Alright, I’ve been doing the Your Child’s Food 1 Year Challenge and writing posts on various food issues for a while now. I would just like to take a moment to check in with you and see what you would like more information on.

So please tell me, what is your biggest food issue right now? Where are you having troubles with and would like to improve?

Thanks,
Claire

The Challenge Taker Winner for the month is Emma. Emma and her two boys (4 and 2 years old) live in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz, Spain. Emma picked Jamie’s Food Revolution for her book.

Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals

The Visitor Winner for the month is Amy. Amy, her daughter (18 years old) and two sons (14 and 8 years old) live in Peru, Indiana, United States. Amy is the winner of the ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables.

The ABCs of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond

Alright, I am changing this out a bit from last month. First, I am changing the dates around to allow me to notify the winner before announcing them, but after the giveaway is complete. The current giveaway will run from July 1st to 15th. After that, contests will run from the 16th of one month to the 15th of the next month.

Given the short time period of this giveaway, and my budget, the two books I am giving away are from Amazon's Bargin Books. This is a great reminder that books don't have to be expensive, and you can find some great deals. The next contest will be back to normal, and a sneak peek at the next two books can be found at the end of this post. But before we get to that, the two books I am giving away in this giveaway are:

Packing up a Picnic: Activities and Recipes for Kids (Acitvities for Kids)

Simple 1-2-3 Kids Recipes

Second, I wanted to make it easier for you to know how to enter. So, from here on out, there will be two ways to enter:

1. Be a Challenge Taker by taking the Your Child's Food One Year Challenge. The Challenge Taker Winner will get their pick of the cookbooks, but will be randomly selected.
2. By entering the Rafflecopter giveaway below. This winner will receive the other cookbook.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The titles of the books from the next giveaway are "Dinner, a Love Story" and "Twist It Up". But those will have to wait.

Over the next two weeks, I will review the cookbooks for this giveaway, and update the Win a Cookbook page with links to them.

Which book, Packing up a Picnic or Simple 1-2-3 Kids, looks more interesting to you and why?

The USDA has come out with the following guideline on what your plate should look like. But what happens when you can’t follow it?

For example, the grains may be hard to get if you have issues with gluten, or your child might be turning vegan/vegetarian and you are concerned about the proper amount of protein. Like me with dairy, you may need to avoid an entire category of food. None of these limitations are barriers to a healthy diet, but they may require you to change the proportions and types of food you put on your plate for achieving a healthy diet.

There are multiple reasons why the quick guidelines may not work for you as well as you would like. If this is the case, you have two options:

1. See if your doctor can give you an adapted plate goal.
2. Study and understand the reason behind the nutritional recommendation.

If you are new to this, getting guidance from a health care provider can be very helpful. If you take healthy food seriously, over time, you will learn the reason behind nutritional recommendations.

This can be very powerful because it puts your health in your hands. You can then look at the suggested alternative and decide if it is, in fact, the best option for you.

I’ve done just this when looking at my dairy allergy. And you know what, I don’t follow the suggested guidelines for those who can’t drink dairy:

“can’t drink milk?
If you are lactose intolerant, try lactose-free milk, drink smaller amounts of milk at a time, or try soymilk (soy beverage). Check the Nutrition Facts label to be sure your soymilk has about 300 mg of calcium. Calcium in some leafy greens is well absorbed, but eating several cups each day to meet calcium needs may be unrealistic.” (reference)

This basically recommends eating highly processed “fake” milk instead of dairy, or drinking it in smaller quantities. It claims that not doing so “may be unrealistic”.

The thing is, this looks at lactose intolerance, not dairy allergies, one of the 8 most common food allergies. Soy, their recommendation, is also one of those allergens. Additionally, the protein, the part that causes problems, is very similar between the two.

Not to mention the simple fact that highly processed foods are less likely to be healthy for you than real foods.

So, I learned about the nutritional needs often satisfied by milk. I learned how to get foods into my diet that meets these needs. The only thing I supplement is Vitamin D.

You know what? It actually is not all that hard for me. Sure, it is not the traditional way of looking at things, but the actual nutritional needs are meant, and I really enjoy my food better this way.

So if you don’t feel you can eat per the suggested guidelines, please seek information. First, see if your doctor can help you modify your diet. Then hunt for information on your own that will help you make an informed decision about your diet.

(See Announcing the June Cookbook Giveaway: Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and the ABCs of Fruits and Vegetables for a chance to win this book.)

Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals

Jamie Oliver is doing amazing and much needed things with the Food Revolution. I consider myself and this blog to be part of that revolution. So it was important for me to include Jamie’s Food Revolution as one of the first books I reviewed.

