Expert Advice On Feeding Your Children

Share Jack's Light 2019

12/19/2019

Sweet Jack is the reason Feeding Littles exists. Read more about his heartbreaking story here - grab some tissues, because you're going to need them!

To celebrate Jack's angel-versary on December 23, we wanted to create something that depicts an important lesson Jack taught us: to pause, step back and simply enjoy our children exactly as they are. We hope that this free printable is something you'll post in your home as a special reminder from Jack.

We hope you have a beautiful holiday with your family. Amidst the chaos, don't forget to take a moment to take it all in. Really look at your children and notice their smile, their features, their sweet voice. It is something we all take for granted every day, and Jack reminds us that these times are certainly fleeting and not gifted to everyone.

Click either of the files below to download the printable - the first is a JPEG, the second is a PDF.

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Managing Thanksgiving with New or Selective Eaters

11/25/2019

Mateo, 9 months - @whitneysara08

Thanksgiving is a time to gather family and friends and share a delicious meal. You envision a table full of loved ones - or perhaps just your small family - and enjoying favorite dishes from recipes that have been passed down for generations.

Unfortunately, it's not always how Thanksgiving (or other holiday dinners) work. For parents with picky eaters, Thanksgiving may be stressful as you anticipate comments what family members will say about your kid's eating habits (and what they imply about your parenting). Perhaps you're doing Baby-led Weaning (infant self-feeding) and you worry that loved ones will not understand how your baby eats. The sights and the aroma’s might be completely delicious to adults, but for many children, especially picky eaters or children with special needs or allergies, this meal can cause stress to the whole family.

Remember, flexibility is important with all things, especially children and holidays.

We've laid out some strategies for keeping Thanksgiving fun and low-stress with your BLW baby or selective kiddo.

Tips for self-feeding babies.

Communicate with your partner. Make sure you're on the same page as your partner about how you'll handle your baby's food and when you plan to leave. Keep communication open.
Communicate with your family and friends. Inform your fellow Thanksgiving diners that your baby feeds themselves before you sit down for the meal. This helps prevent any surprises once food has been served. If you'd like, explain why you chose BLW (without judgement of what they may have done with their kids) and explain that many parents are now opting to go this route.
Use us as your scapegoats. If you have taken our Infant course, explain that you got specific instruction from two feeding professionals. Tell them that it is normal for babies to gag while eating, and that gagging and choking are not the same thing.
Keep it comfortable. Offer foods that feel most comfortable to you. Perhaps you just started BLW a few days ago. It's OK to offer baby mashed potatoes on loaded GOOtensils.
Bring supplies. If eating at somebody's home, bring baby utensils and an eating mat.
Thanksgiving dinner may not be the best place to start BLW for the first time.. Practice a few meals prior to the big day.
Decide if you want to include baby in the eating experience. While Thanksgiving is a wonderful memory to share with your baby and we'd hope you feel confident serving them holiday foods on this day, brand new eaters don't necessarily have to share in Thanksgiving if it stresses you out too much. The family dynamic or mealtime environment may not be ideal for your family this year. This is especially applicable to families still navigating new food allergies, or if dinner is served after your child's bedtime. No one solution is right for every family, and it's OK if your baby skips Thanksgiving food for any reason. They can always try leftovers another time.
Protect your host's home. To minimize mess, make sure to put a towel or splash mat on the floor below your baby's eating chair (or your chair if they're on your lap). Don't forget a bib! Avoid serving baby's food on china or glassware.

Tips for selective eaters.

