Lunch Solutions for Busy Moms

Welcome this week’s guest blogger Jennifer Broe, mom of 2 and president of Baby Gourmet Foods Inc

From their early days as a newborn well into the school years, we concern ourselves with how to feed our children well. Are they getting enough iron in their diet? What about those consistently untouched peas and green beans on their plate? Does it mean something when they’ll inhale dinner one night and reject the same food the following week?

For as much thought as we put into creating healthy meals and snacks for our little ones, how much time do we spend focusing on our own nutrition? I talk to so many other moms who are so preoccupied getting good food into their kids that they often sacrifice attention to their own diet. Sneaking bites of your kids’ meals doesn’t count as a meal by the way.

Today I’d like to focus on the topic of lunch. As the middle meal of the day, it may just be the most neglected one. You aren’t as likely to entirely forget to eat breakfast after hours of not eating, and dinner is often a family affair. However that sneaky midday meal often goes undetected until the rumbles in your stomach finally tip you off in the middle of the afternoon. And while it’s been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, for a busy mom on the go, you can’t underplay the value of every single meal for a few important reasons:

It’s your fuel – Your car or crossover SUV will only go so far if you don’t remember to put gas in it. Think of your stomach as your tank – if it’s running on empty, you’re going to be sluggish and not be able to function at full capacity.

Crash and burn – If you skip lunch, not only will you run short on energy, by the time your body realizes how hungry it is, it makes choosing the right foods that much harder. It has been advised that you never grocery shop while hungry because you’ll buy more than you need and be tempted by unhealthy foods. The same goes for choosing food when you’re over-hungry. Rather than reaching for something filling and wholesome, you’re more likely to grab something that satisfies a craving, but doesn’t necessarily provide much in the way of nutritional benefits. By eating lunch consistently before you get too hungry, you’re more likely to make better choices.

Do as I say – You can tell your children to eat lunch, but if they regularly see you skip it, that may underscore the importance of the meal. You not only set an example for your children by what you eat, but by when you eat.

I know that some days it feels as though you barely have enough time to go to the bathroom, rather than make yourself lunch. Just keep in mind that lunches don’t need to be elaborate to be healthy and clean.  In fact, you can use many or all of the same ingredients you use for your children’s lunches!

My two go-to tips for lunches are plan ahead and prepare ahead. Meal planning for the week ensures you have several healthy options in the house. Writing out a schedule also prevents the problem of scrambling around the kitchen when you’re in a hurry and trying to find something quickly.

Preparing ahead is as simple as washing and cutting up fresh fruits and veggies and storing them in containers in the fridge. It’s not complicated and doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Take 20 minutes two evenings a week once the kids are in bed and chop til you drop – carrot sticks, celery or cucumber slices, sweet bell pepper strips, chunks of watermelon or mango. Berries are also a great option, because they don’t require peeling or chopping. Wash them, de-stem if necessary and voila – they’re ready to eat as is. Washing, chopping and storing a head of lettuce also makes salads a cinch. If have leftover chicken or salmon from dinner, shred it before storing it in the refrigerator for use on a salad or in a pita the next day. Hard boil a couple of eggs, slice or shred some low-fat cheese. If you already know what you’ll be eating, you can have all the ingredients ready to toss together the following afternoon.

Some of the lunch ideas – also known as the 3 S’s – I routinely turn to include for myself and my two children:

Salads – There are no limitations as to what you can or can’t put in a salad. Use some of that chopped, washed lettuce or a few handfuls of spinach. Top with some of that leftover protein from dinner and fill in with your favourite vegetables or even fruits. Sliced strawberries or a handful of blueberries make a wonderful addition to salad. If you want some variety, add some chopped herbs such as cilantro for an unexpected flavour. Top with a dressing made of 1 or 2 teaspoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of your favourite vinegar – balsamic and red wine are my own preferences.

