Recently, my 5 year old son came up to me and announced his desire to become a train engineer when he grew up! Everyone in the family, by now, is aware of his fascination with trains, which consumes him every minute of the day. But this was taking it a little too far, I thought to myself. No doubt, train engineers do important work, but their profession is not generally considered to be at the top of the list. Such lack of ambition bothered me a little at first.

What happened next was an interesting turn of events through the day which took me on an emotional roller-coaster ride. I share this experience in an article on whattoexpect.com and I invite you all to check it out.

Here is the link to When I Grow Up. Share your thoughts and feelings in a comment below.

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

Exciting news everyone! After a lot of work over the last few months, our vitamin D calculator app for iPhone and iPad is finally live on Apple’s iTunes app store. It is a really cool app which allows you to easily estimate the daily intake of vitamin D from foods, multivitamins and casual sun exposure. It also connects you to a vitamin D calculator page on Facebook and Twitter.

Click on the link below for a free download! Don’t forget to rate and write a review.

This is a guest post by Amanda Kidd. By profession, she is a writer and internet marketer . She is a health buff and a strict follower of a healthy lifestyle. Her health guide specifically includes healthy food to maintain physical and mental health. She also helps parents with her write up regarding health problems in children.

It has often been seen that kids are very fussy about food. They usually prefer junk food that does not have any nutrition. They fail to understand that proper nutrition is very essential for their overall development. It is the parents’ responsibility to teach them healthy food habits. If kids consume nutritious food right from the beginning, they will obviously grow up to become healthier human beings.

One main reason for the children to opt for junk is that they feel it is tastier and looks attractive as well as delicious. Today, fast food centers are coming up with smart ideas to prepare and serve their junk food. We often find food being served in pretty boxes with cute toys, different colors, funny shapes and mouth-watering smell. All this is sure to attract these kids who do not understand that the delicious-looking food actually lacks all the nutrition.

In such circumstances, parents should come forward to help their kids in developing good eating habits. Kids often have the misconception that healthy food is boring. This is not true. Nutritious food can also be turned into tasty and interesting preparation.

Kids often like to add some fun to their food, so why not be a little creative and turn your daily food into something funny that would attract the kids toward the dining table? It is generally seen that all kids love finger foods, different types of dips and scoops, different sauces and toppings, colorful frosting and fillings, unique shapes and foods that they can easily have on the go. All these features can even be added to nutritious homemade food.

So, do not worry about how you will convince your kids to have healthy food daily. Modify your food and add the fun factor to it and see your kids grab it. Some of the ideas that can help your kids eat nutritious food are:

1. Give them breads and biscuits made of whole grain. Try and find biscuits with interesting shapes. You can also cut them at home to give them funny shapes.
2. If your kid loves dips, you can prepare healthy dips at home with the help of yoghurt, cheese and fruits. These will look good and taste awesome.
3. Make healthy vegetable sandwiches with onions, cucumbers, tomatoes or any other vegetable that your kids like.
   Instead of making a simple round pancake, try being creative and give different shapes to the pancakes and offer it to your kids in the breakfast.
4. You can also make tasty fruit salads by mixing different kinds of colorful fruits. Kids often love berries so you can encourage them to eat strawberries, blueberries or any other berry of their choice.
5. If they really want to have pizza, prepare one at home. Use whole grain and add the toppings of their choice to make their personal pizza.
6. Another idea to make them eat good food is to involve them while shopping for vegetables, cooking or serving. Let them take the decision.
7. They will love it. It has always been seen that the kids who love cooking often enjoy eating.
8. A lot of whole grain pasta and noodles are available in the market. You can prepare them with lots of sauce and vegetables. Kids will love it.
9. You can also prepare smoothies with fruits, yoghurt or milk. It is very tasty as well nutritious.
10. Encourage them to snack on some healthy nuts, popcorn, salads or fruits. Also, make them develop the habit of drinking lots of water.

Try these ideas and watch your kids developing healthy eating habits. Eating good food is very essential. These days, as most of the parents are working, they have very little time to think about the food their kids are eating. The ideas given above are simple and easy to follow. They are good for your kids and make them enjoy whatever they eat.

