Your baby’s brain grows 180% by weight the first year of life.  This explosive development relies on a rich source of nutrients and drives your baby’s appetite. This growth naturally slows down to 20% by year two, so appetites fall naturally.  If baby has started his/her years eating bland, processed food, it almost guarantees frustrating limitations in your child’s future dietary preferences!

Picky eating can, however, be avoided. Here are 12 concepts you can use to set your child up for a lifetime of healthy eating!

1. Choose fresh food whenever possible. Jarred and processed foods are often preserved with chemicals, and contains less vitamins, flavor and fiber than homemade food.
2. If your doctor approves, introduce your baby to fruits and veggies before bland cereals.  Babies love the bright color of produce, which has more flavor, vitamins and fiber than cereals.
3. Never rush through eating. Try to seat your baby at the table with others at least once a day to introduce him/her to the social side of mealtime. Rushed or stressed emotions during feeding times can transfer to your child.
4. Vary your child’s snacks.  Replace puffs and crackers with a daily rotation of fruits, veggies, proteins, and whole grain carbs. By the end of the week, you will have fed your child a variety of nutrients, and trained him/her to accept produce and protein as appropriate snacks.
5. Feed baby in an attractive, well-lit area. DO NOT feed your child in front of the TV.  Encourage your child to pay attention while eating by serving naturally colorful food on/in bright plates and bowls.
6. Babies are more likely to self-feed when they can handle their food. Cut food into corn kernel-sized pieces for infants as they learn to grasp with a pincer.
7. Older children appreciate creative touches. Use cookie cutters to cut food into fun shapes for tots. Check out this site for ideas.
8. If you get sun on a balcony, porch, or yard, start a small vegetable garden. Help your tot water the plants and watch his/her food grow.  Kids are more likely to try something they are invested in!
9. Engage your young children in shopping. Take them to farmers markets to sample fresh, beautiful food. Help them choose colorful produce for the week.  You may pay a little more, but you’ll waste less when your child feels involved in food choices! Localharvest.org is an excellent resource for finding your local market.
10. Outfit your tot with an apron and mixing spoon, and depending on age, let her pour, stir, season, and present your culinary creations.
11. Even though fast food restaurants cater to little ones, try to find child-friendly restaurants that serve healthier choices. Steer clear of children’s menus, which typically offer fried and carb-heavy items. Ask for an empty plate and share your  healthy order with your child.
12. Follow the food group proportions recommended by choosemyplate.gov. Fill half of your child’s plate with produce, and the remaining two quarters with a healthy whole-grain carb and a lean protein.  As your children get older, challenge them to serve themselves accordingly and praise them for making colorful plates.

And of course, an active lifestyle complements a beautiful diet.  Keep media to a minimum and encourage active play.

I hope this 12-step program helps both you and your child develop healthy habits to last a lifetime! Bon Appetit!

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I was cured of these hedonistic (and incredibly naive) pregnancy fantasies at my first OBGYN appointment. My doctor enlightened me that my daily caloric intake could only increase by a few hundred calories (the exact amount differs from woman to woman). He also said in no uncertain terms that consumption of caffeine, alcohol (obviously), produce grown with pesticides, and raw fish (no sushi for 9 months?!) was forbidden. I was instructed to seriously limit my intake of sweets, trans-fatty foods, and all of those white flour comfort foods like pasta. Adding insult to injury, my husband, the person I had banked on being the Clyde to my Bonnie in a nine month culinary crime spree, did his own research and deemed that shellfish and a variety of other items be added to my ever-growing list of eating no-no’s.

After a few more days of wallowing in my selfish attitude, it finally set in that I had a totally dependent being inside me and it was my job to nurture the both of us. Instead of the 1500 calorie ice cream parfaits I couldn’t have, I focused on the extra 300-500 nutrient-packed calories I could enjoy. I’m talking 2 cups of Greek yogurt, 3 ounces of trail mix, or a small piece of wild salmon with a side salad, and doing my best to eat organic as often as possible. In addition to taking daily prenatal vitamins and supplemental Omega-3’s, I made sure I was consuming plenty of protein (which thankfully eases morning sickness) and foods rich in calcium, folic acid and iron.

Once I focused on the lasting impact of my food choices, the disappointment of not getting to eat Ben & Jerry’s for breakfast everyday was replaced with the greatest of joys: knowing that I was helping my baby boy’s brain develop, strengthening his cardiovascular and immune system, powering us both up for labor and improving my odds against having postpartum depression.

Also, I quickly found that the more nutritious the foods were that I ate, the better I actually felt. I had less constipation (oh yes, I could go on about that topic but I’ll spare you), heartburn, muscle cramps, morning sickness, and cravings for high fat/sugary foods. I made a commitment to breastfeed which, aside from it’s innumerable benefits, would allow me to shed baby weight more easily and more importantly, help keep me mentally happy. The healthier I stayed, the more optimistic I was.

