Advice on introducing sippy cups

Question from a CMOTC mom:

I'm struggling a little with the sippy cup. What is actually the point of the sippy cup? If my 13 months old children don't hold their bottle on their own when sitting, meaning they don't seem to get the concept of tipping their head back and pushing up the bottle, does that mean they aren't ready for a sippy cup? How do I know when they are ready? Do I just use it like a bottle and lay them down to use it? My pediatrician told me to take the valve out of the sippy cup, but then my kids just flip it over and play with the water that comes out rather than drink it. I've also read and had friends tell me that i should really start with a strawed cup first and then go to a sippy. Help please!


Advice/experience from CMOTC moms:

I would suggest trying the Take n Toss by The First Years. They are about $4 for 4 or 6, disposable & reusable, leak "free" (let's be real here nothing is really leak free), & no valves or plugs to deal with! My 2.5 year old uses these. Since he is my 3rd kid I went through a ton of trial & error.

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I think it just takes time for them to get used to it. I agree with the other moms that the take n toss may be a good start. When I first started with mine, they didn't get it for quite a while but after playing with it for a few weeks they eventually got it. It wouldn't hurt if you wanted to try a straw style cup and go from there, but even with a regular sippy, they will eventually get it.

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Mine didn't do so very well with the sippy cups either. I bought a few different ones and nothing worked they were not interested in the tipping your head back part. I have 20 month old boys. I bought the 10 oz. Munchkin cups with the flip straw. My sister had success with this cup for her daughter so I tried it and they have worked out wonderfully for them. Unfortunately every kid is different though. Good Luck

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I see your boys just turned a year, so don't worry too much. I gave my twins a sippy cup with handles and a soft nipple (or whatever the thing is called where they drink out of!) when they were 10 months old. They just threw it or chewed on the nipple. They had no interest in it at all. At 13 months I tried again with the same cups and only gave them it at snack times. It took a few days but they got the idea. Each day I took away a bottle so by 14 months they were completely off of them even at bed time. BTW their feeding schedule was 7, 11, 3, 6, 9. I saved the bedtime bottle for last. My mom told me to do this as they seem to find comfort in the bedtime bottle, but honestly I don't think my kids cared much. Once they got to be 18 months I only gave them hard spout cups with no handles(Playtex is the best IMOH).

If I can remember right I bought the munkins brand cups at Walmart that had the handles and soft drink lid. They were cheap and they still felt like a bottle to them. Just be warned not to put the lids in the dishwasher! They tend to melt!

We now use the Dr. Browns or Playtex brand cups. The Playtex ones have valves that really prevent leaks. Even when they throw them. I am still amazed because my son can chuck it.

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I'm new here and haven't even had my twins, but I have been through this three times before, so I thought I'd share a few things that I've learned along the way. First, let me just say that every child is different...out of my three kids, all three had completely different preferences and timing as far as training cups go. Here are a few things, anyway, that might help you along the way...

• Taking the valve out, if there is one, does usually help, but if you're worried about the mess and cleanup (and who isn't?) only try this when they are in their highchair, or outside, where cleanup is not as much of a concern.
• Just a note: It might be wise to confine cup usage to the kitchen or highchair/table/seated position, so when they do get older, and start using a regular cup, they don't think its ok to take (and inevitably spill) liquid all over the house...like mine still do, from time to time. Not to mention that one of my daughters favorite pastimes when she was about 18 months old, was to hide her sippies...not the most pleasant thing to have to follow your nose to find the rotting milk. Yuck!
• It may take lots of trial and error to find the right cup for your child. I think we might have gone through 5 or 6 different cups with my middle son. Hard vs soft spouts, handles vs no handles, valve or no valve, straw vs traditional sippy, there are a lot of choices, and the process of elimination might take more time than you would think, or hope.
• My third basically went straight from breast to a regular cup. Sippies just frustrated him, and he ended up refusing everything we tried. It is a bit more messy at first, but don't rule out this possibility. He would drink from a straw occasionally, though, so I did have a few of those thermos funtainer cups with straws (which are completely awesome in the summer. They keep drinks COLD for hours even If they're left in the car on hot day) for when we went to the zoo or park. Or a regular plastic water bottle worked well for him, from about 11 months old or so.
• It may also help to put something they like, and are familiar with in the sippy...try formula, or expressed breast milk, or something slightly sweetened like a small amount of juice with water.
• Temperature may also be an issue. If your baby is used to only breast milk, or warmed formula, then it may be more difficult to get them to drink something that is very cold.

