It’s not often I get jazzed about food products for little ones. But when my youngest started solids last year, I remember loving the Happy Baby Frozen meals I picked up at Whole Foods. I recently tried the products they have for toddlers and got giddy all over again.

But before I go on, let me tell you about the company…

According to their website, Happy Baby “…is committed to making baby and toddler food as healthy and delicious as homemade with the essential nutrients needed for optimal growth and development.”

I like that the company has both a medical and nutrition advisor: Dr. Robert Sears and Amy Marlow, MPH, RD. And to top it off, HAPPY BABY works with Project Peanut Butter to help feed starving children in Malawi. Every package purchased goes towards this effort.

I’m going to review the products we’ve tried followed by information on how you can win some great (free) stuff.

Happy Baby Frozen: I’ll admit it. I wasn’t as gung ho about making baby food the second time around. I was working and dealing with a poor-sleeping (but cute) little guy. The Happy Baby Frozen Meals include a variety of nutritious foods perfect for baby — greens, squash, salmon, peas, brown rice and chicken. They come in three textures: simple puree (6+ months), Smooth combos (7+) and Sorta chunky (9+).

All of these homemade meals are made with whole, organic foods. I love that they include salmon and chicken in addition to the fruits and veggies. The ones we tried had a good flavor and my little guy polished them off.

Happy Bellies: These are organic, whole grain cereals with added DHA and probiotics. These cereals (also iron-fortified) make a great first food for baby. As I recommended in my cereal post, infant cereals can extend beyond the first year of life since the first two years are when children are at the highest risk for iron deficiency.

Each 3 Tbsp of cereal contains 16mg of DHA which can go towards meeting your little one’s needs. They also contain live and active cultures (probiotics). While these ingredients are not necessary, they are nice additions. My son ate this up like he usually eats his cereal.

Happy Bites: These products are designed for toddlers but can be for older kids too. There are six varieties including breakfast pocket, fish bites, mac & cheese, salmon stix and veggie tots.

We tried the salmon stix and veggie tots. Unlike regular fish sticks, the Salmon Stix contain 520mg of DHA and EPA (for more on the benefits/amounts of DHA kids need see article). They taste really good and make simple finger foods. My 3-year old tried one with some ketchup.

The veggies tots are a mix of potatoes, carrots, corn, red peppers and other healthful ingredients. They are a good source of vitamin A and an excellent source of vitamin C. I cut these into little pieces and gave to my little one as a snack. Both of these products tasted delicious (I can eat them too, right?).

Check out some of Happy Baby’s other products including Happy Puffs, Happy Melts and Happy Tots.They also have downloadable feeding guides developed by health professionals. This is some good stuff.

After trying (and liking) their products, I approached Happy Baby and they were generous enough to offer some product for this giveaway. The following gift basket ($72 value) contains:

• 1 HAPPYBABY tote (16”w x 12”h x 6”d)
• 1 organic cotton HAPPYBABY| bib
• 1 organic cotton HAPPYBABY| t-shirt
• 3 canisters of HAPPYBELLIES organic cereal | Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Multi-Grain
• 3 canisters of HAPPYBABYPUFFS organic baby snacks | Apple, Apple/Banana, Greens
• 8 FREE trial coupons for HAPPYBABY frozen meals of your choice
• Infant and toddler Nutrition Guide written by Dr. Sears and Amy Marlow, RD MPH CDN
• FAQ on Probiotics & DHA
• HAPPYFAMILY Recipes

Here’s what you have to do to enter the Happy Baby giveaway:

1) Leave a comment saying why you need healthy and convenient food products for your kids.

2) For another entry, sign up for Raise Healthy Eaters’ email updates or RSS Feed. If you already subscribe, tell at least one friend about Raise Healthy Eaters. Leave another comment saying what you did.

3) To increase your chances further, become a facebook fan of Raise Healthy Eaters. If you are already a fan (now called like), suggest some of your friends become fans. Leave another comment saying what you did.

4) And for a bonus entry, tweet this post, share this post on Facebook or become a fan of Happy Family. Again, let me know you did it by leaving another comment.

This giveaway is short and sweet and will end Sunday the 25th at midnight. The winner will be picked at random.org. Good luck!

