Progression to straw cup drinking can be very handy, especially because it places kids in a better position for safe swallowing (it facilitates a chin tuck position, which is airway protective), and is a readily available way for kids to drink while they are out and about. But how in the world do you teach a child to drink from a straw? Here are a couple of ideas!
Eating a nutritious breakfast boosts brain function, memory, and school performance while improving diet quality and vitamin intake. To avoid the pitfalls of refined sugars and grains, choose high-fiber, protein-rich, and healthy fat options, like breakfast cookies and egg bites, for a healthier start to your day, like this month’s recipe: carrot raisin breakfast bookies!
“Taste the Rainbow”. This memorable slogan has been used to market a popular sweet treat for decades. However, as dietitians, we like to apply this slogan to encourage an eating pattern that emphasizes fruits and vegetables from every color of the rainbow. The diverse nutritional properties found in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple foods are important for our overall health.
One of the parent jobs in the Division of Responsibility is “where to sit”. There are the obvious choices, like in a high chair, at a table, or even at picnic on the floor. Sometimes, when you are out and about, this could look like in a stroller or in your lap. But what should we be considering when making this choice? And what should we NOT consider?
The nutrition and health benefits of blueberries are plentiful. Blueberries provide key vitamins and minerals at just 80 calories per cup. They are an excellent source of manganese, vitamin C, and vitamin K, and a good source of fiber and potassium. If you’re looking to boost your blueberry intake, try making these yummy blueberry bars. They are a great alternative to traditional granola bars and are easy to grab and go for a breakfast or snack on the run.
Blueberries are one of summertime’s most popular fruits with peak blueberry season April to September. For a fun summertime treat, try making chocolate covered blueberries. This recipe only calls for 3 ingredients and is super simple to make. The combination of sweet juicy blueberries coated in dark chocolate makes for an irresistible snack or dessert.
Whether skewered together, placed in a wire basket, or placed directly on the grill grates, you can grill almost any kind of fruit. Grilling fruit allows the natural sugar to caramelize, intensifying sweetness. Enjoy on its own as a summer side or dessert, in salads, yogurt, or cereal, or as a flavorful topping for pizza, burgers, or quinoa/chia pudding. Some of the most popular fruits that taste amazing when grilled are apple, pear, banana, melon, peach, nectarine, plum, and pineapple.
Tube fed children are often put on various schedules, with large boluses and big gaps of time between feeds. It is not uncommon to have a tube fed child on only a couple of feeds during the day, or even all feeds overnight. And, one of the first things that your team does when we are looking to start a wean from the tube is look at that schedule because ultimately, a tube schedule is very different than an oral child’s schedule.
In the tapestry of my life, ADHD and PTSD intertwine, sometimes overwhelming me with anxiety. Through grounding techniques, movement, and seeking support, I've found ways to confront my fears and embrace the present. By prioritizing self-care, I nurture resilience and set an example for my daughters, affirming our collective journey toward healing and self-love.
Summer is the season for slowing down, enjoying long evenings, and savoring all your favorite foods. Firing up the grill for a cookout is one way to combine all of these seasonal favorites. We want to help you elevate your grilling game to new creative heights this summer with grilled pizza! GIE’s own Aubrey Phelps likes to fire up the grill for pizza night every Friday. She shared with us her go-to recipe for making this family-favorite food.
When toddlers and older children begin eating, parents often prefer to feed them to ensure they consume more food. However, one key rule in feeding is that "you only get to put food in your own mouth." This can seem counterintuitive in weaning, where parents aim to shift from tube feeding to oral feeding. The true goal of weaning is to help children become independent eaters, not to replace medical feeding with parental feeding. Successful weaning involves parents supporting their children in learning how to self-feed, fostering autonomy and independence in eating.
As our month-long celebration of mom continues, three more members of our GIE team share memorable mom stories and recipes. We hope you enjoy the heartwarming account of how Kaytie’s daughter is overcoming mealtime struggles with more visually appealing foods, while Amanda and Aubrey share stories that highlight the bond between mother and child when baking warm, delicious comfort foods that forever remind us of home.
it is important to remember that goal of tube weaning is not just about getting rid of the tube. It is about growing a lifelong happy, healthy relationship with eating. And healthy relationships grow over time. So when you worry that progress is slow, remind yourself that slow growth is sustainable growth: flowers don’t bloom overnight, just like eating doesn’t open the second you cut tube feeds.
There is so much to celebrate this spring – including Mother’s Day. This month, we want to honor and thank all of our GIE moms. We wouldn’t be able to share our passion and love for tube weaning if it weren’t for all of you opening your hearts and your homes to all of us.
We have asked our wonderful GIE team to reflect on their own Mother’s Day memories and share treasured recipes and stories with all of you. Our first feature this month is from Kirstin Nelson, Registered Dietitian.
