One of my favorite things to do on a summer weekend morning is take the kids to a farmer’s market.

I’m a city girl through and through, and had been doing most all of my shopping at SuperTarget and the like. The first time I tried a strawberry from a farmer’s market – Oh My Gosh! The difference between a strawberry picked and packed in a factory and trucked across the country, and a freshly picked strawberry is incredible.

Now I’m so excited for the local growing season to start and to be able to buy produce from the local farmer’s market. Prices for produce are comparable to grocery stores, with whatever is at the peak of the season being the best value.

Fresh produce is better for you too. The fresher it is, the most vitamins and nutrients it retains. If your child will only eat one bite of broccoli, they will get more nutrients if it’s a fresh floret. And they might be a little more enthusiastic about eating it, if they have fun picking it out at the farmer’s market.

Another benefit is less chemicals in your food. Family farms generally use less agricultural chemicals like insecticides and pesticides than large growers. Many farmers selling their produce at farmer’s markets are not organically certified, but are using organic methods. Farms have to use organic methods for several years before the food they grow can be certified organic produce, so it’s a great place to get nearly-organic produce for less-than-organic prices.

Supporting local farmers is also generally considered to be better for your local economy than shopping at the corporately owned supermarket. I’d rather spend my dollars and have them go to a family farm, instead of executives and shareholders.

My local market has a coffee stand, local musicians playing, and many of the vendors give out samples of produce, and cute little kids get the most!  All in all, it’s a fun morning out for all of us.

So are you planning to go to the farmer’s market this weekend? Here’s a challenge: get any of those fresh strawberries home. I bet they’ll all be eaten in the car before you know it.

Times are hard and we need to cut down on expenses. We may even need to tighten our belts and cut down on our food budget. But if we have to, then we should do so wisely, without compromising our family’s health and nutrition. Here are some tips on eating healthy on a slim budget.

• Stick to the essentials. Cut down on dessert but not on vegetables and fruit. Opt for the fresh vegetables instead of the pre-cut ones because the latter are usually more expensive. Go for food with lots of fibers. Beans are high in fibers. So are potatoes if you eat them with the skin on. Fibers are good for your health and filling for the stomach.

• Non-organic food may just be as good. Organic food is much more expensive than your normal fruit and vegetables. That doesn’t mean they are always better. Go organic if the budget allows it. If not, don’t feel too bad about it.

• Buy seasonal produce. Seasonal fruit and vegetables are always cheaper than out of season produce that needs to be imported from other countries. You can cut up vegetables and freeze them for leaner times.

• Go for smaller portions. Eat less meat. Make up the quantity instead with more vegetables and fruit which are definitely less fattening. If you have to stop by at Starbuck’s, then go for Tall instead of Grande.

• Prepare a food shopping list. Plan your shopping trips to the supermarket in advance and stick to your list. Avoid impulsive, spur-of-the-moment buys (even if they are on a discounted price!) that you actually do not or won’t need.

• Eat out less frequently. Eating out costs money. It can also be fattening because you feel compelled to finish up your plate for paying so much. When eating in a restaurant, go for one course less. You might skip the soup and the dessert and concentrate on the salad and the main course instead. Whenever we eat out, our 2 kids share one kiddie menu. I then order a large salad for the whole family, my husband and I would order one main each, but again one dessert for everybody. It’s less expensive, less wasteful and less fattening.

• Avoid take outs and deliveries. These may be very convenient but they end up being more expensive and they are not necessarily healthy.

• Prepare sandwiches. When traveling, I pack sandwiches and fruit for the whole family. This is not only cheaper, it also gives us more flexibility because we can have our meal anytime we want. And we don’t resort to fast food.

• Drink water. Water is the healthiest beverage you can ever hope for. If you are sure that your tap water is safe (check with your water supplier), then drink tap water. Bottled water isn’t necessarily better. If you have to drink juice, dilute it with water 50-50. I’ve trained my kids to do this long before the recession so that they can barely tolerate “pure” (supersweet) juice.

• Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is expensive, rich in calories, and according to recent studies, increases your risk for cancer.

Times are hard. But with the right strategies, tightening our belt may actually make us fitter than before.

As I was pondering all things pregnant this morning while gazing at my rapidly growing waistline, I wondered what my food cravings mean.  Do cravings tell you something, or is there no real reason for them other than to annoy your husband when you demand that he get you fried chicken take out at 11pm?

When I was pregnant with my older children, I craved carbohydrates.  All of my older children happen to be girls too.  I wonder if it was all the ice cream, pretzels, and cookies I ate during those pregnancies? Doesn’t that nursery rhyme say that little girls are made of  sugar and spice?

When I was pregnant with my son, I craved vegetables and meat.  With the child I am carrying now, I crave spinach souffle and sardines!  I don’t get it either, but it makes my husband laugh.  He tells me that he can’t wait until this child gets old enough to hear Popeye jokes.

My most embarrassing craving moment happened with my first child.  I had a craving for a sundae with whipped cream.  We lived in a very rural area and I stopped at both of the ice cream shops in town asking for a sundae with whipped cream.  Both of the shops had run out of whipped cream!  I actually refused to take the sundaes because of that and instead drove to the grocery store about a half and hour away to get ice cream and whipped cream.  By that time, I decided to just buy the whipped cream to eat.

I was eating a bowlful of whipped cream in my car when a neighbor spotted me!  She promptly gave me a long lecture on nutrition and scolded me for being so irresponsible.  I  patiently listened, waited until she left, and then resumed eating.  I felt so guilty afterwards though!

What food did you crave when you were pregnant?

I didn’t want to do it. I really wanted to hold out until 6 months to introduce solid foods. Breast milk has all the nutrients she needs right now, and she’s growing up fast enough as it is. Why rush things?

But after sleeping five to seven hour stretches for weeks, Ashley woke up hungry every two hours for two nights straight. I may have let it go on longer, feeling her every two hours and letting her sleep with us, if I didn’t have to work during the day. But there I was, not quite desperate for a full night’s sleep but knowing I couldn’t do this for much longer. I called the pediatrician.

The doctor said there’s a slim chance she teething, but it’s more likely she’s just ready for solid foods. In the past week, Ashley has become much more active—kicking at her toys in her baby gym, wiggling every time I put her down. She’s constantly in motion so I’m sure she’s burning calories like mad. She may be blessed with her father’s metabolism, which would be any female’s dream — lucky kid!

So on Saturday, we placed her in her high chair, snapped on her Winnie-the-Pooh bib and gave Ashley her first taste of cereal. I selected Gerber Organic Oatmeal, as the doctor said rice cereal or baby oatmeal were fine. I eat oatmeal about three times a week for breakfast so I figured the flavor would be “familiar” to her. I’ve read that babies pick up the taste of foods Mom eats in breast milk and during pregnancy.

She ate two mouthfuls and didn’t seem thrilled, mushing it around in her mouth and opening and closing her lips together, a little frown on her face. But I’m optimistic. She’s very young – not even four months yet—so I didn’t think she would accept any solid food at all the first time. If your baby rejects the first solid food, you should wait a week before you try again. But I interpreted two tastes as just short of overt rejection.

I tried again that night – another two mouthfuls. The next evening at dinner, though, she took four tastes, and even licked her lips. She still hasn’t smiled though, and I don’t think she likes the taste of the formula I use to water down the cereal. I never got the hang of pumping breastmilk, unfortunately.

The author of Super Baby Food, which I’m using as a feeding guideline for the first two years, says you don’t have to start a baby on cereal. Another food, watered down to a thin, milky consistency, is just as good. So I may try sweet potatoes next weekend.