This is a guest post by Allison Gamble, who has been a curious student of psychology since high school. She brings her understanding of the mind to work in the weird world of internet marketing, and is still trying to teach herself not to clean her plate.

photo credit: left-hand

Food and nutrition are difficult subjects for adults, and even more so for kids. A child’s taste preferences are influenced by outside sources almost from birth, so it doesn’t take a psychology degree to realize that it’s necessary for parents to guide them in making healthy food choices.

Clearly, your kids don’t think about nutrition the way you do, so you need to look at things from their perspective in order to avoid common pitfalls in the emotional realm of food and eating.

Kids and Healthy Eating Habits

Kids begin to develop preferences for food at a very young age. If you want your kids to grow up eating a variety of foods, aim to give them a number of options as these preferences develop. As they get older, encourage them to choose different kinds of healthful, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Even if you make many wholesome foods available, chances are your kids will want something sweet from time to time. Instead of slapping a label of “bad” or “unhealthy” on desserts and treats that will turn these foods into guilty pleasures, allow your children to eat them in reasonable portions. If they ask why they can’t have more, use their questions as an opportunity to talk about how different foods affect the body. Your kids will probably notice that they feel better after eating fruits and vegetables than after candy or cake, and helping them to understand why goes a long way towards giving them the tools to make good food choices in the future.

Above all, be a positive role model for your kids. If you’re constantly hung up on calories, fat content, carbs or weight, your kids will be too. Remember that kids are extremely observant and will often do what they see you doing, regardless of what you say.

The Many Faces of Food

For kids and adults alike, food is more than just physical nourishment. Advertisers work hard to target kids by using specific situations, emotions, and ideas to convince youngsters that eating a certain food will yield a positive result. Unfortunately, parents can be just as much at fault when it comes to attaching emotion to food. Saying things like, “You can’t have cake until you finish your vegetables,” or “If you’re good today, we’ll go get ice cream,” sets kids up to think of food in terms of reward or punishment instead of health and nutrition.

Odds are, your kids know how to listen to their bodies much better than you do. Young children haven’t yet been exposed to societal pressures that make adults fixate on food choices. Kids naturally eat when they’re hungry and stop when they’re full, an instinct that’s important to honor. Forcing kids to clean their plates when they’re not hungry or don’t feel well leads to the feeling that they must eat even if they don’t want to, undermining the natural cycle of hunger and fullness. Don’t worry if your child doesn’t eat very much one day or decides he’s not hungry. Instead, let the matter drop and go do something else he enjoys. When he’s ready to eat, he’ll let you know.

Teaching kids to make healthy food choices is as much a matter of showing as it is of telling. Giving kids a positive perspective through discussion and being a good role model leads to intelligent choices based on facts about nutrition rather than perceived ideas of good and bad. Kids know how to listen to their bodies, so as a parent, all you have to do is nurture that natural instinct.

In summary

• Encourage your children towards healthful, whole foods.
• Don’t turn desserts and treats into guilty pleasures or rewards.
• Be a positive role model
• Let your child eat intuitively. They’ll eat when they get hungry. Don’t force it.

What has worked for you? Share your tips!

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

photo credit: Naomi Ibuki

When it comes to getting vitamin D from food, salmon is popularly known as one of the best sources. The Office of Dietary Supplements, a department of the National Institute of Health, lists a 3 oz serving of salmon (sockeye) as having over 100% of daily value of vitamin D. Salmon is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, one of the healthy fats your growing child needs for brain development.

I was, therefore, very surprised when I looked at the nutrition facts panel of a can of pink salmon at the grocery store this weekend. It did not list any vitamin D at all!

How can it be when the common knowledge is that salmon provides a high level of vitamin D?

Turns out that not all salmon is created equal when it comes to vitamin D, or even other healthful nutrients. The problem seems to be an abundance of farmed salmon in our food supply, both in the fresh seafood section as well as canned and prepared meals.

As I researched this issue further, I came upon a scientific paper by Dr. Holick and co-workers from Boston University, who actually measured the amount of vitamin D in both wild salmon and farmed salmon. They found that the farmed variety contained 10-25% of the amount of vitamin D available in salmon. Dr. Holick explains the difference in this video, simply in terms of what the two feed on:

While the wild salmon could have as high as 1000 IU of vitamin D, the farmed variety contains about 250. There is also considerable debate about PCB’s, dioxins, antibiotics and artificial colors in farmed salmon.