I have been a fan of Jamie Oliver’s for years. The Naked Chef was about getting back to basics, and learning the heart of food. As you may know, my goal is to return the kitchen heart to the house, so this really appeals to me. He is a great chef in England, a place not known for its food. As such, a few of his dishes have always been less appealing to me (such as smashed peas and mint). Of course, that is probably true with just about any chef or cook.

His desire to change the food landscape comes from seeing what children eat after starting his family, and this book really connects with those families who have made a change. Different people in the food revolution are featured in the book.

It also contains a host of recipes, everything from complete meals to desserts. Thrown in there are some of those English recipes from his roots that are not what I am looking for (pea and mint soup), but amounts a wide variety of worldly recipes.

The recipe I choose to try is “Dressed Asparagus”. I chose it as it highlights how easily you can bring in just one easy side dish, a vegetable, and greatly improve the overall nutrition of a meal.

It was also a combination I had never tried, which made me curious about it. Containing asparagus, mustard, and vinegar, this is not a recipe that many would consider giving to a one year old. I strongly believe that children should be exposed to a wide range of tastes from that first bite which is not mother’s milk (or formula). So Samantha got the same dish as me. The only difference was the size of her food. I knew she would have a hard time eating it, so I cut her spears up.

While I liked the dish, I didn’t love it. I felt the mustard flavor was a bit strong. It also used more salt than I tend to use, as I don’t like my food nearly as salty as most people do. I would gladly eat it again, but will probably not make it again.

Samantha has been hit or miss with asparagus lately (she loved them about 2 months ago, but has since started preferring newer flavors). I think she will come around to them again, over time. She also is getting over the chicken pox right now, so is not her usual self quite yet. Even with this, Samantha took four bites of the asparagus, each time chewing for a bit and spitting the food back out. What this usually means is the food was too hard for her to chew with her 4 teeth, but that she is interested in the flavors. I try not to cook things to a mush for her, and sometimes don’t cook them quite long enough.

Overall, I think the dish was successful, if bold. It is not the best starter dish for picky children (though the book does have these), but is something to work up to.

Now for the recipe as it appears in the book:

Dressed Asparagus

Serves 4-6

Put a saucepan of water on to boil * Get 1 pound of asparagus and bend the base of each stalk to click the woody ends off, leaving you with the tender tips * Add a teaspoon of salt to the saucepan, and all the asparagus * Place a lid on, bring back to a boil, and cook for 1 to 2 ½ minutes, depending on how thick your asparagus spears are * Put 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, and a pinch of chopped parsley into a bowl and whisk together with a pinch of salt and pepper * Drain the asparagus, place on a serving dish, and drizzle over the vinaigrette, making sure that all spears are coated

Don’t you hate it when your child gets sick? I know I hate it. All you want to do is magically make your child better. If there is anything you could do, you would do it. There is one thing you can do, you can change the rules.

The important thing is to make the right rule changes. This is especially important for your sick child’s food. This is not only because he may not be up to eating, but also because what you feed him can either help him feel better or make her feel worst.

Samantha came down with the chicken pox earlier this week. While she is still covered in dots and wanting extra sleep, she is thankfully eating and drinking better. But like any mother, I worried while she was not.

I didn’t just worry, I also acted, as any good mother would do. I did everything I could to give her what she needed from her food and drink. Here are the rule changes I made while she was sick, and how you can adapt them to your needs.

• Worry about liquid first. Dehydration can be a major concern when your little one is not feeling well. Give your child lots of water, milk, herbal tea, or even juice to keep the liquid in her. Just remember to watch for ingredients that dehydrate like caffeine.

• Don’t force food. Unlike liquids, your child can go without food for a few days without major issues. So let him refuse food if he wants.

• Make meals easy to eat. This could be giving your child something that is easy on the stomach, like whole grain bread, or something that is easy for her to chew – almost sip, like apple sauce and yogurt.

• Pack in the natural nutrients with fruit. While this might not be the best time for many veggies, fruits are great sources of nutrients that can help your child fight his sickness. So bring them on.

• Avoid acidic, fatty, and salty foods. Acidic and fatty foods can be hard on your little one’s stomach, while salty foods can lead to dehydration. So stay away from the tomatoes, and citrus as well as the fast food. Simple real food is the best.

• Don’t worry about the family dinner, just worry about giving your child the love and support she needs. That may be hands on with you by her side or hands off by creating a space for her to relax and get better. Either way, if she sleeps through your family meal, or can’t stand the sight of food at the moment, forcing the family dinner will do no good.

A few years ago, I remember a friend’s child saying “You mean strawberries are supposed to be sweet?” She was used to the store bought ones, which often have a much milder and less satisfying taste. Fortunately, there is an alternative to these store berries – local and fresh berries.

You can either grow some yourself, or find a local farm to buy from. This year, I have raspberries in the back yard, and am getting berries from a local farm at our farmers market. The wonderful thing about the farm, http://www.haytonfarmsfarmersmarkets.com/Haytons Farm Washington, is they have berries from early spring through fall.