Helpful tips for offering solid foods for the first time:

• Iron-fortified cereal is recommended as a first food because allergies to it are extremely rare. My pediatrician said she’d never heard of a case.
• Introduce a new food at breakfast, so if an allergic reaction occurs, it’s less likely to happen in the middle of the night.
• Wait 3 – 5 days before offering a different food, again, to test for allergic reactions.
• Smile and act upbeat when you give your baby food for the first time. She will pick up on your enthusiasm.
• Food can be served room temperature or lukewarm, the same temperature you would serve formula.
• I put the food in a baby bottle and used the bottle warmer to heat it. If you microwave food, stir carefully to avoid any “hot spots.” Microwave heating is not recommended except in a pinch.
• Don’t expect your baby to love it the first time. She may make faces. Go slowly to give her a chance to absorb this new experience.
• If baby turns her head or closes her mouth, stop. She may need to be burped and then you can try again. But if she refuses food twice, pack it up for that meal.
• Don’t forget to take lots of pictures of baby’s first meal!

Those who know us well know that my husband is the cook extraordinaire of the family.  But now he’s gone to boot camp, and I’m left holding the fort at home.  My husband’s last note to me implores me, among many things, to make sure that Mina eats well.

He had cause to write that.  See, I come from a culture that eats very little veggies, and thinks a complete meal constitutes rice and meat.  I have pledged to make sure the same food approach doesn’t pass down to my 17-month old toddler.  After reading a book on nutrition for babies, I became even more convinced to instill a love for veggies and fruits to my daughter.

For parents who wish to do the same, there are three guidelines to follow:

1. Introduce veggies in all colors of the rainbow one a time.  This will ensure they aren’t allergic to anything (not likely but possible), and that they get enough nutrients from a variety of veggies.
2. If your baby rejects the veggies, try again.  Experts say to try to feed the food at least 8 more times, and a maximum of 16 times, before concluding they really don’t like it.  Children are just like adults; sometimes it takes a while for them to get used to something new.
3. Introduce vegetables before 18 mos. old.  They’re more amenable to new foods at this age.  The later you wait, the harder it will be for them to  be veggie-lovers.

You can puree any food in a food processor and feed them to your babies.  Peas, Carrots, Green Beans, are good to try.

For older babies, you will want to give it to them in its natural state.  Here are some tried and true recipes for my toddler in our home.

Crook Neck Squash – Cut up bite sized pieces of crook-neck squash.  Lay on a baking sheet drizzled with olive oil.  Brush squash with olive oil, oregano, and a pinch of sea salt.  Pre-heat oven to 325 F, and bake for 30-45 min., depending on how crisp you want it to be.  Cool and serve.

Broccoli – Believe or not, lots of kids love broccoli.  They can be served raw with a yogurt dip.

Recipe for yogurt dip: 2 8-oz containers of plain, non-fat yogurt dip, mixed with finely chopped cucumbers (about 1 lb., seeded and peeled).  Add 2 tsp. of finely chopped dill, lemon juice to taste, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and pepper to taste.

Carrot – The same yogurt above can be used for raw carrots.  Or you can cut up your carrot into bite-sized pieces, steam until soft, add cinnamon to taste and serve.

Consumers groups and health officials welcome Nestles’ decision to cut down on the marketing of unhealthy junk food to children as part of the Council of Better Business Bureaus’ (BBB) Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative.

The initiative was launched by BBB in 2006 to promote responsible advertising among food manufacturers. With the rising problem of obesity and diabetes among children, clearly there was a need to change the messages of ads directed at the under-12 audience. And the direction should be towards encouraging healthy lifestyles and eating habits.

Unfortunately, the initiative wasn’t embraced by each and every company in the food industry. As of June this year, 13 major food companies have pledged their commitment, including Coca-Cola, Kraft, McDonald’s, Cadbury Adams, Hershey, and Mars. Nestle wasn’t among them.

Nestle, one of the biggest food manufacturers in the world claims to be “the world’s leading nutrition, health, and wellness company”, was criticized for its lack of social responsibility. Although it was part of similar initiatives in other countries (e.g. Canada and Europe), it was reluctant to participate in the American initiative.