Sandwiches – Gone are the days of soggy meat between two slices of white bread. Use multigrain or whole wheat and place some sliced avocado, tomatoes and cheese between two toasted pieces. Or fill a pita with some chicken or tuna and add some plain Greek yogurt or hummus and load with veggies. If you’re really in a crunch for time, spread 1 tablespoon of almond butter between two slices of lightly toasted bread and drizzle with agave syrup or top with a sliced banana for a grown-up version of your childhood PB&J. On those can’t-stop days, my daughter and I often each down a pouch of Baby Gourmet Juicy Pear & Garden Greens on the side so we get our two servings of fruits and vegetables, even when in a hurry.

Smoothies – Often thought of as a breakfast food, the number of smoothie combinations you can come up with is endless and a great option for the noon hour. Combine a half-cup of plain or vanilla non-fat Greek yogurt with nearly anything: a handful of berries, half of a banana or any other fruit that looks or sounds good to you. Loosen it with almond milk (unsweetened chocolate is a great pairing with banana in a smoothie) or plain low-fat milk. Light coconut milk is also fantastic with pineapple chunks a pouch of Baby Gourmet Tropical Banana Bliss. If you’re feeling really adventurous and want to up your veggie intake, add a handful of spinach or kale to your smoothie combined with a banana!

Jennifer Broe is the mother of two well fed children and has a passion for all things culinary. She is also the visionary and president of Baby Gourmet Foods Inc, a multinational food manufacturer specializing in nutritious and delicious organic packaged baby food that recently launched in Wal-Mart stores across Canada. Jen is an inspirational and motivating speaker to women, entrepreneurs and busy moms.

Congratulations Janelle K – winner of the Baby Gourmet gift basket giveaway

Baby Gourmet are offering a fabulous giveaway to our readers of a gift basket packed with Baby Gourmet food and other food and baby-related products, valued at $100

To enter simply  browse the Baby Gourmet range and tell us in a comment below which variety you think sounds the most tasty.

To earn bonus entries:

• ‘Like’ The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms on facebook
• ‘Like’ Baby Gourmet on facebook
• Follow @BabyGourmet on Twitter
• Tweet this contest, or share it on facebook ‘ Win @BabyGourmet gift basket – the best tasting, all natural, 100% organic food for your baby via @RookieMommy http://wp.me/pC8a1-24z ‘

Be sure to leave a separate comment below for each of your bonus entries.

• Giveaway is open to US & Canada only
• Winner will be drawn at random
• Giveaway closes June 10th, 2011

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Monkey See, Monkey Do!

As a brand new parent you are probably wondering to yourself “am I doing this parenting thing right?”, “are other new parents doing things the same way I am?” You are also probably a little unsure of your actions. The piece of advice that I always dish out to new moms on this topic is to trust your gut.  As a new parent your hormones and emotions are heightened and even though there will be some mistakes made here and there, generally your actions are going to be the right ones.

Always remember that your children are a reflection of you! Like a baby animal on the Nature Channel that imitates its parents your new little bundle of joy is also watching your every move. So resist the urge to groom the lice out of your husband’s hair but take some comfort in knowing your little one will eventually come around to what you need and want them to do just by observing you.

This probably won’t happen right from birth considering your child can really only see shadows for the first four weeks….but, research shows that overall babies prefer the sight of human faces over anything else.  Research also shows that babies begin to learn habits early on from their parents.  So, here are some tips to consider when interacting with your children during that early time in their lives:

1) The age old saying “eat your veggies” applies to you too mom. When your baby starts eating solid food she will look to you to determine what to eat and how to eat it. So, if you want your little one to grow up loving peas, make sure not to snub your nose at them either. Show your child how much fun trying new food can be and they will grow up with an open mind and open palate.

2) Get your shut eye. For those parents who co-sleep with your child or let your child sleep in the same room as you, demonstrate to them that its bed time by turning off your light at a decent hour and going to bed. Now of course you’re more than likely to be woken back up by your child within a couple of hours for a feed or diaper change, but at least your little one can witness the act of you falling asleep….over and over and over again all in one night 🙂

3) Curb your enthusiasm. It’s inevitable when your sleep deprived that your patience and emotions will run thin.  However, if there’s a situation where you feel like you’re going to lose your cool, make sure to step out of the room, away from little eyes and ears before you do.