Looking at it from the lower nutritional value and health/environmental risks, I am not sure if low price of farmed salmon is a good reason to make the choice. Not saying you need to give up on farmed salmon, but you certainly need to factor these issues in your purchase decision.

Another thing to keep in mind, vitamin D in wild salmon can vary in a broad range depending on the source and type. Ask questions and read the nutrition facts label before buying.

Here is a nice summary of the amount of vitamin D from various fish sources (Source: Holick paper)

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

All milk in the United States is fortified with vitamin D (1 cup = 25% daily value). So it is natural to think that yogurt and yogurt products should also have vitamin D. After all, they are all made from milk.

Not really.

Although, there is a trend now to add vitamin D to yogurt, there are still a lot of products out there with no vitamin D.  I decided to do a little research this weekend at the local Walmart. Here is a summary of what I found:

Yoplait original is the top of the pack with 50% DV of both calcium and vitamin D. The new packaging shows this fact prominently on the front of the box. Stonyfield is another good option but their Oikos brand organic greek yogurt does not have any vitamin D. Dannon, our long time favorite has a lot of catching up to do!

When I asked my Twitter followers about this, @peekababy informed me that the Yobaby and Yokids brands from Stonyfield also has added vitamin D. Sure enough, a quick check on their website showed that they have 25% daily value of vitamin D added to each serving.

With so much news on vitamin D deficiency, especially in kids, you would think that all yogurt brands would start fortifying their products with vitamin D.

What is in your yogurt? Take a peek inside your refrigerator and check if your yogurt contains vitamin D or not. Then leave a note below with the brand name and amount of vitamin D in each serving.

Disclaimer – I have not received any sponsorship or free samples of product for writing this review. For complete nutritional information check out the websites of these products.

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

Now that our herbs and veggie garden is beginning to produce, we decided to prepare one of our favorite recipes with fresh green peppers. It is very simple, yet quite wholesome. We make it quite often, but using fresh peppers from the garden really gave a nice flavor.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1/2 dozen medium sized green bell peppers
• 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup basmati rice
• 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped or crushed in a food processor
• 1 tomato , sliced
• 1 tomato, crushed in a food processor
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper to taste

Method

Saute onion in olive oil. Add crushed tomato, salt an pepper and cook until onions are soft. Add ground beef and cook until beef turns light brown, stirring occasionally. Add rice and mix well. Cook for a little while more. Rice does not need to cook completely.

Wash green peppers. Slice off the cap but keep it aside for covering the peppers later. Remove seeds to create a cavity. Wash well.

Fill the pepper cavity with cooked beef and rice mixture. Don’t overpack but fill to the top. Cover with the cap and arrange in a deep pot. Arrange sliced tomatoes in a layer on top. Add warm water, tomato paste and remaining juice, if available, from the beef mixture around the peppers. Water level should be high enough to cover the peppers a little over half way.  Cook covered on low to medium heat until peppers and tomatoes are cooked to the desired softness.

Peppers are  a good source of fiber, vitamin C, iron, calcium and potassium.

Biber Dolma is the Turkish name for this recipe!

Enjoy!

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

Source: The LEAP study

Did you know that nearly 30% of children in the United States have some form of allergy and that the rate of allergic disease in children is on the rise?

I found this fact quite interesting – and troubling – as I read this article about childhood allergies. What is even more interesting is that the progression of allergic disease in children appears to follow a predictable pattern called the Allergic March.

It goes like this – first it starts with dermatitis (eczema), then to chronic gastrointestinal (GI) issues, then to chronic serous otitis media (ear infections), then to chronic rhinitis (stuffy nose) and finally to asthma.

The problem is that allergic disease doesn’t have a cure, and that is why, prevention is the only smart choice. It helps to know that the pattern of allergic disease is predictable, which is why, early signs of allergic symptoms like eczema and food allergy or sensitivity should be considered seriously.

Most babies in their first 1-2 years of life show sings of food sensitivity to certain foods such as egg, dairy, soy, rice and wheat. This is because their young immune systems are yet to mature and sometimes they get confused by different proteins in these foods. Good news is that, most children do grow out of these early issues by the time they reach age 5.