According to the assessment of the consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), 93% of Nestle products targeted for child consumption were of poor nutritional quality.

BBB, CSPI and other groups applaud Nestle’s change of heart. Staring 1^st of January, all of Nestle’s food ads directed at children will be only for products of high nutritional value. However, many food companies still haven’t joined the initiative.

In the European Union, new laws have curbed advertising junk food for children under EU Directive on Unfair Commercial Practices which is being implemented independently in each member country.

Planning meals can be a challenge at the best of times. Add picky eaters to the mix and it can sometimes become even more difficult.

Making a menu plan for the week can really help you become organized in the kitchen. Not only does it take the pressure off each day from deciding what you will serve, but it also helps you keep organized with grocery shopping and time management too.

If you decide to menu plan, you will find a groove that works best for you. I tend to plan on the weekend for the following week and do my groceries at the beginning of the week in order to have all of the ingredients in the house needed to cook each meal. I also do a 5 day plan instead of 7 days. I do this in order to maintain some flexibility in our schedule for leftovers, eating out and choosing weekend meals as a family (or to allow the opportunity for my husband to cook–lucky me!).

One idea to help picky eaters in your family is to dedicate one night each week for them to be in charge of the meal. Depending on their age, they can either choose the meal, assist in food preparation or take over all together. This will teach the children how to work in the kitchen, become more independent and give them life skills that are important later on. It will also allow them to have control of one meal and will in turn teach them about healthy eating (as you will guide them to include healthy choices in every meal).

Another suggestion to include children in meal planning and preparation is to allow children to make a healthy choice at the grocery store, perhaps in the fruits and vegetable section. When it comes time to prepare their choice, allow them to help either by washing it or giving them a butter knife or a small spreader knife to “cut” the food in preparation for a meal. Children love to help in the kitchen and when you give them control over a food item, it will often increase the changes of them consuming the food.

One website that I have found to be very helpful with regards to meal planning is Menus 4 Moms. You can sign up for their weekly newsletter where they will send you a meal plan for the following week along with recipes. If anything, it gives you some good meal ideas to add to your repertoire.

Being a parent is an exhausting job, there’s no doubt about it. However, you don’t have to feel exhausted all the time. Here are some things I’ve discovered that really sap my energy and make it more difficult to keep up with my energetic family.

Not Eating
I’ve found that I really need to watch what I eat if I expect to have enough energy to run after my 5 kids. I admit that mornings are a crazy time in our house. Sometime around mid-morning I feel my energy level crash and realize that I forgot to eat!

Over-Doing the Caffeine
It’s tempting to grab a cup of coffee when I need a quick energy burst. However, over-doing the caffeine consumption can actually make you more tired when the fix wears off. Plus, too much caffeine can make you irritable, irritate your stomach, or cause heart palpitations. It’s best to watch your caffeine consumption if you hope to keep your energy levels up.

Not Sleeping
Have you ever been so tired or stressed that you can’t sleep? Or worse yet, remember how you have finally gotten your baby to sleep through the night but you are still waking up for that 2am feeding and having trouble getting back to sleep?

It can be difficult to find the energy you need during the day when you aren’t getting a good sleep during the night. I’ve heard that sleep experts recommend that adults develop a sleep routine in order to promote better sleep habits. I guess if sleep routines work for children, they should work for adults. It sounds reasonable anyway.

I’m trying to work on this subject in my own life because the holiday season is fast approaching. While I love all of the wonderful things that go along with celebrating this special time of year, I realize that it takes energy to be able to do all the things I will need to do. That means that I need to work on creating good habits now (like exercising, eating right, reducing my caffeine and getting sleep) that will enable me to find the energy I need to take me through the holidays and beyond!

