WHAT NOT TO PACK!

What do you pack for your athlete to eat when they’re competing? Does it look like this?

Parents ask for my suggestions when it comes to fueling their athlete, whether it be for a short event or an all day competition.

The most important thing to keep in mind is this: Snacks are FUEL. Not treats, not rewards. They provide an energy source from which your child draws on–you want this to be “premium” fuel–not low-octane.

When you have an athlete who competes in day long events like swim meets, tennis matches, soccer tournaments, and the like, you have to be prepared. The last thing you want is for your athlete eating candy out of the concession stand!

You can help your athlete keep pace during competition with these 7 cooler packing guidelines:

1. Pack variety. You don’t have to bring the refrigerator! A few options of fruit, vegetables, grain and high quality protein sources should cover your athlete’s finicky appetite. Pack several food options instead of a large quantity of only two or three foods and the odds are your child will eat out of your igloo rather than the concession stand.
2. Pack enough. You don’t want to run out of food, and you may even want to share with other athletes (well-fueled athletes help the whole team, right?).
3. Pay attention to temperature. If you are packing perishables, be sure to add an ice pack or two. It’s no fun to get tummy cramps before an event because food has spoiled.
4. Pack in the protein. Protein will be an ally in keeping your athlete’s blood sugar, hunger and mood stable. Nibble on cheese sticks or slices, nuts, peanut or nut butters, rolled deli meat slices, meat jerky, yogurt or yogurt drinks, boxes of low fat milk, hummus or edamame.
   

   FUEL UP WITH NUT BUTTER, APPLE ON WHOLE WHEAT

5. Don’t forget the carbohydrate. Muscles rely on carbs for fuel. Pack an assortment of easily digestible sources like 100% juice, fruit leather, applesauce, fresh or dried fruit and veggie sticks as well as complex carbohydrate foods, such as crackers, unsweetened dry cereal, pita, bagel or other breads, pretzels and graham crackers. Dairy sources also provide a protein-rich carbohydrate source.
6. Think your drink. Water, 100% fruit juice and sports drinks are appropriate at an extended competition like a swim or tennis meet. If it’s a short soccer game (less than an hour), keep it to water. Plain and flavored milk are great drink choices during and after competition—they provide protein for muscle repair and carbohydrate to re-fuel muscles.
7. Nosh or Nibble? Nosh on “meals” or large quantities of food during big breaks between events. Nibble small amounts of food before and after events that are closely scheduled. At a minimum, your young athlete should be nibbling to stay energized and keep muscles fueled for a competitive edge.

What are whole grains, exactly?

Whole grains are those “foods made from the entire grain seed, usually called the kernel, which consists of the bran, germ, and endosperm. If the kernel has been cracked, crushed, or flaked, it must retain nearly the same relative proportions of bran, germ, and endosperm as the original grain in order to be called whole grain” — USDHHS and USDA.

Why is there a push to get Americans to eat more?

According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, most children do not meet their daily need for whole grains. Below you can see a comparison of what kids ARE eating versus what they NEED to eat.

1 ounce = ½ cup cooked brown rice or other grain, 100% whole grain pasta, cooked hot cereal (oatmeal), 1 slice 100% whole grain bread, 1 very small 100% whole grain muffin, 1 cup 100% whole grain ready-to-eat cereal

If you can get beyond the grocery store wheat bread, there’s a whole new world of whole grains waiting to be tapped. If you want to dive into more information on whole grains, visit the Whole Grains Council website, it’s a great resource. Look for the Whole Grains emblem to help you navigate good sources.

I’m giving away some whole grain products to help you and your family eat more!

Mestemacher Bread: German bread at its finest. The Mestemacher bakers create all natural whole grain breads, low in fat and cholesterol and high in fiber. Hearty and filling, these breads are delicious alone or with a yummy spread. I love it with raspberry jam! We are offering 2 loaves of multigrain bread and 2 loaves of Fitness bread to one lucky winner!

