A mother asks us: My child sometimes gets anxious when I introduce a new healthy food. What can I do to entice him to try and eat it?

Elyse Falk, MS, RD, Mom and Laura Cipullo, RD, CDE, Mom answers…

 
 
 
Elyse Replies:

There are a few important things to remember when introducing your child to a new food.

First, it is a good idea to introduce the new ingredient with other foods that they already like to eat.

Next, make the entire process matter of fact. Tell your child that you found a great recipe that you know your friend’s kids really like, and you thought they would like it too. You can tell them what it is (a grain, veggie or protein) and maybe what nutrition it has. But that’s it. Keep it simple.

In my home, I eat the kinds of dishes I like in front of my kids so that I can be a role model and show them how much I enjoy trying new foods. Don’t get me wrong; there are recipes I have made that I just have to say, “Ugh, this really doesn’t taste good,” in front of them, but I think it also shows that I am human and that they can dislike certain foods too. The most important part is trying them. (Some parents choose to impart a “one-bite” rule in their homes, but I wouldn’t push it if it’s going to cause a tantrum.)

Don’t forget that food isn’t always love at first bite. It may take a few attempts for them to taste the new ingredient, so remember that exposure and repetitiveness is key. Try to introduce the new food in different ways by changing the flavor, texture (pureed vs. whole) or cooking method (steamed vs. roasted).

Friends and family may be your best allies too, as sometimes, siblings or friends could entice each other to try a new food. For example, if one sibling likes the food, and the other one has never tried it before and sees his or her sibling really enjoying new flavors, it usually draws interest and the desire to try them too.

At the end of the day though, remember that you don’t want to place too much pressure on your child. If they see you getting angry over the fact that they didn’t taste or like it, they may feel added pressure or anxiety the next time. Just teach them that, in certain instances, it is ok to reply, “no thank you,” and let it go. Children’s taste buds change every day, so don’t lose hope.

Laura Replies:

If your child is really picky, like my boys are, then start by exposing your son or daughter to the new food before even asking them to try it. Exposure is essential. Place the food on or perhaps just near their plate first. They don’t need to eat it, but they do need to leave it be. Even this can be a challenge. My boys still move the food away from their plate—and far away at that. But eventually, it gets on to their plate and stays there.

Once you’ve accomplished that simple yet monumental task, try implementing the one bite rule. If they refuse to take even a small bite, instead of making a big deal, instead try the one lick rule.

My boys are typically ok with the one lick rule. My oldest son, who is now 5 and a half, is even coming around to the one bite rule, of course, as long as he can spit it out if he doesn’t like it. At this point, if I can ask him to take one bite and swallow, he will—but only with certain foods.

Billy, my youngest, is still in the “one lick phase,” unless he sees something he actually wants to try. Billy has made a ton of progress. He tries a lot on his own now, even though he usually doesn’t like it. I know I was the same way as a child. I only ate macaroni with butter or cheese for almost two years. My mother took me to the doctor at the time; he said I would grow out of it, and I did.

I am still, however, quite picky with the quality of my food. I’ll try anything—even pig’s intestine—so long as it’s prepared well. In this sense, the kids definitely surprise me by which foods they will and will not try, so at least they inherited that from me too.

In the case that your child truly, adamantly does not want to taste an ingredient, you may benefit from simply letting it go and trying again a month later. You never know how their taste will evolve, especially at such a young age, so continue to offer and or expose them to new and different foods periodically. While it may seem like it at times, your children are not only going to eat mac n’ cheese and chicken nuggets forever, well – we hope.

Moms: Are your kids anxious around new ingredients? How do you get your kids to try new foods? Do they get their picky tendencies from you?