According to Tara Parker Hope, blogger at Well, the health site of the New York Times, one of the most common mistakes of parents is “sending children out of the kitchen.” She went on to cite studies which showed involving children in food preparation make them more open to try new things to eat.

That’s probably one of the reasons why the NYC Wine and Food Festival 2008 is organizing several sessions for kids – the so-called Kids Get Cooking series of sessions.

The author of the Kitchen Playdates Books series Lauren Deen will bring the flavour of her books and programs to the festival on October 12. In these (free!) sessions for 2 age groups, Lauren will bring the. The session from 3 to 4 pm is meant for kids aged 2 to 5 years old. The second one from 4 to 5 pm is for 6 to 8 year olds.

The Kidz Kitchen for kids between 5 and 16 will be hosted by Food Network’s Rachael Ray on October 11 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm and costs 35 US$.

I am pretty easy going when it comes to letting my boys climb, jump, or run. However, I must admit I am extremely cautious when it comes to the kitchen. My twin boys were seldom allowed in the kitchen until they turned three. I had railings installed that separated the kitchen from the living/dining room. They could see me (and I them) but they couldn’t come near me while I was cooking. Even now, at 5, they’re only allowed to participate in baking cookies and cakes and preparing salads. When it comes to the hot stuff, they are not allowed within a meter of the stove. This is because I had this terrible experience as a child. I was about 8 years old when I bumped against somebody carrying a bowl of hot broth straight from the stove and suffered serious burns on my upper torso. I couldn’t remember the person I bumped against or what happened afterwards. I only remembered the pain that lasted for weeks, maybe even months. It’s something I definitely do not want to happen to my boys. On the other hand, I don’t them growing up uninitiated in the ways of the kitchen. At some stage, they would have to make their own soup and boil their own eggs. I still need to decide at what age they would be ready…

Do you think I am being too careful about this matter? What’s your policy about children’s place in the kitchen?

When our daughter was born, my wife and I cooked every single weekend in the weeks leading up to her due date. We made casseroles and huge batches of soup and stocked our deep freezer almost to capacity with ready-made meals. We did this ourselves because we didn’t expect anyone to do it for us (my parents were too far to bring frozen meals back, and my in-laws were unlikely to do something like that).

It literally killed my parents that they couldn’t contribute as much as they wanted because cooking for the baby is a tradition shared by most: the family makes meals to store, and then brings more food once the baby comes. It just never occurred to my in-laws to bring food.

This time around, my MIL has been preparing food since the middle of the summer. (Our theory is that since our daughter’s birth some of her friends have become grandparents, and they cooked for their kids, so now she realizes that’s what most people do.) So, we haven’t been making as many meals as last time. We did, however, make a batch of cheddar potato soup this weekend (and some of it actually made it past my wife into the freezer!)

What about you? Did your family and friends cook for you prior to the baby coming? What about after? Did neighbours show up with the cliched pan of lasagna or tuna casserole?

Sometimes when it comes to kids, food is all about presentation. If something looks ‘yucky’ they probably won’t touch it. Most kids I know, including my own, usually do not like their foods mixed together, even if we as adults know they taste better that way.

When I served tacos to my kids when they were much younger, I would fill the shell with meat and cheese, knowing that anything resembling a vegetable would not be tolerated, at least not in the taco.

If your kids are willing to eat veggies or salad on their own, serve the shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes as a little salad on the side. My boys would always eat this taco/salad combination.

I’m sure there are many kids who won’t touch chili, since it looks like a bowl of mysterious ingredients. I usually serve chili over rice. For the kids, I pick out any bits of onion, tomato and pepper and give them a serving of ground beef and beans. Sometimes, they’ll pick the beans out and sometimes we’ll get lucky and they’ll clean their plates. I serve their rice on the side instead of beneath the chili.

Presentation can also mean making the food look fun. I saw an idea somewhere for making a ’sailboat lunch’: Serve a sandwich cut into two small triangles as the sail, connect it to an apple slice boat with a carrot stick.