As far as holding the cup on their own, a reclined position in a highchair might help. Also, each time you offer the cup, try placing their hands on it, and helping them put it up to their mouth. It will probably take some practice, and time, but they'll get it eventually.

If all else fails, or you find yourself or your child getting too frustrated, take a break and try again in a few days or so.

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Anyone have more advice to add to this? Please comment below or email us.

Terra's Living Seasonally - Bacon and Sweet Corn Pizza

When I have nothing planned for dinner, I have a few go-to options that work with pretty much any meat and veggie that’s in the house. These include fried rice, frittata and pizza. Pizza is especially great when you’re down to almost nothing in the pantry because it doesn’t demand a lot of toppings. A few sliced tomatoes, some cheese and basil and I’m happy. Here is a version that makes use of seasonal sweet corn and pantry staples (at least in our house!) of bacon and onions.

You can buy pre-made pizza dough (Trader Joe’s sells it for $.99 in the refrigerator case), a pre-made pizza crust like Boboli, or, if you have an extra hour, make your own. I use the recipe from Mark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything. This is our most frequently used reference book in the kitchen. I highly recommend it.

Mark Bittman’s Pizza Dough

• 1 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup water (plus more if needed)
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil

Combine yeast, flour and salt in a food processor. Turn on and add 1 cup water and 2 tbsp oil through the tube. Process about 30 seconds, adding a bit more water at a time if needed, until it forms a ball.

Turn onto floured work surface and knead by hand for a few seconds to form a smooth, round ball. Grease a bowl with the remaining teaspoon of oil and put the dough in it and cover with plastic wrap. Keep in a warm part of the kitchen until the dough doubles in size, about 1 to 2 hours.

When dough is ready, knead it lightly on a floured surface, form a ball and divide into two if you are making a small (10-inch) pizza and saving half in the fridge for later, or leave in a single ball for a family size pizza. Allow the dough to rise another 20 minutes on the work surface, covered with plastic wrap.


Making the Pizza

Form the dough into the shape you want. (If it was refrigerated, you need to let it come to room temperature first, about 20 minutes). I use my hands to form a round, but you can also use a rolling pin. Try to ensure it’s an even thickness everywhere – about ¼ inch - but the crust edges can be a little thicker.

The following should be enough for a family style pizza using the whole batch of dough. I’m roughly doubling how much I used to make a 10-inch pizza to share with my girls. That’s about all the three of us can eat, and I save the other half of the dough in the fridge for another day.

• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 3-4 ears corn, cut off of the cob
• 4-6 slices of bacon
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella
• ½ cup shredded swiss, gruyere or fontina, or some combination (or more mozz if that’s all you have). I use a packaged shredded swiss-gruyere mix from Trader Joe's

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the bacon down the middle lengthwise and then into ½ inch slices. Cook, stirring often, in a nonstick skillet until just cooked, don’t let it get crispy because it will cook more in the oven.

Pour off all but 1 tbsp of the bacon fat. Or pour it all off and add a tablespoon of olive oil if you want to be healthy and boring. Return the heat to medium and cook the onions a couple minutes until they start to soften. Add salt and pepper and the corn kernels to the onions, cooking for another 4-5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the corn is bright and sweet.

If you have some, sprinkle a little (less than a tsp) of cornmeal on the pizza pan, then lay the pizza dough round on top of it. If you don’t have cornmeal, skip it. It just helps give it some texture and prevent sticking.

Top with the shredded cheese, the onion and corn mixture, and the bacon. You could also add tomato slices, fresh basil and salt and pepper at this stage, but I didn’t.



Cook for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the bottom crust is done.

Enjoy!

Terra

Road Trip Car Games

With summer comes vacations and with vacations sometimes comes long car rides. Many of you have asked how to survive those long road trips with multiples (and more). In addition to the great advice we have received from CMOTC moms (here and here), below are some games to play to break up the boredom and and have some fun.

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From Family Fun Magazine, August 2010 issue.

