My husband is adamant about not letting our daughter eat dairy. He has cited many studies showing the negative effects of dairy on the body, including being linked to allergies, and even cancer. He can get quite firm when it comes to dietary concerns for the household, while I’m more of a everything-in-moderation type of person. This means he doesn’t want our daughter drinking whole milk as pediatricians recommend for those transitioning from breast milk or formula.

I certainly have nothing against milk or dairy in general. Whole milk is the perfect next phase liquid for babies. They get the fat they need for their growing brain, plus calcium and other important vitamins. However, I want to respect my husband’s demand request so I started researching good alternatives for whole cow’s milk. Unfortunately, there isn’t really much out there. The top alternatives seem to be rice milk, soy milk, goat’s milk, none of which have the good high-fat content that is so beneficial for a growing baby and child.

I started to think that we’d have to go with whole cow’s milk after all. Then I started thinking: there’s got to be millions of kids out there whose parents are vegetarians and don’t give their kids milk. What do they do? I then realized that while whole cow’s milk is a convenient way to package the nutrients you should serve to your child, you can get all these nutrients from different foods. For example, we can take soy milk (which we already drink; we don’t consume cow’s milk) and feed her that while supplementing the fat that’s missing from other foods.

Avocados with it’s superior fat content is a good supplement to add to her diet. I can also give her bread drizzled with olive oil. I can put some sunflower seeds and other nuts through the food processor mix with sugar, a bit of oil or maybe soy milk and turn that into a paste for breads, or keep it dry an sprinkle it on cereals or just feed it to her as it is.

I think we’ve got a good game plan. For parents who are concerned only with what cows are fed (feeds with preservatives, etc.) and how that affecs the milk, you can also try USDA-approved Organic milk.

Wish us luck!

You’ve heard a million times over how important what you eat and drink is during pregnancy. You know that what you consume fuels the development of your growing baby. You know that you are supposed to avoid eating too much sugar and fat.

But how, exactly, are you supposed to do that when a buffet of Christmas cookies, yule log cakes, eggnog, and holiday treats beckon you from their table dressed in white? It may be difficult, but with the tips below, you will be able to resist them, or at least resist overindulging.

If you have to go to a party outside of your home, make a plan about what you are going to eat and stick to it. Say to yourself, ‘I will only eat one dessert rather than sampling the entire spread.’

At the party, find the veggies and avoid or limit the high-fat cream dips. Other healthy food choices to seek out include lean meats and fruit.

Gravies and sauces for meat and pasta sauces typically add a lot of calories to the dish. If the pasta has a white sauce (ahem, alfredo), that signifies it is made with cream and is therefore very high in fat and calories.

Pregnancy is obviously not a time for dieting; doing so can cause health complications for your baby. However, the notion of ‘eating for two’ no longer applies; pregnancy is not a time for overindulgence. If the holiday spirit has swept you off your toes, however, and you find yourself feeling guilty over the Christmas cookies you downed, you have two choices:

1. Console yourself that you saved calories by not partaking in the alcoholic drinks
2. Exercise (moderately)

There are many excuses not to exercise: you’re tired, your back hurts, your leggings don’t fit anymore, and the holidays are busy enough. However, exercise can alleviate many discomforts associated with pregnancy, and help control weight gain.