Many healthy snacks can be cut up with cookie cutters. Cut sliced cheese into fun shapes, such as stars, or make heart-shaped PB & J’s.

Fruit can be cut up and served on a skewer as a fruit-kebob. Make a colorful combination of banana, grapes, orange slice and melon.

There are many fun plates, cups, straws, etc. made with kids in mind. I recently picked up some brightly colored plastic plates with little compartments for different foods. My little guy won’t be using these anytime soon but at 75% off (end of summer clearance) I figured I’d buy them and put them away until he’s a bit older.

What have you done to make food more appealing for your kids?

I’m writing a lot these days, because at the pace my daughter is growing, and learning, she just gives me so much food for thought. And speaking of food, I truly am wondering whether my baby is eating too much.

She is 10 mos. old. Here’s our feeding schedule:

Breakfast is usually oatmeal cereal with bananas or pureed apples mixed in. She usually eats half a cup of this.

Lunch: Is another serving of fruit or veggies, usually a quarter cup. She also usually has steamed rice with homemade soup, about a quarter cup. She will also usually have shredded chicken from what we’ve cooked for the family.

Dinner: She eats everything…kidding, that’s what her uncle chimed in while watching me type this. It’s the impression everyone has. But seriously, she’ll have steamed rice with homemade soup again (1/4cup), a few spoons of cottage cheese, and about 1/2 oz. of shredded chicken.

I feed her until she’s no longer interested in eating, but as soon as she sees something new on the table, she will screech and demand to have some. Bread, cheese, spicy entrees that we don’t let her have, more rice, rice rice and rice.

I’m a little worried that she doesn’t seem to have a stop-signal from her body that it’s time to stop eating. I also nurse throughout the day before I feed her a meal so you would think once I get the first signal from her that she’s full (less enthusiastic opening of the mouth and sometimes outright spitting of the food), she won’t want anymore.

She’s always been in the 95th percentile in weight and around average for height. I guess I’m worried that this is a precursor to a lifelong habit of non-stop eating, which I know is ridiculous at this age. Okay, okay, you’re probably saying why don’t I consult her pedia on her height and weight. I will and I’ll let you all know what she says. However, I always find other parents’ input invaluable.

What has been your experience in feeding your baby?

What’s in your food?
A primer on artificial food colorings.

In part one of this series, the issue of studies relating artificial food colorings and artificial additives presenting a link to childhood hyperactivity was explored. In this part, we look at artificial food coloring.

The list of artificial food coloring studied included tetrazine (FD&C yellow no. 5/European food code E102); sunset yellow (FD&C yellow no. 6/E110); quinoline yellow (FD&C Yellow No. 10/E104); carmoisine (Food Red 3/E122); and ponceau 4R (Food Red 7/E124).

All of these are considered color additives by the FDA, which by definition are: “any dye, pigment or substance that can impart color when added or applied to a food, drug, or cosmetic, or to the human body.” And according to the FDA, they are added to food “for many reasons, including to offset color loss due to storage or processing of foods and to correct natural variations in food color.”

Anyone who has made guacamole from scratch for example knows that after about a half hour, it loses that rich avocado green color, whereas from a commercial mix, it stays green even long after it has grown a moldy fuzz – all thanks to artificial color additives.

While coloring additives have been heavily monitored and regulated since 1960 and the FDA believes that they are safe, but the recent research may indeed prove otherwise because “both the Food Additives and Color Additives Amendments include a provision which prohibits the approval of an additive if it is found to cause cancer in humans or animals.” This statement makes it seem as if the FDA only raises concern once an additive is found to be carcinogenic – a growing epidemic of childhood hyperactivity is not enough to make revisions or adjustments.