Host a Thanksgiving dress rehearsal, especially if your child is very picky or has sensory issues. Serve a practice meal with your kids including many sights, aromas, and sounds of Thanksgiving Day. Many grocery stores or casual food restaurants have complete Thanksgiving meals you can purchase to practice. Have your child sit in a different chair, especially if you already know what kind of chair they might be sitting in on the big day.
Communicate with your family and friends. Inform your fellow Thanksgiving diners that you have been working on picky eating strategies and will not be forcing your child to eat or bribing them with dessert. Make sure to talk about this away from the table and away from your child. Kindly ask them to let you handle mealtime dynamics instead of stepping in themselves. They simply want to help, but the strategies they have used on their kids may be contradictory toward your end goal.
Taste test and dip! Kids love to learn to taste and dip into sauces. You may want to bring special tasting cups or separated plate to allow the child to deconstruct their meal for an increase in eating on that day. It's OK to add ketchup or another favorite dip alongside your child's food.
Keep portion sizes tiny. Remember, most children can get easily overwhelmed at Thanksgiving Day meals. We recommend using a tiny serving spoon to serve themselves less overwhelming portions - they can always have more. You may want to explain to the host that your child will eat better if Mom, Dad or another preferred person (like an older child who is a role model) plate your child's meal.
Kid table...or not? Many families use the kid table for older kids (2 years+). Only kids sit at this table. This can go either way, and predicting your child’s participation can be tricky. Remember - keep the end goal in mind: to enjoy the day and be thankful for friends and family. It's OK for your child to fill up on bread with butter and pumpkin pie filling for one meal, we promise!
Focus on making memories. Allow your child to help in the meal preparation process or other decorating ideas for Thanksgiving. Kids can participate in many fun ways, including coloring or decorating name cards for the table or using stickers to decorate placemats. (Remember - heartfelt and kid-made can be better than "perfect.") Making a Thankful Tree is also fun! Each guest writes what they're thankful for on construction paper leaves, and older kids can help cut out these leaves with age-appropriate scissors. Some families do a Thankful Table Cloth and write what they're thankful for on the cloth itself. This is a great way to make positive memories with your child and start traditions for your family. It also takes the focus away from food if mealtime causes any stress. Your kids will look forward to these activities as they grow, and they will be fun keepsakes to look back on!
Set expectations low and stay in the moment. Your child might be overwhelmed by so many things: experiencing new smells, the timing of the meal, their chair might not be perfect, there are way too many people talking at the same time, and the visual stimulus of candles, glassware, people and food on the table. It is a lot to take in, even for us parents! Keep your expectations low and enjoy the things you can control, like staying present with your family and having food on the table. The rest will all fall into place. Don’t expect your child to be a marvelous eater or sit there for the entire meal. Keep an eye on your child at the table and have a game plan with your partner for how to handle who gets up first with the child. Have one parent tend to your child while the other parent finishes dinner and then switch so each parent can have an adequate social engagement and meal as well.
Serve something familiar with the meal. There's no need to make a special meal for your child barring medical or developmental issues, but make sure there's one familiar food your kiddo can fill up on if they don't want to eat the main dish. Bread with butter is a common "safe" food for toddlers.
Make sure your child doesn't get too hungry - too full - before the meal. A hangry child is not a fun child, so offer a snack a few hours beforehand - kids don't appreciate or tolerate the "wait until the Thanksgiving meal so you're super starving" approach. They need regular meals and snacks on the big day. Conversely, appetizers can prevent your child from wanting to come to the table if they get too full. Remember, this won't be perfect. Do what you have to do to make the day pleasant.
Bring Turkey Day activities. Check out Pinterest for fun crafts and Thanksgiving ideas. Involve the kids so they have enough to do while the dishes are cleaned and football is watched. Bring enough for all of the kids in attendance - this can make the day last a little longer!
Protect your host's home. To minimize mess, make sure to put a towel or splash mat on the floor if your child is prone to spilling or dropping food. Some toddlers do well with china and glassware, but Thanksgiving is not the time to start practicing with keepsake dishes.
If you are at someone else’s house, have an exit strategy. Know when you anticipate leaving, and communicate throughout the day to check in. This can be especially important with babies and young toddlers who may struggle to nap in new environments. Holidays are different with little kids than they used to be, and sometimes plans change. It's OK! Things will get a little easier as they get older, but right now you're in a special season.

Managing allergies?

If your child has known food allergies, make sure to inform your host ahead of time. Always ask for ingredients in foods you didn't make, and consider bringing allergy-friendly Thanksgiving dishes your child can enjoy so they can be part of the celebration.

Restaurant Essentials with Babies and Kids

10/3/2019

Feeding Littles | Two feeding professional moms list their favorite items to have when eating out with kids and babies eating solids. You can still enjoy eating out as a family with little ones.

While you don't need anything special for Baby-led Weaning or toddler feeding, the right gear (and realistic expectations) make restaurant eating much easier. Check out our Amazon shop that includes a Restaurant Essentials section.

