tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17496571539413911392024-03-12T19:25:02.422-07:00Chunky MonkeyA food blog dedicated to packing the pounds on childrenIvoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-19286593426908084412011-09-16T08:55:00.000-07:002011-09-16T09:06:06.985-07:00Sili Squeeze!<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://thesilico.com/images/gallery/gallery_01.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>Squeeze pouches are quickly becoming the new thing in on the go snacking (and sitting at the table too). They're easy, neat and kids seem to love them. The one downside is that they are expensive and wasteful, but that's about to change. <div>Introducing the <a href="http://thesilico.com/products.html">Sili Squeeze</a> - a reusable squeeze pouch that you can fill with any assortment of purees and it's dishwasher safe and easy to clean. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://thesilico.com/images/gallery/gallery_01.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 365px; height: 500px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div>Order <a href="http://thesilico.com/proddetail.php?prod=silisqueeze">here</a>. They come in 2 sizes and aren't much more expensive than a couple packages of the single use squeeze pouches. </div>Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-91873804086669863392011-05-09T16:08:00.000-07:002011-05-09T17:23:53.128-07:00Iron<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Children aged 1-12 need 7-10mg of iron a day (lower end for smaller children, increasing as they grow) and if your child isn't eating meat it can be hard to hit that total each day. Adding an iron supplement to their diet is one option, but most taste horrible and are rejected by the child. Here is a list of iron levels in common foods and ideas to help aid iron absorption. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><a title="View Iron Levels on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/55054651/Iron-Levels" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Iron Levels</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/55054651/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-1bls9gn76ihd941f1ah7" height="true" ratio="0.772727272727273" scrolling="no" id="doc_45620" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">To help aid iron absorption:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <ul style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; margin-top: 0in; " type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white;vertical-align: baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Continue serving iron-fortified cereal until kids are 18-24 months old.<o:p></o:p></span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white;vertical-align: baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Serve iron-rich foods alongside foods containing vitamin C — such as tomatoes, broccoli, oranges, and strawberries — which improves the body's absorption of iron.<o:p></o:p></span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white;vertical-align: baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Avoid serving coffee or tea at mealtime — both contain tannins that reduce iron absorption.<o:p></o:p></span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;margin-bottom:.25in;line-height:normal; mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"">If you have a vegetarian in the family, monitor his or her diet to make it includes sufficient iron. Because iron from meat sources is more easily absorbed than iron from plant sources, you may need to add iron-fortified foods to a vegetarian diet.<o:p></o:p></span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Signs of an iron deficiency: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "></p><ul><li style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "> feeling tired and weak</span></li><li style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">decreased work and school performance</span></li><li style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">slow cognitive and social development</span></li><li style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">difficulty maintaining body temperature</span></li><li style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">decreased immune function, which increases susceptibility to infection</span></li></ul><p></p>Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-31505556860041851892011-03-22T18:32:00.000-07:002011-03-22T18:39:10.839-07:00We did it!!<div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQbMvKXR5-JS8oTx5Ba3Ypng6yY75JIZr8mF7-B3PIdQKQFk8B3EInkDc9qlhvwkLI7qOu2m2XHnKfnyyPazS4ERD4VPLr47k4bB-lBEjVRicEwNtuQPi0YUiXaa4TSoP9WxspEnnrfs/s1600/growth+chart.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 398px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQbMvKXR5-JS8oTx5Ba3Ypng6yY75JIZr8mF7-B3PIdQKQFk8B3EInkDc9qlhvwkLI7qOu2m2XHnKfnyyPazS4ERD4VPLr47k4bB-lBEjVRicEwNtuQPi0YUiXaa4TSoP9WxspEnnrfs/s400/growth+chart.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587082395966233586" /></a><br />At Emma's 3 year appointment she FINALLY made it on the growth chart. It's been a very, very long journey and to say that it feels good is an understatement. My baby girl has finally done it, no more FTT!!!!!Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-67545330370464900432011-02-13T19:07:00.000-08:002011-02-13T19:38:26.715-08:00On the go<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>When you're trying to feed your child a high calorie diet, snacks can be very challenging. Most easy snacks aren't high calorie AND easy to transport. Below is a list of snacks we find easy to travel with and aren't too nutritionally lacking.<div><br /><br /><div><ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_clif_kid_zbar">Cliff Z bar</a> - 120 calories, 2.5g fat, 3g protein</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><img src="http://www.clifbar.com/uploads/product/zbar.bb_product.png" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 115px;" border="0" alt="" /></p> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_clif_kid_twisted_fruit/">Cliff Twisted Fruit</a> - 70 calories</li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img src="http://www.clifbar.com/uploads/product/TF-Grape_1.png" border="0" alt="" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 243px; " /></p><div><br /></div> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Cereal</li> </ul><div>Can be kind of messy to transport, but we use <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/60957092/mamamade-reusable-sandwich-bag-bot-town">these</a> reusable snack bags. They're super easy for Emma to use and they're very easy to clean. </div> <p class="MsoNormal">Some Cereal Options: </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Kix – (1 ¼ cup) 110 calories, 1g fat, 2g protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Trix – (1 cup) 120 calories, 1.5g fat, 1g protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Cheerios – (1 cup) 100 calories, 2g fat, 3g protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fruit Cheerios – (3/4 cup) 100 calories, 1.5g fat, 1g protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yogurt burst cheerios (3/4 cup) 120 calories, 1.5g fat, 2g protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Chex (rice) (1 cup)-<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>100 calories, 0 fat, 2g protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Wheat Chex (3/4 cup) – 160 calories, 1g fat, 5g protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Quaker Granola (the oats and honey variety does not have corn) (1/2 cup) – 210 calories, 6g fat, 5g protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Granola Bars</li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Nature</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place> – 90 calories, 3g fat, 2g protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Quaker – 100 calories, 3g fat, 1g protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Dried Fruit</li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal">Raisins (1/2 cup) 217 calories, 0 fat, 2g protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Apricots (1/2 cup) – 157 calories, 0 fat, 2g protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Apples (1/2 cup) – 104 calories, 0 fat, 0 protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Cranberries (1/3 cup) – 140 calories, 0 fat, 