Attune Foods: Makers of Uncle Sam and Erewhon cereals. Uncle Sam is loaded with red winter wheat berries and flaxseeds, and will super-charge your morning with 10 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein per serving! I enjoy blueberries on top for a little natural sweetness. Erewhon (pronounced Air-wahn) is made with brown rice—a healthy “krispie” cereal, and organic. One winner will receive a prize pack containing an assortment of 4 boxes of cereal!

Dr. Kracker: The king of whole grain crackers, offering a wide variety from which to choose. One winner will receive a 4-pack of Crispbread crackers including Seedlander, Seeded Spelt, Klassic 3 Seed and Pumpkin Cheddar.

HomeFree Cookies: A whole grain “treat” with the added benefit of being peanut, tree nut, egg and dairy free! They also offer wheat and gluten-free options. I can testify that my son’s friend (who has multiple allergies) loved them! One winner will receive a box of cookies and coupons to purchase cookies from their online store.

Here’s How You Can Win!

1) Mandatory Entry: “LIKE” Fearless Feeding on Facebook and leave a comment here saying that you did it. If you don’t have a Facebook account leave a comment saying what you NEED from a child nutrition/feeding book (you can do both of these things).

2) For another entry, tweet this post or share this post on Facebook. Leave another comment.

3) For a third entry, sign up for Just The Right Byte’s email updates or RSS Feed. If you already subscribe, tell at least one friend about Just The Right Byte. Leave another comment saying what you did.

Four lucky winners will be chosen using random.org. Good Luck!

PS—> Maryann is giving these away too! You can increase your odds of winning by visiting her site.

The winners will be announced on Just The Right Byte’s Facebook page. This giveaway will end Thursday, February 23^rd, at midnight. You must be 18 to enter. Shipping of product only within the US.

Mistake # 1: Avoiding the mess In the quest to stay clean and tidy (and lower the laundry load), you may be frequently swiping your baby’s mouth with a washcloth, spoon feeding, or avoiding foods to cut down on the clean up. What’s wrong with this? It robs your baby of important learning experiences. Serious investigation happens during meal times, and there’s no better way to learn about food than to get down and dirty with it.

Check out Cate here. Her mom was liberated from the Clean Club philosophy (and in turn, so was Cate)! She allowed Cate to self-feed with a spoon, resisted using the washcloth until the end, and offered more variety of food. Now, both mom and Cate are having a grand time with meals! I taught mom one secret: view the kitchen sink as a back-up tub, stocking it with towels, soap and plastic measuring spoons and cups so Cate could go from high chair to kitchen tub (with supervision of course) for clean up.

Mistake #2: Spoon-feeding for too long. This ties into #1 as a way to keep a cap on the mess. But also, there may be a misconception that babies need to be spoon-fed for a year. Not true. Babies can begin the shift to chopped, table foods at 8-9 months of age. By one year, baby should be on table food, self-feeding with assistance as necessary, and familiar with an open-top cup. Of course, follow your baby’s developmental progress and cues for readiness to see when the time is right.

Baby Ben was 14 months and still being spoon-fed. He came to me because he wasn’t gaining weight and his length had fallen behind. He was simply disinterested in the spoon—he wanted to feed himself, and he didn’t want mush—he wanted the real food his family was eating. While his mom was understandably afraid to give up spoon-feeding (because he wasn’t growing well and she wanted to assure his intake was good), once she introduced table foods and let him go to town with them, Ben started to thrive again.

Mistake #3: Offering foods that are too healthy. I believe babies should receive real, natural, unadulterated foods of all flavors, with an emphasis on food introduction and lots of food exposure. But I see a trend that emphasizes fruits, vegetables and whole grains. This can become a problem because babies have limited stomach capacity, and these foods are filling—and they tend to be low in fat, which is an important nutrient for babies. Certainly babies need these foods, but they also need meats (or non-meat substitutes), fortified cereal, healthy fats and dairy (or fortified non-dairy) sources.

