I’ve got news…big news! I’ve been writing this blog for over 2 years now and have learned a lot about the feeding struggles that parent face, including my own. While I love blogging, I wanted to do more. I wanted to reach more people.

I wanted to write a book.

In walks Jill Castle, pediatric nutrition specialist. I interviewed her for my Eating Disorder Prevention Series — and we hit it off. We both talked about the need for one, comprehensive book as an answer to modern-day feeding challenges but neither of us wanted to do it alone. But together….that just might be doable.

After a long road of coming up with a name, getting a proposal together, finding an awesome agent and finally landing a book deal, we have arrived at this moment. The book, Fearless Feeding, due out in early 2013, will help parents with kids of all ages — from high chair to high school.

Our goal is simple and ambitious: we want to take the fear out of feeding by giving parents the tools, resources and credible information they need to raise healthy and happy eaters. Whether you are trying to figure out what to feed your baby, unsure how to navigate picky eating or clueless about how to talk to school-aged kids about weight and body image, the book will have the answer. And most importantly, it will help prevent future problems, making feeding easier and less stressful each year children get older.

That said, we don’t want to stick our heads in the sand and write this book. We want to get parents (that’s you!) talking about their challenges. We want to hear all of your voices. We want to invite every parent to have a say so we can make the book relevant.

That’s why we are launching our Fearless Feeding Community on Facebook where we will ask questions/run polls, post news and food ideas, run giveaways, with a huge final prize, and ask for stories. Please “LIKE” us and tell your friends — we’ve got some great stuff to give away as an incentive and to celebrate this launch.

First, we have two Bento lunch boxes with coupons for any Sara Lee bread products. I really like the Sara Lee Soft and Smooth line of whole grain products. If your child has trouble accepting the rougher whole grain breads these are perfect. We regularly use the whole wheat mini bagels that contain 20g of whole grain per serving. Big A loves them. This package will also contain WomenHeart’s All Heart Family Cookbook.  We will have two winners for this each at $40.00 dollar value.

Real Simple is donating some organizing products from their Bed Bath and Beyond line including a mug rack, erasable calendar and a 3-piece trunk storage unit (pictured) great for organizing groceries and food items in the car. This is a $50 dollar value for one lucky winner.

Jill has more stuff to give away on her site so head over to the Just the Right Byte. She’s got a new greek yogurt product from Chobani for kids and unique whole grain products.

Here’s how you can enter:

1) Mandatory entry: “Like” Fearless Feeding on Facebook and leave a comment (on this blog) saying that you did it. If you don’t have a Facebook account leave a comment saying what you need most from a child nutrition/feeding book (you can do both of these things).

2) For another entry, tweet this post or share this post on Facebook. Leave another comment.

3) For a third 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 for Fearless Feeding on Facebook. Leave another comment saying what you did.

The giveaway ends Friday, December 23rd. Three winners will be chosen using random.org and be announced on the Raise Healthy Eaters Facebook page.

Good luck!!

Happy Monday! I hope you all are well.

This week I’m trying a quiche for the first time. I’ve been wanting to make more egg dishes – even though Big A is still on an egg hiatus. I’ve also been trying some time savers in the kitchen like making roasted veggies earlier in the day so that all I have to do is heat them up before dinnertime.

I haven’t made chicken enchiladas in a while so the next night, Tuesday, we’re having one of my kids’ favorite meals — spaghetti with meatballs. This is the easiest meal on earth especially when I cook the pasta ahead of time. I hate when I’m in a hurry and the water just won’t boil.

For more meal planning inspiration see Org Junkie.  And don’t miss the last giveaway in our Take Back Dinnertime Challenge at the end of this post.

What’s Cooking This Week

Monday: Chicken enchiladas with black beans and guacamole

Tuesday: Spaghetti and meatballs with salad, Parmesan green beans, bread and fruit

Wednesday: Kids’ choice

Thursday: Make Your Own Quiche with fruit salad

Friday: Sweet orange salmon, baked fries and roasted veggies (made ahead of time) and fruit

Weekend: Mexican pizza

Salad of the week: Apple walnut salad

The forgotten reason for family dinners — Connection
A new study presented at the Developmental Psychology Section Annual Conference showed that family dinners are associated with kids who are less picky about food. According to the article in Science Daily:
The results showed that friendly interaction between mother and child instead of coercive strategies, like pressure and physical prompting, may encourage young children to try different foods.