4) Smile and the whole world smiles with you. If you smile and laugh with your little one on a regular basis, they will be more likely to smile on their own. Plus, they say you use more facial muscles to frown than to smile….so, go ahead and give your face muscles a break and crack a grin.

Consistency is the key and repetition is the answer, don’t worry if you don’t get it right all the time as long as you get it right 80% of the time. There’s no need to be walking on eggshells around your child in fear that you will teach them bad habits.  Instead just become more tuned to your outward actions and maybe think twice before wincing at that plate of brussel sprouts or endeavor to stop yourself from cursing the next time you stub your toe as there might be little eyes watching you.

What is Baby-led Weaning?

Welcome this week’s guest blogger, Gill Rapley, co-author of Baby-led Weaning – The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods

What is baby-led weaning?

Baby-led weaning (BLW) isn’t about stopping breastfeeding, and it isn’t just for breastfeeding babies. It’s about introducing solid foods, which is the very first step in the changeover from only milk feeds to (eventually) no milk feeds at all. It’s a way of starting solids that lets the baby set the pace.

With BLW, there’s no spoon-feeding and no purees – the whole family shares the same healthy food at family mealtimes and the baby feeds himself, playing with food to start with, and gradually choosing what to eat, how much and how fast. It may sound revolutionary but only the name is new; many parents have already discovered it for themselves, just by following their instincts.

What’s so good about baby-led weaning?

Babies want to handle food and they like to feed themselves. Allowing them to do so helps them to develop good coordination and independence. It may also help to reduce the risk of obesity, because the baby is not coaxed to override their natural appetite control in order to ‘finish’ his dinner. And it makes eating enjoyable, so reducing the chances of mealtime battles in the toddler years.

The current worldwide recommendation is that solid foods should not be introduced before about six months. Babies of this age are able to reach out and grab a large piece of food, bring it to their mouth, bite off a piece and chew it. Introducing pureed foods before this doesn’t help them learn to chew any sooner and may actually delay the transition to table foods. All they need to get good at self-feeding is the opportunity to practice.

How does baby-led weaning work?

About half way through their first year, babies start to need more than breastmilk (or formula) alone can supply. But it’s only a matter of a few micro-nutrients – not about feeling hungry. By a happy coincidence of nature, this slight increase in need emerges at the same time as the desire to explore. It’s curiosity that makes the baby want to try solid foods, not the need for nourishment.

When your little one watches avidly while you’re eating a banana, it’s the activity that fascinates him, not the food. He doesn’t want you to mash up a banana and spoon feed it to him; he just wants you to pass him your banana – now – so he can have a go. It’s only later that he’ll begin to connect solid foods with filling his tummy.

Many people worry that babies who feed themselves with lumps of food will choke. In fact, for a healthy person of any age, feeding yourself is probably safer than being fed by someone else. This is because you need to coordinate chewing, swallowing and breathing, which you can’t do easily if you’re not in control. Baby-led weaning gives babies that control.

Getting started with baby-led weaning

Aim to include your baby in your mealtimes whenever possible, from around six months onwards. Try to make sure that he isn’t hungry or sleepy, so that he can concentrate and enjoy this new ‘game’.  Make sure he is sitting upright (supported if necessary) – either in a high chair or on your lap – so that he can move his arms easily without toppling over.

Unless there is a family history of allergies, most healthy family foods are suitable. Sticks or chunks of fruit, steamed or roasted vegetables, and large strips of meat are good first foods. Make sure the pieces are big enough for your baby to hold in his fist, with some sticking out.

Cook food from scratch where you can and avoid store-bought meals. Keep away from whole nuts, raw fish, salt, honey, and added sugar. Gradually introduce your baby to a variety of sizes, shapes, colours, flavours and textures, to help him develop his skills and enjoy a varied, healthy diet. Make sure that no one other than your baby puts food into his mouth (watch out for ‘helpful’ toddlers!) and allow him to concentrate on what he’s doing (distracting him, coaxing him to eat and rushing him will all make choking more likely).

What to expect with baby-led weaning

At first, your baby will drop food quite frequently, so you will probably want to protect the floor. If you use a clean plastic sheet, you will be able to hand dropped food back safely. Carry on offering milk feeds on demand – your baby will decide when and how to reduce them. Offering water with meals is a good idea, though breastfed babies, in particular, may not need it.