Was mine the pregnancy most women dream about? It sure wasn’t the foolish vision I once had of myself lounging on the couch all day watching Oprah and shoveling Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups guilt-free into my mouth, but two kids and five years after that initial experience of being pregnant, watching the two mentally, emotionally and physically fit bodies tearing through my house, I have to say it should be.

Women making the choice to eat healthy during pregnancy is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children, and there’s no better day to start than today.

Catherine McCord is the Founder of weelicious.com and is a PAM Advisory Team member.

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Chief Nutrition Strategist at Clif Bar & Company, makers of LUNA Bar

Feeling a bit moody and tired throughout your days? Pregnancy will do that to even the most active and healthy women. The good news is that by snacking smart, you can help alleviate these low points and boost your energy.

Snacking is an important opportunity for nourishment and will help you feel better, especially during pregnancy:

• Blood sugar typically dips several hours after eating, and small, frequent snacks smooth out those energy peaks and valleys, fight fatigue, and keep the metabolism humming.
• Eating several snacks a day helps curb cravings and prevents hunger pangs.
• Snacking adds structure to a daily eating plan, providing a boost even when schedules are erratic.

Smart snacking is about making SMART choices to get the nutrients your body needs and meet your cravings.

• Fruit and vegetables – eat as much as you want, especially the colorful ones, which are usually richer in vitamins and antioxidants
• Whole grains – oatmeal, whole wheat foods, brown rice
• Eat small and often – eating smaller more frequent meals curb the urge to binge on a big meal
• Make no food forbidden – allow yourself to indulge once in a while. (Remember, dark chocolate is chock full of antioxidants!)

Be proud of what you put into your body. Trust your gut to help you snack smart by honoring your cravings and enjoying nutritious, and sometimes indulgent, food.

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TWITTER PARTY

MAY 15th

7pm PST / 10pm EST

Follow us @PregAwareness & Join the party #MayPAM

Special Guests:

Dr Alan Greene, MD, FAAP, PAM Advisor, Plum Organics Expert/Pediatric Advisor

www.DrGreene.com

On Twitter: @DrGreene

Catherine McCord – PAM Advisor and Founder of www.Weelicious.com

On Twitter: @Weelicious

Tara Dellolacono Thies, RD – PAM Advisor and Chief Nutrition Stategist at www.lunabar.com

On Twitter:  @LUNAbar

WIN ONE OF FOUR

Developing an adventurous eater begins with the first bite.  Plum Organics’ believes every baby is a little foodie and deserves only the purest, yummiest nutrition right from the start.  All Plum products are made with best tasting organic ingredients.

·         BPA-free packaging
·         USDA certified-organic
·         Child safe cap
·         Convenient portable pouch
·         No added sugar, colors or flavors

This prize pack includes* (content may vary):

• A variety of Yum 1 Just single fruit ingredient pouches
• A variety of Yum 2 Fruit & Veggie blend pouches
• A set of Plum Dispensing Spoon by Boon for one-handed feeding.  Comes with carrying case and 2 reusable & dishwasher safe spoons.  PVC, BPA and phthalate-free materials.
• A Plumsie
• A copy of Dr. Alan Greene’s book Feeding Baby Green: The Earth Friendly Program for Healthy, Safe Nutrition During Pregnancy, Childhood, and Beyond

Worth over $150

WIN A BABY BULLET

Set the stage for a lifetime of healthy eating and feeding – with the Baby Bullet! In just a few minutes, you can make an entire week’s worth of healthy, all-natural baby food, for less money than jarred baby food off the shelves.

The Baby Bullet Feeding System ($59.97) , Baby Bullet Turbo Steamer ($29.97), and Baby Bullet Deluxe Cookbook ($14.97), a total suggested retail value of nearly $110.

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The irony of pregnancy is that the actual 40 weeks is referred to as nine months. This is an especially bitter pill to swallow in the last few weeks, when you may be inclined to remind friends, family and even strangers that, technically, you have been pregnant for 10 months.

But the reality is that the first few weeks, which doctors count as part of the 40, actually take place before you’re even pregnant. This is the time between the first day of your period and conception, and it’s crucial: Once the egg is fertilized and implants, the embryo begins transforming at light speed.  At week five—the third week after conception and the fifth of 40 weeks—the embryo is busy forming its brain, spinal cord, heart and other organs.

This is also the time you may start to throw up.

For many of us, that’s not a funny joke. But my point is, before you even know you’re pregnant, your baby is depending on you to create a safe, healthy environment where he or she can grow. That’s why if you’re considering pregnancy—or even the possibility of pregnancy—pre-conception is the place to start.

Healthy Child Healthy World’s 5 Easy Steps are a great roadmap to creating a healthier environment for you and your family—at each and every stage. Here are two that are super important for pre-conception
and pregnancy.