This is what happened to Josh. At 13 months he was eating high fiber, whole grain bread, lots of vegetables and fruits, and very little added fat. In fact, his mom stated, “I never thought to add fat to his meals—I thought that would be unhealthy.” Josh’s diet appeared very healthy on paper, but in reality, it wasn’t meeting Josh’s nutritional needs. Again, an unintentional mistake was made. Once Josh’s mom understood that babies needed a good amount of fat daily and where/how to get it, she was able to plan more appropriate meals for him. The added benefit? Foods were tastier and he ate better. Mom opened up to more variety (French toast, pancakes, sandwiches, etc—all cut bite-sized) and Josh enjoyed eating again.

Mistake #4: Allowing Bites or Gulps of Adult Foods Just a little sip of my coffee? Sure. A bite of my brownie? Why not. What’s the harm in a little sip of soda, a taste of coffee, or a bite of brownie? Nothing immediate. But over the long haul, you might find your little infant growing up to be a soda swigging, sweet tooth monster if you’re not careful. And we all know how hard it is to live with a monster.

It’s true—what we offer babies now influences their taste preferences later on. So, for sugary foods, I suggest holding out until age two (of course, the one year birthday cake is ok). You will curb preferences, and although they still may kick into high gear later, you’ll be arming yourself and your baby with some early exposure to healthier fare. Also, remember those tummies are tiny, without much room to sacrifice nutrition for sweets.
I recommend holding off on caffeine too. Babies don’t need a stimulant (aren’t we mostly trying to calm them?), nor do toddlers or children for that matter. There’s no place for caffeine in a child’s diet—so if you can manage to avoid it, bravo.
Last, artificial sweeteners fall into this category too. Avoid them for all children, but especially for babies and young toddlers, even if “just one bite” seems harmless. The dose relative to body weight is considerable. I’ve searched and searched, and there’s no upside to offering them to children of any age.

I’ve covered the top 4 infant feeding mistakes that I could think of –-did I miss any? If so, what are they?

You will need:

Bone-in Chicken breasts

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil. Rub a little bit of olive oil (~1/2 teaspoon) on each chicken breast (leave the skin on).  Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.  Bake in a 425 F oven for 40 minutes.

I typically remove the skin for eating, but that’s up to you.

Serve and enjoy!  How simple is that?

What simple recipes do you have for chicken? If you have an especially easy one that you think others would like to know about, share it here! We’ll be looking for simple, easy recipes as Maryann and I write Fearless Feeding!

Sometimes there’s real danger, but many times it’s an opinion that stops us in our tracks.

Take chocolate milk. While it’s an easy nutrition no-no for some, I think it’s something worth looking into for the little details. Some foods do deserve their reputation, but many foods fall into the middle, neither totally good nor bad.

Black and White Thinking

While we adults have the capacity to comprehend complicated information, when it comes to nutrition, we filter food concepts like children. Children use black and white thinking to understand the world around them, helping them to simplify information for better understanding.

You can see the black and white lens being used almost everyday if you look for it.

Good food, bad food. Eat this, not that. The “warning!” food versus the food that will “save your life.”

Even “eat right” can motivate this thinking, especially when they know they’re not.

While you hear words like “moderation and balance” tossed around, the tendency is to use this black and white lens, categorizing foods as good or bad. For many, moderation and balance are too fuzzy to understand, which makes it harder to practice day to day.

You would think black and white thinking makes navigating nutrition easier, but it doesn’t.

When Food Gets the Hammer

While it seems easier to categorize foods as good or bad, for most parents I know and work with, this only complicates matters more.

“I heard I should stay away from potatoes because there’s too much sugar in them, but my kids love potatoes,” said one mom.

Another parent stated, “I don’t give my kids any white flour, because white stuff is bad for you. Do you know how much white flour is out there?”

Yes, I do. And I know it will drive you crazy trying to hunt it down and get it out of your cabinets, let alone your kids’ lives.

The truth is, if you try hard enough, you can pick apart just about everything there is to eat. And when food gets the hammer, it makes life more difficult for parents (and kids).

Some of you will wonder how you will raise healthy kids without these absolutes, but I know you can.

Food Extremes Cause Fear

We live in a fear-based nutrition environment, and that’s partly why I am co-writing Fearless Feeding, to arm parents with nutrition knowledge and take the nonsense (and fear) out of feeding kids.