Mixed Berry Smoothies

On Saturday, we had my son’s school spring fair. Being that I am the food and
nutrition chair, I was automatically given the responsibilities of the Smoothie Bar.
I never follow recipes so trying to forecast the amount of fruit we would need to
make 100 smoothies seemed impossible. Thankfully, Driscoll’s Berries offered to
donate to our event. The graciously sent us delicious raspberries, blackberries,
blueberries and strawberries. I used their recipe to determine the quantities to buy
and then just improvised on the day of. We didn’t need the OJ and we used low fat
organic vanilla yogurt. To my delight, we sold every last berry and my boys loved
the smoothie. Hence my blender is not going away. Both of my boys drank two
smoothies each over the 4-hour period. And, last night they had smoothies for the
night snack!!!

Moms and Dads, I highly recommend this smoothie to help increase your children’s
intake of fruits and vegetables. You can use plain Greek yogurt and or add protein
powder to increase the protein content of the smoothie. The added protein
will prevent a blood sugar roller coaster. Yes, this can happen in children too,
so as adults we should always be thinking of serving our children wholesome
carbohydrates, with lean proteins and healthy fats at each meal and or snack.

So get refreshed this spring with this awesome antioxidant mixed berry smoothie.
Here is the Driscoll’s Mixed Berry Smoothie. I adapted it by eliminating the OJ and
ginger and using extra ice. You can use this version or modify to your heart’s desire.

http://www.driscolls.com/recipes/view/3176/Mixed-Berry-Smoothie

My family recently traveled to South Carolina for spring vacation. I chose not to bring any food along for the kids in order to both decrease the amount of schlepping and expand their intake. I recognize, as a registered dietitian, that my children’s exposure to food is probably more limited than if I were just a regular mom. Their pickiness may partially be my doing; but after seeing some of the chicken fingers out there, sometimes I am quite happy that my boys are as selective as they are.

Our trip began at the LGA airport. While there, we went to one of the new nicer French restaurants, where I ordered a tuna nicoise salad and my hubby ate salmon. Bobby wanted grilled cheese, but the restaurant only offered croquet monsieur, so I asked for that to be made into a grilled cheese. Billy said he didn’t like anything and was not eating, so he didn’t. He was fine with that and so were we. (I packed a PB and J just in case he got hungry on the plane anyway.)

The second challenge of the trip came about during Easter brunch, which we spent at their grandparent’s clubhouse. Fortunately, there were plenty of options on the menu. There were even chicken fingers (thank goodness, or the boys may not have eaten all vacation).

Honestly though, I’m getting to the point where I just want Bobby to move past chicken fingers—even in nicer settings. I seriously believe that the chicken fingers served in most restaurants are of the same quality as those at fast food chains. I would never bring my child to a fast food chain, and yet I allow them to practically consume ingredients of fast food quality with the hope that my modeling will have an effect on their future intake. Sometimes, it can be frustrating and difficult to tell whether it is.

Anyway, back to the clubhouse.

Billy refused all food. I made him a kid-friendly plate with mac and cheese and fruit. He didn’t eat it, but he didn’t make a scene either.

As for Bobby, I created a plate with chicken fingers, sweet potato fries, mac and cheese with lobster, and fresh fruit. He refused to eat anything at first and finally conceded to the chicken fingers and the macaroni (sans lobster). Of course, I silently wished the chicken were grilled and the macaroni whole-wheat. After all, it was Easter. There was a lot of candy at the kids’ fingertips, and I wanted to supplement their sweet tooth with something more nutritious in order to balance their blood sugar and meet the demands of swimming all day.

Each day of vacation, we faced the same dilemma: “What can the kids eat off the menu today?”

While I typically enjoyed items like heirloom beet and goat cheese salad, Bobby requested grilled cheese on whole-wheat with fries. (The whole-wheat was my doing.) Billy ate sliced cheese, that is, if he liked the cheese the waiter brought him, and shared some of Bobby’s fries. French fries are somewhat of a recent behavior. Not a mother’s dream, but at the end of the day, food is food. I’d have to use breakfast and snack time to sneak in apple slices, applesauce, raisins, bananas and veggies squeezers.

At dinner, my husband and I encouraged the boys to choose a dish off the kid’s menu. I was not bringing food to every restaurant, and while I would love for my children to eat off of the adult menu, we’re just not there yet.

