downtown Powell Market (Far North):: 3pm - 6pm in the Municipal Building, 47 Hall St


Fridays
Carrousel District Farmer's Market (Mansfield):: 4 W 4th St 9am - 2pm

Downtown:: Pearl Alley Market 10:30am - 2pm on Pearl between (and including) Broad and Gay Streets. This market features tons of food vendors and makes a refreshing change for lunch breaks. Park on Long or Spring and walk if you don't like looking for parking.

Saturdays
Jefferson Community Market (NE side):: 9am - noon at Jefferson Community Park 7494 Clark State Road. This market begins June 12th. Yet another I haven't visited! I might have to take a road trip one of these Saturday Mornings.

Logan County:: 8:30am - noon at the corner of S Detroit and Chillocothe streets in downtown Bellefontaine.

Main Street Market::(Canal Winchester) 9am - 1pm 36 S High St in CW.

Athens Farmer's Market::10am - 1pm 1000 E State St in Athens (about 1 hour SE of Columbus) Pretty much considered to be one of the best markets in the state of Ohio. One of the only places I know of where you can buy shrimp at a farmer's market.

Worthington:: 9am - noon probably the largest in Central Ohio; definitely one of my favorites. It seems this market grows by leaps and bounds every year. You can find everything here and there is frequent entertainment. Numerous special events throughout the year and other shopping whilst cruising the market.

Clintonville:: 9am - noon Just south of High & North Broadway.

North Market:: 8am - noon and beyond, usually there is entertainment and there are also frequent special events with chefs cooking.

Another benefit that we take advantage of is that many of the meat/poultry and egg farmers will deliver to you all winter long. It might only be once a month, but you can continue to enjoy their farm fresh product and it's so worth it! In addition, many of the bakers or makers of other products (preserves, maple syrup, soap, candles, etc.), will also make product for you in the winter by request.


If you haven't been to a farmer's market yet - go! If you frequent one, or many, and have some tips, advice, favorites, missing info, please share!

Starter food advice

Question from a club mom:

My boys turned 8 months on Saturday (born at 34 weeks). I've wanted to try some non-baby food items, but I don't really know where to start. I did try some cheerios and they both promptly threw up on me. I tried the freeze dried fruit and yogurt thingies this weekend, but only a couple.

Any advice would be great.

Advice/experience given by other club moms:

Unless they have teeth, it's hard for them to dissolve some food, although my Pediatrician always told us that they're gums are really tough. I don't remember exactly what we did back then but I remember giving them "Puffs" a lot as they dissolve quickly but still allow the chew process. They sell those pasta meals too which are easy to chew/swallow.

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I would experiment with food in small amounts. With the Cheerios I would give them one. I tried to do variety and small amounts. So rather than have it be a meal have it be introduction to different textures and flavors. Peas, and sweat potatoes, and bananas are good. Just very small pieces. It is good to get them picking stuff up with the fingers. I would cook vegetables until they were mushy. It gets very messy. My kids had allergies and had trouble with eggs, and anything like ketchup, salad dressing and mayo. These things turned their face bright red. Also, if they are reaching for food from your plate then they are interested. When I first tried other food with my daughter she spit it out.

With the throwing up it may have been too much new stuff at once. It could be an allergy to wheat but I would not assume this based on one experience.

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Have you tried puff's yet? My boys started on that & they are easier to eat than cheerios b/c they dissolve.My twin boys had a really hard time eating non-baby food. (gagging & throwing up) I remember bananas were a good food for me to start with. I would try it a little thicker to see if they could eat it. If it was too thick I would just take a fork & smash it a little more.

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My friend gave me a recipe book: Cooking for Baby (from Williams-Sonoma) it seems to have some really good recipes to try & foods to try that are "softer" for the little ones. Just thought I would mention that too.