The problem is that while manufacturers can only use the regulated amounts of coloring additives in their products, there are thousands of products that we consume daily that contain these “small, regulated amounts.” Consider this: the ten largest companies that make our food use artificial colorings regularly. After how many sippy cups of juice, bags of candy, boxes of cereal, cookies and other snacks that are not whole foods consumed in one day can we be sure that those ’small, regulated amounts’ are still safe when combined? The FDA even asserts that food additives (including color additives) are in cereals, snacks, beverages and oral cosmetics/personal health care items such as toothpaste. While we don’t want to be alarmist, it might be a good time to take stock in what’s in our pantries and cabinets to find out just what we are consuming and consider alternative measures to give our kids a healthier start, even as early as in utero.

Learn more:

• FDA on the safety of color additives.
• FDA’s “Summary of Color Additives“:
  (can search by FD&C number or color name)
• FDA’s ‘What is a Color Additive?‘
• “How ‘Safe’ is Safe?”
• “Limiting your child’s intake of food additives”
• Organic Food (from BOL)
• Parenting Starts Before Pregnancy (from BOL)

Part three will look at artificial sweeteners and non-coloring additives.

We all struggle with trying to get our children to eat as healthily as we know they should. One of the ways to do this is to get them to take part in the growing of the food. Beans are incredibly easy and quick to sprout, the children can see the changes within a few hours.

Sprouting beans is becoming increasingly popular although it is definitely not something new. They have been sprouting beans in China since before 3000 BC. When a bean sprouts its nutritional content increases dramatically and it becomes easy to absorb, in addition, when you grow your own you know that they are fresh and if you want to buy organic you can be sure that they are. There are many uses for bean sprouts such as in salads, stirfries, juices, soups and pies. You can even use them in cakes! Alternatively they can be handy just to nibble on. Even my twelve year old daughter will eat them without too much fuss!!

All sorts of beans and seeds can be sprouted, the most popular ones are mung beans and alfalfa because they are the easiest. Personally I like the mung beans because they have a nice crunchy texture. I have a sprouter by the sink in my kitchen and all I need to do is pour a small amount of filtered water over them morning and night. It can?t get any easier than that!! Alternatively to make it interesting for the children you might like to try the egghead project .

Sprouting ? A Brief Overview

Most women wonder, if not concerned, about how much weight they will gain during pregnancy. Although no one can foresee how much weight you will gain, doctors have agreed upon a range of healthy weight gain. Although it has fluctuated all over the map (when my grandmother had her four babies, she was only allowed to gain 20 pounds, and she is a rail-thin, 5?2? woman to this day), doctors now recommend gaining 25-35 pounds during pregnancy. It is important to note however, that this is for the average healthy woman. A considerably underweight and overweight woman will likely receive different instructions from her doctor.

If you?re wondering where all of these pounds are going to appear, resources agree that the weight is spread?on average?according to the following:

• Baby: 7 to 8 pounds
• Larger breasts: 1 to 3 pounds
• Larger uterus: 2 pounds
• Placenta: 1 1/2 pounds
• Amniotic fluid: 2 pounds
• Increased blood volume: 3 to 4 pounds
• Increased fluid volume: 2 to 3 pounds
• Fat stores: 6 to 8 pounds

Doctors also seem to agree that what may be more important than the number of pounds you gain is the consistency with which you gain them. Suggested to be the healthiest for you and your baby is low weight gain in the first trimester and steady weight gain in the second and third trimesters.

To achieve a healthful amount of weight gain during pregnancy, doctors suggest adding a mere 300 calories to your diet each day. Paying attention to the nutritional information on things you eat will help you in this pursuit.

More information on pregnancy and weight gain can be found on Babies Online

References:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-weight-gain/PR00111

New Era Canning Company is voluntarily recalling a little over one thousand cans of GFS Fancy Blue Lake Cut Green Beans due to the possibility of botulism contamination, a potentially fatal bacteria. The cans were distributed through GFS Marketplace and affect consumers in many southern and midwestern U.S. states including:

Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia

Only cans with the lot code 19H7FL (printed on can) are included in this recall.