The news is not so good if there is a family history of allergy, which is why getting to know the allergic march is quite important. If either mom or dad – or both – have a history of allergy, the chances of their child developing an allergy can be as high as 50 -80%. If not diagnosed and prevented early, the allergic march is likely inevitable.

We have been interested in food allergy here on Littlestomaks, because it affects so many babies and toddlers. Although there is no reason to hit the panic button over a few episodes of vomiting and reflux, it is prudent to take them seriously when allergy runs in the family. Same goes for ear infections, which again are quite common in children. A link between milk allergy and ear infections, for example, is being reported in many cases. Talk to your doctor about the history of allergy in your family on a routine visit to treat an ear infection. For all you know, it might be the first step on the allergic march, which you can avoid with early intervention.

Here are a few nice links for more information:

The LEAP study
The Allergy March
Food Allergies on About.com
Pediatric food allergies on Today’s Dietitian

Do you have a child with food allergies? Share your story, we would love to hear from you!

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

What would the world look like without Moms?

A profound question, one which most of us will have a hard time answering. Check this out:

I am so glad my daughter decided to write this note to her mom on the card I helped her prepare last night:

I think CHERISH is the right word for Mom.

Happy Mother’s Day!

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

We enjoyed a beautiful sunny day to celebrate Easter Sunday!

After an early morning egg hunt with other toddlers in the neighborhood, the twins played hard in the backyard. As the morning turned into noon, it was time for lunch, which they insisted on having outside as a “picnic”!

Here they are,  munching on a turkey-cheese sandwich and cheesy cauliflower. A strawberry-banana fruit/veggie punch from V8 (12 g sugar per serving) went along as the drink.

Hope your family had a wonderful Easter today!

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

Spring is here, which means it is time to start planting again. This year, we have decided to plant new tomatoes, beans and sweet peppers in our raised bed vegetable garden. And a few of our favorite herbs separately in pots.

Here are few pictures of herbs – parsley, cilantro, Thai basil and mint.

It is great to see green around us in the backyard once again. What are you planting this year?

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

As we drove back home from daycare today, my daughter made an interesting remark.

“Dad, this fruit juice is very healthy”, as she sipped the last of her fruitables^TM juice.

“What makes you think it is healthy for you?”, I asked, expecting her to read the nutrition facts label on the box.

Yes, ever since we had our small breakthrough when she discovered the word “sugar” at the back of the box of instant oatmeal, she has been reading labels and other information on food packages.

“Fruitables..a juice beverage that is packed with fruits and veggies but has less sugar than other juices and juice drinks”….she read out loud the marketing pitch on the back panel.

“Really?”, I exclaimed hiding my surprise.

“This is one refreshing way”, she continued, “to get healthy nutrition you need every day!

“Very interesting”, I thought. She was reading the whole thing…

“And daddy, long time ago, someone said fruits and vegetables weren’t delicious!”

I found that very funny and laughed out loud because I had not seen the whole message myself. Surely, she made it up I thought.

I decided to take a closer look at the juice box when we reached home. The marketing message was clever, and she did indeed read pretty much the whole thing verbatim. Except the part at the end, which she tweaked a little based on her interpretation.

Clearly, fruit juice is not equal to real fruit in terms of overall nutrition value. The marketing message is clever, no doubt, as it attempts to separate this product from other juices which have added sugar.

One box of Fruitables (200 mL) has 9 g sugar only 66% juice. Quite close to “empty calories”, but not a bad alternative to other beverages when used in moderation.

Clever food marketing messages and package design can attract a child’s attention and curiosity. I think it is good to let them absorb these messages, but very important to help them interpret correctly so they don’t fall for them.

What do you think?

Disclaimer – I have not received any sponsorship or free samples of product from Apple & Eve, LLC  for writing this review. For complete nutritional information and other products, visit Fruitables website.

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

We continue to try various soups from a recent New York Times magazine! Recently, we made this hearty tomato soup.

Ingredients

• 3 cups tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped or crushed finely in a blender
• 1-2 carrots, chopped
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups warm water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped basil
• salt, pepper to taste

Method

Saute onion in olive oil; add carrots, garlic and tomato paste. Add chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper and water. Mix well and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Garnish with chopped basil.

Serve hot with pita bread or naan.