Road Trip Car Games

These clever activities will help your family pass the miles with smiles. Plus, fuel up on fun with new travel books and gear from our Boredom Buster Awards.

Game 1: 2-Minute Tens
To play: Players take turns challenging the rest of the group to name 10 things in any category: cookie varieties, animated movies, dog breeds, female professional athletes, automobile models, and so on. The group has two minutes to complete the list. Give it a twist: Allow yourselves fewer than two minutes or require that items be listed in alphabetical order.

Game 2: Snoopy Sam
To play: An adult makes a list for each player of things people in other cars could be doing, such as sleeping, wearing a red hat, or eating an ice-cream cone. The first player to see everything on her list wins. Give it a twist: The player who spots a nose picker automatically wins!

Game 3: Car Colors
To play: Each player chooses a color from the cars that pass by in one minute. Everyone then tries to spot 25 objects of their chosen color. When an object is spied, the player calls it out so that others can verify it, then writes it down on his list. The player with the highest tally after a set time wins.

Game 4: Sing It Out
To play: The first player sings the entirety of a simple song, such as "Mary Had a Little Lamb." The next player repeats the song, leaving off the last word. The following player leaves off the last and second-to-last words. (It's surprisingly hard!) Players have to sing the song correctly on their first try or they're out. The singing continues around the car until all the words have been left out.

Game 5: I'm Thinking of a Relative
To play: One player thinks of a person related to the family. The others take turns asking simple yes-or-no questions to help them guess the person's name: Is the person an adult? Is the person a female? Does she have red hair? The player who guesses correctly thinks of a new person.

Game 6: I Have Never
To play: Players take turns saying things they have never done, such as eaten spinach or been on a boat, with the goal of trying to name something that everyone else in the car has done. A successful "I Have Never" earns a player one point. The first to reach five points wins.

Game 7: Electric Light Brigade
To play: In this night-driving game, players find lights in order of the colors of the rainbow — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Players call out the colors when they spot them; the first to finish the list wins. A car with one headlight is a wild card, good for any color for the player who spots it. Give it a twist: Add such colors as brown or pink. During the day, look for colors on signs.

Game 8: Will We See Gophers?
To play: One player thinks of something the family will see or do at the vacation destination. The other players ask yes-or-no questions (Is it something we are going to eat?) to help them guess the item or activity. The first player to guess correctly wins. Give it a twist: Allow the guessers just 10 questions, or just five.

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What fun family games do you play in the car? Share with everyone, email us or comment below!

Are Mother’s of Multiples More at Risk for Postpartum Depression?

Below is a very interesting and informative look at postpartum depression and mothers of multiples. It is definately worth reading.

This was found on the Multiples and More blog.

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Are Mother’s of Multiples More at Risk for Postpartum Depression?

Julie Gillespie
Author: Magical Multiple Moments
Editor: Triplettales.net

Is it more common for moms of multiples to have postpartum depression (PPD) than moms of singletons? It seems like a facetious question. Well, is it more common for someone with more than one car to have more engine failures? PPD is clinically defined as a “major depressive episode that occurs in the first four weeks after delivery” (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV or DSM-IV). Although the DSM says patients are most susceptible in the first month, clinically, the experts say it can happen any time in the first year. Mothers of multiples have the potential for all of the same psychological stresses that mothers of singletons have such as feelings of guilt; social isolation; marital difficulties; and domestic overload; as well as concerns about having inadequate time for two or more children all at the same time.

Looking through all the literature the answer to the question is most likely, yes, if you have more than one child the potential to have postpartum depression (PPD) is greater. But, the percentage increase is not as exponential as it sometimes feels being a mother of multiples myself. Clearly, knowing the warning signs is the first step in battling the disease. We can try to make our mental health as fit as possible. Join a multiples group, get away for awhile or enlist some help (family or friends will do, it doesn’t have to be paid help). It’s hard to admit we need help once and awhile, but if taking a night out with the girls once a week makes me feel better than I’m a better parent in the long run. It’s just like they say on the airlines, “You have to put your oxygen mask on first, then you can help your kids.”

