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Most parents of toddlers know that mealtimes can be touch-and-go. Sometimes your toddler will eat everything in sight, while at others, all they want is a fish cracker. What they will eat one day, does not guarantee they will eat it the next. Using bribery, begging, and cajoling, you try and try to get the spoon in their mouth while they clamp their mouth shut. Sound familiar?
The most important thing to do is to make mealtime fun. Get your child involved in meal preparation and make sure they see you enjoying cooking and eating. They will mimic your own behavior towards food. The more they can participate in choosing their fruits and vegetables, the more likely they are to eat it. It is also important to time meals properly. If kids get too hungry, they may get grumpy and it will become increasingly difficult to get them to eat. It is also important to leave lots of time to eat. Toddlers, in particular, can sit in their highchair for an hour while they pick, play, and eat the food in front of them.
If you are concerned about how little your toddler is eating, try looking at what your toddler is eating on a weekly basis rather than day-to-day. Also, if your child is not eating a lot, look for other reasons rather than assuming they are just being picky. Does your child drink a lot during the day, especially right before meals? Does she snack a lot? The Canada Food Guide recommends limiting juice to 1/2 cup daily to avoid too many liquid calories and to prevent tooth decay. If your child tends to be a snacker, fill her snack bowl with protein-rich foods and other things you would want her to eat at mealtimes. For the real picky eaters, keep trying! It can take 10 to 20 exposures to a new food before a toddler decides she likes it.
Although there are many amazing cookbooks that focus on healthy eating for your child, the Canada Food Guide is a great place to start. The Canada Food Guide was updated in 2007. It is now a comprehensive source of nutritional information, including the basics of serving sizes, daily portions, and the latest in nutrition research. It even offers healthy kid-friendly recipes. Labels: Feeding Time
Picky Eaters - Make Eating Fun!
Picky Eaters - Make Eating Fun!
posted by Eco Baby Products on Saturday, October 25, 2008
© 2007 EcoBabyProducts.com
Plastic Toxicity
Plastics are a hard thing to avoid in the world we live in. Many products we use on a daily basis are made of plastic. They are in our kitchens, our bathrooms, our workplace, and in our children's toys; the list is endless. As a parent, it's good to be aware of what type of plastics you have, or are bringing into your home.
Traditional plastics are made mostly from petroleum. They are not biodegradable and can release toxins into the atmosphere when burned. The newer more sustainable plastics, bio-plastics, are made from renewable resources such as hemp oil, soy bean oil, and corn starch. Until bio-plastic becomes more widely available, it's important to choose the less toxic among the petroleum-based plastics.
When shopping, be sure to check the recycling sign on the plastic to determine what type of plastic it's made from.
Less Toxic Plastics
These plastics may leak chemicals, but no studies suggest they are a detriment to your health.
- #1 PETE (polyethylene terephthalate): most important raw material in synthetic fibers.
- #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene): opaque in color, Tupperware, milk jugs, laundry detergent.
- #4 LDPE (low density polyethylene): plastic bags, tubing, wash bottles, dispensing bottles.
- #5 PP (polypropylene): food packaging, ropes, textiles, speakers, automotive parts, stationary.
Toxic plastic
These plastics leach toxic chemicals and have been linked to cancer, disrupting hormones and other health issues. The amount of leaking it takes to cause these health issues is controversial.
- #3 PVC or V (polyvinyl chloride): The worst, most toxic; soft baby toys, teethers, bath toys, building material.
- #6 PS (polystyrene): Solid foam, clear takeout containers.
- #7 (polycarbonate): Most baby bottles, lining of metal cans, Nalgene bottles. Contains Bisphenol A which is a hormone disruptor.
The chemical leaches from these plastics because it is a relatively unstable substance. With heat, alkaline conditions and wear, the chemical slowly breaks down and leaches out into its environment. Avoid heating any plastic in your house whether you're heating your baby's bottle or using plastic containers or glassware to heat up food. Harsh dish soap can also contribute to the breakdown on the product.
Not all plastics will have the recycling sign. If you can't find one, contact the manufacturer directly and ask them what type of plastic the product is made from.
Labels: Feeding Time, Health and Chemicals, Toys
Plastic Toxicity
posted by Eco Baby Products on Wednesday, October 24, 2007
© 2007 EcoBabyProducts.com
The Safety of your Baby's Bottles
The Environment California Research and Policy Centre recently conducted a study to determine whether Bisphenol A, a chemical found in many popular brand name baby bottles and other food and water containers, could be leaching toxins into the liquid they hold. The study confirmed that was indeed the case.
So why should anyone be concerned? According to the ECRPC (The Environmental California Research and Policy Center), Bisphenol A is linked to reproductive and developmental problems. The centre's studies have shown that even small doses of the chemical can be connected to serious health concerns in lab animals such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, sperm defects, early onset of puberty, miscarriage, infertility, obesity, diabetes and possibly even Down Syndrome.
The reason that the chemical leaches is because it is a relatively unstable substance. With heat, alkaline conditions and wear, the chemical slowly breaks down and leaches out into its environment.
While the chemical industry and other health authorities such as the European Food Safety Authority argue that the levels of the chemical leached is not harmful to humans, the study has created enough stir to warrant a panel of independent US scientists to meet and review the recent scientific data to reach a conclusion on the safety of Bisphenol A in plastics.
While you wait to hear the results of further studies into this controversial issue, you may wish to consider the following recommendations from the Environment California Research and Policy Center:
- Avoid polycarbonate plastic in food containers. If there is a "PC", in or near the recycling triangle, do not purchase it. #7 at the bottom should be avoided.
- Choose plastics with numbers #1, #2 or #5.
- Avoid PVC plastics in food containers (#3 in or near the recycling triangle)
- Avoid canned food - BPA can leach from metal can linings into the foods and liquids contained within.
- Choose safer plastics for sippy cups (#1#2 or #5).
- Choose glass or non-toxic plastic baby bottles.
- Choose metal feeding utensils, and enamel or ceramic plates.
- Avoid food wrapped in plastic.
- Use glass to heat food and liquid in the microwave. Do not heat food in plastic containers or on plastic dishware, or heat plastic baby bottles.
- If you use plastic bottles or containers, avoid hot water and harsh dish soap.
- Avoid letting your child mouth plastic toys.
- Choose toys and teethers that are PVC-free (check the labels).
- Choose wooden toys.
Check out our recent product reviews on BornFree™ Bottles and Thermos® Sippy Cups. Both are excellent alternatives to traditional plastic bottles and sippy cups.
Labels: Feeding Time, Health and Chemicals
The Safety of your Baby's Bottles
posted by Eco Baby Products on Saturday, August 18, 2007
© 2007 EcoBabyProducts.com