Okay, it’s time to reveal the new cookbook I’ve been raving about. Just so you know, I’m usually not a big cookbook person. I still buy them from time to time but I’m usually disappointed when the touted quick and easy recipes are really more involved and time-consuming.

This is one of the reasons I love SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue: Earth-Friendly, Kid-Pleasing Dinners for Busy Families Cookbook. Many of the meals are Scramble Express meaning they can be made in 30 minutes or less. And Aviva Goldfarb, the author and busy mom, denotes the meals that can be made ahead of time or frozen.

For some reason, I find the meals in SOS especially appealing. I’ve already tried the Ravioli, Spinach with Sun Dried Tomatoes and the Crispy Parmesan-Panko Crusted Chicken Cutlets. I can’t wait to make the Orzo Salad with Peas and Feta Cheese and the Mango and Black Bean Salad to use as sides for some upcoming BBQs.

I also love the structure of the book. Golfarb, who runs The Scramble Meal Planning System, provides weekly menu plans and recipes based on what’s in season. The beginning of the book contains a seasonal fruit and veggie guide and other helpful suggestions like how to stock your pantry (wasn’t I just talking about this?).

I also really, really, really appreciate having the suggested sides which includes easy and nutritious salad and veggie ideas. Each section of the cookbook has tips for families including school lunch ideas, easy composting for families, best dishes for school potlucks and much more.

The only thing that’s missing from this cookbook are pictures but I can live without that. It really is an amazing resource for busy families. It’s a must-have book for every family’s kitchen!

Because the nice folks at the Six O’Clock Scramble sent me two books, I’m going to give one away for free! Here’s what you have to do to enter the cookbook giveaway:

1) Leave a comment saying why you need more quick and healthy meal ideas.

2) For another entry, sign up for Raise Healthy Eaters’ email updates or RSS Feed. If you already subscribe, tell at least one friend about Raise Healthy Eaters. Leave another comment saying what you did.

3) To increase your chances further, become a facebook fan. If you are already a fan (now called like), suggest some of your friends become fans. Leave another comment saying what you did.

4) And for a bonus entry, tweet, blog or share this post on Facebook. Again, let me know you did it by leaving another comment.

This giveaway will end next Friday the 4th at midnight. The winner will be picked at random.org. Good luck!

Last Tuesday we all enjoyed the Ravioli with Spinach and Sun-dried tomatoes.  On Friday, we accepted a last minute dinner invitation so I moved the homemade pizza to Saturday.

After I preheated the oven I noticed an overwhelming burnt smell, then I saw the smoke oozing from the oven and before I could do anything the fire alarm went off.  I totally forgot to clean out the fallen food particles from the last time I used the oven.  As I said before, I’m a messy cook.

Because it was close to dinner time we decided to have leftovers instead.  I ended up cooking the pizza later that night since I had all the veggies prepped.  It was a nice and tasty lunch the next day. 

Today we are headed to Disneyland but will be back in time for dinner.  So I’m finally going to make the slow cooker red beans and rice I never got to a couple of weeks ago.  It’s really simple: red beans, brown rice, water, onion, cumin and chopped carrots.  I’m a little afraid it will taste bland.  I’ll let you know how it turns out. 

I can’t wait to tell you about my new cookbook later this week but I first have to try one more recipe.  And I’m going to make carnitas for slow cook day.  Yes, a fattier meat, but my husband enjoys it (that matters right?).

For more meal plan ideas see Org Junkie.

What’s Cooking this Week?

Monday: Post-Disneyland Red Beans and Brown Rice with a salad and fruit.

Tuesday: Crispy Parmesan-Panko Crusted Chicken Cutlets with Roasted Carrots (new cookbook!)

Wednesday: Carnitas with whole grain tortillas, side of black beans and tons of toppings.

Thursday: Leftovers/potluck

Friday: Baked salmon, sweet potatoes (in slow cooker), green beans and bread.

Challenges

Last week, one day after breakfast my 3-year old announced, “I finished my French toast, I’m a good girl!”

I could not believe what I heard.  How is my daughter getting the message that finishing her meal makes her good?

So I sat her down and told her that eating a lot or little does not make her good or bad.  She needs to listen to her tummy – sometimes it might want more and other times less.