Avoid Pesticides

There was a time when doctors told pregnant mothers it was okay to smoke and drink alcohol because their babies were protected. Obviously, now we know otherwise—but many women are still misinformed about the dangers of the common contaminants that their fetuses are exposed to. In April, a new study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found exposure to pesticides posed the same risk in pregnancy as smoking tobacco, namely lower birth weight and earlier labor. The study subjects were not agricultural workers; they were exposed to pesticides primarily through food. Should doctors recommend women avoid pesticides during pregnancy as they do cigarettes and alcohol? We think so.

According to the Environmental Working Group, you can lower your pesticide exposure by 90 per cent simply by avoiding the most contaminated conventionally grown produce: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, carrots, and pears.

Confused? Remember, the more delicate-skinned fruits and vegetables tend to absorb more pesticides; typically, you can peel off most of the pesticide residue. For all others, opt for organic whenever possible. And if you like memorizing, conventionally grown produce with the lowest level of pesticide residues include onion, avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, mango, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, tomato, and sweet potato.

Eat Healthy

Another recent study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that obesity during pregnancy may increase a woman’s chances of giving birth to a child with autism—by about 67 percent. When asked about theories linking obesity and autism, the study’s author told The Washington Post that excess blood sugar and inflammation-related substances in the mother’s blood may damage the fetal brain.

To ensure a healthy diet, we recommend eating whole, fresh foods as much as possible. Organic is key for the produce we’ve already talked about, but especially so when it comes to dairy and meat.

Unfortunately, when it comes to meat, even organic, free-range can’t protect you from some organochlorine chemicals, such as dioxin, which scientists have identified as the single most potent synthetic carcinogen. These types of chemicals accumulate in animal fat, transfer to our bodies when we eat meat, and can even be passed on to our children when we’re pregnant. So it makes sense to reduce meat consumption, look for low-fat options, trim all fats and skins and cook meats by broiling, so that the fats drain away as much as possible.

Similarly, seafood is the primary way that we are exposed to mercury, a neurotoxin, and PCBs, which are probably carcinogens. Seafood Watch recommends that we choose fish that are ocean-friendly or lower on the food chain such as wild Alaskan salmon, tilapia and mackerel—especially during pregnancy.

You can get key proteins, vitamins and fats from a variety of vegetarian sources such as beans, legumes and nuts.

Overall, eating organic and reducing meat and seafood consumption—even if it’s just once a week on “meatless Monday”—are great steps to think about before you get pregnant.

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By introducing new textures and flavor profiles to your budding eater, you are giving your child one of the most significant tools they will need for a healthy start. As toddlers begin to explore eating independence this will help frame their outlook on food for life.

It is not only important for young eaters to consume their colors. Adults with more established palates experience a better-rounded flavor profile with a mix of sweet, pungent, sour, salty and gentle bitterness that can help balance out food cravings. As always, choosing organic and seasonal produce whenever possible is another way to get the most out of your foods. Scientists have discovered that organically farmed produce creates a better taste and truer flavors, as well as promotes biodiversity and a healthier environment for generations to come.

Here’s a quick splash of colorful food benefits:

Orange & Yellow:  Rich in Vitamin A for healthy skin and to protect against infections.  Plum favorites include: Sweet Potatoes & Pumpkins

Purple & Blue:  Contain powerful antioxidants and heart-healthy phytonutrients including flavonoids, known for improving motor skills and preventing bacterial infections. Plum favorites include: Purple Sweet Potatoes, Plums & Blueberries.

Red: Packed with lycopene, which is linked to various forms of cancer prevention. Plum favorites include: Strawberries & Beets.

Green: Rich in antioxidants like Lutein, which is great for eye health, as well as many others that support cell growth and overall balance in the body. Plum favorites include: Kale & Green Grapes.

Created by a Mom — Plum Organics believes healthy eating starts with the very first spoonful. Plum Organics is dedicated to offering the purest, best tasting organic food for babies and toddlers and believes you can help your lil’ one develop an appreciation for real food and tastes to nurture palate development. Plum Organics has created an awarding-winning line of culinary-inspired, portable baby food in lightweight, re-sealable pouches as well as a complete line of organic snacks for toddlers that help parents nourish their little ones with yummy, nutritious foods.

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Pregnant women seem overwhelmed by the idea of putting on weight. As a dietitian and mother of two young boys, I recommend that you “let go of the numbers”.  Put your scale away and let your doctor, midwife, and appetite be your guide.

Of course it’s important that you eat nourishing foods during pregnancy; but, how much weight you gain or don’t gain should take much less of your attention. You need to trust your ability to apply common sense without checking in on the scale and know that your body’s cues will guide you on what to eat and how much.