Fear produces negative feeding interactions between parents and their children. It undermines confident parenting and feeding, and interferes with common sense and good judgment, making feeding mistakes more likely.

Fear is paralyzing.

I know fear. You won’t see me jumping out of an airplane, bungy jumping or standing atop a mountain without holding on. No way. Too much fear.

This is what happens to parents who fear they’ll make a mistake with food or talking about nutrition with their kids. They freeze—they avoid, hang on for dear life or “survive,” rather than exploring, investigating and learning.

And they rely on black and white food rules.

So if you’re afraid to eat this rather than that, or bad food has you scrambling for something else to serve your children, relax.

It’s not that absolute.

Food is Flexible

The truth is, food is forgiving and flexible. You don’t have to eat perfectly everyday (I sure don’t!) nor feed your children perfectly every day. There is room for overdoing it sometimes and under-doing it other times.

But you do need to pay attention. And use your fuzzy lens.

When you adopt a fuzzy lens, you have to pause, focus and look deeper. When it comes to nutrition, things are neither black nor white. They’re grey.

Lose The Guilt, Gain The Knowledge

It’s time to lose the guilt and fear, and gain confidence and knowledge with feeding kids.

If you don’t know about nutrition, then get schooled.

While you may think you can raise children by ignoring nutrition, “winging it,” or just reading the latest science reports, I know this will make your job harder.

You do need to know about nutrition and you need to know about feeding. The triad of food, parent-child interactions and child development—that’s the gist of successfully raising healthy kids.

If you read this blog, you know that targeting food balance, structure and appetite are some of the keys to feeding kids. Balancing foods that help your child grow and develop with foods he enjoys, aka the 90:10 Rule, is one tenet. Paying attention to timing and predictability of meals coupled with sensitivity to appetite will serve you (and your child) better than avoiding “bad” foods.

To learn more about nutrition and feeding kids, keep reading Just the Right Byte (and pass it along!). And don’t miss out on our Fearless Feeding community on Facebook. Maryann and I invite you to share your struggles, questions and successes…because everyone has them.

Kids love crunchy food and croutons are one way to entice healthy eating. Yes, add croutons to salads, atop veggies or as a stand-alone side and watch your kids gobble them up!

Plus, what better way to use stale bread?

If you thought croutons had to be oven-cooked, you’ve been missing out. On the stovetop, croutons are simple, quick and easy. Better yet, you can use any type of bread, control the fat and salt, and can cut the pieces big or small.

Here, I had leftover French bread, but I often use the end (heel) of my whole wheat bread for croutons also.

My kids never pass these up, and I am frequently stashing them away so we actually have some for the salad!

How to Make Stove-Top Croutons:

Cube bread into bite size pieces.

I use a non-stick skillet and drizzle some olive oil over the bottom. Heat the oil over medium heat.

Add cubed bread to cover a single layer. Sprinkle scant amount of kosher salt  (or any other seasonings you like).

Periodically jiggle, stir and toss bread cubes around the pan until they start to crisp and brown. As long as you don’t burn them (my kids would NEVER eat them in that case!), you can cook them as long as you like. The longer they cook, the crisper they’ll be.

What other ways do you use stale or day-old bread?

Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the distribution of body weight in children– where it goes and what’s normal –so I thought I’d do a brief overview of this.

A client of mine asked if her 9 year-old daughter’s belly was normal.

“She’s got a little extra around the middle and I’m a little concerned about it,” said Dad. “She’s active and seems to eat well—and thankfully she’s not worried about it, but I’m a little concerned.”

In girls, the body prepares for the important job of menstruation by laying down body fat in the area of the tummy. The average age of starting a period is 12.5 years, but this varies with ethnicity and weight status, and can be earlier or later. Once puberty starts (usually around age 10), height growth takes off and girls magically thin out. During this time, you will notice body weight redistribution and the addition of fat tissue–to the rear, hips, breasts, backs of arms, and thighs. This is the normal transformation of child into woman. If you notice extra weight gain overall, more than the normal “pouch” and “filling out” of puberty, it may be an indicator of overweight or obesity.