0 protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Popcorn</li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal">Oil Popped (1 cup) – 55 calories, 3g fat, 1g protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Squeezable packets</li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.materne.us/product/appleapple">GoGo Applesauc</a>e – 60 calories, 0 fat, 0 protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://products.revfoods.com/products/mashups">Revolution Foods Mashup Strawberry Banana</a> – 60 calories, 0 fat, 1g protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://peterrabbitorganics.com/fruit-snacks">Peter Rabbit Fruit Pouches Apple Grape</a> – 80 calories, 0 fat, 0 protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Crackers </li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.latejuly.com/late_july_organic_snacks/2008/01/our-bite-size-c.html">http://www.latejuly.com/late_july_organic_snacks/2008/01/our-bite-size-c.html</a> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Cheddar bunnies snack packs – 140 calories, 6g fat, 3g protein</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Graham bunnies snack packs – 120 calories, 4g fat, 2g protein</p></div></div>Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-15271919854587193582011-01-02T13:34:00.000-08:002011-01-02T13:41:25.691-08:00ProteinI've heard from many friends that getting their children to eat meat is always a challenge and they're wondering about alternative protein sources. I've thrown together a list of non-meat protein sources. If your child has good dairy intake, chances are that protein isn't something that you need to worry about. A typical toddler only needs 16 grams of protein a day, which you can find in 2 cups of whole milk. However it's always ideal to feed your toddler a varied diet so that they are getting their nutrients from a variety of different sources. <div><br /></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="357" style="border-collapse: collapse"> <!--StartFragment--> <col width="229" style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:9770"> <col width="74" style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:3157"> <col width="54" style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:2304"> <tbody><tr height="20"> <td height="20" class="xl31" width="229">Description</td> <td class="xl31" width="74">Serving Size</td> <td class="xl33" width="54">Grams of Protein<br /><br /><br /></td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Veggie burger</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 patty</td> <td class="xl34" width="54">Varies</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Tempeh</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="31.0">31</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Soybeans, mature cooked, boiled, without salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="22.23">22</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Beans, White beans, mature seeds, canned</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="19.02">19</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="17.86">18</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Cornmeal, degermed, enriched, yellow</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="17.21">17</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Wheat flour, whole-grain</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="16.44">16</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched</td> <td class="xl28" width="74" num="137.0">137</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="16.41">16</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Oat bran, raw</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="16.26">16</td> </tr> <tr height="24"> <td height="24" class="xl25" width="229"><a href="" target="_blank">Beans, Navy beans, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt</a></td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="15.83">16</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Beans, Kidney beans, red, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="15.35">15</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="15.24">15</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Buckwheat flour, whole-groat</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="15.14">15</td> </tr> <tr height="24"> <td height="24" class="xl25" width="229"><a href="" target="_blank">Beans, Lima beans, large, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt</a></td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="14.66">15</td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td height="20" class="xl24" width="229">Beans, Cowpeas (blackeyed), immature seeds, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup </td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="14.43">14</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Beans, Pinto beans, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="14.04">14</td> </tr> <tr height="24"> <td height="24" class="xl25" width="229"><a href="http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/wholegrains/rajma-kidneybeans.html">Beans, Kidney beans, red, mature seeds, canned</a></td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="13.44">13</td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td height="20" class="xl24" width="229">Beans, Cowpeas, common (blackeyes, crowder, southern), mature seeds,</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="13.3">13</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Beans, baked, canned, with pork and tomato sauce</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="13.05">13</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, enriched, bleached</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="12.91">13</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Beans, baked, canned, plain or vegetarian</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="12.17">12</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13" class="xl26" width="229">Beans, Lima beans, large, mature seeds, canned</td> <td class="xl29" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl35" width="54" num="11.88">12</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl27" width="229">Bulgur, dry</td> <td class="xl30" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl36" width="54" num="11.7">12</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Quinoa, cooked</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="11.0">11</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Cornmeal, whole-grain, yellow</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="9.91">10</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Peas, green, canned, regular pack, drained solids</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="7.51">8</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Spaghetti, whole-wheat, cooked</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="7.46">7</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Oat bran, cooked</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="7.03">7</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Spaghetti, cooked, enriched, without added salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="6.68">7</td> </tr> <tr height="24"> <td height="24" class="xl25" width="229"><a href="" target="_blank">Tofu, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride</a></td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1/4 block</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="6.51">7</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Spinach, canned, drained solids</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="6.01">6</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="5.97">6</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Buckwheat groats, roasted, cooked</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="5.68">6</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Bulgur, cooked</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="5.61">6</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Peas, edible-podded, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="5.6">6</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="5.35">5</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Asparagus, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="5.31">5</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Beans, Cowpeas (Blackeyed), immature seeds, boiled, without salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="5.23">5</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Peas, edible-podded, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="5.23">5</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Corn, sweet, yellow, canned, vacuum pack, regular pack</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="5.06">5</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Potato, baked, flesh and skin, without salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 potato</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="5.05">5</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked</td> <td class="xl28" width="74" num="195.0">195</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="5.03">5</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Whole wheat bread</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">2 slices</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="5.0">5</td> </tr> <tr height="12"> <td height="12" class="xl24" width="229">Broccoli, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="4.65">5</td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td height="20" class="xl24" width="229">Corn, sweet, yellow, frozen, kernels cut off cob, boiled, drained, without salt</td> <td class="xl28" width="74">1 cup</td> <td class="xl34" width="54" num="4.51">5</td> </tr> <!--EndFragment--> </tbody></table> </div>Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-79087065256829653702010-11-07T08:08:00.000-08:002010-11-07T08:28:34.379-08:00Meal Supplements<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOy_mfLnIU5bVs7QCmLtwrssWdi7B3Wf6ZS_rMsJWY9v6mf7GQghGscNj62xVAwGKAkuVM62q9cJMMyPpagrEF6KfJbshE_cEvEqR8idObPVfCtomR0ElyRkjqCTNENpm7QAfAa-Roe8/s1600/pediasure+replacements.jpg"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhorndOFXGImKrZlbbIe1h6b6DC_XqQBk_o_UHIcFuPFHgHjMgsueU2EqvIibSQ7JSrxkSJvI0JFG0o3MfNavdoVxoJ0QbCHkNf2P2XCLi_6Gf_euyQ4zYVSSWB7OCHZjyjwcPbGcpFQ/s1600/pediasure+replacements.jpg"></a><a href="http://pediasure.com/kid-nutrition-products/pediasure-nutrition-drink">Pediasure</a> or <a href="http://www.kidessentials.com/Pages/tastechallenge.aspx?gclid=CIC9hO2Lj6UCFQQ_bAod7X_VOg">Boost</a> are very popular options for meal replacements or supplements that doctors and nutritionists recommend when children have trouble gaining weight or are poor eaters. If you've ever looked at the ingredient list there is a lot of ingredients that make a lot of moms wonder what exactly they are putting in their child's body. I'm not knocking them at all, they are very convenient and provide great nutrition, however sometimes parents are looking for a more natural option. I've put together a couple options that include more natural ingredients while keeping a good calorie, fat and protein ratio. My recommendation is that if you're using these as a meal replacement (i.e. your child won't eat and they drink instead) you should include a multi-vitamin to make sure they are getting all the vitamins and minerals they need. However, if you're just using it to boost calories then you shouldn't need a vitamin. <div><br /></div><div>Basic Recipe </div><div><br /></div><div>1 cup whole milk <a href="http://www.lifeway.net/Products/OrganicKefir/WholeMilkKefir/OrganicWholeMilkPlain.aspx">Kefir</a></div><div>1/2 cup banana (approx. a small banana) </div><div>2 Tbs <a href="http://www.nestlenido.com/AllAboutNido/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductKey=85CC73CF-C410-462A-A574-4EAC0E6E5315">Nestle Nido</a></div><div>1/2 Tbs honey</div><div><br /></div><div>Kefir is more sour than milk, which is why I've added honey. You could also add fruit juice, sugar or anything a little sweeter. </div><div>The best part of this recipe is that you can really substitute anything. If you can't find kefir, you can use equal parts milk and yogurt. You could also just use milk or half and half. If your child has a milk allergy you could use <a href="http://www.turtlemountain.com/products/Coconut_Kefir_Plain.html">coconut milk kefir</a> or any milk substitute that you like. </div><div>If your child doesn't like bananas you can use any fruit, you could also forgo the fruit and add a splash of vanilla or chocolate if your child likes that. Again you can also use formula in place of the nido, which would make it a more balanced option if you're using it as a meal replacement. </div><div>You'll notice in the nutritional information below that the kefir options appear to have more sugar, but it's unrefined sugar - a mixture of fruit, honey and milk sugars. You'll also notice that there isn't vitamin information for the kefir options, it's because they are listed as adult servings on the package and I didn't want to do the math. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOy_mfLnIU5bVs7QCmLtwrssWdi7B3Wf6ZS_rMsJWY9v6mf7GQghGscNj62xVAwGKAkuVM62q9cJMMyPpagrEF6KfJbshE_cEvEqR8idObPVfCtomR0ElyRkjqCTNENpm7QAfAa-Roe8/s400/pediasure+replacements.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536845089806855666" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 261px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div>Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-25598099814718914122010-10-07T12:31:00.000-07:002010-10-07T12:31:01.070-07:00AllergiesI've realized that a lot of my recipes contain items that many kids with common allergies can't have. <br />Does your child have allergies? If so, to what? And what kind of recipes are you looking for? <br /><br /><br /><br />Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-22109045889845349382010-08-30T19:36:00.000-07:002010-08-30T19:41:50.950-07:00Edible Play-doughIf your child is anything like mine, they enjoy eating foods that are "off-limits" more than those that they are supposed to be eating. Emma LOVES to eat play-dough and because we had so many issues with getting her to eat I didn't want to tell her no in fear that she'd stop putting anything in her mouth, so this a great solution. <div>Obviously you can use any nut butter you like and as much or as little honey. Make sure to use whole milk powder for the most bang for your buck! </div><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">EDIBLE PEANUT BUTTER PLAYDOUGH<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">about 18 oz. of peanut butter<br />about 6 tbsp. of honey<br />about 1 1/2 cups of powdered milk<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Mix all ingredients well. Add powdered milk until the playdough is workable with your hands. This is a fun recipe for kids to play with and certainly has a yummy taste. Optional: Use raisins, nuts, or candy to decorate. Don't forget to eat!</span></p></div>Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-90439616939379291932010-05-24T16:00:00.001-07:002010-05-24T16:00:21.602-07:00Mixing it UpOne thing I've learned about toddlers is that you have to mix things up in order to keep them interested. <br /><br />At a party this weekend I learned a new trick...toothpicks! <br />Emma thinks that eating food off toothpicks is a ton of fun and will eat much more off of them than she will a fork. Give it a try! Toothpicks come in a ton of fun colors, or have a decoration on the end that kids will really love. <br /><br />How do you keep mealtime fun?<br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br />Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-27519177745302993602010-05-03T08:45:00.001-07:002010-05-03T08:45:45.504-07:00Peanut Butter BallsMy daughter likes anything that is in a ball shape. I’m not sure what it is, but she’ll eat almost anything if it’s round. If you’re child is allergic to peanuts any kind of nut butter will do.<br /> <br />Milk and Honey Peanut Butter Balls<br />2-3 dozen balls, depending on size<br /> <br />2/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter (crunchy can be used too)<br />1/3 cup honey or agave syrup<br />1/3 cup unsweetened coconut<br />1 cup malted milk powder (or dried milk powder)<br />Mix all ingredients until they form a crumbly, sticky mass. Roll into balls.<br /> <br /> <br />As a variation you can add a crispy rice cereal instead of coconut.<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br />Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-23897979315194439522010-04-19T09:33:00.000-07:002010-04-19T10:12:07.527-07:00Weight Gainer's Mac and Cheese Au Gratin RecipeOne of the problems with having a tiny toddler is that when you make her recipes like this it's REALLY hard not to partake. Just eating her leftovers would make my bum grow!