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Hi! Sounds like things are going pretty good! My b/g twins are 10 months old and I have been having the same problem with getting them to try foods that are not pureed. Their gag reflex is so strong that anything that isn't soft ends up all over. BUT I had success with soft mozzarella cheese (the soft kind you buy in a block...then I slice and make pieces about the size of an eraser head). I also had success with tater tots...I just break them open and give them a small sample of the inside. My daughter is able to put the food in her mouth and my son doesn't quite have it down but if I feed him he does great. Someone suggested cheerios but they are just too hard to start with I think.

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Your pediatrician should be able to give you some guidance. There is no "right" way - just some guidance on how to introduce food and in what order. I think my twins were about 10 months before they could handle cheerios (they were born at 32 weeks). Sounds like you're doing well!

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Always check with your doctor first on insight for amounts and ideas. That being said here are some ideas when just starting out since they are just using their gums to mash food up. Try small bits of cut up soft banana, yogurt (like YoBaby or Danimals) very soft avocado they can mush up, and veggie they can mush a not choke on, spaghetti or orzo's (their smaller).

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At this age it takes them a while to get the hang of finger foods. Cheerios or puffs are perfect to start with actually, for the fine motor skills alone. You could also start with something softer like elbow noodles, which have something to grab but are soft. Or maybe you get the nets where you put a frozen banana or apple in it and let them suck on it to get a feel for texture in their mouth (plus this is great for when they are teething). You could also crush up cheerios and coat small banana pieces with it, so it was gripable but yet soft. Carrots cooked really soft are another food many kids like at this age. Very ripe and soft pears are good too, cut small (and maybe coated with crushed cereal so they can grip them). Ultimately you need try different things to see what works best for them. It’s possible that they are not yet ready for food yet. One of my twins went through this so I introduced food to him later than normal. He just wasn’t ready for the whole process: chewing, sensory and otherwise. Other than finger food, baby yogurt (like YoBaby) is a favorite at this age and they now come with fruits and veggies in them. And this typically is a welcome change, but yet not hard for them to eat.

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Ellyn Satter's books, How To Get Your Child To Eat...But Not Too Much and Child of Mine, Feeding With Love And Good Sense, talk about feeding at all ages. Recommended by my friend's child nutritionist, these books give you some ideas on how to approach the transition to finger foods (as well as advice for every age stage).

Does anyone have more advice/experience to offer? Please comment below or send an email with your comments.

Kid's eat free!

Below are some website resources that list places that have kids eat free deals or special reduced prices on certain days of the week.

www.mykidseatfree.com/states/ohio.asp

www.kidseatfree.com

www.kidsmealdeals.com

A few club mom favorites, which are listed on these sites as well, are:

• Champps offers two free kid's meals per each adult meal on Tuesdays.
• Max and Erma's offers one free kid's meal with each adult meal on Tuesdays.
• Roadhouse offers one free kid's meal with each adult meal on Tuesdays.
• Qdoba Mexican Grill offers one free kid's meal with each adult meal on Tuesdays.
• Hoggy's offers one free kid's meal with each adult meal on Wednesdays.

What about you? Do you have any favorite places that offer free or reduced priced kid's meals on certain days? Know any places not listed in the website resources above? Please share!

A fun St. Patrick's Day healthy snack

Here's a really neat idea for a St. Patrick's Day (or any day) rainbow fruit platter that is not only fun to make, but also healthy!

From the March 2010 issue of Family Fun Magazine:

Anyone else have great snack ideas for all of the preschool/elementary classroom parties?

Transitioning to finger foods

The question regarding transitioning to finger foods comes up often. We're all excited to get to this point, but when we do... what can we feed them?

Here are some suggestions that club members provided:

• soft cooked pasta
• Gerber puffs
• brown rice
• cottage cheese
• baby yogurt
• soft cheese
• avocado chunks / guacamole
• whole grain couscous
• cooked green beans (soft)
• hummus on soft pita bread
• ripe apricots
• cooked carrots (diced and very soft)
• Zwiebeck crackers
• shaved or grated apples
• banana (cut small)
• ripe peaches
• small pieces of well cooked broccoli florets
• scrambled egg yokes with/without cheese
• tofu cubes rolled in (coated with) crushed cereal (Cheerios, Kashi Mighty Bites, etc)
• baked or steamed (until very soft) chunks of sweet potatoes or squash with cinnamon and/or nutmeg

All cubed and pieces of food, no matter how soft, should be very small. For the soft and somewhat slippery items, crush up cereal (like Cheerios, Kashi Mighty Bites, etc) and roll/coat the food chunks with crumbs. It will make it easier for your baby get a grip and pick up (and save them the frustration).