The kid’s menu typically consists of pasta with cheese or sauce, pizza, chicken fingers, grilled cheese and hamburgers. Bobby varied his choices each night. The one evening he chose chicken fingers, I actually felt like sending it back; the strips had no semblance to chicken. Instead, there was this big puffy fried breading-like cloud engulfing the meat. I held my breath. Bobby didn’t even want it, though he picked at some of the meat once I pealed the fried layer off.

Dear Restaurants,

Please offer baked chicken fingers or grilled chicken on the children’s menu. Please pair this with fruits and veggies or baked French fries. Kindly serve whole-wheat bread as the grain of choice and let parents request white bread if they want it.  

Thank you,

Laura

I don’t understand why more restaurants can’t make these simple adjustments. When we vacationed in California last year, Bobby ate quesadillas (though he has since taken this off his list again). Kid’s menus in California were a breath of fresh air compared to what we were dealing with in South Carolina. On the west coast, menus teemed with nutritious options, from grilled chicken to fresh fruit to corn on the cob and veggie sides.

By the end of our week in South Carolina, I wound up making Billy a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He ate whole-grain pancakes with chocolate chips at the diner on our last morning. (By the way, every breakfast place offered whole-grain or whole-wheat pancakes. I’m grateful that the diners in South Carolina served whole-grain pancakes with real fruit.)

Perhaps most surprising about the weekend was that the kids didn’t eat the Easter candy their grandparents gave them. This was amazing. Believe it or not, their baskets sat untouched on the counter the entire week. My oldest son actually told me he liked the New York City Easter Bunny better because that Easter Bunny brought toys, not food! They did, however, munch on the jellybeans grandma left out on the table everyday and the ice cream she offered. And that was just fine. All I ask for on vacation is a sense of balance. If 75% of their intake is made up of nutrient-dense foods, the rest can consist of “sometimes foods.”

What made the trip a success? Well, I now know the kids are getting to an age where they can behave themselves in restaurants. While Billy needs a little more help, Bobby can always find something to eat. Then again, Billy can always just eat sliced cheese if nothing else is available. I definitely do not expect a restaurant to cater to his food preferences—or lack thereof.

Although eating out at restaurants increases their exposure, table manners, patience and other positive behaviors, at this point, I’ve come to realize that eating at home is probably the best option. My boys get so many “sometimes foods” during snack times, at friend’s homes and even when visiting their grandparents that it’s ultimately in their best interest that I feed them, and so that’s what I’ll continue to do for the most part.

Moms and dads: What do your children eat when dining at a restaurant? Do you think the chicken is real whole chicken or equal to that of the chicken served at fast food chains? 

I have children with attention difficulties and because of this, I feel that their ability to detect hunger and fullness cues are dulled. Can this be taught?

Moms, Laura and Elyse respond:

All children, whether they have attention difficulties or not, can benefit from a quiet, calm and soothing environment that’s free of distractions, but it’s just as important to time all meals and snacks too. Here are a few tricks of the trade that can help teach your child how to recognize internal satiation cues over time.

Set the mood. Give your child a 5-minute warning that their meal will be served. Take this time to turn off any screens that may be on, and maybe turn on a little light, relaxing music in the background. The atmosphere can be a critical element as you begin to create a calming environment.

Take control. Because a hyperactive child may be impulsive, I recommend keeping the food on the counter or stovetop to prevent impulsive behaviors during the meal. Once your child is ready to eat, you can then go ahead and plate their food. It’s okay if your child requests seconds, but it’s a good idea to ask what their stomach feels like before going ahead and serving more. In other words, ask what their hunger or fullness level is before dishing out a second portion.

Hungry vs. Full. One good way to determine whether your child truly wants a second portion is to have them create a unique scale that allows them to express their hunger or fullness. Keep in mind that even adults may have difficulty determining the difference between hungry and full based on biological factors. A deficiency or resistance to the hormone leptin, for example, can impede on the ability to determine fullness. More research is needed to identify whether this holds true for children too, and if so, what the exact trigger is [1].

