I don't want a picky eater

Love these ideas for introducing food to little C. My goal- create an environment that produces an adventurous little omnivore.

Getting Kids to Try a New Food

Five get-real tips for expanding your child’s palate, from the author of The Mom 100 Cookbook: 100 Recipes Every Mom Needs in Her Back Pocket. Plus, these wrap recipes are great for lunch

By Katie Workman

1.  Sorry for the all caps but DO NOT OFFER YOUR KID SOMETHING TO TRY WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY SAYING, “I DON’T THINK YOU’RE GOING TO LIKE THIS.” We all catch ourselves doing this occasionally, and realize, just after the words have escaped and it’s too late, Oops. Now what are the odds that your child will turn around and say, “No, Mom, you’re wrong; this 8-bean soup is fantastic!”

2.  Realize that your kids probably think they are going to hate most new things, and that it is your job to basically ignore that fact, and keep moving forward, like a shark. Otherwise in fifty years we are going to be looking at senior communities filled with people nibbling on chicken nuggets and debating the merits of honey-mustard vs. barbecue sauce, both of which will probably give them all heartburn.

3.  Start with small portions. This is mentioned a couple of times in the book, especially when it comes to things like fish or anything kids look at suspiciously. A big slab or bowl of something they are skeptical of may result in a stonewall, while a little two-bite experiment is much more likely to be acceptable. (VERY IMPORTANT!)

4.  Keep a bit of a poker face. In other words, as hard as it is (and it is hard) don’t beg (except for fish, where begging is sometimes acceptable). If your kids know you really want them to like something, they may resist it more. This isn’t total control-freakism on their part, just a little.

5.  Employ peer pressure (the good kind). Make an effort to eat with other kids (often bigger kids) who have broader palates than your children do. Your picky eater may be willing to give something a shot in the name of being perceived as cool or more grown up. In summary, my children would probably not have ingested such large portions of Thai-flavored carrot coconut milk bisque at a friend’s house recently without three super cool, unflappable high schoolers at the table. (Can't wait for our second sushi experience. Our first was with candy sushi.)

Excerpted from The Mom 100 Cookbook: 100 Recipes Every Mom Needs in Her Back Pocket. Copyright 2012 by Katie Workman. Used by permission of Workman Publishing Co., Inc. New York. All Rights Reserved.

Love that my Dr. follows this recommendation

New Childhood Allergy Guidelines Recommend Early Exposure to Eggs, Peanuts

By Caroline At Parenting.Com

http://www.parenting.com/blogs/show-and-tell/caroline-parentingcom/food-allergy?dom=tw&src=SOC

If you’re constantly monitoring your infant’s diet, afraid of putting him at risk for food-related allergies, it may be time to let your guard down a little. New guidelines from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) suggest high-risk allergens like peanuts, eggs, and fish can be safely added to your baby’s diet between the ages of 4-6 months as “complementary foods.” Not only is this exposure safe for children, the Academy says, it may even help prevent dangerous food allergies from developing. 

The new guidelines, published in the January 2013 issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, are in line with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ current recommendations on the exposure of infants to high-risk foods, and take the conversation one step further by explaining how and when to add these foods to your child’s diet.

Plus: Why More and More Babies are Developing Food Allergies

The authors of the paper offer tips on ensuring kids are introduced to these foods safely:

• The child can be given an initial taste of one of these foods at home, rather than at day care or at a restaurant.
• Parents should be advised that for some foods, such as peanuts, most reactions occur in response to what is believed to be the initial ingestion.
• If there is no apparent reaction, the food can be introduced in gradually increasing amounts.
• Introduction of other new foods should proceed at a rate of one new food every 3 to 5 days if no reactions occur.

“There may be situations,” the authors clarify, “when it is appropriate to vary this advice, such as for infants with an established diagnosis of food allergy or severe eczema.”

In such cases, seek advice from your family’s pediatrician or a childhood allergy specialist.

Plus: The Truth About Food Allergies

“Food allergy reactions are immediate, so if a mother is in her own home, and she gives her baby that first bit of peanut butter and they react, she is going to know, and she is going to take that child to the doctor,” says Amal Assa'ad, MD, of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

“If we leave children to their own devices, and someone in daycare gives them a peanut butter sandwich, they may have a reaction, and no one will notice.”

Assa’ad, one of the study co-authors, cited vomiting, diarrhea, gassiness, and skin rash as the most common symptoms of food allergies in a child between the ages of 4-6 months. Should your child exhibit any of these symptoms after ingesting a potential allergen, consult your doctor.

Assa’ad also suggested breastfeeding as an early tool to combat childhood milk allergies.

”Breastfeeding is one of the things that is thought to be protective,” she tells Parenting. 

“Exclusive breastfeeding for at least four and up to six months is something that is beneficial in protecting against allergies. For those that cannot breastfeed, it is suggested that they use hydrolyzed formula, because that can help prevent cow milk allergies.”

7 delicious foods for your kid's heart

You may have read the news yesterday that blueberries and strawberries can lower your risk of heart disease by about a third. I thought the study—a joint effort between Harvard University and East Anglia University in England—was totally cool for two reasons: Researchers started tracking the women when they were young moms—25 to 42—while most other work of this kind has been done in older women, and blueberries and strawberries are my daughter’s two favorite foods. Seriously, Katie said to me a couple of weeks ago, “I like strawberries better than candy.” And knowing how much she loves candy, that’s a bold statement!

Last night, I sent a note to one of the study’s authors, Aedin Cassidy, Ph.D., from East Anglia University, asking whether she thought her results applied to kids as well as moms. She responded right away: “This is a very interesting question,” she wrote. “We don’t have data on kids but if you extrapolate from our study, it’s likely that a healthy diet in childhood will also play out to a reduced risk of heart disease later in life.” That’s good enough for me. High cholesterol and high blood pressure, two big-time risk factors for heart disease, are becoming increasingly common in kids. One study published last year found that 24,000 children received treatment for elevated BP in 2006—double that compared to a decade before.

Dr. Cassidy also added that besides the strawberries and blueberries that got all the attention on the news yesterday, eggplant, plums, red cabbage, and other berries (like cranberries and raspberries) are also rich in pigments called anthocyanins that help lower the risk of heart disease and keep blood pressure in check. I’ve found some great recipes for each of them. Dig in!

* Strawberries: Puree berries in the blender for strawberry milk or make this strawberry soup for a Valentine’s treat.

* Blueberries: For baby, consider this blueberry puree while older kids will love these blueberry yogurt pops.

* Eggplant: Watch Disney’s Ratatouille, then make this pasta and eggplant dish.

* Plums: This plum pizza with feta cheese is a great way to work fruit into dinner.

* Red cabbage: Try this recipe for apple and cabbage baby food. For older kids, slip shredded cabbage into sandwiches—they’ll probably like it better than lettuce.

* Cranberries: Both fresh and dried are packed with the healthy pigments. Try these cranberry granola bars and this homemade cranberry sauce (it’s not just for Thanksgiving!)

* Raspberries: Whip up a healthy raspberry sauce to top whole-grain pancakes and waffles.

by kcicero

http://www.parents.com/blogs/goodyblog/2013/01/7-delicious-foods-for-your-kids-heart/