Ever since I was a little girl I loved gardening. In fact as long as I can remember I was planting things. My earliest memories of gardening were of me and my brother helping a landlord when we were around 7 or 8 years old with tomatoes and callaloo (Jamaican version of spinach). Not only did we have fun helping him to water the plants and pick the tomatoes when they were ready, but he gave us both a small patch for ourselves. After a few months we made money selling from our little gardens to neighbors – wow, what a pleasant memory.

Years later our family moved but the gardening bug was already planted – yeah, corny, but true. Henry (my brother) and I went back to our planting to raise some pocket money. Tomatoes were a breeze and we did well. Over the years I have continued planting, not just vegetables but also flowers. I have a passion for roses and orchids. Sadly after the birth of my son almost five years ago my flower garden died somewhat as my DH didn’t want me doing too much.

Nonetheless, over the period I have planted and reaped vegetables such as pumpkin, tomatoes and peppers. Last year for the first time my son got involved. What a treat we had working together. Of course the dear husband got jealous and decided to help, so we delegated him to watering.

This year we are just about ready to start, and J more so than anyone. The land has been prepared and the seeds purchased. So far we have cucumber, lettuce, corn, pumpkin, carrots, sweet pepper and broccoli all ready, but will also add some hot peppers as well. I am working on doing a small herb patch as well. We had planned on doing some planting last weekend but we didn’t get around to it. My son decided to draw his tomato and pumpkin since he wasn’t able to do the real thing.

Since last year I couldn’t remember what I planted where, so dear husband will be making cards so we can mark the spots where we plant. So, come this weekend we will be getting down and dirty. I also plan on pruning back the grape vine. Last year for the first time we had grapes to eat – they were tiny and tart but still enjoyable. Now to get some research done on growing grapes so that the next batch will be better – I will never have enough for wine, though.

I’m also going to tackle my ‘jungle’ of a flower garden as well in the coming weeks. Lots of pruning and repotting but it will be welcome fun in the sun. As they say, spring is in the air – lots of flowers everywhere.

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.

In this final installment of the Food for Thought series, we’re taking a closer look at produce.

The health benefits of fresh produce are widely publicized … from being low-calorie snacks to sources of helpful antioxidants. But as you navigate your way through the produce aisle, do you know what?s lurking behind those fresh leaves and bright colors?

Know the code ? the secret language of produce

Understand the numbers on the product look-up (PLU) codes. All produce has small oval stickers on them with a series of numbers. Anyone who has gone through the self-service checkout lane at the market, knows that those numbers help identify the item along with the price per pound.

But those little numbers tell you more than just the price, they contain a wealth of ?secret? information. PLUs were developed by the International Federation for Produce Standards, a coalition of fruit and vegetable associations that started in 2001. There is no regulatory body for the use of PLUs and grocers are not required to use them, but most do.

PLUs consist of four or five numbers. Four numbers starting with the number three or a number four indicate produce grown in conventional methods, for global distribution and sustained with pesticides. Five numbers, starting with the number nine, are organic, and five numbers starting with the number eight are genetically engineered/genetically modified (GE/GM). The PLU codes also indicate the type of produce, variety (white grapes or red grapes for example), distribution information and price per pound. For organic and GE/GM varieties, the numbers nine and eight respectively are added as a prefix to the existing PLU code for the conventional version of that type of produce.

Conventional/Traditional Produce

Conventional crops are fed synthetic fertilizers, which force the plant to grow bigger in mass, in a shorter period, thereby not allowing the plant the time to take up the same full amount of nutrients as organic crops.

Some examples:

Alfalfa Sprouts (4514)

Granny Smith Apple, small (4138)

Beefsteak Tomato (3061)

California Sweet Onion (4165)

Yellow Banana [including Cavendish] (4011), small (4186)

Organic Produce
Five numbers starting with a “9″

Organically grown produce means that the produce has been grown without the use of artificial chemicals, synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, and do not contain the residues of toxic pesticides. Organic produce follows the principles of ecological sustainability.

Example:

An organically grown California sweet onion would bear the number 94165

GE & GM Produce
Five numbers starting with an “8″

Genetically engineered or genetically modified produce means that genetic material (whether natural or manufactured) is introduced into the DNA of a host species, a procedure that results in disruption of the genetic blueprint of the organism.

The FDA describes GE/GM produce as ?an extension of traditional plant breeding [or grafting, but] involves direct modification of DNA … [and makes] it possible to direct and predict changes without introducing … undesirable traits … and will allow scientists to introduce genes from essentially any organism into a plant.”

There are many who caution against consuming GE/GM foods because of concern over allergies, toxicity, an increase in viruses and resistant bacteria, and yet unknown adverse effects on human and animal biology.

Examples:
A GE/GM Beefsteak Tomato would bear the number 83061.