“My son seems to be the smallest in the class—all the girls are taller than he is! And he doesn’t seem to be getting muscular.”

In general, girls and boys grow at very different rates—girls outpace boys early on, then boys catch up and surpass girls during later adolescence. With this lag behind girls, puberty starts about 2 years later (around age 12) for boys.

Not only do boys get their turn— it lasts longer! It’s true, boys spend more time growing, ending up taller and more muscular than girls. Once puberty hits, and testosterone levels rise, boy’s muscle growth occurs—visibly.

Bottom Line: Boys and girls grow and deposit muscle and fat tissue differently and their overall timing is different. Knowing about normal growth trends can help deter unnecessary corrections (like putting a little girl with a belly on a diet), get you started with additional help if needed (in case of excess weight), and most importantly, calm your fears.

Have you noticed any of these changes in your child’s shape or size?

Gorp. A homemade snack rivaling trail mix. I don’t know when and how I came up with this mixture, but I’m sure someone inspired me along the way. In fact, I remember making it when M started swimming, about 6 years ago. It seemed like a good energizing snack to munch on at swim meets. Now, I still make it for swim meets, volleyball meets, or just to have on hand for an on-the-go snack in a baggie. It’s a crowd pleaser.  The best part: you can substitute the ingredients to reflect your preferences.

Yes, there are M & M’s in it. That doesn’t bother me, and I hope it doesn’t bother you. If it does, leave them out. It’s still delicious without them.

A Big Batch of Gorp:

I box of oatmeal squares cereal (or other squarish cereal)

2 cups light salt peanuts (1 container)

2 cups raisins (or other dried fruit)

1 bag of waffle pretzels

2 cups (or more or less) M & M’s

Mix and store in a large Ziploc bag or airtight plastic container.

Mustgo. A term invented by my mother-in-law, Judi, which refers to all the leftovers in the refrigerator that must go. We have mustgo night every now and then, sometimes more often if I’ve been on a tear with cooking and Father of the Year is out of town. Mustgo night is usually a smorgasbord of entrees and sides with an addition of fruit and milk. A great way to rid your fridge of leftovers. Of course, serve it as a smorgasbord, so your kids can pick and choose their own dinner combination, much like the Dinner Bar concept. And no, I’m not going to show you a picture of my refrigerator!

Cake Decorating. G took a stab at decorating her first cake, and she did a pretty good job!  She took a class to learn all the ins and outs of cake decorating. I’m not a cake decorator, so I am glad she had the opportunity to try her hand at this. She was very proud of her work and the rest of the sib crew was very appreciative–even the dog!

Not only did she take cake decorating, she also took a cooking class as part of a 2 week elective mini-class over the holiday break. She learned to make spinach pasta with Alfredo, pasta with marinara, pizza with homemade cheese, cookies, English toffee caramels and blueberry muffins.

Getting her hands on food, in food and around food is something I think will be a benefit–not only to me, but to her as well.

What crazy terms do you use for snacks and leftovers? Have you started your teen with baking or cooking experiences?

Haven’t heard of lutein? Read on, and then spread the word about this important nutrient as your winter-time guests delight in the lutein-packed recipes that follow.

Lutein, a carotenoid found in foods like leafy greens, zucchini, eggs, kiwi fruit and apples, supports eye health throughout the lifespan. Lutein works in two ways: it protects eyes by absorbing potentially damaging light and protects against oxidative damage. Recent research also suggests that lutein lowers the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Lutein is only available through our diet — it is not made by the body — so give the gift of lutein to your loved ones this winter!

Vegetable Spinach Roll-Ups

Serves 4

Makes 4 wraps; for appetizers, slice into individual bites

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon capers, chopped fine

½ teaspoon lemon zest

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

4 (7-inch) spinach or whole wheat tortilla

1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces), cut lengthwise into thin strips

2 cups baby spinach, packed

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Combine mayonnaise, parsley, capers, lemon zest, salt and pepper in small bowl.  Spread 1 tablespoon mayonnaise mixture on each tortilla. Evenly place ½ cup spinach, ¼ cup halved cherry tomatoes and 3 to 4 zucchini strips across one half of the tortilla.