The results of this study mirror other research that shows that an authoritative feeding style is linked to better eating habits in children.

What is an authoritative feeding style?

According to a 2005 study in Appetite an authoritative feeding represents a balance between authoritarian (controlling) and permissive (let kids make all the choices) such that the child is encouraged to eat healthy foods, but is also given some choices about eating options. For example, with authoritative feeding, adults may determine which foods are offered, and children may determine which foods are eaten.

But I think the benefits of a positive feeding style go beyond eating habits.

The key reason a lot of us parents go to the trouble of family dinners is to connect with our kids. We want to have a time where we all gather and catch up on what’s going on. For those of us with younger kids, we are building the ritual — as kids don’t always do well at dinner until they are a bit older.

But if the family table is a negative place — full of pressure and hostile negotiations over food — we are missing the chance to really connect. And it just makes sense to me that kids that feel supported and free from pressure will eventually do better with eating.

I say eventually because a pleasant family table doesn’t mean a picky-eating kid will automatically start eating every food under the sun (it is a stage of development after all). I know this from experience. I think of it more like an investment — taking the time and effort until one day you can actually see the pay off.

Take Back Dinnertime Challenge Week 4
This fits right in with the last week of the Take Back Dinnertime Challenge. Don’t miss this week’s video with ideas on engaging your kids at the table. There are also some great tips on getting kids involved in the kitchen.

And to end the challenge, Real Simple is offering a copy of Laurie David’s The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids One Meal at a Time for one lucky winner. To enter leave a comment about how you try to connect with your family at dinner.

This is the last giveaway for a while — I promise!  I hope this challenge has given you some ideas and inspiration for making it dinner the best part of your day.

In week 3 of the Take Back Dinnertime Challenge (Get Inspired), we’re tackling food inspiration.

Readers always tell me they want to branch out from the same old meals. Getting out of a food rut isn’t be easy but it doesn’t have to be hard either.

So here are some simple steps you can take to jazz up your nightly dinners without giving up what’s familiar. Don’t miss the giveaway at the end of the post.

1. Keep new recipes in one place:
I have a word document entitled “New Recipes to Try.” Every time I see a recipe I like, I copy and paste the URL in that file. When it comes time for my weekly meal plan, I check that file to see if I want to make any of the meals.

If the meal turns out then I transfer it to my “Jacobsen Meals” document. I print out all the recipes and include them in one folder. My goal is to gather a good variety of recipe and meal ideas for the years to come.

2. Tag recipes in (old and new) cookbooks:
When I first get a cookbook I look through it and try a couple of recipes — and then the cookbook sits. When I’m looking for meal inspiration I go through old cookbooks and tag the recipes I want to try.

Bottom line: don’t forget about your cookbooks!

3. Do weekly online searches:
I find most of my meal inspiration online. I store and save recipes on All Recipes where I check the comments and never choose a meal that has less than 4 stars. I also like Cooking Light and any recipe I find through Google.

I turn to my fellow RDs for inspiration including Estela at Weekly Bite, the Meal Makeover Moms, and Jill Castle’s Dinner Bar (family style meals) at Just the Right Byte. Other healthy resources include Six O’clock Scramble, Super Healthy Kids and Simple Bites.

4. Try new recipes on a regular basis: I incorporate a new recipe every week or two. While I reserve the right not to make the new meal if it’s a stressful day, I make it a point to keep the new meals coming. (Hint: skip new meals on Fridays!)

When choosing a recipe, I try to pick something that has familiar ingredients with only one or two new items. I also consider my children’s food preferences and ability to chew food.

5. Keep your child’s future taste buds in mind:
If I waited for approval on new meals from my kids, especially Big A, we’d never branch out. My husband and I carefully decide whether or not a meal is worth making again. It has to be kid-friendly enough, but it does not need to be something they chow down the first time they try it. As they get older, they will have more say.

On nights we try something new, I always make sure there are familiar sides that my kids are likely to eat.

6. Don’t give up: I know too well what it’s like to have dinner failures. It’s enough to make you run to the tried and true meals. But I’ve learned that you have to take the good with the bad — and the bad will happen more than you like. For every 4 or so new meals that I make, one ends up a winner.

The good news? With time I’ve gotten much better at choosing new recipes so the failures aren’t so bad — they’re just not worth a repeat performance.

Don’t miss this week’s Real Simple video about getting inspired. And for a fun bonus, Real Simple is offering 5 free issues of their Family issue.