<br />With recipes like these I usually just freeze the leftovers in individual servings so I can pull them out for her when we're having something she won't eat, or I need something fast.<br /><br /><p><strong>Weight Gainer's Mac and Cheese Au Gratin Recipe<br /></strong>Makes 7 1/2 servings<br /></p><p>Nutritional facts are calculated for 1 cup-servings. This can be made gluten free by using brown rice pasta and brown rice flour. </p><p><strong>Ingredients </strong></p><p>8oz whole wheat elbow macaroni<br />2cups evaporated milk<br />1/3cup powdered milk<br />2tbsp butter<br />2tbsp brown rice flour<br />8oz shredded cheddar cheese<br />1/3cup grated parmesan cheese<br />1/4cup olive oil<br />1cup oat flour<br />2tbsp ground flaxseed<br /><br /><strong>Directions<br /></strong>1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />2. Combine the evaporated milk and powdered milk and set aside.<br />3. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan. Remove form heat and add oat flour, flaxseed, and parmesan cheese.<br />4. Cook the macaroni until al dente--about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain.<br />5. Prepare a thin white sauce: melt 2 tbsp butter in a small sauce pan, add 2 tbsp rice flour and salt to taste. Bring to a bubble, remove from heat, add two cups milk, and return to heat, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes.<br />6. Add grated cheddar cheese to white sauce and blend well.<br />7. Combine macaroni and white sauce mixture in a 2-quart casserole. Top with the oat flour mixture.<br />8. Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.<br />9. Serve with salad (with dressing, of course!) or veggies fried in olive oil to make an awesome weight gain meal.:]</p><p> </p><p><strong>Calories (yes, per 1 cup serving): 575<br />Fat: 38g<br />Protein: 20g</strong></p>Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-24520520797286680702010-04-16T10:27:00.001-07:002010-04-16T10:27:23.159-07:00Tracking CaloriesI know for some parents it's essential to track your child's caloric intake. I used to have a spreadsheet of every food Emma ate and the nutritional value of it. Even for foods I made from scratch I would calculate the values. It was pretty time consuming, but it helped me to see how she was doing. <br />Here is a great site that offers nutritional guidelines for children AND makes it easy to track! <br /><br />http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/planner/index.aspx<br /><br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br />Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-87893278440080382912010-03-22T07:36:00.001-07:002010-03-22T07:36:56.573-07:00Breakfast IdeasA couple great high calorie recipes!<br />Keep in mind that these are all adult size recipes, so you’ll probably get a couple servings out of each one.<br /> <br /><br /> Super Cereal (Single Serving)<br />7 oz Evaporated Milk<br />2 tbs Butter <br />1 ½ oz Cream of Wheat"" <br />1 oz Brown Sugar <br />Cinnamon<br />Heat evaporated milk in a saucepan. Dissolve butter and brown sugar in heated liquid. Add cereal until it thickens. Add cinnamon to taste.<br />544 Calories, 37g fat, 16g protein<br /> <br />HIGH CALORIE DRINK<br />1 (8 oz.) yogurt<br />1/2 c. milk<br />1/4 c. honey<br />3 tbsp. toasted wheat germ<br />1 c. strawberries<br />1/8 tsp. almond extract<br />Combine all ingredients in electric blender, whip until smooth and frothy. Yield 3 cups<br />Total: 685 calories, 16.5g fat, 25g protein<br /> <br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br />Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-91134143244908691822010-02-03T18:39:00.000-08:002010-02-03T18:49:37.018-08:00Toddler Foods<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Lately I've had a ton of requests for ideas for toddler foods. I've compiled a list that will hopefully help you come up with ideas (obviously in our house we put fat on everything)</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Fruit<br />Steamed vegetables<br />Quesadillas<br />Cheese<br />Yogurt<br />Beans</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Mac & Cheese<br />Various Pastas<br />Chunks of Rotisserie chicken<br />Meatballs<br />Scrambled eggs<br />Waffles<br />Applesauce<br />Creamy peanut butter (or other nut butter)<br />Cream cheese/jelly on flat bread<br />Chicken nuggets<br />Gnocchi<br />Sweet potato fries<br />Grilled cheese<br />Boca/veggie burgers<br />Hamburger<br />Ravioli<br />Oatmeal/Cream of Wheat<br />Edamame<br />Tofu<br />Hummus<br />Stir Fry</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Rice<br />Couscous<br />Earth’s Best Organic cheese crackers<br />Tater Tots<br />String cheese<br />Cereal<br />Thinly-sliced deli meat<br />Roasted veggies<br />Turkey burgers<br />Guacamole<br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Tofu</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I'd love to hear your favorites! </span></span></span></div></div>Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-16866162255824210522009-12-19T19:13:00.000-08:002009-12-19T19:16:26.889-08:00Chicken EnchiladasSorry that posting has been so scarce, we've had 2 solid months of illness around here. I won't bore you with the details, but I hope to get better. A friend recently reminded me of how popular this recipe is... it's my mom's and it's a hit with EVERYONE! <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(83, 70, 64); -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><div style="min-width: 0px; max-width: 99%; "><br /></div><div style="min-width: 0px; max-width: 99%; ">Chicken Enchiladas </div><div style="min-width: 0px; max-width: 99%; "><br />1 lb cooked chicken, diced or shredded <br />1 cup onions, chopped <br />1 small can green chilies (optional) <br />1 cup cheddar cheese, grated <br />¼ cup butter <br />¼ cup flour <br />2 cups chicken broth <br />1 tsp coriander <br />1 cup monterey jack cheese, grated <br />1 cup sour cream <br />salt, pepper, cayenne <br />corn tortillas (usually about 12) </div><div style="min-width: 0px; max-width: 99%; "><br />Sautee onions in a small amount of butter or oil until translucent. <br />Combine chicken, onions, green chilies and cheddar cheese in a large <br />bowl and season with salt, pepper and cayenne (if desired). Set aside. <br /><br />In saucepan, melt butter, blend in flour, add chicken broth, and cook <br />until mixture thickens and bubbles. Stir in Monterey Jack cheese and <br />coriander and continue to blend until cheese is melted. Stir in sour <br />cream. Cook until heated through, but DO NOT BOIL. <br /><br />In large glass baking dish spread a little sauce on the bottom (enough <br />to cover). Place chicken mixture in a tortilla, roll and place in <br />dish, repeat until filling is gone. Pour remaining sauce over the <br />enchiladas (you may also reserve some to pour over after they have <br />baked if you like). Cover dish with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees <br />for about 25 minutes (until bubbly). <br /><br />**Modifications** <br />If you like your food a little spicier you can add some spice to the <br />chicken mixture by adding any kind of seasoning such as cayenne, chili <br />powder etc, peppers (chipotle, green, etc) or hot sauce. You can also add beans</div><div style="min-width: 0px; max-width: 99%; ">or veggies to your filling to mix it up a bit, basically the secret is the sauce.<br />You can also make this more casserole like by layering the items. <br />First a little sauce, then tortillas to cover the bottom of dish, then <br />filling and then more tortillas and top with sauce. Cover and bake for <br />25 minutes at 350 degrees. <br /><br />This can also be frozen after preparation. After freezing, if thawed <br />bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees (covered) or 50 minutes if frozen <br />(until bubbly).</div><div><br /></div></span></div>Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-71912421735174659652009-12-02T19:14:00.000-08:002009-12-02T19:23:31.338-08:00Leftovers!