Fruits and/or vegetables should be served with every meal, targeting 5 or more servings per day. Fruits and vegetables not only add color to your plate, but they are full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, dietary fiber, and water. Each blog post this month will feature 3 ways to enjoy more produce in your diet. Our first three featured suggestions: smoothies, baking, and side dishes.
All of us have sat through medical appointments where we are asked how well our child is “tolerating their tube feeds,” but for so many of us, “toleration” is the low bar that our kids can never seem to hit as our lives fill with unending retching, gagging, vomiting, constipation, and overall discomfort. To some people, toleration issues are a disappointing, but expected, part of tube-fed life, but they shouldn’t be.
Quiche is a classic egg dish that has been a staple of French cuisine since the early 1800’s. Quiche is a tart filled with an egg and cream custard with added cheese, meat/seafood, and/or vegetables. Over time, healthier versions of quiche have emerged. One such modern day quiche is our vegetable quinoa quiche recipe detailed here.
Some people are hesitant to eat eggs because they are high in cholesterol (about 187 mg per egg); however, there is no strong research that links eating eggs to heart disease. In fact, the cholesterol from eggs has far less of an impact on the cholesterol in your blood compared to eating foods that contain trans-fat or are high in saturated fat. Thus, eggs can be consumed as part of heart-healthy diet.
When families embark on a wean, it often feels like a pretty clear and linear process, at least in theory. The steps are precisely outlined, and the obvious end goal is an oral eater. Simple enough, right? While some kids do move through the weaning steps in a linear fashion, so many more find themselves taking a few steps forward only to need to take a temporary step back.
Some leafy greens like spinach and arugula are best when eaten raw and do not require cooking. Kale can also be eaten raw, but it is generally recommended to lightly cook kale to temper the bitterness or massage it well with some oil to help make it more tender. And always be sure to remove the thick center stem!
If you’ve ever followed a baby-led weaning (BLW) Facebook group or Instagram page, you’re likely to find an often aggressive stance that purees and spoon-feeding are NOT ok or part of this approach. If you recall from part 1 of this series, my approach to BLW is more about being a responsive feeder than adhering to the strict definition of this method. In other words, it’s less about what you feed or even how, and more about how you respond to your child.
Kale, spinach, collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, arugula, Bok choy, and beet greens are just some examples of leafy greens. These edible plant leaves are considered to be power greens because they are low in calories and fat, rich in fiber, and full of nutrients, antioxidants, and other beneficial compounds that provide health benefits to the body.
Chocolate can be part of a healthy diet when eaten in moderation. In addition to flavanols, dark chocolate is a source of iron, zinc, magnesium, copper, and fiber. You’re in for a sweet treat if you love chocolate as much as we do. These Double Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins are simply divine. Read on for the recipe!
Not all chocolate is created equal. Dark chocolate contains 50-90% cocoa solids in addition to cocoa butter and sugar compared to milk chocolate, which contains just 10-50% cocoa solids and cocoa butter, milk, and sugar. White chocolate does not contain any cocoa solids and is comprised of cocoa butter, sugar, and milk. While dark chocolate offers the greatest health benefits because of the higher percentage of cocoa solids it also offers a more bitter flavor.
Baby-led weaning (BLW) is a way of introducing solids that has become popular over the past several years. The concept revolves around introducing solids in the form of family foods and jumping straight to finger foods that the baby self-feeds, rather than purees that are fed by the parent. Babies should generally wait to start solids until six months adjusted, but this applies even more specifically to baby-led weaning infants, as they need to have the core stability to self-feed and good core control and head control to reduce the risk of choking.
Chicken noodle soup is a common home remedy during times of illness. It supplies fluid and electrolytes for hydration as well as a variety of nutrients that support immune health. The chicken provides lean protein, vitamin B6, and zinc, while the noodles provide carbohydrates as a source of fuel for the body to help fight against viruses. In our version, spinach is a good source of iron, carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene, and celery and onions are a good source of vitamin C as well as other micronutrients and antioxidants. Garlic contains a compound called allicin sativum, which fights off the infection, and ginger is an anti-inflammatory and potential pain reliever. Overall, chicken noodle soup offers good nutrition to strengthen the immune system, aiding recovery from illness while offering comfort.