To see the official announcement click here

Cooking School Parties for Kids
By Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers

Entertaining your children’s friends is never an easy task and coming up with an idea for a birthday party is often harder. Recently, Fresh Baby creator Cheryl Tallman’s son Spencer turned five and the event was celebrated with a cooking school extravaganza. For 2 1/2 hours Cheryl and her husband transformed their home into “The Cooking School for Brilliant Kids.” Here she shares just how she did it!

We started out doing a little research on the Internet and found a neat web site called www.kidsaprons.com. We ordered disposable chef hats and aprons, and picked up a few kidsized cooking utensils to use in the take home gift bags. We also planned the menu and developed a schedule for the party.Before the children arrived, we covered a ping pong table with white paper, did some prep on the foods, and decorated the dining room table for the birthday luncheon with balloons and the Star Wars tablecloth and plates that Spencer picked out.

When each kid arrived, they were fitted with their chef hat and apron, and we took a digital photo. We printed out their names (i.e “Chef Spencer”) on plain paper, cut it out, and used clear packaging tape to stick their name on their apron and hat. While we were waiting for all the guests to arrive, the children were given stickers to decorate their chef hats. This gave them something to do and also gave them some time to get comfortable.

The party menu included French bread pizza, pigs in a blanket, carrots sticks and green beans, and for dessert, ice cream and cupcakes. Our school started with a “group” experience of making ice cream. Each child took a turn pouring, measuring, or whisking, while the others watched attentively. We poured our ice cream in the machine and moved on to making lunch.

We spread the kids out around the table and started with the French bread pizza, each child took a piece of bread and “painted” it with pizza sauce, sprinkled cheese, added pepperoni, and placed their creation on a cookie sheet. The pigs in a blanket were next. Each child took a piece of crescent roll dough that were already separated onto a piece of wax paper. They picked up a hot dog with tongs and then rolled the dough around the hot dog, and they were placed on another sheet pan.

After the main course was prepared, we took a class photo, and it was time for a break while the master chef (me!) put everything in the oven. The kids all went into the living room for a game of “Pin The Mustache On The Chef”, and a magic show put on by my husband Roger, who picked up some magic books at the library the week before. By the time entertainment was done, the kid’s masterpieces were ready to be served. In the dining room each child’s plate had a piece of pizza, a pig in the blanket, some carrot sticks and green beans. The kids were so excited about their accomplishments. They all happily and proudly ate their lunch.

After lunch, it was back to cooking school for cupcake decorating. We had colored icing bags (tied at the top) and an assortment of sprinkles. This was the BEST event of all, the kids had great time. The creativity of a five year old is absolutely precious. After about 20 minutes, it was back to the dining room, were we sang “Happy Birthday”, and gobbled up our cupcakes and homemade ice cream. After that, we opened gifts and gave out the take home gift bags. Two and half hours seemed to fly by.

Spencer’s thank you notes were sent with a certificate (printed on our home computer) from “The Cooking School for Brilliant Kids”, and it included the child’s picture and the class photo.

If you are thinking of having your own cooking extravaganza, here are few tips that you might find useful:

• Keep the recipes simple and have the steps written down to follow.
• Do food prep in advance, so kids are not waiting, and you can avoid the use of knives, graters and other dangerous utensils.
• Make the experience hands on, a combination of group recipes and individual ones worked well to keep kids focused.
• Have an adult work the oven or stove and keep the kids away from them.
• Use a big table for your workspace (the ping pong table was perfect) and line it with paper (or plastic table cloth) for easy clean up.
• At $2/kid the chef hats and aprons were totally worth it ? not one kid took them off during the party. We heard one girl wore her hat all day!

About the Author: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are the mothers of five children and founders of Fresh Baby. The Fresh Baby concept is simple — When you make it yourself, you know it’s better. Along with developing products for parents to get actively involved in making healthy food choices for their children from the first bite of food; they also publish Fresh Ideas, a free, monthly newsletter that provides healthy eating ideas for the whole family.