A recent study in Pediatrics this April sheds some fresh light on this topic. The study measured depressive symptoms of 8069 mothers 9 months after giving birth to a live child or children in 2001. The study showed that 19% of mothers of multiple infants had moderate/severe depressive symptoms, compared with 16% of mothers of singletons. The percentage with only “depressive symptoms” as opposed to moderate/severe depression was forty percent higher in mothers of multiples versus mothers of singletons. Within six months after delivery their statistics reported that maternal depression of mothers of multiples was 10%, which is equal to that in the general population. The difference was that the prevalence in the first 5 weeks after birth of the mothers of multiples was 3 times higher than in the general population (1).

One would expect that if having one baby has a sixteen percent likeliness of having moderate/severe postpartum depression, than, having two or more babies must mean double or triple the amount or a twenty-six to forty-two percent increase. Apparently it is not a simple case of mathematical addition. Only a three percent increase was shown for moms having more than one baby.

Prior to this study, in 2003, a study of 587 Mothers of Supertwins (MOST) showed 29 percent have depression after the birth of their multiples (4). According to another study of 758 mothers of twins and higher-order multiples in 2005, by the National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs Inc. (NOMOTC), mothers of multiple birth children are more at risk for this illness because of the already tremendous physical, financial, and psychological stressors they face (2). In the NOMOTC study, the rate of Postpartum Depression was found to be 37 percent. Singleton studies on Postpartum Depression (PPD) have generally shown the prevalence to be between ten and twenty-five percent in the first postpartum year, depending on the risk factors (2).

In my book Magical Multiple Moments I interviewed Dr. Rita Suri, an associate professor at the UCLA Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human behavior whose research interests focus on mood disorders during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Dr. Suri has just completed a five year NIH study grant from three clinical sites on the risk factors of post partum depression. Here is an excerpt from that interview: Dr. Suri said “The most vulnerable period is between three weeks and six months after delivery.” The three categories of Postpartum Depression Disorders are postpartum “blues”, postpartum major depression, and postpartum psychosis. The most common syndrome is “baby blues”, with 50-85% prevalence. Symptoms include fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, mood swings, and fluctuations in appetite.

In the NOMOTC survey almost half of the moms (47%) confirmed experiencing “baby blues.” It usually lasts less than two weeks. However, if a mother experiences the “blues” for longer, she may need further evaluation and medication to help her through the depression. Postpartum Psychosis, thankfully, only occurs in 0.1 percent of all postpartum women, and is thought to be a variant of bipolar disorder. Patients with this diagnosis need aggressive, in-patient treatment because of the risk of suicide and/or infanticide.

For patients whose problem progresses from the “baby blues” phase into major depression, a psychiatrist will often recommend an anti-depressant medication (most typically an SSRI or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) or psychotherapy, or a combination of both. The SSRI drugs are safe for women who are nursing babies of any age. Dr. Suri has seen these drugs used even in the NICU on mothers with premature babies. Dr. Suri continues: “The peri-natalogists and I agree that treatment won’t stop just because a mother is nursing. We will monitor the babies and look for changes in sleep patterns, colic, or growth issues. But developing babies are always changing, having growth spurts that upset sleeping patterns or eating issues that interfere with growth, so you can’t blame it on the medication.” For most people this type of medication is very helpful and has minimal side effects.
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Signs and Symptoms of Post Partum Depression:

• Changes in appetite and sleep patterns (up or down)
  
  
• Lack of interest in all activities


• Fatigue


• Feelings of anger, worthlessness, hopelessness


• Forgetfulness


• Poor personal hygiene


• Excessive anxiety


• Isolating behaviors


• Fear of being alone with or harming the babies or oneself


• Ruminations of persistent negative thoughts, i.e.“Will the baby stop breathing at night” (3)
  

Mothers who are at high risk for PPD include those with poor social support, those caring for multiple other small children in the house (prior to the birth of the new baby), a history of previous depression or family history of depression or if the mother has a history of post partum depression, with previous pregnancies.

In popular culture, moms relate to Charlotte (played by Kristin Davis), the mom on the new movie “Sex in the City 2.” She admits after a coxing from her gal pal Miranda (played by Cynthia Nixon) and a few more sips of wine, that raising two children is not what she expected. She admits her two daughters are beautiful and everything she ever wanted, but explains that the day in and day out job of being a mom is ever-tiring, and not very gratifying.

