Put Picky Past You- Serving Size Guide Plate

Need an easy serving size guide to remind yourself and your kiddos about the food groups?  These plates are a fun reminder to include a big portion of vegetables at each meal! 

  

Similar plate can be purchased here: http://www.superhealthykids.com/healthy-kids-plates/product/choose-myplate-for-kids-4-section-plate.php

Simple Toddler Lunches: Humus & Avocado Sandwich

Need a quick and easy lunch in a pinch: Hummus and avocado sandwich. 1 piece of bread, hummus and a quarter of an avocado. Cut in half and serve. Super simple and delicious.

Picky Eating 101: Importance of mealtime routines

It's pretty common to hear about sleep routines. Pretty much all of my mama-friends recommended using sleep/bedtime routines to help my daughter become a better sleeper at first. And they come highly recommended for good reason: they work! All humans, but infants and toddlers especially thrive on habits, routines, and consistent expectations (nap schedule, anyone?) For some reason though, we dont hear as often about feeding or mealtime routines.

We often fly by the seat of our stressed-out pants when it comes to mealtime- pulling whatever we have out of the fridge and trying to get something on the table...anything! Then we feel surprised and defeated when our kids act up, act defiantly and show refusal behaviors at the table. But having positive mealtimes is do-able and having consistent expectations and routines can play a big role in this process.

Mealtime routines do not have to be complex.  They are a reflection of your family-values and they help not only your child, but also you and your partner know how your mealtime will flow.  When your mealtime routines become second nature, you have one less thing you need to think about or stress over at meals.  These expectations and routines also help tremendously when you have a picky eater to deal with, as picky eaters often get very stressed out when new/unfamiliar things ocur at mealtimes.  If your child acts up or refuses, you no longer have to worry about what you should do next- it's obvious because you have a set routine, so you will remind your child of the routine and continue on, the same as always.  Also, mealtime stress is decreased for the picky eater because he or she knows when the meal will start, what to expect next, and when the meal will end.  There is no guessing or worrying on their part because they know what the flow will be. Yes, you can always adjust or change the routine (just like with a sleep schedule, which occassionally needs to be modified) but especially at first, you want to be very consistent until the pattern becomes clear to your child and your whole family.

An example of a mealtime routine might be:
1.  Your child sets the table
2.  Everyone washes hands
3.  T.v. gets turned off while everyone sits down
4.  The family says a prayer or thank you to the chef
5.  Everyone at the table serves themself at least a little bit of everything on the table.

6.  You eat for 15 minutes (or you don't eat but you have to sit at the table with everyone else during that time)
7.  Each person gets up, cleans their plate and washes hands
8.  Mealtime is over

You can omit or add as you need to meet the needs of your family.  You can have your child write these steps down or color a copy that you print out, and then post them on the refrigerator for all to see and refer back to in case there is an argument about what comes next (like asking to have the tv on, or wanting to get up and wander during the meal).

Again, these routines can always be changed as needed but the more consistent you are with these, the easier it is for your child to understand what will happen and what his or her role is.

What are your family's mealtime routines?

Lentil Ricotta "Meat"balls

I love these not-meat meatballs and they make a perfect meal for young feeders (baby led weaning- style or toddler snacks). The original recipe can be found on the blog In Jennies Kitchen but I modified it slightly.  I do indeed make the ricotta instead of buying it, mainly because it's not nearly as hard as it seems, it's delicious, and it also makes me feel very fancy!

Lentil-Ricotta “Meat”balls

Serves 2 adults and 1 baby with leftovers

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked lentils, pureed

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh ricotta (or store bought is fine too)

4 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  (I suggest making the lentils and the ricotta yourself as it’s pretty easy to do.  A quick google search will pull up several options for ricotta recipes, but I like the one from Smitten Kitchen.  I use the lentil recipe from In Jennies Kitchen.  Otherwise, Trader Joes has pre-cooked lentils and you can find ricotta anywhere.)  Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover and put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to an hour.  Take out of fridge, form into 1.5” balls, brush with olive oil and put on a lined baking sheet.  Cook in the oven for 15 minutes, flip them and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cool, and serve to baby as is.  For adults: simmer “meat”balls in a sauce of your choice (any marinara is fine) for 5 minutes and serve over pasta.

You can also add bits of veggies, like broccoli, zucchini, peas, corn, etc. to the mix, prior to baking, to give them more nutrients. 

These are great as a quick snack, easy to throw into a quick lunch (especially easy for day care lunches!) or perfect with pasta. My husband and I love them in a salad (sort of like a falafel) or soaked in marinara sauce served over spaghetti.

For a very quick, easy lunch on days I work and my daughter goes to day care: in morning, I pop some frozen broccoli and a few "meat"balls into a container .  These will get heated together briefy to serve warm. My daughter loves feeding them to herself.  

6 important things to do BEFORE your baby starts on solid foods

1. Consider taking an infant CPR/choking class or if you already have, brush up on what to do in the event of a choking situation. While it's very unlikely your baby will truely choke (vs gagging) if you're using safe feeding techniques, it can happen & you'll feel much more confident if you know exactly what to do.

2. Bring baby to the table to let him/her watch you eat. Hold your baby on your lap. Talk to your baby about foods you are eating. Say the names and tell him/her how the food tastes. 