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I'm sorry that I've been MIA. I went back to work and life is just crazy around here! </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Tonight I made one of my favorite Thanksgiving leftover dishes and it turned out that the toddler LOVED it! </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b>Turkey Wild Rice Soup</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Soup:<br /><br />8 ounces wild rice<br />2 tablespoons olive oil<br />2 tablespoons butter<br />1 cup chopped onions<br />1 cup chopped celery<br />2 cups chopped carrots<br />3/4 cup flour<br />4 cups cubed cooked turkey<br />2 cups light cream or milk</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">2 cups broth<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />2 teaspoons crumbled dried thyme </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1 teaspoon crumbled dried bay leaf<br /><br /><br />Place 4 1/2 cups lightly salted water in a medium pot. Bring the water to a boil and add the wild rice. Stir the rice and return to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes (in CO it's going to take about 1.5hrs) or until the rice is tender and opens. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">While the rice is cooking, sauté the oil, 2 tablespoons of the butter, the onions, celery, and carrots in a large stock pot for 5 minutes. Add the flour and mix well. Pour in the broth and heat through. Add the turkey, cream, and spices. Simmer for 40 minutes. Just before serving add the cooked wild rice. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">Enjoy! </span></span></div>Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-55437415500494915172009-11-09T19:06:00.000-08:002009-11-09T19:13:05.103-08:00Packing a punch!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">With a finiky eater it's always important to pack as much nutrition as possible into each bite. I've compiled a list of foods that are great choices for your children. As always, at our house everything is doused in fat for added calories. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><p style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Nutrient-dense foods that most children are willing to eat include:</span></span></p><ul><li style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Avocados</span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Pasta</span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Broccoli</span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Peanut butter</span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Brown rice and other grains</span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Potatoes</span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Cheese</span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Poultry</span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Eggs</span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Squash</span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Fish</span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Sweet potatoes</span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Kidney beans</span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Tofu</span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Yogurt</span></span></li></ul></span></div>Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-21749483007493049492009-10-20T19:02:00.000-07:002009-10-20T19:27:59.373-07:00The family that eats together...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When you have a child who has trouble eating, you don't want food to become a battle. Eating together as a family is an easy and important way to teach your child the value of food. Not just as nutrition, but as a social and emotional comfort too. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I've found these 8 reasons why eating together 5-6 times a week (any meal) is so important. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Reason #1: Communication and Well-Being</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />Conversations during the meal provide opportunities for the family to bond, plan, connect, and learn from one another. It’s a chance to share information and news of the day, as well as give extra attention to your children and teens. Family meals foster warmth, security and love, as well as feelings of belonging. It can be a unifying experience for all.<br /><br /></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Reason #2: Model Manners (and more)</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />Family mealtime is the perfect opportunity to display appropriate table manners, meal etiquette, and social skills. Keep the mood light, relaxed, and loving. Try not to instruct or criticize—lead by example.<br /><br /></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Reason # 3: Expand Their World…One Food at a Time</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />Encourage your children to try new foods, without forcing, coercing, or bribing. Introduce a new food along with some of the stand-by favorites. Remember that it can take 8-10 exposures to a new food before it is accepted, so be patient. Trying a new food is like starting a new hobby. It expands your child’s knowledge, experience, and skill. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><ul style="margin-top: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 4px; padding-top: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; "><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Include foods from other cultures and countries.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Select a new vegetable from a local farmer’s market.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Have your child select a new recipe from a cookbook, web site, newspaper, or magazine.</span></span></li></ul><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Reason #4: Nourish<br /></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Meals prepared and eaten at home are usually more nutritious and healthy. They contain more fruits, vegetables, and dairy products along with additional nutrients such as fiber, calcium, vitamins A and C, and folate. Home cooked meals are usually not fried or highly salted, plus soda and sweetened beverage consumption is usually lower at the dinner table.<br /><br /></span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Reason #5: Become Self-Sufficient<br /></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Children today are missing out on the importance of knowing how to plan and prepare meals. Basic cooking, baking, and food preparation are necessities for being self-sufficient. Involve your family in menu planning, grocery shopping, and food preparation. Preschoolers can tear lettuce, cut bananas, and set the table. Older children can pour milk, peel vegetables, and mix batter. Teenagers can dice, chop, bake, and grill. Working as a team puts the meal on the table faster, as well as makes everyone more responsible and accepting of the outcome. Improved eating habits come with "ownership" of a meal.<br /><br /></span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Reason #6: Prevent Destructive Behaviors</span></span></strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Research shows that frequent family dinners (five or more a week), are associated with lower rates of smoking, drinking, and illegal drug use in pre-teens and teenagers when compared to families that eat together two or fewer times per week. Even as older children’s schedules get more complicated, it is important to make an effort to eat meals together. Scheduling is a must.<br /><br /></span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Reason #7: Improve Grades<br /></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Children do better in school when they eat more meals with their parents and family. Teenagers who eat dinner four or more times per week with their families have higher academic performance compared with teenagers who eat with their families two or fewer times per week.<br /><br /></span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Reason # 8: Save Money<br /></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Meals purchased away from home cost two to four times more than meals prepared at home. At present time the restaurant industry’s share of the total food dollar is more than 46%. Due to scheduling, commitments, and activities, families eat out several times each week. </span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">(tips taken from sparkpeople.com) </span></span></span></div>Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-78177246371884759052009-09-29T06:59:00.000-07:002009-09-29T07:04:26.338-07:00Favorite Product #2<div align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/KidCo-Baby-Steps-Food-Carrying/dp/B00006G9LI">Kidco Food Mill</a></div><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://www.kidco.com/img/products/feeding/lg2_f700.