One of the funniest lines in the whole movie comes next when Charlotte confesses that even though her hot-nanny “Erin go bra-less” may be a potential threat to her marriage her greatest concern is losing her, not her husband to an affair. “I hate to say it, but when Samantha was teasing me about this girl having an affair with my husband I wasn’t worried so much about what was going to happen to my marriage, I was trying to figure out how I was going to live without my nanny!” In the end, she realizes that a little time away makes her feel like herself again. She takes Carrie Bradshaw’s (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) offer to stay at her vacant apartment as a “get away” in order to make her feel a little more relaxed about parenting.

More important than focusing on the incidence and likeliness of depression, it might help to focus on what can be done about it.

Of those respondents in the NOMOTC study experiencing depression postpartum, a large majority of mothers (70%) reported that joining a multiples club/support group was instrumental in helping maintain good mental health. It is true that there is safety in numbers. So, if you know a mother of multiples or are a mother of multiples I suggest getting involved in any of the online support groups provided by mom blog sites or magazines for mothers of multiples. It’s like the old African riddle which asks “Which is stronger one big stick or a bunch of little ones?” The answer naturally, is “A bunch of small sticks are stronger because they can be tied together. When the sticks are banded together they can not be broken.” If we stick together we can’t be broken!

1. Y Choi Dr. PH, D Bishai MD, MPH, PhD, C Minkovitz MD, MPP. Multiple Births Are a Risk Factor for Postpartum Maternal Depressive Symptoms. Pediatrics, 20101. Vol 123: No 4, pp. 1147-1154.

2. Gale and Harlow. Literature Review. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2003 (a review of clinical and epidemiologic factors affecting postpartum mood disorders).

3. J Gillespie. Magical Multiple Moments. Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing, 2010. pp. 152-7.

4. S Griffith. Postpartum Depression in Mothers of Multiples COMBO Editor, National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs, Inc. Web publication ’07. Abstracts for the ISTS Mid-Congress Conference Los Angeles, June 29, 2005.

~Julie

*Julie Gillespie, mother of five, author, physical therapist, and blogger is a graduate of Mt. St. Mary’s College and the University of Southern California. She is widely recognized as an authority in the field of women's health physical therapy. Most recently she's published "Magical Multiple Moments" a book about raising multiples in the first five years. You can find her at: triplettales.net, magicalmultiplemoments@yahoo.com, gillespiemagic@twitter.com, or on facebook.

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CMOTC moms: remember we have PPD support moms within our club if you need/want to speak to another multiple mom who has also experienced PPD. You can find their names and contact information in the resource library on the website.

Terra's Living Seasonally - Sweet Corn Fritters

It’s sweet corn season and in our house, we can’t get enough! Besides the obvious roasted corn on the cob, we like to use corn in cool salads, risotto, soups and stews, and even on pizza (try bacon, onion and corn together on a white pizza, it’s delicious, I'll post the recipe later this week). Here is a recipe that uses fresh corn that we started making last summer when the girls were just 12 months. Back then, everything they ate had to be a finger food, so the fact that these are bound with a little egg and flour works really well. They continue to be a favorite in our household because they’re easy, work as a side dish for mom and dad and a main dish for picky toddlers.

The recipe comes from Great Food Fast, a great cookbook from the Martha Stewart Empire. You can also find this recipe, along with a lot of other quick, easy and nutritious family friendly recipes, on Martha Stewart Food.

Sweet Corn Fritters (Serves 4 )

Ingredients

• 3 ears corn, husks and silk removed
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Sour cream (optional)
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Remove kernels: Cut off tip of each cob; stand in a wide shallow bowl. With a sharp knife, slice downward to remove kernels. To bowl, add milk, egg, sugar, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; mix. Fold in cornmeal and flour.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Working in two batches, drop batter into pan by heaping tablespoons. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt; place in oven. Repeat. Keep warm in oven up to 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream, if desired.

You might want to throw together a dipping sauce to go with them. Of course my kids love a combo of mayo, ketchup and season salt but I don’t think it’s the ideal flavor combo for the corn. My recommendation is a bunch of freshly chopped herbs (dill and parsley are perfect), garlic and salt stirred into mayo or sour cream.

Next up, homemade bacon, onion and corn white pizza! The girls love this as well! I'll post the recipe later this week.

If you have questions, requests or suggestions for my column, please let me know. I would love to hear from you! Either comment below or email me at columbusmultiples@gmail.com.