Here are some of our favorites for eating on the go:

EZPZ mini mat to cover the table
Bapron Baby bib (our all-time favorite bib for 6m-3T)
NumNum GOOtensil for self-feeding thinner foods like guacamole or yogurt (also doubles as a teether for babies)
Gerber rounded tine fork for loading with food and promoting self-feeding (this may take more time and more attention from your baby, perfect for a restaurant dining experience!)
Toys for the time when you’re waiting for food - these will change as your child gets older, but we did favorite plush toys, teething toys and simple light blocks for babies and bandaids, wikki stix, stickers, and art as my girls got older. We put some favorite activities in the Amazon shop! Now, we just talk, color, and play tic tac toe as we wait for food!
A nice gratuity if your baby or toddler leaves a mess - if you don’t have the time or ability to pick up after a meal (especially if the floor is carpet and they have to vacuum), it’s nice to leave a little extra tip.

Getting Creative with Blueberries

10/3/2019

Feeding Littles | A list of different ways to offer blueberries to kids, toddlers, and baby-led weaning babies starting solids. Offering foods in different ways can help selective eating.

Do your kids enjoy blueberries? There are so many amazing ways to use this summer fruit, which is crazy high in phytochemicals (but definitely can turn kid poop blue). You can definitely serve blueberries as is (modified for age), but we like to change it up and use blueberries in other ways too.

Here are a few ways that our family enjoys blueberries:

Alternate with strawberries or bananas on a skewer and dip into melted chocolate or yogurt dip.
Smash atop toast with almond or peanut butter as "jelly".
Blend with yogurt or kefir (use dairy-free if needed), coconut oil, coconut milk, cinnamon, and a sweetener (option) for a smoothie or homemade popsicle.
Serve atop cereal, oatmeal, or overnight oats.
Blend with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, lemon juice, and salt and pepper for a delicious dressing atop spinach, feta, walnuts and blueberries.

We recommend squishing or halving for kids under 12 months to be extra safe (although they’re not a true choking hazard). Keep the salad for older eaters due to the honey (a no no under 1) and the whole nuts (avoid until 4).

If you are looking for more ideas like this, you can follow us on Instagram or check out our online Toddler Course.

Holiday Favorite: Magic Bars

10/2/2019

Feeding Littles | An easy holiday dessert to share with family and friends that requires minimal ingredients and very little prep time.

Magic bars are always the favorite of the party when we make them. We gifted them to neighbors recently and I already got the "best neighbor ever" text from a few of them - one asked to put in a large order, another asked if I’m selling them. Not kidding, they’re insanely good!

Do you feel out of control around holiday desserts? One thing to try: sit down so you can really enjoy your dessert - we savor food most thoroughly when we are given the space to enjoy the eating process. Put it on a plate, maybe grab a glass of milk/milk alternative (or beverage of choice), and taste it! Eat slowly and savor each bite! After all, isn’t that why you want to eat it?

We usually use more quantities than what typical recipes call for - see images below of us putting together the layers. *Make sure the walnuts are finely crushed if serving this to kiddos under 4.*

Ingredients:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup melted butter
2 cups milk chocolate chips
2 cups butterscotch chips
2 cups flaked sweetened coconut
2 cups chopped walnuts
1.5 cans (14 oz each) sweetened condensed milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Lightly grease 9x13 baking dish with butter.
Combine melted butter and graham crackers in a bowl, then press into the bottom of the pan to create a crust.
Layer with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut and walnut, then top with the sweetened condensed milk, trying to distribute milk evenly over the pan. (Layer progression photos below).
Bake for 35 minutes or until slightly browning on top.
Cut into small pieces and enjoy!

Benefits of Baking Holiday Cookies with your Child

10/2/2019

Feeding Littles | A feeding therapist provides ideas and tips for child development through baking cookies. Families create memories with added sensory play and developmental skills.

Judy here, back with another feeding therapy tip! Many families like baking cookies from scratch around the holidays - perhaps it's something you did with your family growing up, and hopefully you have positive memories of the experience!

Did you know that baking holiday cookies is also an amazing sensory, fine/large motor, and life skill activity that I actually use with some feeding therapy clients? Check out these images of me doing this with a client!

Baking cookies from scratch can be especially helpful for kids who hate touching gooey textures or getting their hands messy.

A few tips:

Be careful with electronics (hand blender) and heat (oven). Above all else, safety is important!
Your child doesn't have to do every step - perhaps have them do one or two things.
If it is safe for them, let them be independent (for at least part of the time) doing that activity. Yes, it will be imperfect...but that's how they learn!
Expect - and embrace - the mess. Flour will get everywhere, guaranteed.
Feel free to use natural dyes/toppings if desired, and modify for food allergies. There are so many allergen-free sugar cookie recipes on the internet if you need to modify for your family!
Not a scratch baker? Buy a tube of dough and let your kiddo experiment from there. No judgment, mama. Enjoy the experience with your kids!