A great website for all things baby food, including first finger food ideas, is wholesomebabyfood.com. Here is the link to the finger food page which lists some other food ideas and recipes.

What additional tips do all of you have for transitioning to finger food? What resources did you use to get ideas? What favorite foods did your baby have? Give us your input!

Making your own baby food

More and more, moms are starting to make their own baby food. Or at least some of it. With my first, I thought there was no way I had enough time to make food with working full time, a baby and a full time step daughter as well. Aside from mashing up some bananas, I bought all of his food.

When I was pregnant with the twins, though, I read the book Ready or not, here we come by Elizabeth Lyons and in it she had a chapter on making baby food. After reading that chapter, I realized it was not as hard as I thought it was (or that my mind thought it was). Nor as time consuming. I decided I would try it when the twins were the right age, which I did. As it turned out, it really was easy and not too time consuming... and again, I was a full time working mom of four at that point. My point, if you are on the fence, give it a try! If you know you want to do it, below are some resources.

The resource I used the most was the Wholesome Baby Food website. This site has just about everything you could possibly need to know about making baby food and feeding your child - from when and what is appropriate at what ages, nutritional info, how to cook it, recipes, and so much more. I used the "Foods for Babies" tab the most. This is broken in categories (veggies, fruit, grain, etc) and then by food. It will tell you at what age it is best to feed each food item, what is good about that item nutrition wise, the best way to cook it and also give you recipes for mixing different things once they get older (many of these combos I would have never thought of, like avocado/banana mixed, but the twins loved it all). Another thing I found on this site was the use of spices in baby food. I didn't know I could even use spices! But how great is that to 'spice it up' and get their palates ready for what is to come later (you can find the spice info under Tips and Topics, then Introducing Solids, then Spice it up). I really feel as a result, my twins like more flavorful food than my five year old does.

The other resources that I have heard nothing but good things about (though I never used myself) is the book Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron and Cooking for Baby by Lisa Barnes (sold through Williams Sonoma).

As far as equipment, you really don't need anything special - though there are tons of products out there marketed specifically for this use. I either baked or steamed all the fruits and veggies I made, so all I used were glass baking pans or my steamer insert in my pots. I used a food processor to puree the baby food, though you can use a blender too (I found the food processor worked better since I was typically making big batches). Since then (long after baby food making times), I found a fruit and veggie strainer attachment that goes on a Kitchen Aid mixer that would work well too (I use it for applesauce now and it's wonderful!). As far as storing, I used ice cube trays and lots of plastic wrap (both of those I researched on the web and contacted the manufacturer directly to verify they were BPA-free). Once the food was frozen, I popped them out of the ice cube trays and into glass pyrex containers which I marked with the name of the food and date made. If you are pushed for space, freezer bags work well too. And that's it as far as the equipment I used.

Though I had my moments of "seriously, this is for the birds" thoughts as I stayed up in the wee hours cooking and pureeing so as to stock up, over all I was and am very glad that I did it. I liked knowing I made it and that I controlled the process and the food quality. I liked having a lot more variety for them and different combos than you can get from jar food. I liked being able to add spices. It was a good experience and one I would do over again in heartbeat.

Posted by Wendy at www.themooressix.blogspot.com

What about you?

Has anyone else made their own baby food? What resources do you recommend? What equipment was invaluable to you? What advice would you give fellow moms who are interested in making their own baby food? Please send us a something to post or just comment below.

Questions?

If you are getting ready to start making your own baby food and have questions, please put it in the comments for us to answer.