Create your scale. Try designing a child-friendly chart that ranges from 0 to 10—0 meaning starving and 10 being extremely full.

Let your child think up their own descriptions for the numbers 0, 3, 5, 7, and 10, but begin by asking them to describe what 0 and 10, or starving and stuffed—the most extreme sensations—feel like first, as these are most obvious. What does “extreme hunger,” or a 0, feel like? Is it dizzy? Is it crying? Is it sleepy? Is it a meltdown? Does your belly hurt? Are you nauseous or queasy? Then ask them to identify the opposite extreme. This would be overfull or stuffed and equal to a 10 on the scale. Does this mean belly pain? Belly sticking out? Nauseous? Want mommy to rub belly? Pants may be uncomfortable around their tummy? Not interested in eating more food? Can’t sit at table any longer? Can’t eat your favorite food if offered?

Each of these descriptions will differ slightly from one child to the next, but ultimately, it will help to jump-start this identification process, allowing them to both feel and recognize internal satiation cues. If it’s difficult for your child to verbalize their feelings, try using faces (happy, sad, etc.), stickers or pictures of children who appear happy, sad, angry, etc. to allow them to relate to the emotion.

Once extreme feelings are identified, then narrow it down by establishing what it means to be neutral, or not hungry and not full. This would be a 5 on their scale.

If your child is at a 5, but claims to still be hungry, then it’s appropriate to serve enough food to get them to a 7 on the scale. At that point, you probably wouldn’t need to serve an entire portion. (Of course, the amount will differ for each child, and individual parents can estimate and then let their child determine the rest.)

If your child responds that they are at a 7, explain to them that their body received all of the nutrition it needs for now, and they can have something to eat at the next meal or snack when their body is hungry again. (Remember, this all depends on your child’s personal scale. This may be a 3 for them.)

If your child asks for food in between meals or snacks, explain that food is only necessary when they are truly hungry, which may be when they feel like a 3 or higher (again, this may vary). The point is to teach them the difference between hunger and fullness, and while they should trust that you’ll serve them more when they are truly hungry, the scale will also allow them to identify whether they need more or not on their own.

Example of a H/F scale

10 = Belly Pain

7 = Comfortable fullness

5 = Neutral, can eat a little more

3 = Stomach growling, stomach empty, need to eat

0 = Starving

Institute a reward system. You can also consider offering a reward for positive behavior, for example, when your child sits nicely at the dinner table. The reward should be age specific, and consistency is key. This reward should not be food. The reward is not for eating but for sitting at the table. Never reward for eating or use food as a reward.

One way to facilitate a reward system is to utilize tangible measurements of time, such as an hourglass. This can be placed before your child so they can monitor their behavior too. Start small, and work up to greater accomplishments. For the first week, if your child sits at the kitchen table for more than 10 minutes, regardless of what they did or did not eat, they would get a reward. At week 2, if the child sits at the table for 12 minutes, regardless of what they eat or how much, they would get a reward. Helpful Hint: The sand timer from Lakeshore Learning Center offers different time ranges from one minute to ten minutes.

Of course, all children—not just those with ADD or ADHD—have limited attention spans when it comes to sitting at the table. These strategic tactics are simply inspired by behavioral techniques utilized for children with special needs, though the goal is a common one: to ensure that your children get the nutrition they need.

1. Aronne, LJ, Bowman A. The Skinny: On Losing Weight Without Being Hungry-The Ultimate Guide to Weight Loss Success. New York, NY: Crown Publishing Group; 2009.

A Real Mom’s Question

How should a parent handle instances when one child has a HUGE sweet tooth, and is underweight but the other kids in the same family are a normal weight or overweight?  For example, at dessert time, all the kids want ice cream – maybe one child shouldn’t have a ton and the other really could use it.  How does a parent deal with this situation in a way that doesn’t create food issues?