Listen to how you feel. Eat when you are hungry, and in amounts that make you feel your best. And when it comes to making nourishing choices you don’t need a dietitian to tell you that organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains are what you should reach for most of the time (or at least when the first trimester nausea subsides).

So, when you weigh in at your check-up turn your back to the scale and have faith that your doctor will advise you on how to have a healthy pregnancy.

Tara DelloIacono-Thies RD

Chief Nutrition Strategist at Clif Bar & Company, makers of LUNA Bar

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Most people do not realize that nutrition also plays a huge role in perineum integrity. A skin fed with white flour and sugar is dry and thin, which can make tearing more likely. A skin nourished with good oils and fats such as avocado, nuts, and olive oil (if well moisturized, hydrated, and strong) will stretch and accommodate the baby beautifully without any damage. Got your attention? I knew it.

But the importance of nourishment goes way beyond simply eating the food. It is also about choosing where to buy and who to buy it from. Learning where and how our food grows is a very current and important matter.  Preparation and intention also play a huge role. I am a mother of four children and I work full time. And yet, every day I enjoy cooking dinner for my family. With each leaf I wash and each vegetable I chop, I imagine my children’s eyes being able to see for many years and I envision their lungs strong. I see energy for their growing bodies as well as nutrients for their brain that will assist them in becoming sharp and smart. I also think about my loving husband and his health and how I am helping to keep his cholesterol low and his heart strong so we can grow very very old together.  Sharing this food together ups its nourishment value even more.

In addition to teaching healthy eating in my childbirth education classes, I live it and teach by example. I serve couples a nutritious meal with loving intention. Choosing, preparing and serving people good food loaded with love goes a long way and the result is happy and healthy tummies and faces.

Cooking in a healthful way is a lot easier that it seems—it’s not intimidating and can actually be quite simple. In cases of “kitchen phobia”, I highly recommend taking some fun and inspiring cooking and green classes offered in communities all over the globe, including our own.

Bon Appetite, Bonne Vie,

Ana Paula

Ana Paula Markel - Certified Doula, Certified Childbirth Educator, DONA Approved Birth Doula Trainer. www.binibirth.com

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Salt Dough Ornaments

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling the dough
• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup water
• Rolling pin
• Cookie cutters (various shapes and sizes)
• Cookie sheet
• Toothpick
• Used yarn or ribbon, cut in 3- to 4-inch lengths
• Nontoxic glue (optional)
• Gold and silver glitter (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the water and stir until the dough is well blended, until no traces of flour remain.

3. Knead the dough on a flat surface until smooth, about 8 to 10 minutes. Do not let the dough get too rubbery.

4. On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it’s about 1/4 inch thick. Using the cookie cutters, cut out shapes and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Use the toothpick to make a hole at the top of each ornament, large enough for the yarn or ribbon to fit through and bake for 2 hours.

5.When the ornaments are done, let them cool, slip a piece of yarn or ribbon through each hole, and knot.

6.If you like, draw glue designs on the ornaments and then cover them with glitter. Allow them to dry, then shake off the glitter.

Anna Getty, Founder Pregnancy Awareness Month, author, cook, educator, and mother

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Alisa Donner & Anna Getty, Co-founders of Pregnancy Awareness Month (P.A.M.)

Last Thanksgiving I announced a bold campaign, spearheaded by an amazing band of volunteers, to upgrade babies’ first foods to real foods – and babies’ first grains to whole grains – and to do this in 2011.

It’s November, and we still have a ways to go, but we also have an exciting reason to celebrate!

Over 10,000 physicians, mostly pediatricians, took part in a July/August 2011 survey by Medscape.com that demonstrated an historic shift in their feeding recommendations this year. The first question in the survey was “What do you recommend for baby’s first food (check all that apply)?” The options were white rice cereal, whole grain cereal, a vegetable, a fruit, egg yolk, meat, or other. Of those who answered as of August 31, the number one choice was white rice cereal – garnering nearly twice as many votes as the next most common.

But after reading an article about WhiteOut Now, our public service campaign the survey results were strikingly different.

Responding to,” What will you recommend for baby’s first food (check all that apply)” only 3% even included white rice cereal among their recommended choices. Physicians were also asked, “Do you think white rice cereal is the best choice for baby’s first food?” About 3% of those who responded had “No opinion” and an overwhelming 93% responded, “No.”

As of now over 12,000 physicians have taken part in the survey, and the change continues to spread. To me this major reversal suggests that the old white rice cereal recommendations were based on well-meaning habit rather than on science or even on careful consideration. When asked to reconsider, an overwhelming majority of physicians were quickly able to see advantages of abandoning the old recommendation.

Evidence is mounting that changing early feeding habits is critical to reversing the childhood obesity epidemic. This stunning survey suggests that first feedings are poised to change. A reason to be thankful indeed!

Alan Greene, MD, FAAP

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