To enter leave a comment about where you go for meal inspiration. For an extra entry, share with someone through facebook, twitter or email. Just leave another comment. This will run until Monday September 12th.

It’s week one of the Take Back Dinnertime Challenge from Real Simple. If you haven’t signed up, you can do so here. This week, the focus is on preparing healthy meals. Don’t miss the cookbook giveaway at the end of this post!

What exactly makes a healthy meal? Is it about avoiding extras like fat and sugar or including whole foods more often? While these things do matter — they are only part of the story. In order to maximize healthy meals in your home, it really is about keeping things simple.

Let me show you what I mean.

1. Focus on taste: According to a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, people who were told an energy bar was healthy, were hungrier after eating than those who were told the same bar was “tasty.”

The truth? The word healthy can carry a lot of baggage for some people — especially those who have dieted or have not been exposed to many healthy foods.

And you can bet that kids get the message that healthy and taste do not coincide. I often hear parents tell kids to eat something because it’s “healthy” or “good for them.” Instead, focus on the good taste of healthful, whole foods and avoid making kids eat something in the name of nutrition.

According to The Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Report from the American Dietetic Association, a majority of children said it they would eat more healthfully if the food tasted better.

2. Focus on nutrition positives, not negatives:When I talk to people about their diet, they usually start with the list of foods they think are no-no’s. According to The Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Report, families are more aware of what they should not eat than what they should eat.

So instead of focusing on the foods to avoid, get creative by finding ways to include foods that add health and great taste including the items below.

3. Experiment with fruits, veggies and whole grains: When I first started cooking, I would steam veggies and add little fat. Needless to say, no one wanted to touch them. But then I discovered roasted veggies and it changed everything.

Experiment with cooking veggies whether it be roasting, baking, stir frying or eating them raw with some dip. Research shows that children are slower to like veggies than other foods so frequent exposure is key. Serve fruit with meals as well — it requires no preparation and kids love it. And don’t forget to experiment with the array of whole grains out on the market.

To ensure nutritional variety, include at least one fruit or veggie rich in vitamin A and vitamin C daily and make half your grains whole.

4. Vary your protein sources: Lean meats are great but there are many other nutritious protein sources. Try cooking beans (black, kidney, garbanzo and pinto beans) more often or include them as a side for dinner. Beans are packed with B vitamins, iron and fiber and Dietary Guidelines recommend 3 cups per week.

Throw some fish in the mix (main source of omega 3 fatty acids DHA/EPA) whether it’s salmon, shrimp, or good old tuna. And don’t forget nuts and nut butters which work well for last minute dinners or a kids’ night. Eggs make a great quick dinner too!

5. Use healthy fats to add flavor: Fat adds flavor to every dish — and kids need it. Use healthy oils like olive and canola for salad dressing and cooking. Add nuts and avocado to salads and make guacamole and hummus for dipping.

6. Keep ingredients simple and whole: When I first started cooking I bought Alice Water’s book, The Art of Simple Food, which emphasizes the use of simple and fresh ingredients. At the time I thought cooking had to be complicated with many ingredients so this message was just what I needed.

This is what healthy dinner meals are all about — using fresh, real food. It solves the taste problem and spoils even the tiniest of palates.

Don’t forget to check out Real Simple’s video and tip of the day for preparing healthy meals– and the blog posts that go along with it.

And for a bonus, Real Simple has offered to give away 5 copies of their cookbook, Dinner Tonight: Done! 189 Quick and Delicious Recipes. Here’s what you need to do to enter the giveaway:

1) Mandatory entry: Leave a comment telling us what your biggest challenge is when it comes to healthy meal preparation.

2) For for another entry, tweet this post or share this post on Facebook. Leave another comment.

3) For a third 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.

4) To increase your chances further, like Raise Healthy Eaters on Facebook. If you are already a fan, like Real Simple. Leave another comment saying what you did.

Five winners will be chosen using random.org. The winners will be announced on Raise Healthy Eaters’ Facebook page. The giveaway will end Monday, August 29th at midnight.

I got a great little recipe and product for you. The nice people from Laura’s Lean Beef contacted me a while ago about their product. They sent me some vouchers and I went out and got some of their 8% lean ground beef.

