UltimateMama knows that switching to solid food from a diet of pure breast-milk or formula can be hard for babies tummies. Watch out for signs of baby constipation such as:
– infrequent bowel movements
– grunting baby or crying baby without bowel movements
– stools that seem very hard, sometimes pebble shaped
– blood in stools
Certain foods are constipation culprits for babies (and even some adults), including:
– Rice
– Rice cereal (often a baby's "first food" – UltimateMama started solids with oatmeal cereal)
– Pasta
– Bananas
– Applesauce
– Cheese
– Yogurt
If you feel that your baby is constipated you should consult with a medical doctor to get their advice. UltimateMama's constipation remedies include:
– baby massage
– bathing the baby
– One ounce of prune juice diluted with one ounce of water (ask your medical doctor first)
– feeding baby prunes, plums, pears, peas, peaches. and oatmeal cereal
Easy meals for kids – that is the goal! UltimateMama always likes to add more nutrients to her children's meals. What better way to do just than than to add healthy foods to your recipes. Sound hard? Not at all.
Below are a few of UltimateMama's sneaky foods for kids or food that dissolves as it cooks. Try a few of these "tricks" from the sneaky chef UltimateMama:
– Zucchini: Finely dice a zucchini and put it into your marinara or spaghetti sauce. It will not take long before it disappears! (yellow squash does the trick as well)
– Fuji apples: Peel, core, and finely dice a fuji apple and put it into your tagine, stew, pasta sauce to add some extra nutrients. (other apples may do the trick as well)
UltimateMama never offers her children food or drink that she has not tried first (excluding formula and breast milk – that is off limits for UltimateMama). For example, UltimateMama sampled Earth's Best turkey before her youngest ate it on an airplane. UltimateMama regularly smells and sips their Organic Whole milk and tries their yogurt to make sure it is not spoiled.
If you are giving your child something new you should definitely test it yourself! Make sure you agree with the ingredients, texture, composition, taste, smell, and appearance of anything you put in the mouth of your babes!
Feeding kids in a nutritious manner does not have to be time-consuming. UltimateMama does not see anything wrong with taking short cuts when it comes to feeding your child.
From bagged baby carrots to pre-cut fruit to frozen vegetables, you can feed your child heartily and nutritiously in a matter of minutes. UltimateMama believes that using such short cuts is better than ordering food out for delivery or getting take out.
Think about it – do you really know what makes take-out broccoli from your local Chinese restaurant or delivered broccoli rabe from your local Italian restaurant taste so good? Probably not. If you are not preparing the food yourself you really don’t know the “extra” ingredients/spices that may be added – sugar, salt, etc.
Snacktime or mealtime with kids does not have to be stressful!
Whether your child needs an afterschool snack or a meal, you should always have in mind what you will prepare and serve. Take it from UltimateMama, you do not want to fall victim to the taunts of a hungry child who scream that you are not giving them food fast enough.
UltimateMama usually organizes snacks in little containers so she can just grab and take them with her when she leaves her home. UltimateMama even lets the child choose what sort of snack she craves. Give them two choices – cheese stick or crackers; strawberries or cucumbers, dried apples or goldfish crackers.
For meals, UlimateMama tries to prepare and portion out the food the night before (for lunch and dinner). All she has to do is heat and serve. A little time spent in advance is well worth it in the end.
UltimateMama's toddler is always hungry the second she runs out of nursery school. She definitely works up an appetite creating art projects, participating in science experiments, honing her counting skills, learning about the formation of words, running around at gym time, singing and dancing to the music, and listening to stories.
UltimateMama is always armed with a water in a BPA-free, stainless steel Safe Sippy cup. Additionally, UltimateMama always brings a small snack that will not ruin her child's appetite for a healthy, hearty lunch. Also, make sure you avoid snacks that may be choking hazards. Some quick, easy, affordable snack ideas include:
– crackers
– raisins
– goldfish crackers
– dried fruit without sugar added
– rice cakes
– Cheerios
– berries
– apple slices (or slices of other fruit)
– bread sticks
– cheese sticks, slices, or cubes
– yogurt
– cucumber slices
– carrot sticks
UltimateMama knows that it is not fun eating cereal for breakfast day after day. However, kids need something nutritious before they head off to school. Here are some great, quick, and healthy breakfast alternatives for children.
– Apple slices with almond butter
– Crackers with peanut butter
– Hard boiled eggs (make them the night before)
– Rice cakes with jelly, peanut butter, cream cheese
– Cheese and apple slices
– Yogurt and fruit with granola or other cereal
– Cheese stick and berries
– French toast
– Pancakes (make them over the weekend and freeze them in individual portions)
– Slices of ham and cheese
– Breakfast burrito (tortilla, cheese, turkey bacon or ham)
– Grits with cheese
– Breakfast sandwich (bagel or english muffin with ham and cheese)
– Bagel and cream cheese with berries on top
UltimateMama never mentions the word "dessert" to her children. Dessert is not a food group. Dessert is not mandatory for survival. UltimateMama tries to limit processed sugars in her household. But, do not fret! UltimateMama gives you plenty of ideas for special snacks or treats that will satisfy your little ones:
– Fruit (berries are great – blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries as is melon – watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe). There are so many great fruits to expose your child to on a daily basis. You can even cut up fruit and make funny faces with it on plates that are presented to your little ones.
– Parfaits – such an easy snack and nutritious. Just take plain yogurt, put some granola or cereal on top and add berries and you have a beautiful and health treat.
– Dried fruit.
– Homemade muffins.
– Pita and hummus or baba ghannouj.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup shredded zucchini (peel the zucchini then either use a food processor OR continue peeling it into thin pieces
3/4 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large egg
Combine the first 6 ingredients in one large bowl. Next, combine zucchini, milk, oil, and egg in a separate bowl. Add wet mix to the flour mixture. Stir until dry ingredients are moist.
Portion the batter among 12 muffin cups (I like to use paper muffin cups with fun colors). Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool. Enjoy!
Once again, UlimateMama cannot stress routine enough. Feed your child at the same times each day!
When your child is eating solid food you and your childcare provider should record
exactly what the child ate at each meal.
It is especially important in the early months or years to pay attention to your child’s
reactions after meals when new foods are introduced.
– did the child seem to like the taste?
– did the child enjoy the texture?
– did the child have any adverse reactions or allergies?
(rash, diarrhea,
gas, constipation, etc.)
Make notes in a daily log book
providing details on the child’s eating habits.
Samples of such notes as follows:
– the child ate light at breakfast but had a hearty appetite
at lunch and dinner
– the child ate all of his meat at lunch
– the child didn’t eat much cauliflower at dinner
– the child seemed to enjoy the pureed green beans
introduced at lunch today
– the child likes the pureed butternut squash over the
jarred butternut squash
– the child ate the pieces of cheese but threw all of the
peas off the high chair’s tray table