Expect your baby to gag occasionally in the beginning. This is a sort of retching movement (not the same as choking), usually caused by pushing something too far back in the mouth. It looks alarming but it doesn’t bother most babies – and they gradually learn how to prevent it from happening.

Most of all, expect an easy and enjoyable transition to solid foods and a baby who loves food and shared mealtimes.

Gill Rapley

You can find more information in Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods and The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook both by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett, and published in the USA by The Experiment. Or check out Gill’s website.

Congratulations AKG – winner of the giveaway copy of Baby-led Weaning – The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods

Gill and Tracey are giving away a copy of their first book Baby-led Weaning – The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods. To enter simply leave a comment under this post.

For bonus entries:

• Tell us you like The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms on facebook
• Retweet this contest on Twitter (can be done once per day)

” Enter to win a copy of Baby-led Weaning – The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods via @RookieMommy http://wp.me/pC8a1-1R5 “

• Giveaway is open to US and Canada only
• Winner will be picked at random
• Giveaway closes March 25th 2011

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Should Baby’s first meal be peanut butter on toast?

What are they trying to do to us moms? Come to that, what are they trying to do to us authors of parenting books? You get it all straight in your head and then ‘they’ change their minds. ‘They’ being ‘the experts’.

Just last week up they popped again in the British Medical Journal saying breastfed babies could benefit from being fed solids before six months of age, stirring the pot for the mommy bloggers to exchange more heated Tweets on the values of breastfeeding. Now they are saying babies who aren’t weaned until six months of age could be at an increased risk of developing food allergies and iron deficiencies. Funny, because the prior to this study the advice from The World Health Organization issued in 2001 was to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months because immune and digestive systems aren’t ready for other foods before that. After six months a baby can no longer get all the nutrients she needs from breast milk alone, so it’s time to start supplementing with solids. I listened to an amusing radio debate on the subject which highlighted the extremes perfectly: one mom arguing breastmilk was all a baby needed, how her babies were breastfed exclusively and now they are strapping young men who’ve never had a sick day in their lives; and a woman who weaned her babies at seven weeks and now they are strapping young men who’ve never had a sick day in their lives.

Now they’re saying babies should be given eggs before six months to reduce allergies, yet when we were researching for our book the advice was exactly the opposite: giving eggs to babies under one year increased their risks of getting an allergy. The new study published last October by The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the University of Melbourne showed that of babies aged four to six months who ate cooked egg, 5.6 per cent developed an egg allergy, compared with 27.6 per cent of children who first ate cooked egg after twelve months. So they’re now suggesting if we don’t want our kids to develop an egg allergy it should be served as one of their first foods.

Now they’re saying cut the mush: let’s go for baby-led weaning and allow babies solids straight away, jumping over those sloppy mush servings – never mind the slow build up of consistencies from pureed to minced to diced to chunks. With baby-led weaning the baby is allowed to feed himself from the get-go. He sits with the rest of the family at mealtimes, is offered various managable sized finger foods and left to choose whether, what and how much to eat. Advocates of baby-led weaning say there is no research to support spoon feeding being the best way to introduce solids for the majority of babies. They say it’s a practice left over from the days when everyone believed babies needed more than breastmilk or formula at three or four months and at that young age babies aren’t capable of taking food to their mouths themselves.

So hang on, let me get this straight: if we now have to go back to introducing solids at four months of age surely we have to go back to spoon feeding mush initially, because the baby’s not ready for baby-led weaning at that age. And where do we stand on egg at that point? Ugh, my head is spinning! As you can see, I certainly can’t tell you what’s right and what’s not – the new studies? The old recommendations? Heavens, I’m no expert – I’m just a mom trying to keep up. The thing is, we moms rely so much on the experts when it comes to doing what’s best for our babies and I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds all this conflicting information confusing and a little overwhelming. Please, no more ‘new studies’. Heck, what next? Am I going to read a new study saying Baby’s first meal should be peanut butter on toast with seafood paella, soft-boiled egg and a chicken drumstick to gnaw on?

