 Let’s talk tips for serving the same meal to everyone in your family when possible...and why it's sometimes not possible. Before we start, did you grab our free Family Meal Toolkits for Dinner and Breakfast yet? (That’s where these meals came from!) Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter where great resources like these come out first. Why do we want to eat the same meal as a family when possible? It’s easier, cheaper, and helps your kid learn to eat a greater variety of food in the long run. The problem? Kids don’t always want to eat what we serve. It can take 20-30 exposures for a child to want to eat a new food. So how do we serve what we’re eating to our kids and make it a success for everyone?
What we want you to notice on these plates:
 “Do we all have to eat the same foods at a meal?” It’s not always possible! We talked about the benefits of serving one meal to everyone above. However, we can’t always eat the same things for a variety of reasons:
 We know its ideal to eat the same meals and serve our kids a variety of foods - even if they might not eat them right away. So, how can we make meals and snacks successful when we have to eat different foods?
  Let’s talk food waste with babies and kids! Here are some creative ways to waste less food, found from all over the internet.  A few weeks ago, we asked you about your biggest nutrition concerns given the unique time in which we are living. So many of you said that you are worried about food waste, especially given less food availability or fewer trips to the grocery store. Some food waste can be inevitable when feeding babies and kids - they may throw, drop or squish food or not want to eat things on their plate. Since don’t recommend forcing babies or kids to finish their food, how do we handle food waste? Here are some general tips:
Thanks to Rachel Harding for teaching us the sandwich bread trick years ago! To use the tomato paste, just add to recipes to heat from frozen.   How do we help our kids feel safe when we’re dealing with uncertainty, especially when it comes to food? Many of you have asked us how to deal with lack of access to food and food waste with your kids. This is a very scary time for many families, and while many grocery stores still have lots of foods, some have less variety. Here's some ways you can communicate with your kids to help them feel safe.  Food might not be available like it usually is, but we can try our best to help our kids feel like they’ll get enough to eat. Why is this important? When kids sense food insecurity, they may start hoarding food, eating more than their body needs or obsessing about food. It can also increase their risk for anxiety and behavioral issues. This is tough, but we can do our best to help them feel like food is and will be available:
  You might have a lot of frozen veggies at home, but how do you make them actually taste good? We’ve put together a set of simple recipes (using many pantry staples) that utilize frozen veggies on our Pinterest account. Head to our Using Frozen Veggies board to check out these recipes! Frozen veggies are a little less predictable in cooking because of what happens in the freezing process. According to the University of Minnesota Cooperative Extension, water makes up over 90% of the weight of most veggies. This water is held within the cell wall of the vegetable. Freezing a vegetable actually means freezing the water inside the vegetable, which expands water and ruptures cell walls. Thus, when the veggies are thawed, they are much softer than they were when raw. They can even be mushy. The textural changes are most noticeable in foods that are normally eaten raw instead of cooked, like celery and lettuce - hence why we don’t typically freeze these foods whole. However, more durable, hard veggies like squash, cauliflower and beets can be really tasty when cooked from frozen - we just have to know how to utilize them!