Ice Cream via The Daily Caller

Two Real Moms’ Answers

Focus on Equality

First and foremost, everyone should be treated equally at the dinner table. In order to prevent any type of discord between the kids, you’re far better off teaching them the importance of nutrition and their health in a more neutral setting.

Regardless of weight, children need to focus on eating balanced meals and snacks. Sweets, like cake, cookies, and candy, are what we like to call “sometimes foods,” because they are foods that are okay to eat some of the time.

The child with the huge sweet tooth has to learn to eat an array of flavors – not just those made mostly of sugar – otherwise they may develop nutrient deficiencies or simply close their mind to the idea of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts, eggs and low-fat dairy. Even an underweight child should not make sweets his or her primary source of nourishment. Instead, teach them to focus on increasing the amount of nutrient-dense foods they consume throughout the day. Young children need to learn to eat the kind of food that’s necessary for their bodies, and observe healthy role models who guide them, so that they can grow into confident eaters.

Reassess

Did your family’s pediatrician recommend that your child gain weight, or are you assuming this? Do your children’s height and weight fall into in the same percentiles on the growth chart? If so, it is probably safe to assume that both of your children are at appropriate weights. In general, the focus should not necessarily be on gaining weight. Instead, it should be on eating enough nutritious food on a daily basis. Consider seeking counseling with a registered dietitian.

If your child’s weight is truly beneath their height on the growth curve, your child has not grown in a year, or if a physician prescribed weight gain, then you’ll need to focus on increasing the quantity of food your child is consuming while simultaneously looking for ways to add nutrient-dense foods to their intake (this refers to a small serving of food that is high in calories). As Mommy Faulk reminds, children have smaller stomachs than adults and often can’t consume large amounts of food at a time. Because of this, they may need to eat smaller, nutrient-dense meals more often.

You may also want to ask yourself: Is my child a picky eater? Don’t forget that, just because school sets aside time for lunch doesn’t mean your child is eating. Perhaps something happened at school that is causing them not to eat, or maybe they don’t have enough time to eat. This may be the problem, especially if your child has lost a significant amount of weight in the past 2 months (>/= 2%) and could possibly put them at risk of developing an eating disorder. In other words, in order to remedy the situation, it’s essential to first determine why your child is not meeting their nutrition needs.

Quick Tips to Increase Intake Without Increasing Quantity

• Add 1-2 tbsp of wheat germ to yogurt, meatloaf, cereal, muffins, etc.
• Add an extra slice of cheese to their sandwich.
• Add granola to low fat yogurt or allow them to eat it plain.
• Put peanut butter on their muffin.
• Make smoothies with protein powder and lots of berries.
• Add a morning snack of raisins or nuts at around 10 a.m.
• Provide a snack of crackers and a spread like hummus before bed.
• Encourage healthy fats such as avocado, olives, olive oil, nuts, and nut butters.
• Have all-natural nutrition bars and packaged low-fat milk available on the go.
• Let them have a mini-meal when they get home from school, like a sandwich, grapes, low-fat cheese, hearty soup, homemade English muffin pizza, etc.
• Add olive oil to whole-grain pasta and veggies; let child dip whole-grain bread into olive oil with their meal.

Behaviors to Implement

• Talk to the school to help your child to remember to eat.
• Help your child relax before meals and decrease anxiety to prevent emotional fullness.
• Encourage your child to help choose the menu.
• Do not discuss food issues and/or weight at the table.
• Focus on your child’s behaviors around food and commend them for trying new foods or practicing self-care.
• Make meals an enjoyable time so they are not rushing to finish and leave the table.
• If the pediatrician is concerned, have them talk to the child with a parent in the room and explain why they need to get more nutrition.

Anytime I participate in an event like this, my goal is for the kids to have fun learning about different foods so they realize that nutrition and being healthy is both easy and delicious. Easier said than done though; they are, after all, only four to six years old.

One of my ideas was to use a lesson plan from my program, Healthy Habits, to educate the kids on what it feels like to be hungry and full, and then have them take a quiz using their newly learned cues. When working with such young pupils, however, I also want to make sure that the message touches their bellies—not just their brains—and I was afraid that this activity wouldn’t achieve that.