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 239px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 239px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.kidco.com/img/products/feeding/lg2_f700.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div>This food mill is such a simple thing to keep around the house. It takes up very little space and has a carrying case if you want to travel with it. It's super simple to use, you just stick the food in and grind it up and you have an instant puree! </div><div>We used it when I wanted to puree a small portion of it for Emma to eat, if she was eating our meal for dinner, not "baby food". </div><div>Definitely worth the investment! </div>Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-49415797660431357442009-09-13T07:47:00.000-07:002009-09-13T08:13:58.898-07:00VegetablesAt our house we don't have a problem with Emma eating veggies, in fact more often than not I'm trying to hide calories in her veggies instead of the other way around :) But I realize that it's pretty common for kids to not enjoy the healthier part of meals and there are quite a few new cookbooks dedicated to the art of hiding veggies.<br />I find pureed veggies super easy to work with. In this form they can really be hid in about anything and a lot of them are so sweet that kid's honestly don't realize they are eating something "good" for them. Color may be an issue, but a lot of kids will find their new food fun and different.<br />Here are some ideas for incorporating veggies into everyday food<br /><ul><li>add a pureed veggie into their yogurt or cottage cheese. Horizon has come out with a <a href="http://www.horizondairy.com/#/products/yogurt/natural-little-blends">product</a> that contains fruit and veggies in yogurt, but it's super easy to add any veggie into the yogurt your child eats every day. Also remember that kids don't have the taste associations we do so you might think banana and peas sounds horrible, but they might not. </li><li>add a pureed veggie into mashed potatoes. Not only will it transform them into a fun new color, but it will add some nutrients as well. Try beets for pink potatoes, spinach or peas for green and sweet potatoes for orange. </li><li>add a pureed veggie into mac and cheese. Anything orange (sweet potato, squash) disappears if you're using orange cheese, but you can also use any other veggie. It can really be tossed with any pasta sauce or made into a sauce of it's own.</li><li>try different textures. Emma loves to much on raw veggies, especially asparagus and green beans (which are a little softer than carrots). Don't just assume they need to be mush for them to eat it, a lot of times kids don't love mushy food.</li><li>try different flavors. Roast the veggies to bring out the natural sweetness or cook them with something sweet like maple syrup or orange juice. Carrots cooked in orange juice are delicious! </li><li>add veggies to a <a href="http://chunkymonkeymenus.blogspot.com/2009/07/drinkable-meals.html">smoothie</a> for a quick and easy meal. </li><li>give them first in a meal. Always start with the food your child likes least. #1, they are more hungry and more likely to eat whatever you give them first. #2, it teaches them that there are some things in a meal that you don't like, but you need to try them to get to the good stuff. </li></ul><p>Once you start trying to add veggies, it's really easy to realize all the different places you can hide them. </p><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Meatballs and Spinach</span></strong></p><p>Ingredients<br />1 1/2 lb ground meat (beef, turkey or pork or a combo will work)<br />1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained thoroughly<br />1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan<br />1 whole egg<br />1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil<br />1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley<br />1 teaspoon garlic powder<br />1 teaspoon kosher salt <br />1/2 cup bread crumbs</p><p>Directions<br />Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.<br />In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Using your hands, mix all ingredients until well incorporated. Use immediately or place in refrigerator for up to 24 hours.<br />Using your hands, shape the meatballs into rounds and place the meatballs on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. </p><p> </p>Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-44886435427457428242009-09-05T08:00:00.000-07:002009-09-05T08:22:37.710-07:00Oral AversionIt's very common for small children to be small because they don't like to eat. Many kids don't like the texture or taste of even the earliest baby food. I used to nanny for a little girl who had to be fed with a syringe because she wouldn't take a bottle and moving onto spoon feeding was quite the ordeal. I get how frustrating it can be, but the most important advice I can give is KEEP TRYING!! Repetition, repetition, repetition!!<br />Here are some tips I've gathered;<br /><u>Newborns</u><br /><ul><li>Newborns are born to suck. When a baby sucks, they strengthen their oral motor muscles, explore different sensations in their mouth and learn about tastes. When a newborn is unable to eat orally because of medical problems for an extended period of time, there is the risk of developing oral aversion. Even if your newborn can't eat, ask the doctor if you can encourage "non-nutritive sucking," or even "non-nutritive/comfort nursing" i.e. use a pacifier or your very clean finger, or pump/express all your milk and then let the baby nurse. If baby doesn't have any interest, consider dipping the pacifier in sweet-ease (sugar water), water or formula. Your baby will likely need to "learn" to accept a pacifier, so expect that they will initially reject it, but keep trying. </li><li>Newborns with oral aversion often have difficulty tolerating oral feeds without high outputs. Your newborn may need to start on very small amounts of formula (i.e. less than 5 ml. per bottle). Your doctor may suggest not giving bottles if outputs are high. But to preserve the sucking and feeding skills, ask if you can decrease feeds, rather than eliminate them - even 1-2 ml. per bottle is much, much better than none. Comfort nursing, like the 1-2ml bottle (see above) promotes oral/motor development, as well as comfort for both mother and baby. </li><li>Newborns who have spent any time in the NICU with a feeding tube or otherwise, have often had painful or uncomfortable touches around their face as tape is removed or reapplied, tubes are inserted or removed, etc. A parent's first reaction might be to not want to touch their baby's face since the baby might turn away or reject touch to the face. However, just the opposite is necessary. A baby needs to learn that touch, in general, causes comfort and pleasure, not pain. So kiss, stroke and touch your baby's face frequently (many times a day). </li><li>During a normal day, a typically developing baby is exposed to many different types of sensations on their face as they are dressed, washed, fed, burped and spit up. These experiences help prepare a baby's sensory system to accept a variety of feelings on their face and in their mouth. These early skills help prepare a baby to accept a variety of flavors and textures in their mouth when as they grow. A medically ill baby many not have many of these experiences, again putting them at risk for feeding and sensory problems. As much as your baby can tolerate, again, expose them to different touches like a dry cloth, a wet cloth, a soft blanket, etc. Introduce soft touch, that are light on the skin (like a feather) and "deeper" touches, like the pressure of your cheek against your baby's.