Enjoy!

©2011 Littlestomaks.com

Ask The Expert is a weekly column on Littlestomaks.com. The idea is to have a reader-submitted question answered by a nutrition expert or a pediatrician. Feel free to submit your question in the comments section below.

This week Registered dietitian Jill Weisenberger offers ideas for foods that can help your child build a stronger immune system.

Jill Weisenberger, MS, RD, CDE  Education: M.S. Food Science & Human Nutrition, University of Florida Degree in Communications, University of Florida Nutrition consultant, writer, speaker, educator Expertise in diabetes nutrition Writer for Eating Well, Diabetic Living, Her Sports and Fitness magazines Twitter: @nutritionjill Website: All That’s Nutrition LinkedIn Profile Contact via email: jill@allthatsnutrition.com

Question: What kinds of foods will keep my child’s immune system as healthy as possible?

Answer:

Winter colds and flu are making the rounds. In some households, it seems that just as one family member is well, another gets sick. A well-running immune system can mount a powerful attack against viruses and other invaders, so paying attention to diet is especially important now. An apple a day is a good start to keeping the doctor away, but it’s the total diet – not any individual food or supplement – that stokes the immune system and keeps it humming.

The types of foods your child needs to fend off colds and illnesses are the same ones you need. Don’t fall for the hype of immune-boosting supplements and fortified foods. Simply eat a balanced diet. For most, that means a stronger emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Try to eat a whole grain and at least one fruit or vegetable at every meal. Here are a few to try, but again a balanced diet is required – not any specific food.

Beans: Baked beans, kidney beans and others are a powerhouse of nutrients including zinc which may reduce some upper respiratory infections. Smash up some white beans to thicken soups and stews. No one will ever know they’re there. Add red or black beans to salads and pasta.

Oats: another good source of zinc and a perfect breakfast food. Instead of using breadcrumbs, you can also add oats to meatballs and meatloaf.

Bell peppers, broccoli, citrus, kiwis and berries: These are all good sources of vitamin C. Research isn’t clear that extra vitamin C helps treat or prevent colds, but vitamin C-rich foods are packed with other antioxidants and nutrients, so it’s a good idea to include them daily. Clementines are especially nice for children because they are small, seedless, easy-to-peel, delicious and not as messy as other citrus fruits.

Mushrooms: Researchers at Tufts University suspect that the simple white button mushroom may enhance immune function by increasing the production of antiviral compounds. If your kids aren’t used to eating mushrooms, introduce them with foods they already like such as pastas and casseroles.

Finally, don’t forget that frequent hand washing and other good hygiene habits are also necessary to protect your health and your family’s health. Oh and get outside in the sunshine too.

©2011 Littlestomaks.com. All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer – Information provided in Ask The Expert column on Littlestomaks.com is intended to give you general guidance on a question related to toddler nutrition. It is not meant to be treated as medical advice. You are welcome to contact this expert for a detailed consultation on your specific situation to determine what actions, if any, you should take regarding nutrition and health of your toddlers. We do not recommend you to take any action based solely on the information presented in this column. Experts have agreed to provide their professional opinion on toddler nutrition related questions on a voluntary basis and no compensation is offered to them by Littlestomaks.com.

photo credit: Ani Carrington

“If you could be a fruit, what would you be?”, I asked my daughter on a whim at bath time tonight.

“Pineapple!”, she said without any hesitation.

“Why?”, I asked to get the conversation going…

“Because it is sweet and I love it!”, again came the reply without any hesitation…

It came as a surprise because we aren’t really into pineapple in our household. No special reason, it just turns out to be that way.

Maybe they get it at daycare, I thought.

I turned my attention to my son this time.

“If you could be a vegetable, what would you be?”

“a potato”, he said after a brief pause.

“Why?”

“Because I love it”.

Hmmm, it must be the waffle fries we got him last Friday at a Chick-Fil-A take out, I thought.

Whatever the reason may be, kids relate to a specific fruit or a vegetable because they love it, not because it is good for them.

So often, we get carried away by the science and what we read that we try to motivate kids to eat fruits and veggies because we think it is good for them.

Somehow, we need to figure out how we can get them to fall in love with fruits and veggies.

What has worked for you? Please share.

©2011 Littlestomaks.com