Unsure of what to do, I went to my oldest son, Bobby, and asked what he would’ve liked me to do. He said he didn’t know. So instead, I tried another tactic: I asked him if he knew what I did—what a dietitian does. After thinking momentarily, he went on to share this very insightful response. “You teach people what is healthy and what is sometimes food,” said Bobby.

I don’t know why, but I was amazed that Bobby was able to give such a brief, succinct description of what I do, and I especially loved the fact that he used the phrase “sometimes food.” My efforts and practices are most definitely influencing my son. As an RD, but most importantly as a mother, I felt proud.

This is when I prosed the idea of making healthier cookies. From my encounter with Bobby, I knew that the kids could understand the idea of “sometimes foods” and “everyday foods.” (It doesn’t have to be cookies either; you can modify any recipe at home, like turning traditional spaghetti and meatballs into whole-wheat pasta with turkey meatballs and all-natural sauce.) For the purpose of my upcoming show-and-tell though, cookies would do just fine. They take just 20 minutes to make, and they’ll certainly send a kid-friendly message. Better yet, the kids may even bring the recipe home and share it with their siblings and parents.

So that is what I’m planning to do for bring your parents to class day: to turn a “sometimes food” into an almost-everyday-food and a decidedly healthy and delicious snack option.

Here is the recipe for our wholesome chocolate chip cookies (dark chocolate that is) if you want to try them out too:

Wholesome Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tina Sweitzer – Mom to Young and Chef

 Laura Cipullo, RD, CDE – Mom to Robert and Dietitian

For ~ 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients Wet

• 3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (not imitation vanilla)
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white

Ingredients Dry

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup whole grain oats rolled
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. fine sea salt

Finishing touches

• 8-10 oz. package of Whole Foods Dark Chocolate Chips or 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Now just mix and bake them like a batch of normal chocolate chip cookies. In a mixing bowl, combine all the wet ingredients (partially soften the butter in the microwave, just be careful not to melt it too much). Stir them together with a spoon. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Now carefully stir in the dry ingredients in with the wet. Now stir in the dark chocolate chips. 
Place cookies on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 10 – 14 minutes.

Download a PDF of the recipe here.

Fluffer Nutters vs. the Apple… which one really wins??? by Colleen Colletti

“Ring, “my alarm clock yells, indicating that Monday morning has arrived and the usual craziness of getting my husband, two children, and I ready and out the door for the day begins! Each morning I select a delicious energy filled lunch for my children, drop off at school and wish them a splendid day.

I arrive at work, a middle school classroom. Throughout my teaching career, I have watched as many of my students arrive to school sluggish. At lunch I see those same students enjoying a processed filled lunch, or trading aspects their nutritious meal for a bag of chips. The problem is simple, you send your child to school with a healthy balanced lunch and instead of eating it, it is traded for a sugar or additives overload. Not only does an unhealthy diet affect your child’s energy, it also may have health implications later in life. Yet how do we get our children to eat the lunch we send them? In kids eyes how does healthy food compete with what other students bring into the lunch room. Are we really reaching our kids or do the Fluffer Nutters win out?

