[blparent] Meals and Snacks

Tue Aug 30 00:15:13 UTC 2011

I avoid artificial sweeteners of all kinds.  Some have funny aftertastes, 
and a lot of them cause migraine headaches for me.  Since migraines run in 
my family, I try to avoid artificial sweeteners for Sarah, too.

Jo Elizabeth

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, 
unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into 
advance."--Franklin D. Roosevelt

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From: "Brandy W" <branlw at sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2011 5:00 PM
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blparent] Meals and Snacks

> This is great, but please remember that Sugar free isn't good at all as 
> that sugar is replaced with artificial sugars. You can make jello with 
> fresh pureed fruit and a clear jello mix and have a fruit mixed in and not 
> fake sugar.
>
> Bran
>
>
>
> "When we treat children's play as seriously as it deserves, we are helping 
> them feel the joy that's to be found in the creative spirit. It's the 
> things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great 
> difference in our lives."
> - Fred Rogers
>
> Brandy Wojcik
> Discovery Toys Educational Consultant and Team Leader
> www.playtoachieve.com
> (512) 689-5045
>
> Looking for team members nation wide!
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bridgit Pollpeter" <bpollpeter at hotmail.com>
> To: <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, August 29, 2011 3:52 PM
> Subject: [blparent] Meals and Snacks
>
>
>>I think every parent has used the starving kid argument- we forget kids
>> don't have the analytical and reasoning skills we adults have, or at
>> least sometimes have.  *giggle*
>>
>> First, eating habits develop during infancy and toddler-hood.  This is
>> why it is important to follow a schedule, as best as possible, and once
>> consuming baby and table food, they should be exposed to vegetables and
>> non-sweet tasting foods first so they can develop a taste for these
>> foods.  When exposed to early to sweet tasting foods like fruit and
>> sweet potatoes, or given more of this, they often tend to develop an
>> aversion to those foods that don't have a sweet taste.
>>
>> That being said, this doesn't mean every child will eat what's set in
>> front of them or they won't develop a dislike for certain foods.  Just
>> as our personalities evolve, so do our taste buds.  To a certain extent,
>> we should respect kid food likes and dislikes, and try to work on menues
>> that compromise.
>>
>> My nephew is one of those kids who literally will not have tried
>> something, but if it looks at all odd to him, he refuses to touch it,
>> and he is seven.  My Penny, who is almost two, will like something one
>> day and eat it with relish, and the next, you can't get her to touch it
>> with a ten-foot pole.  Grocery shopping can be a real pain in the butt!
>>
>> One thought, try having your kids help prepare meals and snacks.  This
>> can get messy, but messes can be cleaned up.  Trust me- this is coming
>> from a certifiably crazy, OCD clean-freak! *smile*
>>
>> If kids feel a sense of accomplishment in helping to prepare food, they
>> will probably be more inclined to try food.  Involve them in the
>> shopping process too.  Remembering my own childhood, the more involved
>> you feel as a kid, the more willing you become to help out and try new
>> things.
>>
>> And while we should try our best to introduce foods and have kids eat
>> balanced, healthy meals, I don't think we need to push variety.  If they
>> like something, well, don't fix what's not broken! *smile* As long as
>> something isn't bad like fast food or highly processed foods, prepare
>> that more than once a week since your child enjoys it and will eat it.
>>
>> Another key part of the equation is to be a role model. Kids emulate us,
>> and If our kids don't see us eating certain foods, why should they?  We
>> should try to lead by example.  Exploring food should be a family affair
>> and not just something for the kiddies.  If we want kids to eat well
>> balanced, healthy meals, the whole family has to participate.
>>
>> Off the top of my head, here are a few snacks/meals to try:
>> Ants on a log- celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins
>> Mini pizzas- use English muffins or tortilla shells and make mini pizzas
>> using different toppings, shredded cheese  and pizza sauce. These bake
>> in the oven for anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes.
>> Tortilla wraps- use tortilla shells and cheese to make a cheesey wrap,
>> just warm in microwave to melt cheese, or use griddle on stove if
>> wanting a crispyer shell. Makes for a good snack, but can be part of a
>> meal too.
>> Sugar-free jello or pudding- what kid doesn't like pudding or jello?
>> Especially jello cut into shapes!
>> Cut sandwhiches into shapes- prepare a sandwhich then using a cookie
>> cutter, cut the shape out.
>> Breakfast for dinner- kids love breakfast especially when having it at
>> different times. Can make pancakes, eggs, french toast, potatoes, bacon,
>> etc. And all these things can be made healthy, check out different
>> recipes or just purchase ingredients that are healthier like turkey
>> bacon and organic eggs and light syrup.  Substitute olive oil for butter
>> when you can, and replace your salt with sea salt.
>> Veggies and dip- cut different veggies, carrots, celery, red and green
>> peppers, etc. and dip them into ranch dressing or a veggie dip.
>> Baked frenched fries- peel and cut potatoes, mix extra virgin olive oil
>> with seasonings of choice, toss potatoes in oil mixture then bake for 35
>> to 45 minutes in the oven at 400 to 450 degrees (depends on how crunchy
>> you want them). I usually season with salt and pepper and oregano,
>> parsley and basil, or cayen pepper for a spicier taste. Is good healthy
>> substitute for frozen fries or using a deep-fat fryer.
>>
>> If you have internet access, Google specific recipes, or BARD and NLS
>> have cookbooks you can look through.  I know BARD has a Rachel Ray
>> cookbook specific for kids, I think it's called Yummo, and has healthy
>> food choices kids might enjoy.
>>
>> Another thing I thought of to help with the health side of things is to
>> follow portion suggestions, and make sure you're the one doling out
>> portions.  If an entire box of crackers is set in front of kids, they
>> won't want to stop!  And if they're helping to prepare, set ingredients
>> out ahead of time with only the measurements you will require. This is
>> also helpful to make the cooking process faster and flow smoother.
>>
>> My mom, she still does this, will either make up stories about specific
>> food or find stories.  While we eat, she'll tell the story.  As kids, we
>> were always intrigued by the stories and wanted to eat it.  For example,
>> to get us to eat lentil soup, she told some story about a family
>> escaping religious persecution, and they stopped to rest at an inn and
>> had lentil soup, which filled their tummies and souls.  Obviously she
>> told this story in a way appropriate for children, and her stories tend
>> to revolve around religious matters, but it worked. This description is
>> not doing justice to it, but my mom is a teacher and writer so her
>> stories really are good. This is especially fun during the holidays.
>>
>> Anyway, hope this rambling email is helpful.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>> Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
>> Read my blog for Live Well Nebraska.com at
>> http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
>>
>>
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