For some produce contain residual traces of pesticides even after washing, something that we tend to think is a reliable way to protect ourselves. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) studied 43 fruits and vegetables, among which many stapes in our family?s diets ? including peaches, apples, lettuce, spinach, carrots and cucumbers. It?s important then, that the next time you?re in the produce aisle, consider what those little oval stickers may mean for the health of your family.

Learn more about understanding the organic label.

Inexpensive ways to buy organic.

Genetic engineering: The future of foods?

Get/View the EWG?s produce report.

Pregnancy legends say whatever you eat in your first trimester will be your baby’s favorite foods later in life. As my husband and I both sat here devouring the sweetest Florida oranges you could ever want to taste, I cringed thinking about my future food bills – specifically, the price of fresh fruit!

Pre-pregnancy, I loved vegetables. Fresh green beans, canned peas, broccoli, cauliflower, even brussel sprouts and lima beans. You name it, I’d eat it; raw, steamed or saut’ed with garlic and butter. I ate a relatively balanced diet, but never shied away from my greens.

I realized around week 5, when I finished my steak and brown rice and left my salad sitting in its bowl, that I had lost my taste for vegetables. “Since when do I leave my salad for last?” I moaned to my husband. “Our future child won’t like vegetables, and it’s your fault!” My husband likes only a handful of vegetables, all raw, and corn in any form except creamed.

Concerned about not eating enough healthy foods during pregnancy, I ransacked the produce section of Stop n’ Shop. “If the kid doesn’t like vegetables, he’s going to eat fruit!” I came home with oranges, apples, grapefruits, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and kiwi fruit.

I’ve been making a smoothie in my Magic Bullet once a day with a banana, five to seven strawberries, a handful of blueberries and a cup of non-fat milk. Not only does it calm the nausea and fill me up for a whole two hours, it’s probably one of the healthiest foods I actually have a desire to eat.

I started to get worried this morning about my fruit stock. Last night, I ate the last banana and the last apple and my strawberry supply was running dangerously low.

When my husband came home from work with bananas and oranges, I hugged him as if he had given me diamonds and the keys to a new car. I dug deeper in the grocery bag and found sugar snap peas, one of the few foods on his list of ‘approved vegetables.’ I tossed them aside in hopes of revealing a pint of strawberries.

Two out of three isn’t bad, I guess, but if this is a glimpse into the future, I’m thinking we ought to reconsider our vegetable garden concept with rows of tomato plants and green beans. We’ll just need to buy enough land to grow an orchard.

We all know that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is important for a baby’s overall health, but did you know that an infant begins to acquire a taste for leafy greens and sweet succulents long before she even tries her first spoonful? If a woman eats a steady diet of fruits and vegetables while pregnant, her baby-to-be experiences their flavors through the amniotic fluid. Additionally, a breastfed baby is able to distinguish the various tastes of the foods her mother consumes. You can guess, then, what happens if mom has constant cravings for salty chips and sugar-filled cookies.

Once an infant is old enough to be spoon-fed, by around 6 months of age, as is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, you can begin to offer solid food by first introducing iron-fortified cereal with a bit of breast milk or formula mixed in. If your baby pushes a lot of the cereal out with her tongue, wait another week before trying again.

To reduce the risk of an allergic reaction, introduce one new fruit or vegetable at a time. Refrain from mixing fruits and vegetables together before you have had a chance to test each one separately, and wait at least a week before trying something new.

Serve a baby who is 9 months or older pureed meats and soft, chunky finger foods. Wait until your baby is at least 1 year old before giving her cow’s milk, eggs, honey, or citrus fruits.

Until your child is at least 1 year old, continue to give her breast milk or formula as a major part of her diet.

A new study in the December issue of Pediatrics says breastfeeding moms can introduce a love of fruits and veggies to their babies by eating healthy themselves. The Monell Center study revealed that breast-feeding helps babies take to those foods during weaning if the mother regularly eats them as well. Breast-fed babies who were introduced to peaches ate more of them than formula-fed infants, and accompanying questionnaires showed the breast-feeding moms ate more fruit, which the center says could mean the infants liked the peaches because they tasted fruit flavors in breast milk. But whether you formula or bottle feed, the study encourages a diet of fruits and veggies for both mother and child.

There has long been some debate about whether vegetables are better for you raw or cooked. Recent research by the University of Parma printed in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry has shown that the level of antioxidants (the nutrients in fruit and vegetables that are good for our immune system and overall health) varies depending on how the vegetables are cooked. Broccoli, for instance, has more antioxidants when steamed than it did when raw, but in other cases the cooked vegetables had less antioxidants than the raw versions. It seems that there is no pattern that is best for all vegetables, some are best boiled, some steamed and some raw.

This research only covers the levels of antioxidants, other vitamins, minerals and enzymes still need to be researched. Another area that needs to be studied is whether cooking enables the nutrients to better absorbed.

Further Information

Cooking Veggies May Not Cut Nutrients

Living and Raw Foods