Activities you can give your child to do, depending on age and comfort level:

Wash hands and workspace
Measure ingredients (assisted)
Pour wet and dry ingredients
Crack eggs (older toddler)
Stir and touch dough (if using mixer, toddler can press button)
Use one hand to hold bowl, other hand to stir
Pick up and carry a bowl
Press down on cookie cutter
Handle delicate food (hold cookies and place on sheet)
Use a spatula to transfer once cookies are cooled (assisted)
Frost cookies using butter knife
Add decorations and eat!

How can you make this a success?

Wash your hands! Remind your child that we always wash hands before handling food.
Introduce the dry and wet ingredients (and tools, toppings) to your child so they know what to expect.
Assist your child with the activities above as necessary - you can use the hand-over-hand technique for the rolling pin. Let them interact with the wet and dry ingredients (we recommend not tasting until they're cooked, but do what you feel comfortable with).
Bake! Watch their anticipation as they see the cookies puff up in the oven (use the oven light). Talk about heat safety when you pull them out and let them cool.
Frost and eat! This is where the mess factor is high. Yes, some sugar is ok! (Check out our post on sugar).

You can start baking with kids starting at 16 to 18 months old. They will be touching (and eventually eating) various textures, which makes great sensory play. You child will also be practicing fine and large motor development, math, communication/language, following directions/sequencing, and patience! Most of all, you are encouraging independence, a love for cooking, and making memories as a family!

Kid-Friendly Thanksgiving Meal Ideas

10/2/2019

Feeding Littles | Tips for a successful Thanksgiving dinner for kids of all ages from feeding professional moms, including picky eating toddlers and baby-led weaning babies starting solids.

Are you ready for Thanksgiving with your baby, toddler, or child?

Here are different ways you *can* serve Thanksgiving dinner to kids of various ages! These ideas are by no means prescriptive and are meant to inspire you!

A few things to note:

Portions are tiny for all ages. As you may have read in our blog post surrounding Thanksgiving, the big meal can be a very overwhelming time for young eaters. New foods, new smells, perhaps a new environment...and then a HUGE plate full of food they sense they’re expected to eat. We recommend keeping portions very small so your child isn’t overwhelmed - they can always have seconds.

In these images, we recommended using real china for kids 3+. This is up to you and depends on the kiddo and setting. Some younger toddlers do well with glassware and breakables; others need more practice. Thanksgiving dinner isn’t always the best place to practice new skills, so decide what works best for your child. Many absolutely are ready for real plates!

Babies can have cranberry sauce and bread with butter; we just didn’t include it here because more food is overwhelming.

Some toddlers don’t like pie or find pie crust difficult to eat. One way to serve it is crumbled up on top of ice cream; this is simply an idea though! You can always give them pie in small pieces.

Some parents aren’t ready to give babies or young toddlers tastes of pie, so of course the pie filling is optional. (We both let our kids have some when they were older infants - it’s about tradition, sharing food, being with family and learning balance, but you decide in the end!)

Many adults love to cover their dinner in gravy, but it’s important to let less adventurous eaters explore gravy on their own. Judy recommends offering gravy on the side as a dipping sauce. It’s less “scary” for a reluctant eater, and many kids love to use dips!

We hope your holiday is full of laughter, good food, and perfect imperfection.

Smoked Almond Goat Cheese Olives Appetizer

10/2/2019

Feeding Littles | A fancy and easy holiday appetizer to bring to your next party. It only needs three ingredients and is quick to assemble.

Do you have a go-to party or holiday appetizer? I love making new party snacks!

This one is my favorite - it’s requested by my dad’s golf friends every time I see them! The smoky, salty sweet combo of the olives, goat cheese and crushed smoked almonds make it taste complex and interesting, but it’s literally just three ingredients! You’ll feel like a fancy gourmand serving these, even if you couldn't accomplish other tasks in your day you meant to get to. Kids can eat this too, just make sure to quarter the olives for kids under 4.

These ingredients were just what I found at Target but you can use whatever you can get!

2 jars Pearls Olives organic bell pepper stuffed olives or other stuffed green olive
12 oz Montchevre goat cheese
12 oz Blue Diamond smokehouse almonds

Drain olives.
Cut the goat cheese logs into 3/4” slices, and cut each slice into quarters.
Grind the smoked almonds into a fine powder in the Vitamix (or other blender or food processor).
Wrap a goat cheese piece around each olive and mold with your fingers until completely covered in goat cheese. (Yes, this gets messy! Older kids can help too for a sensory experience for all!)
Roll the olive in the crushed almonds and place on a platter.
Serve on toothpicks. Makes about 50 olives.