Once you have a good source for berries, you can make some great recipes with it. But if you don’t feel like cooking, they make a wonderful snack or dessert. Just wash them and eat them. 

My first rule for food is:

If I will not eat it, I will not feed it to Samantha. If I will not feed it to Samantha, I should not be eating it.

There are a few exceptions to this rule.

I am allergic to dairy and eggs, but Samantha is not, so she eats them. Eating differences due to health requirements is completely understandable. If there is a compelling reason, such as a life threatening nut allergy, you may choose to eliminate a food from your house some of you can enjoy. It depends on the medical issue and the amount of support your child needs.

When Samantha first started eating, she had everything in a puree, which is not the form I would choose most of the time. Even now, the form I give Samantha takes into consideration her 4 teeth ability to chew, and her habit of shoving as much food into her mouth as she can.

But as a rule, we eat the same stuff.

For example, I ate cherries while Samantha ate cherry puree. Now I eat cherries with pits, and she eats them pitted. When she gets older, I will give her cherries with pits, the same as me. Did I mention I love cherry season?

Can you say the same is true for you? In many cases, one of two things will happen, both of which can have a negative effect on your family.

You want your child to eat healthier than you eat.

In this one, you might get a sandwich and fries, while you give your child a sandwich and carrots. This can have two unintended effects on him and one major effect on you:

1. He watches you, and wants what you have. He will start to crave the fries you don’t want him to have.
2. He will also note that you never eat carrots, decide that something must be wrong with carrots, and start refusing to eat them.
3. When you are eating unhealthy food all the time, you will have to live with the long term health issues it can cause.

Your child may be a picky eater.

In the other, your child may have decided she was picky, and demand different food. You or your partner may have told her she cannot leave the table until she eats something, or tried to bribe her with that desert if she just finishes her peas. Again, this has two unintended effects on her, and one major effect on you.

1. She is learning that she can get her way if she manipulates you. She may start to look at other ways to manipulate you.
2. Food will become about power here, your power to make her eat, and her power to refuse. Every time she wins (and she will win), she is encouraged to look at food as power, and not a healthy part of her life.
3. You are going crazy in the kitchen by making a different meal for everyone. Do you really want to spend your spare time as a short order chef?

Both of these cases can be solved by the same simple methods. With everything, they sound simple, but often are a little harder to implement. However, they will make your life better.

First, your family should eat the same food. If your child is eating carrots, make sure he sees you eating carrots. If he sees you eating fries, give him a fry. Just be sure to limit the total amount of junk food your family eats.

Second, don’t force your child to eat. If she does not like peas, put some on her plate, but let her decide how much to eat. A one bite rule may help some children, but the one bite rule must apply to everyone in the family, including you and your partner.

If your child rejects carrots and wants fries when you are serving none, roll with it. Put the carrots away and try again another time. As a child, my sister had an aversion to salmon after getting the flue the night it was served. It took her 20 years to come around to it again. It was an option, but not forced upon her.

Be patient, and except that your child might not like all foods. After all, do you? If you don’t, why is she being picky if she just honestly doesn’t like the taste? If she doesn’t taste it, just keep modeling how good it is by eating it yourself.

Finally, if your child is done before his plate is cleared, save the food for a snack. That way, he will learn that he can’t get different food options just by waiting an hour to eat.

Don’t worry; your child will not starve. If weight loss is an issue or you are unsure of this approach, feel free to talk with your doctor. When I was growing up, I only once remember not eating when I was really hungry. The issue had to do with mayo made with egg, an unknown allergy at the time. To this day, I hate mayo. But that one meal did not starve me, as I was able to eat at dinner time (I had to skip lunch and afternoon snack).

While Samantha is still young, I am applying these to her with good success. For a while she was not interested in bread. My husband pointed out it was right after she had started eating more foods, and was probably excited about the tastes.

For about a month, she wouldn’t eat any veggies after loving them. One day, she decided to try them again, and while she prefers some other foods, she will happily munch on them.

The one thing I have noticed is she likes flavor. Potatoes are not a big hit with her right now (though she does eat them), but she is at a stage where she wants to feed herself, so I leave them plain most of the time. The wonderful thing about that is she eats foods most one year olds have never tasted and would probably object to. I was stunned when she gobbled up the blue cheese the second time I offered her some.

So far, this strategy is working for me.

What strategies have worked for you?

Share your success stories, bug and little, and expire others to follow your lead. From time to time, I will feature a Success Story in a post, encouraging people to come here for more success stories.

Note: I am working on a way to allow you to upload pictures. If you leave a comment below, I will let you know when this is up and ready for you.

Having difficulties with a challenge? Outline your problem below, and see what creative solutions others can come up to help you out. From time to time, I will feature a help request, encouraging people to come here to help each other out.