News Moms Need

My granddaughters love fruits and veggies – can’t get enough of them.  My grandson… yuck.  We thought up ways to disguise them and hide them in other food (like cooking carrots, mashing them and adding them to spaghetti sauce) but we’d rather get him to like them and eat them on his own.

So, we had some fun.  Remember Mr. Potato Head?  It’s a fun game, but I think these days he’s made of plastic.  We decided to return to his roots (all puns intended) and grabbed a couple of real potatoes in different colors.  We used a big Idaho potato, a big sweet potato and a big blue potato.  People and potatoes come in different colors.

We got out the toothpicks and cut up different bowls of veggies.  Did you know that sliced peppers make great eyebrows or ears, baby carrots have excellent nose qualities, olives are obvious eyeballs?  We used red lettuce for hair and added either a broccoli hat or a cauliflower bow.  I attempted to carve a radish into a flower, but I’m no sculptor. We used celery for arms and added a hunk of cheese as a baseball mitt, complete with a small radish baseball.

After playing, we laughed hysterically as we ate the eyeballs and nibbled on the nose.  I’m not saying we converted him to a vegetarian, but he tried new things and we had lots of fun together.  Here’s food for thought, in case you’re having veggie issues, too.

Most babies are ready to eat solid foods at 4 to 6 months of age. And for most babies it doesn’t matter what the first solid food is. Traditionally, we start with single-grain cereals such as rice or oats. However, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), there is no medical evidence that introducing solid foods in any particular order has an advantage for your baby. For example, your pediatrician might recommend starting vegetables before fruits, but there’s no evidence that your baby will develop a dislike for vegetables if fruit is given first. Babies are born with a preference for sweets, and the order of introducing foods does not change this.

Once your baby learns to eat one food, gradually give him other foods. Wait at least 2 to 3 days before starting another. After each new food, watch for any allergic reactions such as diarrhea, rash, or vomiting. If any of these occur, stop using the new food and contact your baby’s doctor.

Within a few months of starting solid foods, your baby’s daily diet should include a variety of foods that includes: breast milk and/or formula, meats, cereal, vegetables, and fruits. Talk to your pediatrician about when you should introduce eggs and fish. Some might say to avoid these foods during the first year of life because of allergic reactions. The AAP also states that there’s no evidence that introducing eggs or fish after 4 to 6 months of age determines whether your baby will be allergic to them.

I’m so glad to be back at work today. I usually love long, holiday weekends, but I’m exhausted and I ate horribly the entire time. Saturday we celebrated my niece’s birthday with burgers and ice cream cake. Sunday night my husband and I rented a movie and ordered a pizza. For Labor Day we went to my sister-in-law’s. We spent the day on the beach (I didn’t drink enough water) and went to a seafood place for dinner. Every single thing on the menu was deep fried.

I have a headache and my tummy feels awful. My midwife would not be happy. Her practice is very nutrition-centered and I usually try to be, too. I’m chugging water and can’t wait to go to my Yoga class tonight. I had a small apple and multi-grain toast for breakfast. I’m planning to have a big green salad for lunch. I don’t know about dinner yet, but I’m thinking a light soup. I brought two snacks with me: low-fat yogurt and carrot sticks. I need to get back on track.

It’s amazing how food impacts the way I feel. Do you know what I mean?