3. Start letting your baby play with spoons, cups, and bowls outside of mealtime. 

4. Take note of your baby's breast/bottle feeding schedule and try to get a general sense of when he/she eats. Also note  when during the day he/she is most calm, alert, interactive. This will serve as a guide for scheduling solids food meals. Aim to identify a time when your baby is awake and well rested, calm, and not hungry. First meals are all about taste and exploration, not eating and quantity so there is no need for your baby to be hungry. 

5. Talk to your pediatrician about any potential allergy risks or special considerations for your baby with feeding. 

6. Have the equipment you need ready: out of the packaging, clean, set up if needed, & familiar to you so your not struggling or using incorrectly at first. I suggest considering the following:

- non-breakable bowls/plates

- child size spoons

- bibs

- high chair or booster seat with safety straps

- splash mat

- lots of towels

- an apron for you to wear (sounds excessive but feeding is messy business at first!)

5 signs your baby is ready to start solids (not age based!)

Pretty much across the board pediatricians encourage parents to start solid foods at a certain age (some say 4-6 months, others suggest around 6 months, others 6 months and older.) Between 4 to 6 months is the most common time frame, but this is a HUGE spread in baby time.

Major skills and maturation occurs between 4 to 6 months, such as the ability to sit independently. While we can't see it as obviously, your baby's body is also maturing and growing on the inside (the stomach, reflex patterns, and immune system for example are all changing during this time.)

Age is a vaguely helpful guideline but each baby is SO different that age is an unreliable indicator and should actually be low on our list of check offs that help you decide if your baby is ready to transition to solid foods. The primary indicators of readiness are developmental skills and interest. That means, your baby should have the following skills/signs to show you that she or he is ready to start eating solid foods:

1. Head and neck control- not wobbly at all. Your baby should be able to hold his head up while sitting, by himself for at least 15-20 minutes. 

2. Trunk control/sitting independently- possibly a bit wobbly but at least sitting for a few minutes by herself if placed in a sitting position without toppling over. Even better if she can get into and out of a sitting position by herself. 

3. Fine motor coordination- to reach for and grab items and bring to the mouth. This can be toys, a spoon, or food. Your baby should have enough eye/hand coordination to at least reach towards objects and push them around the table while trying to pick them up. 

4. An emerging pincer grasp (picking a smaller item up with the pads of the thumb and index finger)- around the same time that your baby is ready to begin solid foods, she will also be starting to try to pick up smaller and smaller items that she comes across (lint on the floor, stray dog food, anything gross and small will probably catch your baby's attention.) 

5. An active interest in food, watching you eat, being a part of the meal, and touching/exploring food-the motor skills I mentioned above will generally coincide with your baby's overall interest in food and  eating. Your baby will go from being fairly content to sit in your lap or in a sling while you're at the table and maybe even nap through a meal, to wanting to be a part of it all. He will try to grab food from your hands and off your plate. He will intently watch you bring food to your mouth. If you let your baby be a part of your mealtimes, around the time he or she is ready to start solids you'll see a distinct interest as though your baby is asking for you to let him/her eat!

Baby Led Spoon Feeding

Babies are born learners and explorers. They find joy in exploring and mastering a skill. Babies are driven to do this and will learn and explore with food if we give them the opportunity to do so at their own pace. If we let this joy flourish and let them feel confident and successful, they will have a positive relationship with food that will last a lifetime. This is especially true for the more reticent feeder, who may never eat vigorously for the sheer love of it, but who will learn to eat what she or he needs and enjoy it. It holds true for all babies. Often the more we push them to eat or stop eating, the less likely they are to do so.

With this in mind, I'll offer my tips for baby led spoon feeding. Spoon feeding is primarily an adult let activity and can easily lead to a disconnect between patent and child's communication if we aren't  proactive about being "tuned-in". These tips are focused on making spoon feeding an interactive dance or a conversation. 

- Let your baby take the lead by giving him or her a spoon to hold from the very beginning. 

- Expect the activity to get messy and be ok with that. Mess is fun and it enriches the sensory experience. Your baby is learning a new skill and she can't do it perfectly from the start. If your baby isn't getting messy that means you're controlling the activity and doing it for them, which means your baby is not learning as much and probably not enjoying it as much. 

- Forget about quantity. Let the focus be on exploration and discovery, even if that means that zero amounts of food is actually swallowed or even tasted.

- Try loading the spoon for your baby at first, then just set it on the table, handle towards your baby. Let your baby pick it up and do whatever she or he wants with it!

- If your baby is struggling and appears interested, hold and offer the spoon directly to your baby. Keep the spoon near your baby's mouth and wait. Do not touch your baby's lips or try to put it in his or her mouth. Just wait until your baby opens his or her mouth or leans towards the food. If that never happens, eat the food yourself and let your baby just watch or touch the food if interested. 

- At all meals, try to have your own spoon and bowl of food to eat. Model eating and enjoy a meal with your baby. Babies and children learn best from watching you. They want to do what you're doing. If he is eating applesauce, you should eat applesauce. 

- If your baby is into the food and the activity, re-load the spoon and offer it again. 

- If not, let him or her enjoy time at the table, touching and playing with the food with his or her hands while you eat. Do not stress or worry. Offer a milk feed (breastmilk or formula) instead.