We made these empanadas — one of the recipes on their website. They turned out great and were really kid friendly. The kids dipped them in the guacamole and I served them with black beans. But before I reveal the giveaway, a little more about Laura’s Lean Beef…

In 1985 Laura Freeman, a seventh generation cattle farmer, took over her family’s business. She started experimenting with lean, gourmet breeds of cattle including Limousin and Charolais — and made the decision not to use antibiotics or hormones at a time it was acceptable to do so.

Today, Laura’s Lean Beef is available in 7000 stores throughout 47 states. Her meat is free of antibiotics and added hormones and all cattle live in pastures and graze on natural grasses and grains. All of their farmers follow strict standards for raising and treating cattle.

Laura’s Lean Beef has been awarded the Goodhousekeeping Seal and 5 of their products are certified by the American Heart Association. Check out their site for more information.

Products

Lean Ground Beef – 92% Lean Ground Beef/96% Lean Ground Round/96% Lean Ground Sirloin

Steaks and Roasts – Eye of Round/Flank Steak/Ribeye Steak/Sirloin Steak/Strip Steak/Tenderloin Filet/Top Round

Cooked entrees – Beef Pot Roast Au Jus 3 oz. (85g)/Meatloaf w/ Tomato Sauce 5oz. (140g)/Shredded Beef w/ BBQ Sauce 5 oz. (140g)

This lean beef is easy to get (at major grocery stores) and is just as lean as ground turkey. I plan to try more products and post more recipes! The nice people at Laura’s Lean beef are offering 3 $20 vouchers. So for this giveaway there will be 3 lucky winners. To enter here’s what you have to do:

1) Mandatory entry: Leave a comment telling us why you would like to win this product.

2) For for another entry, tweet this post or share this post on Facebook. Leave another comment.

3) For a third 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.

4) To increase your chances further, like Raise Healthy Eaters on Facebook. If you are already a fan, like Laura’s Lean Beef. Leave another comment saying what you did.

Three winners will be chosen using random.org. The winners will be announced on Raise Healthy Eaters’ Facebook page. The giveaway will end Friday, June 27th at midnight.

It seems like all the food products that I can’t live without are at Trader Joe’s. They have it all — nutrition, taste, convenience and a good price.

I thought it would be fun to share my favorite Trader Joe’s products with you. And even though it’s a small store, I’m sure you have some favorites that I’ve completely missed. So, please, do share.

Now, it’s my turn…

1. Organic Olive Oil Whole Wheat Wraps:I use these to make burritos and quesadillas. I love them because they taste good, have a soft consistency and are made with olive oil instead of soybean oil, which is lower in omega-6 fats.

2. Turkey Meat Balls: These are great to have with spaghetti or any quick meal. They not only taste great but they are lower in fat and saturated fat than regular meatballs. Although I do get the party size regular meatballs too. This is the only meat Big A will eat at the moment.

3. Grilled Chicken Strips: These are a life saver. They are perfect on caesar salad, quesadillas or any recipe that calls for cooked chicken. Just defrost quickly in the microwave. Nice flavor.

4. Mediterranean Hummus:Out of all the variety of hummus at Trader Joe’s, this one is my favorite. I wish I could replicate the taste at home because it’s incredible.

5. Dark Chocolate: Do I even have to say anything with this one? Big A and I enjoy these as I teach her to savor the rich flavor. We’re working on the “less is more” concept.

6. Dry Roasted Sliced Almonds (unsalted): These little almonds are addicting — and great on salads. If you kids dislike nuts, they’ll love this crunchy treat. Perfect on yogurt too.

7. Organic DHA Eggs: I really like these eggs as they contain 75mg of DHA, which isn’t bad (see DHA article for amounts kids need). They are also less expensive than other organic/DHA eggs.

8. Trader Joe’s Organic Low Fat Yogurt: This is a great yogurt with a creamy taste that wins for the lowest amount of sugar for a 4 ounce serving that I can find. Sorry no picture — haven’t been able to find this since going to my new store. For more low sugar yogurts, see this post.

9. Dry Roasted Mixed Nuts: I always buy my nuts at Trader Joe’s. I like these mixed nuts with almonds, pistachios, cashews and macadamias (even though we skip the macadamias). It has half the salt of regular nuts.

10. Trader Joe-O’s. This has the same ingredients and fortification (40% DV of iron) as regular Cheerios for a better price. Perfect for babies and toddlers.

There are more products I like at Trader Joe’s but these are the ones that stand out. How about you?

This giveaway is now closed.

As 2010 comes to a close, I feel a great deal of gratitude towards my readers.