I realize that I’m not the only one who feeds her.  I have noticed that my mom sometimes says “good girl” when Anna eats.  I also thought about how my mother-in-law reports back to me how much she eats at lunch.  She might say something like, “Anna ate all of her chicken today at lunch,” in a positive tone or a less enthused “She only had her apple but didn’t touch her sandwich.”  

These comments seem harmless, but as parents we cannot underestimate the power even subtle “eat more” messages have on our kids. This often happens when kids are really young and picky and caregivers want them to eat well.

I’ll talk more about this in my picky-eating series. I hope to help you raise intuitive eaters who listen to their hunger and satiety signals instead of eating what’s in front of them or choosing to use food as a distraction.

So I talked to my mom and plan to mention something to my mother-in-law too.  A post on Family Feeding Dynamics discusses the importance of staying consistent with feeding.

Have you had to talk to other caregivers about how or what they feed your kids? 

 News

Right after I posted about Michelle Obama’s childhood obesity task force report, there was another announcement from her that 16 major food companies plan to trim a trillion calories from their food products by 2012. 

Janet Helm, a fellow RD, from Nutrition Unplugged summarizes this news on her blog.

I’m not sure how this will play out but it should be interesting.  Will making such reductions really help people manage their weight?  Time will tell.   

Also in the news was a report of a study published in Pediatrics that found kids with higher levels of certain pesticides in their urine (organophosphates) were twice as likely to develop ADHD.  This does not mean that pesticides cause ADHD, all it means is there is a potential link that needs to be explored.  I write about other potential links in my “Can Diet Prevent ADHD” post.

This study got me thinking about how the media reports nutrition-related studies.  For example, they often announce results in sound bites saying, “A new study says X decreases cancer risk.” 

But one study is not conclusive.  Scientists need to repeat studies to better assess if there’s a potential link.  When they go on to do more studies, sometimes the results are split.  Other times the link becomes stronger or it totally fizzles.

I’m not denouncing the study or the results.  I just hope you approach health news with a healthy dose of skepticism.  Feel free to email me any of your questions.  I always love to hear what’s on your mind.

Have a great week!

This giveaway is now closed!

Last month Raise Healthy Eaters turned one. I wanted to do something special for you, my readers, to thank you for your support. But it took a little time to make happen. Or at least that’s my excuse for the belated gift giving.

In the survey I conducted last fall many of you said “time” was your biggest barrier to preparing balanced meals. I make no secret that I LOVE the slow cooker for this very reason. It’s the ultimate meal-making time saver.

According to Consumer Search, All Clad is one of the top-rated slow cookers. It’s made of stainless steel and it’s programmable meaning you can instruct it when to stop cooking and switch to warm. It retails for $199.99.

So I wrote the folks at All Clad and asked them to donate one. Add they said “yes!”

But I thought that with summer coming many of you might stop using the slow cooker. This would be a mistake because there’s so much more to the crock pot than stews and soups.

I got in touch with Stephanie O’ Dea from A Year of Slow Cooking. Her bestselling book, Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking, is a great example of all that is possible with the slow cooker. She agreed to send the winner a copy of her book.

So the winner of this anniversary giveaway will get a top of the line slow cooker and an awesome cookbook written by a busy mom. If I could enter this giveaway I would. But that would be unethical (right??).

Okay. Here’s what you have to do to enter:

1) Leave a comment saying why you like the slow cooker or why you want one.

2) For another entry, sign up for Raise Healthy Eaters’ email updates or RSS Feed. If you already subscribe, tell at least one friend about Raise Healthy Eaters. Leave another comment saying what you did.

3) To increase your chances further, become a facebook fan. If you are already a fan, suggest some of your friends become fans. Leave another comment saying what you did.

4) And for a bonus entry, tweet, blog or share this post on facebook. Again, let me know you did it by leaving another comment.

This giveaway will end next Friday the 23rd at midnight. The winner will be picked at random.org. Good luck!

Last week I wrote a few guest posts that I want to let you all know about. The first, Why Mom’s Nutrition May be the Most Important of All, was posted on Expect the Best Pregnancy, a site created as an extension of the book. I write about the importance of moms’ nutrition, especially after having a baby. While this post is geared towards new moms, all mothers can benefit from the take-home message of making their health a priority.