Don’t Rush the Mush

We all know that breastfeeding has been linked to a reduced risk of obesity in children….but, did you know that letting your little one feed themselves rather than spoon feeding them is also linked to reduced risk of obesity?

Yes, it’s true. The research derived from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Copenhagen proves that adults who were spoon fed as babies had a larger obesity population than those adults who were left to eat and explore their food as babies.

I guess it makes sense…..as a mom if you are spoon feeding your child you can’t be sure when they are full. Sure, your little one may make some funny faces at you or spit out the food you are feeding them….but, you may mistake those actions for your little one being a ham when really, they are probably telling you they are full and to stop feeding them.

Whereas if you let your baby feed themselves not only do they intake only what they need but they also get to have fun and “play” with their food. They get to explore different textures, smells, tastes in much greater detail than if they are eating it off a spoon.

One piece of advice we always give to new moms is to watch your babies’ cues. Even though they are small they are born with a pretty good sense of intuition. They know when they are full and they will tell you either by turning their head when you try to feed them, spitting out the food or even crying while you are feeding them. As a new mom it’s hard to judge when your baby has had enough and of course you don’t want to “under feed” them.

But, for you new moms out there who are currently spoon feeding your little one…..try letting them feed themselves. Yes, it will be messy as heck….but, it will provide you with a good photo opportunity that you can later use for bribing purposes (lol).

A Baby is Born!

After 4 years of hard labour….yes, that’s right, four years….we finally have a beautiful baby…….book????  That’s what we like to call our new bundle of joy, The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms.  We worked so hard to get to where we are today and finally it’s here, our big launch, our grand opening, our new arrival, our….well, birth!

You might have seen us advertise the birth of our new book on Twitter, Facebook, TV, Radio and Newsprint (as seen on our “Media” page).  What can we say, we are excited parents.  So, what do excited parents do, they throw a party for everyone to come and see their new baby.  Therefore, last Tuesday we threw a “hum-dinger” of a party to celebrate the birth of “The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms”.

The Party was held at Baby’s World in Coquitlam, British Columbia and we had about 165 people in attendance (give or take a few).  We had new moms, moms-to-be, excited family members and of course media personalities to help us get the word out about our great accomplishment.

When attendee’s arrived they were greeted by friendly hostesses to guide them in the direction of a wide assortment of wine, gourmet cheeses and decadent deserts (thanks to the Original Cupcakes for that one) all the while listening to jazz and browsing the wonderful baby products in Baby’s World.

Attendees were also given an opportunity to purchase a raffle ticket for a 1 in 10 chance of winning any of the door prizes totaling $2,500.  From the raffle proceeds and proceeds from the 50/50 draw, we raised $800 for donation to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.

The evening was a complete success thanks to all of our wonderful sponsors and with a special thanks to Baby’s World for hosting the event for us.  Please take 4 minutes to watch the below documentary of our special evening where we thank all of those who contributed to the baby shower for our book.  Throughout the video we also asked some of our attendee’s “What they wished they had known about being a first time mom?” Take a look……

Lorraine and I are pleased to announce that this launch is only just the beginning for our baby.  We will be continuously providing our readers with updated tips from the trenches, parenting advice for new moms, mommy related product reviews, special mommy giveaways, upcoming local events and much, much more.  So, be sure to check back to our website and blog on a regular basis to see what fun stuff us crazy rookie moms are up to.

Take Care!

How would you like your steak Sir? Pureed please

I had cause to do a little happy dance last night: my 21 month old son ate a piece of pizza. Admittedly, it’s not something most moms would be celebrating and depending where your views lie on healthy eating, pizza might be considered junk food, but at least it’s real food – it’s adult food. As the author of a parenting book aimed at rookie moms, this is probably not something I should admit, but you see, I’ve made a shameful and undeniable hash of feeding my second child.

(Please don’t let this put you off buying the book:

1. Part of its charm is us admitting to our rookie mistakes and then offering you a better way to do things as gathered from our team of experts – i.e. other moms!
2. Erica, my co-author, has no such failings.
3. Do as I say; not as I do.)