Starting with the half with vegetables, roll each tortilla tightly. Slice into bite-size rolls and secure each with a toothpick before serving.

Grilled Chicken and Veggie Kabobs

Serves 8

Makes 8 kabobs/1 per serving as an appetizer

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon herbs de Provence

½ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 1½ pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium yellow squash (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch pieces

8 wooden or metal skewers (10 or 12-inches long)

Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, herbs de Provence, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes together in bowl or large zip lock bag. Add chicken pieces, zucchini and yellow squash, tossing to spread oil mixture evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Thread each skewer with 4 pieces of zucchini, 3 pieces of chicken and 4 pieces of yellow squash. Grill kabobs over high heat until chicken is cooked through and vegetables and chicken are charred, about 3 minutes per side. Serve warm.

Crustless Spinach Quiche Bites

Serves 8

Makes 24 Quiche Bites/3 per serving as an appetizer

5 large eggs

1 cup evaporated skim milk

1-10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed or cooked and drained well

4 oz grated part skim mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese mixture

1/3 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Roasted red pepper, cut into ½ inch pieces

3 tablespoons fresh parmesan, grated

Optional: Add some holiday color with a bit of roasted red pepper on top of each square

Preheat oven to 350° F. Beat eggs, milk and spices together until frothy. Add spinach and cheese and mix well.

Pour into 8” square cake pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray or brushed with oil. Bake 45-50 minutes until knife inserted comes out clean or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160° F.

To serve, cut into squares about 1 ½ inches wide. Garnish with a bit of fresh Parmesan cheese and a piece of roasted red pepper for some holiday color.

Warm wishes to you and yours as you ring in the new year with these healthy, delicious recipes.

Bridget Swinney MS, RD is an award-winning author and well-regarded nutrition expert in the field of prenatal nutrition, child nutrition and family eating matters. A frequent speaker and media guest, she is a Registered Dietitian with a Master’s Degree in Nutrition.Bridget has worked as a clinical dietitian, public health nutritionist, WIC Program Director, diabetes educator and weight loss group facilitator. Her book, Eating Expectantly, won the Child Magazine’s Top Ten Parenting Books of the Year, and Baby Bites was awarded a 2008 iparenting.com Media Award. The 4^th edition of Eating Expectantly will arrive in May 2012.

As a spokesperson for Similac®, Bridget is working to educate moms and families about the importance of lutein. Emerging science suggests that lutein plays a role in developing the visual system during infancy and is found in key regions of the infant brain associated with memory and learning. Prior to the introduction of solid foods, babies can get lutein from breast milk and infant formula containing lutein (such as Similac).

MyPlate for Moms, How to Feed Yourself and Your Family Better decodes the recently updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans. If you’re still stuck on the MyPyramid, it’s time to get with the program.

MyPyramid is gone and MyPlate is in!

MyPlate for Moms targets the gatekeeper of good and not-so-good nutrition (Mom), helping her take charge of feeding her family right. The truth? Dads can get a lot out of this book too.

Ward takes you through each food group, giving you an understanding of what you and your family needs, providing background information about why, and helping you to strategize these guidelines for your day-to-day life.

If you want to understand more about fat, it’s in here. If caffeine is on your mind, she’s got that too. Sugar substitutes? Yes. In fact, Ward will convince you to take the first steps (at a minimum) to clean up your diet and improve your health, covering food and meals to exercise and healthy habits.

Fed up with the media hype on good versus bad food to eat? I don’t blame you. It’s conflicting at best and coming from all directions.

MyPlate for Moms serves up sound advice with a research background about what we know about food, citing today’s nutrition conundrums with an antidote. And that’s not all. Ward also gives you recipes, advice about food safety and practical ways to adopt a healthier and nutritious diet.

If you’re looking for a way to kick off the New Year, start with a basic understanding of real nutrition, not hype. MyPlate for Moms can be a launching pad for the New You (er, Year).