<br />Use whatever methods possible to help reduce pain, particularly around the face. For example, ask nurses to use adhesive remover, rather than just pulling tape off the face. Sweet-ease or sugar water, is known to reduce the experience of pain in babies 0-6 months (the effectiveness is lost after 6 months). In small amounts (1 or 2 dips) it doesn't typically impact outputs. Request that this is used when your newborn is having an IV placed or another invasive procedure. </li><li>It is true that a newborn or infant will not have "memories" of pain they experience in the manner that we have memories. However, there is body memory even at an early age; infants can learn to become defensive and avoidant of pain when they have repeated pain experiences. Repeated pain experiences, particularly around the face, combined with fewer than typical positive touch experiences will likely lead to an oral aversion. </li></ul><p><u>Infant</u></p><ul><li>Ask your child's speech or occupational therapist about introducing a Nuk brush and "toweling" exercises. These techniques help de-sensitize the mouth and face and prevent oral aversions. </li><li>Some babies naturally start to mouth toys and objects when they are a few months old. Children with oral sensitivities or who have a lack of experiences in an around their mouth may shy away from these new experiences. Help promote the mouthing of toys. This also readies the mouth for different textures of foods down the road. Do this by encouraging your baby to put toys and their fingers in their mouth. Don't force it. Consider again dipping toys or fingers in sweet-ease or water. </li><li>Many children are willing to accept "smooth" foods such as baby cereal or stage 1 and 2 baby foods, pudding or yogurt, but struggle with the transition to more challenging lumpy foods. Here are some suggestions for moving up towards "chunky" and solid foods: introduce solid foods that melt easily in the mouth such as hulless popcorn, cheese curls or Gerber puffs; introduce "chunkier" forms of already preferred flavors of foods (i.e. stage 3 foods in the same flavors that your child accepts in stage 1 or 2 foods); expand variety by introducing different flavors of already accepted foods (ex. all the varieties and flavors of gold fish or Gerber puffs); Initially keep demands low - just 1 or 2 tastes of a non-preferred food; keep portions small - seeing a big amount of a non-preferred food can overwhelm children; at each meal, offer a favorite food (if there is one) and a less preferred food; when introduce new foods, pick similar foods in new flavors or similar textures (if your child likes dry crunchy foods like chips, expand to different brands and types of chips, rather than jumping to deviled eggs) use rewards (playing with a toys, bubbles, singing, etc) after eat bite of a non-preferred food; and pair a non-preferred and preferred foods together, gradually increasing the ratio of the non-preferred food (example, crumble graham crackers [non-preferred food] in rice cereal [preferred food] to introduce a new texture and flavor. </li><li>Keep a consistent schedule and routine for snacks and meals.</li><li>Use appropriate seating, such as a high chair or booster seat. Do not allow your child to wander around the house snacking - your child needs the structure and routine of sitting in one place for meals. Additionally, you then lose control of the meal and it's difficult to systematically introduce new foods. </li><li>Make sure the seating you are using is appropriate for your child. An occupational therapist can assess seating. </li><li>Avoid allowing your child to "graze" between meals or carry around a drink, this will actually decrease hunger and interest in food because the child never experiences a hunger or fullness cycle. </li><li>Try different tastes. You might think that bland is the way to go but kids really like sour tastes. Give them a lemon slice to chew on or a pickle. Try different flavors to wake up their taste buds, you never know what they might like. </li></ul><p><u>Toddler +</u></p><ul><li>Build trust, go slow and be patient. You won't get anywhere by force feeding, trying to "trick" your child into eating a new or non-preferred food or forcing your child to interact with things that their sensory system isn't ready for. While you may set the goals for your child's eating, respect that your child gets to set the pace of working towards those goals. Remember that eating is naturally a pleasurable thing for many of us. However, eating is not actually instinctual - it is a skill that needs to be learned. There is a reason why your child doesn't want to eat. It might be due to a sensory issue, a history of medical issues, a bad experience with food (choking or recurring reflux), delayed oral motor skills or a developmental issue (Autistic children are often picky eaters). It's not because they are stubborn, lazy or spoiled. Ask a therapist (typically occupational or speech) to help you with some of these suggestions. </li><li>Play with food. Allowing children to play with food, without the demand to eat it, is a great way for a child to explore how foods feel. Try finger painting with sugar-free vanilla and chocolate puddings. Try having gold fish crackers go "swimming" in apple sauce. Roll round foods (cheese puff) down their arms like a ski jump into a cup. Allowing children to be comfortable with food on their hands is the first step to allowing it near their mouth. Make it fun! </li><li>Modeling is a great way to teach your child about eating. Make sure you child sits with you at family meals, even if they won't eat. They will be exposed to the sights and smells of various foods, while they watch you eating it. For older children, get them involved in mealtime by having them help with preparing food, cooking, serving food and passing food around the table. Avoid turning this great experience into a negative by making comments such as "Doesn't that look good? Aren't you going to try it?" or "All that work and now you won't even try it?" </li><li>Mealtime isn't just about eating. It's about socializing and enjoying the company of the family. Lots of other skills can be learned during meals besides those associated with feed. Keep meals as stressless as possible (easier said than done). Try to avoid talking about food in a critical manner or pressuring your child to eat (comments such as "Why won't you eat?," "Your brother is such a good eater - can't you just take a bite?," etc). Talk about non-food or meal related topics instead. </li><li>Do not discuss meal time later in the day with comments such as "If you'd eaten your dinner you wouldn't be hungry now." Once the meal is done, it's done. No discussions, comments or punishments. </li><li>Keep your mindset positive. Monitor your body language. If you appear tense, anxious or overly excited when offering a new food to your child, they are going to pick up on that and be more likely to refuse. Remember that 90% of communication is non-verbal, so your child isn't listening to your words, they're listening to your body posture, tone of voice, facial expressions, etc. </li><li>Make it fun. Allow your child to feed the family pet, so they realize this is an experience to enjoy. </li><li>Use pretend play to have them feed their stuffed animal or doll. </li><li>Get pretend/plastic food toys and pretend to make a meal and eat the pretend food.<br />Some children may enjoy feeding you. </li><li>Model trying new foods yourself. Tell your child you think it would be fun to try a new food and ask them to pick something at the supermarket for you to try. Make sure you model enjoying the new food! </li><li>Talk about the qualities of food while you are eating. Many kids with feeding difficulties don't recognize (due to a lack of experience) that foods have different attributes such as color, bumpy, hard, soft, crunchy, smooth, cold, hot, mild, spicy, sweet, salty, etc.; they just see everything as "yucky." </li><li>Try face painting. Face painting is another sensory experience on the face that is great to use for building confidence with new sensory experiences around the face. </li><li>Have your child help you cook. Again, avoid the pressure for the child to eat it, just enjoy the experience of cooking. </li><li>Go on a supermarket scavenger hunt to help your child learn about foods. Ask them to find a food that is a particular color, bumpy or smooth, small and large or wet (think the produce section). </li><li>Have you child experience other sensory experiences such as touching tub foam soap or shaving cream (use it to give a favorite toy a bath or pretend it's snow), play with ice-cubes in warm water and notice the different temps. or play with dry materials (the easiest for the sensory system to tolerate) such as bins of rice, beans, noodles or bird seed. </li><li>Expect that the child with feeding difficulties will initially refuse new foods. In fact, it takes 10-15 exposures/tastes of a new food before a child can truly determine if they like the food or not. If after 10-15 tastes, you child still doesn't like it, move on to another food don't continue to offer that food. </li><li>Don't make family meals at dinner time a battle ground. Allow your child to have at least 1 preferred food at each meal, although non-preferred foods can be offered as well. Keep the real work of introducing non-preferred foods at a snack time. This can be called "food homework time" for preschool and school aged children. Keep the time limited (15 minutes) and the expectations clear (ex. to eat 1 chicken nugget - a non-preferred food). Make sure you are keeping the experience positive and using rewards - no intimidation, pressure, etc. should be used to get a child to eat. </li><li>Remember that learning to eat non-preferred foods is a lot of work. Just like adults, kids need a "paycheck" for work. Use frequent reinforcement (playing with toys, singing and verbal praise), after each bite of a non-preferred food. </li><li>Make sure you use planned ignoring to respond to negative behaviors such as crying, screaming, throwing food, etc. </li><li>Gagging and vomiting is common with children with oral aversion. Have a speech therapist evaluate your child to ensure that they have adequate oral motor skills to eat the foods that are causing the gagging. If the gagging is clearly due to an oral sensitivity (rather than inadequate oral motor skills), then used verbal prompts to swallow and ignoring when gagging or vomiting occurs. Using a drink or a smooth food between bites of chunky food can help your child swallow without gagging. Never end a meal on a gag or vomit as this will reinforce the behavior. Rather, end on a positive note. So if your child gags or vomits, clean it up casually and then ask them to take one more bite or drink of a preferred food before ending the meal. </li><li>You child may need you to prompt them and to model how to chew and move food around the mouth. To avoid gagging, food needs to be moved from the front of the mouth to the sides to chew smaller before the tongue moves it to the back of the mouth to swallow. Prompt your child, "chew, chew, chew" while making exaggerating chewing motions yourself. If you are feeding your child a solid food, try to place solid foods on the sides of the mouth to promote chewing. Your therapist can do some exercises to help your child become more aware of where their teeth are in their mouth and they can practice chewing on non-food objects (chewy tubes, etc). </li></ul><p>pulled from <a href="http://grey.colorado.edu/shortgut/index.php/How_to_help_prevent_an_oral_aversion_from_developing">http://grey.colorado.edu/shortgut/index.php/How_to_help_prevent_an_oral_aversion_from_developing</a></p><p> </p><p>With my daughter I've found that the best thing to help her at this age is to have someone else eating the food. If her best friend is eating something, she wants it and vice versa. It's beyond annoying when she'll eat cheese that his mom makes but not the same exact cheese if I bring it, but she's eating the cheese and we've just learned to pack for each other's kids. It also helps if it's someone else offering the food. If you have a friend around have them try to spoon feed your child or offer them a food they won't normally eat. Change it up as much as you can. And relax. I know it's a stupid thing to say, but try as hard as you can to not take it personally because they aren't doing it to make you upset :) </p>Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-10696948635742086432009-09-02T07:27:00.001-07:002009-09-02T08:29:48.964-07:00meals on the goI have a hard time figuring out what to pack for my daughter when we're on the run because so many high fat foods also need to be kept refrigerated. PB&J (or honey) is an obvious choice, but Emma will only eat that if a friend is eating it and she can steal it away, she won't eat it if I pack it.<br />Cereal bars have become our new "go to" because they travel easily and don't require any utensils to eat. We usually buy the <a href="http://www.kashi.com/products/tlc_cereal_bars_baked_apple_spice">Kashi</a> ones because they seem to have less sugar than other brands, but <a href="http://www.nutrigrain.com/ProductDetail.aspx?product=349">Kellogg's</a> also makes one, as does 365 Organic... there should be a couple varieties to choose from at your market.<br /><a href="http://www.nabiscoworld.com/Ritz/">Ritz</a> Crackers are also a good choice to carry around. You can get the <a href="http://www.nabiscoworld.com/ritzbits/">Ritz Bitz</a> in a variety of bite size flavors and they have quite a few more calories than <a href="http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/ProductDetail.aspx?catID=772&prdID=120538">goldfish</a> or <a href="http://www.annies.com/cheddar_bunnies">bunnies</a>. (FYI, Ritz does contain HFCS if that is a concern, but there is an <a href="http://www.latejuly.com/late_july_organic_snacks/2008/01/our-bite-size-c.html">organic</a> version you should be able to find that does not)<br />As far as fruits and vegetables go, avocado, bananas and raisins all travel very well and are more calorie dense than other choices.<br />Sometimes it doesn't matter how calorie dense your options are, if your child won't eat them then they do you no good. Obviously if your child will eat 15 goldfish and only one ritz, the goldfish is the better choice for you. However, it does take kids up to 20 times to like a new food so keep trying!Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-26621919827836437062009-08-14T13:04:00.000-07:002009-08-14T13:06:58.504-07:00QuestionsI've been a bad blogger, I'm sorry! We've been out of town a ton and I'm just starting to get back on my feet :)<br />In order to make this blog as useful as possible I was wondering if anyone had any specific questions or topics they would like me to cover. I'm trying my best to give you the knowledge that I think you need, but I want to know what you need! Do you need examples on how to get your kids to eat certain foods/tastes/textures or just high fat ideas? I'm compiling the comments from other posts and I will answer those questions, I just wanted more so that I know I'm making my audience happy!Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-10996435963649449892009-07-20T14:00:00.000-07:002009-07-20T14:06:22.395-07:00tea sandwichesI'm headed to England tonight and in honor of my trip I thought I would tell you about the wonder that is a tea sandwich. Pepperidge Farms <a href="http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/ProductDetail.aspx?catID=755&prdID=11798">thin sliced</a> bread is perfect for toddler sandwiches. It's just thin enough that they can actually get 2 pieces + filling in their mouth in one bite. Our favorite sandwich is filled with veggie cream cheese... it's high in fat and actually has nutrients. You can buy the cream cheese ready made, or make your own.<br />Making your own is super easy. Start with the veggies of your choice. I use whatever I have on hand but peppers, broccoli and carrots all work very well. Process about 1/4 cup of veggies in the food processor until it's very finely chopped and then add about 1/2-1 cup of full fat cream cheese. Process it until it's mixed and enjoy! It keeps for about a week in the fridge and it makes a great sandwich for on the go (it's much easier to eat than PB&J). You could also add fruit to the cream cheese to make a sweet treat.Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749657153941391139.post-61431016947142336002009-07-13T19:31:00.000-07:002009-07-13T19:48:49.932-07:00Drinkable MealsSmoothies are a great way to get calories into your child if they are choosing not to eat. My daughter always prefers to drink so if she doesn't eat great during the day I'll make her a smoothie before bed to make sure that she gets all the nutrition that she needs. The great thing about smoothies is that you can put ANYTHING in them.<br />I like to start with whole fat yogurt and add cream or coconut milk (you could also add oil if you really need fat), nestle nido or formula powder, and any combination of fruits AND vegetables. Yep, that's right... veggies. Remember that your child doesn't know yet what is a "weird" food combination so anything goes. Kale and spinach are really easy to pop into a smoothie and they don't taste very strongly (so you can put them in yours too!), I've also done broccoli and sweet potato... anything that you feel your child is missing.<br />My basic recipe:<br />2 oz whole fat yogurt<br />1 oz cream<br />2 tbs nido<br />splash of juice or milk to thin it out<br />fruit/veggies<br />multi-vitamin (optional)<br /><br />The calorie content will vary based on what fruits you use but on average a 4oz serving has around 250 calories, 18g of fat, 8g of protein. If you use formula instead of Nido it will contain about 180 calories.<br />Enjoy!Ivoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03434821511867017408noreply@blogger.com1