  "What do I need to buy at the grocery store in case I’m home for weeks due to the coronavirus?” This is a question we’ve gotten dozens of times at the start of the pandemic. Turns out...we were going to be home a lot longer than two weeks! Before you scroll along, we ask that you read this entire post - this is about preparing, not panicking. We do NOT suggest hoarding enough food for the next 6 months - these are simply some shelf-stable and freezer ideas to check out the next time you hit the grocery store so you feel more prepared. If we all overbuy, there won’t be enough food for everyone. Do we need to stockpile food? According to the CDC, people need enough household items and groceries “for a period of time.” The US Dept. of Homeland Security’s site suggests two weeks’ worth of food in case there’s a pandemic (the page where this is found doesn’t specify coronavirus). Many experts assume that grocery stores, pharmacies and other essential services will be open even if citizens are asked to stay home to prevent the spread of the virus, but it’s a good idea to have enough food to be home for a few weeks. Below are just some of the things you can consider:
Also consider:
These were all purchased at Walmart (not sponsored) in Phoenix, AZ. At the time of purchase, some items were already unavailable so we accepted substitutions. Remember, these are just ideas - your store may have very little availability and you get what you get. A note about “healthfulness” - you may be purchasing foods you don’t normally eat. It’s OK! Sometimes “nutritional value” lies simply in calories or a full tummy. Frozen and canned foods have lots of nutrition, and rice and beans can be an affordable, satisfying meal that keeps us nourished and full. Stay tuned for more on this topic.    Top left (clockwise) via Instagram: @n_and_cs_mom, @livvy_k.a, @tpaigemcintosh, @jackie_bosco Updated May 2020 Confused about cups?You're not alone! One of the most common questions on our Facebook group and Instagram is "How do I introduce a cup?" We know you have questions about cups given your child's specific age and stage, so we want to break it down step-by-step so you know exactly how to introduce various cups and what cups are appropriate for your child's age. Note: the images in this post were used with permission from parents in Feeding Littles Group. Thank you to everyone who contributed images - we wish we could use them all!  @jenniferedlin The big questions.Before we get to teaching specific cups and how to progress to more advanced skills, we wanted to answer some important questions. Q: When should I introduce a cup? A: Around 6 months, when your baby starts food (Baby-led Weaning or Traditional Weaning/spoon feeding). Q: What type of cup should I use first? A: An open cup, then a straw cup (see schematic and videos below). Q: How do I know when to move on from an open cup to a straw cup? A: When your baby can successfully swallow a small amount of water from an open cup that you assist in holding. (They don't need to be able to do it independently to learn a straw cup.) Q: What are your favorite straw cups and water bottles? A: In each section below after the video, look for the links to individual sections of our Amazon Store for specific cup buying recommendations. Q: What should I put in the cup? A: Water or breast milk/formula. Q: What about juice? A: We only recommend juice for constipation (prune, pear, peach juice diluted with water). Otherwise, juice isn't necessary for babies and young children - fruit is a better option! Q: How much water can a 6 month old have? A: No more than 1-2 oz - we don't want it to displace baby's milk feeds. Q: Why should I offer some water at 6 months? Aren't breast milk and formula perfectly hydrating? A: Yes, they are! However, water in a cup has a few important functions:
Q: How much water can my baby drink? A: In general, we recommend no more than 1-2 oz around 6 months and 3-4 oz max around 9 months. Around 12+ months baby can have as much water as they want but will likely still be drinking breast milk, milk and/or formula along with it (see last question about milk needs, below). Many pediatricians consider a water maximum (after 6 months) as number of ounces equaling baby's age in months; thus, no more than 7 oz of water for 7 months. For most babies this would be far too much water for them to also drink enough of their milk, but it's a nice maximum guideline if baby is sick or for some reason isn't drinking their milk. Q: When should I ditch the bottle? A: Start working on transitioning off the bottle around 11-12 months. It may take many months for your toddler to stop using the bottle entirely and transition to cups, but the biggest issue with prolonged bottle use is the potential effects on your toddler's teeth. If using a bottle before nap or bedtime, try to brush your toddler's teeth before they go to sleep. We have a detailed Milk and Weaning eBook included in our Infant and Toddler online courses that addresses all of this. It can also be purchased separately here. Q: How much fluid do toddlers and older kid need? A: Toddlers and kids need more fluid than you think! Below are averages recommendations of total fluid per day. Read more specifics about your child's needs - and how to calculate them if you'd like - here.