My second post was on Real Mom Nutrition. SallyKuzemchak, dietitian and creator of the site, read my post Why Every parent Needs a Feeding Strategy and had some follow-up questions. I answered them in her post titled What’s Your Feeding Strategy? Check it out.

My third guest post, How to Get Your Kids to Eat Just About Anything, was on Dumb Little Man, a popular site that provides tips to simplify life. This is a good review of the feeding advice I often write about here.

So as you can see, I’m getting around a bit. Helping to spread the message about raising healthy eaters.

I’ve been asked to do a teleclass for Parenting Powers. The call will take place on Tuesday, January 12th at 5pm PST (8pm EST). I will be discussing 5 easy ways parents can help prevent unnecessary weight gain in their kids. You have to be a member of Parenting Powers to join the call (it’s $9.95 to join). So if you’re interested, find out more here!

Happy New Year! It’s 2010. I can feel the possibility in the air. A new decade awaits.

One of my New Years’ resolutions is to solve problems for my readers. The survey I conducted in November gave me an inkling of the barriers you face when it comes to feeding your family (if you haven’t completed it yet you still can). This has given me tons of ideas that will materialize in 2010. Here’s some of what you can expect:

I will be creating several series — consecutive posts that are linked and build off of each other. Here are a few noteworthy ones:

-Meal Planning 101: Creative meal planning solves the no-time-to-prepare-meals problem. Here you’ll learn the secret to making meals that work best for your family, your schedule and your growing child’s nutrition needs. After the series is finished, I will post profiles from both parents and experts who excel in this area (more ideas!).

-Eating Disorder Prevention: My next expert interview will be with several dietitians who specialize in eating disorders. This series will teach parents how to raise children who have a healthy relationship with food and their bodies. This will be a must-read for parents of girls.

-Nutritional Needs at Different Stages: This series will showcase key nutrients (the first being calcium), their food sources, how much individuals of all ages need, and ways to work it in to daily food choices. This process will help you figure out if your family is getting the nutrition that they need, and whether or not supplementation is needed.

-Getting Kids to Eat: Preparing nutritious foods kids will eat, getting them to try new foods and taking the stress out of feeding will all be discussed in this series. But don’t expect the same-old information here — you’ll get inside info that will change the way you think about this subject.

I will continue to post on a variety of topics including quick and easy recipes ideas, the National School Lunch Program, obesity prevention, family dinners, time-saving health tips for parents, and relevant nutrition news. I will also answer the questions I got from the survey in several Ask the Dietitian posts. I have many ideas, many I got from you, for more in depth articles that I’ll sprinkle in the content.

I’ll also be adding a product store from Amazon that will consist of the books and products I highly recommend. Every product I list will be something that is reputable and that I use myself.

I’m asking you to join the conversation by leaving comments and tips for other parents. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and can learn from one another. So if you have something to add, do it. And that includes super-simple recipes you make at home (send to me through contact us).

If you have a friend you think would be interested in these topics, by all means forward this along — see share options at the bottom of this post.

I’ll be leaving you with two simple recipes. The first is a vegetable and the next is a healthy dessert. The perfect way to start the New Year.

Zucchini Cakes

This is the last recipe I’ll post from the Fix it and Enjoy it Healthy Cookbook. I didn’t take a picture because my camera wasn’t charged at the time. These turned out tasty but my picky 3-year old didn’t try them. But she did recently try (and finished!) a bowl of soup after many offerings so I’m hopeful.

Makes 2 main-dish servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

2 cups zucchini, grated and drained
2 eggs, beaten, or 4 egg whites, or egg substitute equivalent to to 2 eggs, or 1/2 cup soft tofu, blended.
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs, divided
1 Tbsp. light mayo (used canola-based)
1/4 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
2 Tbsp. minced onion
lemon juice (optional)
tartar, or cocktail, sauce (optional)

1. In a good-sized bowl, mix zucchini, eggs, egg whites, egg substitute, or tofu, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, Old Bay, and onion. Combine thoroughly.
2. Form into golf-ball-sized balls. Flatten and roll lightly in remaining 1/4 cup bread crumbs.
3. Lightly brown on both sides in a non-stick pan sprayed with oil.
4. Serve sprinkled with lemon juice, or with tartar or cocktail sauce, if you wish.

