The Hot Dog Double Standard

If you're reading this blog, chances are that you're already conscious of what you feed your children. Long gone are the days of ordering from the hot dog and pizza kids' menus at local restaurants (those menus are still prevalent, we just choose to ignore them). You might have changed your shopping list to include more organic items. And the mere thought of putting soda in a baby bottle... well... hold on for a second- I need to take a couple of deep breaths after that one.
But what about you?
It's so important to you that your children don't consume so many pesticides, hormones, sugar, and artificial colors, but what about you?
I recently spoke with a mother who related a story about eating a hot dog and drinking a soda while she had ordered a halibut sandwich for her son (nearly 2 years old). We were laughing about how that is so backwards as compared to how we were raised- the good food is for the adults and the kids get "kid food". In fact, I remember being at a nice party where a mother was giving her child an expensive (and healthy) item from the "adult table" and overhearing someone say that the food was being "wasted on kids".

The issue, as I see it, is two-fold:
First, if your health ideals are so important when preparing or ordering meals for your child, why don't you deserve the same consideration? If you choose to feed your child only organic food, that shows that you see value in that lifestyle choice. What about you? Why don't you deserve the best? Ok- aks yourself this- if I believe that organic carrots are better for my child, aren't they also better for me? My child desrves healthy food, but doesn't he/she also deserve a healthy parent?

The second issue concerns modeling. Never thought you would be a model? Your child watches everything you do. At these tender young ages, you represent everything they want to do and everything they want to be. If you are eating steel cut oats with flax meal, chia seeds, and blueberries, they want the same breakfast (they will also want your bowl and your spoon). If you have a hot dog and a soda, guess what? Your average toddler sleeps 13 1/2 hours per day (counting overnight and naps). That gives you plenty of time to guzzle your soda and eat your hot dog without little fingers grabbing and big eyes peering. Of course, if you choose to use naptime to overload your body with sugar and preservatives, please see problem #1 again.

Moral of the story? As always, "treat your body like it belongs to someone you love" (copied off a sign post at Whole Foods). "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."- Michael Pollen. Stock your kitchen with healthy foods, serve them to your kids- and eat with them too.

The Case for Saturated Fat and Cholesterol

I recently received an email from one of the many how-to-be-a-good-parent email lists. This one was a list of snack foods to give your toddler, foods that would do double-duty by providing nutrition and taste. What really struck me was the emphasis on reduced-fat and reduced-cholesterol foods. My blood boiled, which may have reduced my LDL cholesterol level a little bit.

Joking aside, saturated fat and cholesterol are important components of the diet. Especially for children under the age of two. I advocate FULL FAT (organic) dairy for that reason. During these tender years, the brain is developing at a rapid pace. Nutrients found in FULL FAT products are necessary for

• building nerve tissue, including brain tissue
• helping the body to absorb certain nutrients (vitamins A, D, E, and K)
• building necessary hormones
• insulating all nervous system tissue

Parents have been so involved with limiting fats in the diet, that the FDA decided that for foods intended for children under the age of two, calories from fat and calories from saturated fat must not be presented on the nutrition label. (See http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm064904.htm#kidlabel)

So why do I advocate organic meats and full-fat dairy? There is no difference in grams of fat provided, but the makeup of that fat is different. Fats from organic meat and dairy is more anti-inflammatory while fats from conventionally raised animals is more inflammatory, contributing to more disease.

Lesson learned? Go crazy with the avocado, walnuts, full-fat organic yogurt, and other seeds and nuts (age and allergy status permitting, of course).

Let them surprise you

Everyone loves surprises. Maybe not the jump-out-and-scream-"Happy Birthday"-surprises, but surprises in general. Breakfast in bed surprises. Little blue box surprises. Littles putting their own toys away surprises. I like to savor these moments, because they can be few and far between. Today, my littles surprised me by eating tabouleh- that green tiny chopped up salad gracing the plate next to many Mediterranean dishes. Surrounded in a sea of children eating fast food, my little guys were eating tabouleh. True, I bought it for them and they really didn't have another choice, but after the first bite, they came back for more.
Children can be adventurous if we let them. I chose this dish for them because it was the only healthy option I saw, but it's not something I would have considered on my own. I actually don't like the salad myself. Point being, let your children surprise you. Don't decide for them what looks or sounds good- they may be more adventurous than you are. It's time to develop those palates!

A Romantic Moment

Close your eyes and picture this scene. Ok, don't close your eyes- you'll need them to read this post.
You've been imagining this moment and now it's here. You are face to face. You lock eyes and slowly move toward each other. You can see the desire in his eyes. As you present the moment of opportunity, his mouth slightly opens and... he takes a big bite of yogurt off the blue rubber-tipped spoon.
Well where did you think I was going with that? Maybe you mistook this for a a trashy romance blog?
All joking aside, this is what you should expect at the table. At least for those months after you have started introducing solids and before the child is more independent about eating. The key elements here are a calm atmosphere and respect for the child's desires. When you start putting pressure on the child, he is less likely to eat (even if he is hungry), and also less likely to behave nicely. I'm not saying that you should be a short-order cook- that's a whole other blog entry. I am saying that babies have opinions, and that we as parents and caretakers should respect that. If you move toward the baby with a spoon and he clamps his mouth shut, turns his head to the side, or swats at the spoon with his hand, he is communicating that he is not interested in eating whatever is on that spoon. He might be thirsty. He might be full. He might think that cottage cheese is a weird texture and he will need more exposures to it before he feels comfortable enough to eat it.
So what do you do when your baby refuses food? You, as the parent or caretaker, are in charge of providing healthy food and a calm atmosphere at a relatively consistent time and location. The child is in charge of whether or not he eats it, and how much he eats. It's a division of labor, and when it breaks down- ie when the parent tries to take on the job of the baby- things go awry. If the child refuses to eat, offer some water or milk. If he refuses that, then mealtime is over and there will be a snack offered in about two hours. Take a deep breath. Your child will be fine*.
*Disclaimer- if food aversions or otherwise limited diet have caused your child to stop growing according to reasonable expectations, please consult a pediatric dietitian for more targeted advice. I do provide these services as well.

The Toddler Food Conspiracy

The first real blog is serious business. It should be something that will draw you in, inform you, and leave you wanting more. There are plenty of controversies in the nutrition world- GMOs, BPA, and other three-letter acronyms (or sometimes longer, like MTHFR). Lots to discuss. But I'm going to start out with something that is the basis of my phood-philosophy. Toddler food is a conspiracy. There is no such thing. Once a healthy and developmentally on-target child has incorporated a variety of different foods into the diet, it should look like an adult's diet. The bites are smaller and sometimes maybe a little mushier, but in general, it should have the same components as the parents' diet.
There is a catch to this. Since the child's diet will mirror the parents', and since the child will want to eat what the parents are eating, that may mean that the parents' diet should be cleaned up a little bit. Many parents are more concerned with what their children are eating than with what they are putting in their own bodies. For example, many parents will be concerned to only feed their children organic foods, but they don't necessarily value organic components in their own meals. Marinate in that thought for a second. Do you need to spend a little more time contemplating your own diet? Maybe the truth is that your diet should mirror that of your kids'.
There is a sign outside of my local Whole Foods that says "Treat your body like it belongs to someone you love". I like that.

An Introduction

Hello blog world! The Baby Blog on Baby Bloom Nutrition has arrived!
Here I will be addressing common concerns, misconceptions, and other important information to keep you informed and up to date. You should also follow me on Facebook (Baby Bloom Nutrition) for information snippets and contests.
Stay tuned for the first real Baby Blog entry.