How to Serve Squash to Babies

10/2/2019

Feeding Littles | Babies starting solids at 6 months old can have all the different seasonal squash if cut and cooked properly. Squash make good choices for baby-led weaning babies because they are soft and are well-liked.

We love squash, especially during the fall months! These fall favorites are super high in vitamins and minerals and have a hearty texture that helps bulk up a meal so you’re satisfied when finished and have more leftover! They’re a great first food for baby because they’re soft enough for strong gums and are usually well liked by new eaters.

These delicious beauties are shown here cut as wedges - technically some of them are half moons because of the round shape of the squash. All that matters is that baby can pick them up using a palmar grasp and can bring them to their mouth.

A few things to note:

The spaghetti squash can be served in a clump, on a loaded NumNum GOOtensil, or on a loaded rounded fork.
Leave the skin on the bottom of strips/wedges for better grip.
If you find your wedges break easily, make them thicker.
Cooking suggestions are just one of many ways to prepare these amazing foods! Use oils, spices and flavorings as desired - just go easy on salt for kids under 12 months.
Cook times may vary depending on the size and thickness of your pieces.

These are simple preparations - you can change it up as much as you'd like to meet your family's needs and favorite tastes.

Need help encouraging your baby to feed themself real foods? Check out our online Infant Feeding Course to get professional nutrition and feeding help from the comfort of your home!

Sensory Play using Water Beads

10/2/2019

Feeding Littles | Help your child tolerate wet, squishy textures with this sensory activity using water beads from an occupational therapist. This activity can help picky eaters tolerate more food textures.

Did your child dislike touching the insides of a pumpkin when carving pumpkins this Halloween season? If so, they may struggle with squishy, wet textures – and playing with water beads can help! Water beads can be found on Amazon or many craft stores.

Safety Note: water beads, although non-toxic, are NOT meant to be consumed as they continue absorbing water as they travel through the intestines. They’re also choking hazards if eaten. This activity is only meant to be done with older toddlers or kids who don’t put toys in their mouths and under very close parental supervision.

When it comes to sensory processing, many people fall under two camps: sensory seekers and sensory avoiders. Sensory seekers like strong sensory inputs – for example, they’ll seek out spicy, sour or heavily flavored foods. Most sensory seekers love water beads, too. Playing with them is almost mesmerizing and can emulate an ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response)-like experience.

(If you are a sensory seeker, search #asmr, #asmrslime, #asmrsand and other ASMR hashtags on Instagram to discover an amazing new world! I apologize in advance – you will be hooked to these videos!)

On the other hand, sensory avoiding children and adults may not love the feeling of water beads on their hands, but playing with this type of medium helps them become more tolerant of wet, squishy foods like peas, berries, grapes, cherry tomatoes and wet pasta.

Start by having your child help pour the dried water “beadlet” into a bowl with amount of water recommended on the instructions. Give them the control to pour the water, then watch as these water beads soak it all up. Be certain to use a large enough container - you will be shocked as to how big these little “beadlets” can grow!

Once they are at full sized, usually in 3-4 hours, ask your child to stir the water beads with a wooden spoon, scooping them with a measuring cups into a large mouthed funnel. Maybe holding the funnel is the most they can do. Sometimes just being in the same room with an activity of this nature is more than a child can tolerate. Adding familiar toys (toy cars and trucks, toy slide, toy shovels, balls, etc.) can encourage play, but never force your child to participate.

Here are some end goals to keep in mind:

Tolerate picking up water beads with utensils first, then hands.
Tolerate touching toys and tools buried within the water beads.
Eventually tolerate the feeling of wet, squishy textures like berries, citrus and peas in mouth.

<<Previous

Share Jack's Light 2019

Managing Thanksgiving with New or Selective Eaters

Tips for self-feeding babies.

Tips for selective eaters.

Managing allergies?

Restaurant Essentials with Babies and Kids

Getting Creative with Blueberries

Holiday Favorite: Magic Bars

Benefits of Baking Holiday Cookies with your Child

Kid-Friendly Thanksgiving Meal Ideas

Smoked Almond Goat Cheese Olives Appetizer

How to Serve Squash to Babies

Sensory Play using Water Beads

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