With my firstborn feeding went well. I would stand in the playground relieved, and admittedly a little smug, as other moms described their toddlers’ finicky eating habits and battles to get them to eat veggies. One was trying to convince us (and herself) that ketchup could be considered a vegetable. At 17 months my daughter was feeding herself a Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, mash, carrots, broccoli and squash. I would never have remembered this, but we have photo evidence.

Sadly we’re nowhere near this with kidlet #2. I’m still cracking open the jars of pureed mush to get him to eat any meat or vegetables. He won’t eat cheese, which is tantamount to a crime in our household of cheese lovers. He won’t even eat pasta which leaves me stumped – what the heck do you give a kid who won’t eat pasta? Give him rice of course… no, won’t eat that either. And I know it’s my fault. The mess I’ve gotten myself into all started because this kid didn’t know how to eat. It just didn’t come naturally to him. From my experience with #1 I knew there was a learning curve involved with eating, but it was mostly fun and it just seemed to happen. She progressed steadily through textures and tastes; sure she had her dislikes (peas!) and still does (peas!!) but she didn’t cause me any concern.

Not so for #2. Given any form of lump in food he would gag, cough, choke and vomit up whatever of the meal had been eaten so far. He was a highly unpleasant dinner table companion. I tried to progress to toddler jars of food – you know the lumpier ones – cough-vomit. I tried pasta – cough-vomit. I tried mashed potato – cough-vomit (OK, so mashed potato shouldn’t have lumps; I’m not good in the kitchen). So I didn’t push the lumps. I didn’t introduce diced food at 10 months; I kept cracking open the jars of smoothly blended ‘baby’s first food’ and now it’s too late – he’s set in his ways and tastes. Now whenever I offer him a carrot stick, a green bean, a pea; he looks at the offending article in horror and dismisses it with an emphatic “No”.

It’s not as complete a disaster as it sounds – we did manage to introduce diced fruit such as apple, melon, grapes and cherries and he eats crackers, bread and butter and of course good old Cheerios. But not a lot of progress has been made towards anything resembling an adult diet in the past year and I certainly don’t see him eating a Thanksgiving dinner any time soon, unless it’s been through the blender of course.

Fun, Fantastic and Fabulous First Foods For your Baby (say that 10 times fast)

As my 6 month old son stares at me with his toothless grin I wonder, what the heck am I going to start feeding this little carnivore in terms of solid foods? He has no teeth to chew the food, his saliva may be able to break down some form of mushy mess, but really, what could a 6 month old desire in terms of food? All he’s had to-date is breast milk….he doesn’t even know what his options are for food.

Therefore, the fine dining menu is up to me to create and I decide the mushier the better. This way he can swallow his new found food easily AND play with it while he’s at it.

I searched the internet for various recipes and read some associated books; however, the recipes that I found were more gourmet than what I cook for my husband and me. Then I headed out to the local grocery store to see what kinds of jar food they had to offer. I saw the associated prices and I decided there had to be a better way.

Right then and there I decided to put on my Martha Stewart hat and get making my own baby food. Sounds difficult right….not at all. I just took what was left over in my fridge (carrots, peas, apples, banana’s) and boiled them in filtered water then stuck them in the blender for about 10 seconds and whoa-la….my very own mushy food fit for a baby. By the way, I made each one separately….mixing them all together would probably taste a little yucky.

One tip I did pick up on from the various books that I read was to dish out the blended baby food into ice cube trays and freeze it. Then, whenever you want it you can pop out two or three ice cubes of food and put it in the microwave for about 20 – 30 seconds to thaw (or you can leave it on the counter to thaw if you don’t have fruit fly issues)….. Just make sure that you store the ice cube trays in a special area of your freezer. You don’t want hubby to come along and mix frozen banana into his rum and coke. In the end, I felt good, the food I made had no preservatives and since I froze everything it had a fairly long shelf life.

Feeding my little guy is so much fun. I put a bib on him and dab a little bit of the mushy food on his tray so that he can play around it while I feed him. It’s a great distractor while you shovel the food into his mouth. He has so much fun and I get to watch him.

PS. Don’t forget to introduce each type of food slowly so you can track allergic reactions!