Fluffernutter via ayearwithoutcandy.com

So how does one fight against the endless sea of fast food restaurants, bakeries, treats brought into the classroom, and the food exchange at lunch. In my household, we believe in providing a variety of food choices. My husband and I feel that banning certain foods simply makes the child want it more. Instead we allow our children to enjoy goodies, but provide healthy alternatives to the processed foods. For instance, instead of store bought chocolate chips, we offer cookies with all natural ingredients and dark chocolate instead of milk. Another big hit in our home are the fresh fruit ice pops. I liquefy strawberries, pour them into a kid friendly mold, and add a few strawberry or raspberry chunks and freeze over night. In the morning, they always love to have a fresh ice pop, and I don’t mind giving it to them, because it is all natural. An added bonus to these sweets is that it fosters quality time with my children. They love to put the cookie dough on the tray or berries in a bowl. I agree that between little league, ballet, or any other after school activities, it is much easier to simply buy pre-made treats, but are we really helping our kids? So in reality, how do I find the time to bake or cook? The answer is simple… make extra! I don’t bake or cook like my mother, whom every time you walked in the house the aroma of fresh goodies filled the air. Instead, I create fresh meals every few nights allowing for healthy leftovers. In terms of snacks, every few weeks I enjoy a Sunday afternoon with my children baking. Half our delicious snacks, I place into a jar and the other half go in the freezer. My children have become accustomed to natural fresh ingredients and in many cases shy away from the lack of quality and taste that processed foods offer. As a result, this method has helped expand my children’s taste buds in a way that is fun and healthy for them.

Sliced Apples via usappleblog.org

What about those of you with a younger or older clientele? Daycare or nanny is prevalent even more today with a two household income. These environments are wonderful both socially and academically, except children are also exposed to sickness at a younger age. A wholesome diet, aides a healthy immune system cultivating their emotional, cognitive, and developmental skills. Some may say that the little ones are much easier to feed then the big ones. So how do we reach those opinionated teens? My experience with the young adult age group reaffirms what I do at home. Teenagers who have enjoyed fresh fruits, vegetables, essentially an all natural diet since they were little, continue those habits through their adolescent years. They are active members of the classroom throughout the entire day. No late afternoon sugar crashing! While, the students who have grown up on macaroni n’ cheese or Ramen noodles, will pack just that for themselves when they are in charge of their lunch. I always cringe when I see a growing child diving into a fast food lunch and diet coke on a daily basis. How do they have the energy required of them to study, play sports, and become active participants in their educational career?

In conclusion, as long as we teach our children to make the right choices, healthy choices… we are one step closer to winning the battle!

Alicia Silverstone Feeding Her Child via NY Daily News (Screengrab from thekindlife.com)

On Wednesday, while shopping at Whole Foods, I received a telephone call asking me to comment on Headline News about Alicia Silverstone kiss feeding her 10 mos child as shown on her website. My first thought was penguins do this, not humans. Penguins have flippers not hands. Hum??

For babies, toddlers and children – eating their own food, using their hands and mouth is part of the feeding and eating experience. It is developmentally necessary. There are behavioral, emotional and nutritional consequences to mouth feeding aka “kiss feeding”.

Behavioral: I am sure everyone has bitten a piece of food during a meal for their child to try or perhaps have used their teeth to break something when they didn’t have a knife. However, to make a regular habit of chewing your child’s food especially at the age of 10 mos or older is skipping a developmental stage of growth for your baby and toddlers.  What is developmentally appropriate? Well first of all, children need to use their hands – touching, greasing, feeling temperatures, textures and practicing the pincer grasp  (btwn 9-12mos). Next, babies, toddlers and children all need to taste food, explore texture and temperature in their mouth. Most importantly they need to learn to chew, use their teeth and use their tongue to push food back.

For Example: Whether it is eating finger foods, or learning to use a utensil, these behaviors are taught at a young age. I think people need to consider the effect of this “kiss feeding” as a daily habit. Will the child learn to chew their food? Will the child think it is appropriate to eat out of another human’s mouth? This is the time to create positive eating habits such as sitting at a table, and making decisions about food and quantity.

Emotional: It is recommended that the child be in control of feeding. This helps to slowly teach self-esteem and independence. A child must learn pre-feeding skills, oral motor skills and feeding skills. If a child cannot choose portion sizes, colors or textures because the food is being pre-chewed by a parent, the ability to make decisions and be a confident eater is minimized.. Lack of choice is understood by the child or toddler as lack of control and dependence on the parent.

