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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.

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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.

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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:
  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Lightly grease 9x13 baking dish with butter.
  3. Combine melted butter and graham crackers in a bowl, then press into the bottom of the pan to create a crust.
  4. 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). 
  5. Bake for 35 minutes or until slightly browning on top.
  6. Cut into small pieces and enjoy!

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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!

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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!

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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.
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  • 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.

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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
​
  1. Drain olives.
  2. Cut the goat cheese logs into 3/4” slices, and cut each slice into quarters.
  3. Grind the smoked almonds into a fine powder in the Vitamix (or other blender or food processor).
  4. 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!)
  5. Roll the olive in the crushed almonds and place on a platter.
  6. Serve on toothpicks. Makes about 50 olives.​

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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.

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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!

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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.

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Sensory Play using Dot Paint Markers

10/2/2019

 
Feeding Littles | This sensory play activity is great for kids who don't like to get their hands dirty. A feeding therapist uses dot paint markers to help promote sensory play and can help picky eating.

Selective eating can improve with sensory play.

What thing can you just not stand to touch? I HATE touching chalk, and Megan despises touching anything with pruny post-swim hands!

Sometimes kids really hate touching certain textures or getting their hands dirty. If this aversion interferes with normal daily life - as in, they won’t touch certain foods or won’t eat certain textures, they won’t play with specific toys or art mediums, or they struggle with touch in other aspects of daily life - some sensory play may be in order.

To continue our Foodie Judy series (check out our other sensory posts on dry textures and wet, sticky textures), I want to share with you one of my favorite activities for kids who dislike getting their hands dirty - dot paint markers! Do A Dot Art washable paint markers are an AMAZING set that are great because they’re super portable and not messy (kids don’t have to touch the mess directly), but they create spots of paint that kids eventually want to touch and finger paint with! Make sure to have a bowl of water and some towels nearby in case your child gets anxious about the mess.

The more comfortable kids get with messy hands, the more tolerant they are of different textures at mealtime! It really does help - if you feel like you need more help with sensory struggles, ask your doctor about a referral to an Occupational Therapist specializing in sensory development. It can make all the difference!

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Intuitive Eating Challenge with Candy

10/1/2019

 
Feeding Littles | A dietitian mama provides tips for a simple mindful eating activity that's perfect as Halloween approaches.

A strategy for more mindful eating.

​As Halloween approaches, so many parents get anxious about candy and sugar - check out more on this in our other posts about handling Halloween candy and stressing less about sugar!

What I (Megan) have seen is that many parents are uncomfortable around sugar and candy because they don’t know how to handle it themselves. Perhaps you find yourself eating an entire bag of Reeses’ Pieces the week leading up to Halloween, or your kids’ candy loot feels like it has some sort of control over you. Sound familiar? You aren’t alone.

What I love about being in the Instagram community is learning from so many other intuitive eating dietitians, and one phrase I’ve seen floating around many of their accounts is that we are simply giving candy and sugar way too much credit. We’re giving it too much power. It’s so true. The more we obsess about it and restrict it, the more we crave it and the less we actually enjoy it while eating it. Do you notice that you eat candy very quickly so you “destroy the evidence”? If you think about it - what’s the point? Why eat it if we don’t actually enjoy it??

I challenge you to give yourself a little more credit and take the power away from that food. One way to do this is by sitting with candy (or any food) and really letting yourself actually enjoy it. Yes, eat it like you’re wine tasting. Really taste it. Give it time and aim for satisfaction from the eating experience.

Here are some tips for doing a simple mindful eating activity:
  • Remember that the purpose of eating candy is to enjoy it. Give yourself a moment to focus on the eating process.
  • Smell the candy (seriously!) - connect your senses and get ready for the eating process. Notice that you may start salivating or feel really anxious to eat this food. Do you like the smell? Is it appealing to you? 
  • Take a small bite and close your eyes. What do you taste? Really try to capture the flavor of the candy. Is it what you expect, flavor-wise? Better? Worse? 
  • Chew slowly and carefully. Notice what's happening in your mouth - are your taste buds waking up? Do you like the texture as you chew?
  • Swallow the bite and just sit for a moment, noticing how the candy made you feel. Did you actually like it? Does it feel like it "hits the spot" or perhaps you don't like it as much as you expected? Do you need more?
  • Slowly eat what feels right for you and move along with your wonderful life. It may be too much for what your body wanted or not enough to satisfy you right now, and those are both OK. Remember that this is a discovery process, and you are learning for next time.

What you may notice is that a few bites hit the spot, or that you don’t actually like the candy once you’ve let yourself taste it. Maybe you need more than you thought. Perhaps you realize that you’d prefer another type of candy. Whatever you discover is OK.

I challenge you to try this again a few times as Halloween approaches, giving yourself unconditional permission to eat - and enjoy - some candy, however much that may be. You are worthy of eating food that tastes good, and that applies no matter what size you are or what you’ve eaten that day.

Do you need help with this? Please check out the book “Intuitive Eating” by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. I have said it before and I’ll say it again - it will change your life!

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    Authors

    Megan and Judy, co-owners of Feeding Littles, bring you helpful info on food, nutrition, picky eating, and feeding young children. Megan McNamee MPH, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Judy Delaware, OTR/L is an Occupational Therapist specializing in feeding therapy with children 3 and under in Boulder, Colorado. Megan and Judy are both moms of two and love helping families develop a healthy appetite for all foods! 

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