Q: How much breast milk or formula should my baby (under 12 months) drink? A: Babies will vary wildly in how much their bodies need for adequate growth and development. Some babies drink 26 oz a day, while others need over 40 oz. Most babies need at least 24 ounces of breast milk or formula until they're closer to one. This equates to 6-12+ breast feeds depending on baby's milk transfer. Talk to your doctor, dietitian or lactation specialist if you're concerned about how much milk your baby is drinking. Q: How much milk should my toddler or child drink? A: This is a tricky question and depends on your child's overall diet. If you have our Toddler Course, head to Step 16: Calcium, Milk and Beverages. If your child is drinking cow's milk or an alternative milk, general guidance recommends no more than 16-24 ounces per day to allow your toddler or child to also eat enough food and not fill up too much on milk. Drinking too much cow's milk can increase a child's risk for iron deficiency anemia as well. Many families continue to breastfeed far into toddlerhood, and some families choose not to use any milk after infancy. Feeding Littles firmly believes that there's no one right solution for every child - some kids thrive on cow's milk while others breastfeed far into toddlerhood. Some kids eat high-calcium, high-fat foods and get all of their calories from solid foods and no milk. Every child is different and will vary. Please refer to our Milk and Weaning eBook in both courses or here for more details about choosing a milk for your child. Q: What about smoothies? A: Smoothies are OK as of 6 months in small amounts, as long as they don't contain artificial sweeteners or herbs (found in protein powders). Most straw cups made for thin liquids are too narrow for smoothies and the thicker smoothie consistency gets stuck. Check out our smoothie cup video and product recommendations at the end of this list! How do I introduce cups to my baby?We recommend an order of cup introduction to help your baby progress through specific oral-motor skills. Your baby only needs to learn to drink from two types of cups:
Above all else, make sure to start with an open cup first. It really helps your baby learn how to take a small bolus of liquid in their mouth and swallow. We recommend avoiding hard spout sippy cups - the rationale is described in the final video. What about Miracle 360 cups? Parents like the 360 cup, which is similar to an open cup with a silicone membrane lid, because it is less likely to spill. In the past we recommended it as the third cup type to teach your baby. However, recently many feeding specialists have expressed concern about how some kids use this type of cup. Please head to the 360 Cup section in this post for more details.  Step 1: Open cup with adult assistanceFirst, let's talk about how to teach your baby to drink from an open cup: Why does Judy recommend open cups first? When can my baby drink from an open cup without my assistance? As your baby gets older and more experienced with an open cup, they will begin to hold it independently and drink on their own. Many of Judy's private feeding therapy clients are able to independently drink from an open cup by 10 months of age, but every baby is different. To help your baby drink from an open cup on their own after they've practiced with you holding the cup:
To see our list of favorite open cups, click HERE in our Amazon Store. When can we move onto a straw cup? As soon as your baby successfully swallows from an open cup using your assistance, try a straw cup! We want your baby to be able to use both types of cups. Step 2: Straw cup @thefierycrash While open cups are wonderful for drinking at home, reusable straw cups are preferred by parents for water drinking while on the go because they're oftentimes leak-proof (or at least leak-resistant). Some people are moving away from disposable straws for environmental reasons, but it's still important to teach straw usage because most kids' cups utilize a reusable straw, and as you'll learn later that we don't want to use hard spout sippy cups for oral development and speech reasons. Straws also strengthen muscles in the mouth that are important for eating and talking. Some babies learn how to use a straw simply by placing one to their lips or by capturing some liquid in a straw with your finger and placing the other end in baby's mouth. Many babies, however, need a little help figuring out the straw. Below Judy will go through how she teaches straw usage with her clients. If your baby figures out a straw cup without issue, you can skip the Mr. Juice Bear/Honey Bear step, but it's very helpful for babies who don't figure out straws right away.  Miss Avery Mae Straw cup video 1: Mr. Juice Bear / Honey Bear Find Mr. Juice Bear and the Honey Bear in our Straw Cup HERE in our Amazon Store. Straw cup video 2: Take N Toss and assisted straw skills Check out the Take N Toss cup HERE in our Amazon Store! Straw cup video 3: Independent straw cup drinking Handles can be easier for baby to use, but they're not required. Check out our favorite straw cups in our Amazon Shop HERE! Step 3: Bigger kid cups - water bottles, heavier cups, etc. @iamjrhew As your child progresses, they may be ready for a "real" water bottle or "big kid" cup! These larger cups and water bottles are great for daycare, preschool or the diaper bag because they're less likely to leak and hold more liquid. Some things to consider with heavier or larger water bottles:
If you've answered "yes" to these questions, it may be time for a "big kid" cup! Our Straw Cup Amazon list has lots of water bottles for kids 16-18+ months, including our favorite brands Contigo, Hydroflask and Yeti. If you're looking for even bigger water bottles for kids 4+ years, head here. Note: a hard or wider straw as found in the Contigo, Hydroflask and Yeti cups do not pose the same oral-motor concerns as a hard spout sippy cup. They are still straws and promote a normal suck pattern. What about smoothie cups?Parents in our Facebook Group always ask about smoothie cups. Check out what Judy recommends, below. Check out our favorite smoothie cups HERE. What about the Munchkin 360 cup?As we explained above, we used to recommend the Miracle 360 cup for parents who wanted a more spill-proof option that mimicked an open cup. However, recently some feeding therapists have noticed that the 360 cup can contribute to problematic drinking patterns in some kids:
But we love the 360 cup! Should we stop using it?