“Reprinted from Fix-It and Enjoy-It Healthy Cookbook. Copyright by Good Books (www.GoodBooks.com). Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Greek Yogurt with Pine Nuts
This one is another one from Charlotte in France. She’s trying to find more healthful ways to serve dessert for her family. And she came up with this great idea. Thanks Charlotte!

I take half a container of the real Greek yogurt (I use the 2%) and put it in a small parfait glass with some Acacia honey on the bottom and also more honey drizzled on top. Then I toasted some pine nuts and sprinkled them on top. Very easy, and more nutrients that chocolate pudding (I think at least!) Of course, you could also sprinkle some berries or bananas on top too.

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Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey and giveaway – the response was great. Our winner is Hannah from Connecticut, a mom to five grown children and a grandmother to 10 grandchildren. Congrats Hannah!

The survey will remain on the site so if you haven’t completed it yet there’s still time. Here are the key takeaways from the survey questions so far:

-Time is a big issue. Parents have difficulty finding the time to prepare meals and take of their own health.

-Everyone needs more quick and easy meal ideas and recipes.

-Parents are challenged to come up with foods their kids will eat.

-Parents worry that their kids aren’t meeting their nutritional needs, will grow up to have unhealthy habits and won’t ever accept a wide variety of foods.

-Parents also are having a hard time sticking to their meal decisions when kids don’t like what is served.

As a parent, I also struggle with feeding little ones and taking care of myself. I have good days and weeks but also have times where I wonder if I can do it all. Sharing my experiences on this blog has helped tremendously. So thank you for your feedback. I will take it into consideration as I develop new content.

On another note, Charlotte, mom to Isabelle in France, emailed me this 2-bean salad recipe. I made it tonight and it turned out great. Can’t wait to try it on a salad tomorrow.

We usually keep a container of this 2-bean salad in the fridge and use it for topping salads. Just rinse and drain 1 can of red kidney beans and 1 can of chickpeas, put them in a bowl with olive oil and red vinegar, salt and pepper, a little chopped onion, and about a tsp of dried oregano. I use lots of vinegar (more than oil). Isabelle will actually eat these instead of salad while we are eating salad.

As an extra treat, I sometimes toast seeds in the oven or on top of the range and we put them on top. I use what they call “squash seeds” here, but I don’t know if that’s what you call them at home. They are dark brown/black (unlike pumpkin seeds, but close in terms of size and texture). You can just put them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or fry them over med-high heat in a frying pan on the stove for 5-8 minutes.

There’s a lot going on at Raise Healthy Eaters. First off, the site has a brand new look. So if you haven’t checked it out, please do so.

Since this blog started back in March, I’ve been writing on topics that interest me as a mom and dietitian. But I thought it was time to check in with as many parents as I can. I want to know what you really want to hear about.

So I need your help…

I’ve created a short survey for you to fill out (5 minutes max). The good news is that by doing so, you get a chance at winning a 50-dollar gift card at Target. I thought this would give a family some extra help during the holidays.

Here’s what you need to do to enter the contest:

Current subscribers:
Click on this link to complete the survey. Once you’re done, leave a comment on this post (for those getting this via email, click on the title to go to the post) saying that you completed the survey OR…

For a second entry, share this post on your Facebook or Twitter page (use the share button at the bottom of the post). And for a third entry, forward this post via email to your parent friends. In order for all entries to count, tell me exactly what you did by leaving a comment on this post.

Non-subscribers: Click on this link to complete the survey. Once you’re done leave a comment on this post saying that you completed the survey OR…

For a second entry, subscribe to the site via email or RSS. And for a third entry, share this post on your Facebook, Twitter page or send it to friends via email. In order for all entries to count, tell me exactly what you did by leaving a comment on this post.

Giveaway entries will be closed Sunday the 30th at the stroke of midnight!  I will announce the winner next week.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Deciding how much and type of fat to feed your family can be confusing.  In the nineties it was all about lowering total fat but now experts talk about trans, saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. 

Our expert interview for November will be with Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD, award winning dietitian, author of The Ultimate Omega-3 Diet and member of International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids.

She knows everything there is to know about dietary fat including the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.  So get your questions answered by going through contact us or replying to the email update. You will have until Tuesday, November 10th to submit your question.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Maryann