Enjoy!

Terra

Young's Jersey Dairy - a fun day trip for everyone!

Terra G., a CMOTC mom, is sharing with us one of her family’s favorite little getaway from Columbus places – Young's Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs Ohio.

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One of our favorite little getaways from Columbus is Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs. Just under an hour away, the Dairy features two restaurants, mini-golf, batting cages, a petting zoo, a little kids’ play area and a 30-foot slide for the bigger kids. Year-round the Dairy is known for its fabulously creamy ice cream, offered in a huge number of flavors. You could spend an hour visiting the animals and playing outside, followed up with lunch at the snack bar or adjoining Golden Jersey Inn restaurant, or a scoop or cone of their homemade ice cream. There are a lot of events year round, including a pumpkin patch in the fall.

The ice cream shop - which has a ton of fantastic flavors, along with Gelato and Sorbetto.

The petting barn is free and features cows and goats to pet and feed, many of which had little babies when we were visiting. Outside there are some tractors to climb on, and for a small fee, little kids can play in the Kiddie Korral. Featuring a huge sandbox filled with corn, little trykes, hay bales and slides and a bouncy house, this area is completely covered from the weather and offers a perfect diversion for the little ones. There is a modest entry fee, which includes a free ride on the Moovers and Shakers train – 10 cars made out of barrels pulled by a tractor around the farm and through the corn fields.

Charlotte at the petting barn.

Moovers and Shakers train.

Charlotte riding a tryke.

Charlotte and Veronica in the huge sandbox filled with corn.

This is a great little getaway when you want to get the kids out of town and do something different. You could make a day of it by following your visit to the Dairy with lunch at the adjacent Golden Jersey Inn, a cute little family friendly country-style restaurant at the other end of the complex. Or, plan your trip via I-71 and visit the outlets at Jeffersonville on your way back. Just south of the dairy is the town of Yellow Springs, which is a cute little college town with a couple of nice restaurants (try the Winds Café), coffee shops and health food stores. Just outside of town is a state park and nature preserve, and the entire length of US-68 between Xenia and Springfield features a really nice bike trail.

Young’s Jersey Dairy

6880 Springfield Xenia Road

Yellow Springs, OH

http://youngsdairy.com/

Have fun!

Terra

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Do you have any family favorite day trips (or local)? Please consider writing something up to share with all of us! Contact us at columbusmultiples@gmail.com. Or comment below with with the name and details of your family fun spot!

Katie's Nutrition Nook - Healthy kid (and mom) snacks on the go

It’s summer and we’re all on the go. Wait, who am I kidding? With kids, we’re always on the go. But right now, you’re probably jolting between swim practice and tee ball games to play dates and who knows what else …

Life on the run doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice good nutrition. Both you and your kids can still eat healthy with just a little planning. Planning? Who has time for planning, you say? Just a few minutes out of your night tonight will save you time and energy dealing with hungry, grumpy kids tomorrow. Keeping them (and you) fueled between stops is key to staying sane during this crazy time.

Below is a list of healthy snack ideas followed by suggestions of those to limit. It’s best to take along a small cooler to keep foods fresh and free of harmful bacteria. Remember that moderation is key and that children will often eat healthy if parents offer them the healthier foods and model good eating behavior.

• Raw veggies and low-fat ranch dip or hummus
  
• String cheese


• Cheese cubes (remember with cheese to choose 2% or light cheeses-cheese can be high in saturated fat-the bad kind that clogs your arteries-so make sure to limit the amount) and whole grain crackers


• 100% Fruit Juice boxes (i.e. Juicy Juice)


• Apple or Banana with Peanut Butter


• Dried Fruit or Fresh fruit


• Trail Mix-whole grain cereal, dried fruit, nuts


• Low-fat popcorn


• Yogurt (try to avoid the ones with all the added sugar)


• Turkey rolled up in a whole wheat tortilla


• Peanut butter and jelly on whole grain bread
  

Avoid:

• Fruit juices, cocktails or other drinks with added sugar (Hi-C, Gatorade, Capri-suns)


• Fruit gushers or other gummy sugary foods


• Chips, cookies and other processed foods
  
  

What healthy snacks do you and your children enjoy when on the go? Please share!

Feel free to comment below or contact me at columbusmultiples@gmail.com 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