If your child cannot or will not drink from anything but a 360 cup, here are some tips:
Why do we avoid sippy cups?Learn why Judy doesn't recommend hard spout sippy cups. With all the cup options available there's no need for traditional sippies! Bloopers....As you can imagine, this post took us a bit of time to create, so we decided to have a little fun with it. Feeding Littles presents: "The Most Important Cups for Your Kitchen." For the record, this was a joke...we do NOT recommend teaching your kiddo to drink from a flask. Or a wine glass. Joke. Seriously. We hope this has helped you decide what cup to use for your kiddo! Cheers!   Breakfast is sometimes the most difficult meal of the day. Kids are hungry, time is short and it's easy to get stuck in a rut. We created this free Family Meal Toolkit - Breakfast Edition to help you navigate the first meal of the day with a little less stress. Head to the link below to download it for yourself! In this toolkit you'll find:
   Photo by: Melanie Meurer with Meurer Image (used with permission) Judy here! I’m an Occupational Therapist specializing in feeding therapy. It seems like there are so many ideas on the internet for how to keep toddlers and kids occupied while we shelter in place. But…how do you play with a baby? Guess what? As an OT I work with play in each of my sessions! How does this relate to feeding? Well, infant development and play skills are essential in setting the foundation for gross and fine motor development. They also develop vision and cognitive skills. Eventually all of these things piece together to promote successful feeding! (And learning!) In short, play helps promote feeding. It's all connected. We've created a free printable for you to reference if you're in need of some ideas that I recommend to my private practice clients. You might be doing a lot of these things already, but we just wanted to offer some inspiration for easy ways to play with your baby that can help promote development, bonding and fun for both of you.
       How are we doing, friends? We know this can be a really challenging time for everyone, and we wanted to help in our own small way. Click on the link below to download our free Family Meal Toolkit - Dinner Edition! In it you'll find:
Click on the link or image below to download the Toolkit now!
   Ever notice that it takes a while for your kiddo’s appetite to return after they have been sick? Adding highly flavorful food to their regular meals can help “wake up” their tastebuds and get them back to eating like normal again! After your child has been sick, their taste buds may be dampened. Viruses can inhibit taste and smell function, and sometimes congestion prevents kids from smelling {thus tasting} appropriately. You may experience this as an adult, too. You can let this ride out, but one strategy I love to use with my clients is offering a highly flavorful, crunchy, sour or salty food once or twice a day to help “wake up” their taste buds again. I’m always surprised by how kids who have been sick seek sometimes seek out these flavors so they can taste again. You can also try lemon, lime or spicy food (if enjoyed by your child).  A little sodium is OK for babies under 12 months, especially if you don’t serve high sodium foods like pickles or quartered olives regularly. We just don’t recommend lots of salt every day. The recommended max is approximately 400 mg of sodium. Don’t be surprised if your child’s appetite takes a while to return to normal when they have been sick. Make sure they’re getting plenty of fluids, keep offering regular meals and snacks eaten together, and stay consistent - hopefully they’ll pick back up soon!  |
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