Nutritional Quality: Digestion begins in the mouth. If a parent is chewing the child’s food, the parent is breaking down the food. The child can do this. A blender doesn’t add enzymes and bacteria. Salvia does. I think chewing your kids food is taking away your child’s opportunity to use their amazing bodies. Again, at ten mos. a child should be learning to chew, choose and feel independent with food. Finally, a vegan diet has risks for deficiencies of B12, calcium, iron, omega 3 fatty acids, zinc, and Vit D. If someone is raising their baby or child on this limited diet, be sure to seek medical advice to ensure your child’s intake is not deficient.

When thinking about the experience of eating, always consider your child’s behavioral, emotional and nutritional development for the length of their life.

My commentary on HLN will be posted to view in the next 24 hours. Check back later or follow MomDishesItOut on Facebook to get the link. 

My journey began with the family in which I was raised. I come from an Italian and German household. I have one sister. My mother, who is 100% German, was fantastic about providing balanced, home-cooked meals. She made us oatmeal and pancakes, packed our lunches, and prepared dinner menus that included stuffed peppers, roasted chicken, veggies and grains. Our lunches typically had 2 cookies as a side (I distinctly remember envying my friends with bags and bags of snacks.), and we ate dessert nightly.

I remember observing my father’s eating habits along with those of my extended family, including aunts, uncles and cousins. My family is not on the lighter side; rather, many relatives weigh on the upside of 300. Holidays and celebrations were centered on food. If we had 30 people, then we had 30 pounds of mashed potatoes. Portions were without limits. However, my sister and I ate intuitively. I never thought about portions or my health until 8^th grade, when I was diagnosed with high cholesterol.

The doctors told me that I had “inherited” high cholesterol, but before they would consider medication, I was instructed to change my diet. Physically, I was still very petite, and though I ran track and stayed in shape, I also consumed a ton of high-fat dairy products like cheese and drank whole milk like it was going out of style.

The doctor’s prognosis made me much more aware of my diet, and so my mother and I began to educate ourselves. I eventually learned to lower my consumption of high saturated fat foods, eating less cheese and switching to skim milk. I ate plain pasta. Within a month, my cholesterol dropped from 236 to 180. Wow! If observing my family’s eating habits signified the first time I’d recognize differences in dietary behaviors, then this was the first time I realized the power of those behaviors and what we put into our bodies.

When I hit middle school and high school, specifically between 7^th and 10^th grade, my habits changed significantly, mainly because I started eating outside of my home on a regular basis. I ate a lot more pizza, Chinese take–out, and tons of muffins while working at DePiero’s Farm, which had a bakery I absolutely loved.

I specifically remember people telling me I would gain weight if I kept eating those foods—especially the muffins. Well, they were right. The next time I’d have a revelation of this magnitude was when I couldn’t fit into my clothes—the result of eating endless baked goods daily for lunch while working one summer. Puberty and growth may have been partially to blame too, but the weight gain was largely caused by an increase in calories.

Another piece to the puzzle was when I quickly lost weight as a freshman in high school—the result of playing sports all 3 seasons. The weight loss was unintentional, and when my friends and family noticed, they brought it to my attention. In an effort to re-gain the weight, I began to eat even when I wasn’t hungry. This helped me put the weight back on, but this routine of eating for no reason and at any time stuck around.

Sophomore year was challenging for me. I could no longer run due to an injury and I was eating for behavioral reasons, as mentioned above. Fortunately, I began to learn about health and nutrition in biology class. I became fascinated, and before long, I was hooked.

It was also around that time that my uncle Gene was diagnosed with diabetes and started seeing a registered dietitian. Kindly, he was open to me joining his sessions.

Inspired by what I was learning, I knew I waned to become an RD and began apprenticing for my uncle’s nutritionist, Nancy. Just like that, my career path was set.

So like I said, my decision to become an RD can’t be pinpointed to any single moment in time. In the same way many others discover their passions in life, my desire to learn about nutrition and to teach others about its importance is the result of a confluence of experiences—from my childhood on. It was through all of these lessons that I personally found empowerment, balance and my ideal health. Today, as an RD and a mother, I can only hope to pass on my knowledge and enthusiasm for the field to others.