Thank you so much for reading, commenting and telling your friends about Raise Healthy Eaters. Readership is up, and I know a big part of that is due to word of mouth.

I constantly seek to write about topics that are relevant to your lives. That’s why I like to ask for some feedback at least once a year. Last year I asked readers to fill out a survey but this year I want to try something different.

I feel like parents get pressure from all sides and the advice – and sometimes judgment – comes at lightning speed. But no one takes the time to ask parents what it is they need to do a better job of feeding.

So I thought it would be fun to hold a BIG end-of-the-year giveaway where you get your chance to speak up, and win something of course. And to increase your chances, I have 5 awesome items to give away.

No Whine with Dinner: The Meal Makeover Moms, Liz Weiss MS, RD and Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD, second cookbook is finally here. If you haven’t heard of them, The Meal Makeover Moms are experts at taking regular meals and pumping up the nutrition in kid-pleasing ways. This book is filled with 150 mom-tested and kid-approved recipes including Stuffed Spinach and Cheese Pizza, Piping Hot Peanut Butter Soup and Buttery Brown Sugar Carrots. Bonus sections include 50 tips from real parents about getting kids to eat healthy. There are also blogger tips and recipes including one from yours truly (I’m in a book! I’m in a book!).

California Mandarins (Cuties): The people from Cuties got in touch with me after my post about why I love the sweet fruit so much. They are offering 5 free vouchers for a 3 pound bag of Cuties. That’s a lot of vitamin C that I’m sure any family could use at this time of year. Not to mention kids love them.

The Why Weight? Family Pocket Guide: Jill Castle, MS, RD is a pediatric dietitian with over 20 years’ experience. This handy book is filled with tips and insights on feeding kids with an emphasis on obesity prevention. Jill’s writing style is easily relatable, simple and straightforward. She has a way of boiling down complicated nutrition topics into easy-to-follow steps. It probably helps that she lives the part as a mom of four children.

Acacia DVD Tapes: Busy parents don’t have much time to exercise – I know that! And nothing is easier and more efficient than exercising at home (try naptime/bedtime – perfect). Acacia is offering 6 of their latest DVD workouts: Shiva Rea: Power Flow Yoga, Exhale: Core Fusion Boot Camp, Joy Bauer’s Slimdown Workout, Hemalayaa: Bollywood Party Workout, Strong Body Fit Body with Erin O’Brien, and Body by Bethenny with Bethenny Getting Married? star Bethenny Frankel. There will be two winners for this one (3 DVDs each). Visit Acacia Lifestyle for more on how to stay fit.

Here’s how you can enter:

1) Mandatory entry: Leave a comment describing one of your major feeding/health challenges and what you think would help you overcome it. It might be related to meal preparation, picky eating or your own self-care. If you can’t think of a challenge, let me know what worries you about raising healthy eaters. If you’d rather keep your message private, send me a note and leave a comment saying that.

2) I want to hear from as many parents as possible so for another entry, tweet this post or share this post on Facebook. Leave another comment.

3) For a third 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.

4) 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.

Five winners will be chosen using random.org. The winners will be announced on Raise Healthy Eaters’ Facebook page. The giveaway will end Friday, January 5th at midnight.

Good luck and Happy New Year!

I’ve been searching for the perfect lunch box for my daughter who started preschool this year. After a friend told me about Easy Lunch Boxes, I contacted the company and they sent me a container set and lunch bag. And I have to say I love it.

Easy Lunch Boxes are bento style and provide three sections for food. I like that there is plenty of room for a whole sandwich (or half a sandwich and something crunchy) and two more compartments for additional food. Instead of individual tops for each compartment, there’s one lid to keep track of which makes it easy for disorganized moms like me. Most importantly they are BPA free, dishwasher safe and reusable so they are good for kids and the environment.

The bag it comes with (choice of black, dark red, olive, aqua, or purple) is big enough for additional food like snacks or whole fruit, an ice pack or a thermos. But one of the best things about this lunch box is its affordability. For $21.90 you get a set of four lunch containers and lids and a cute little bag to hold it in.

These work really well for our family. I’ve also been using them for outings during the day so we don’t have to rush back for lunch. It’s just nice to store everything in a nice container and bag. And my husband has been taking one to work for his lunch.

Because I like them so much, I want one of you to enjoy one too! Kelly from Easy Lunch Boxes offered to give one container set and bag away for free ($21.90 value).

This giveaway is offered to U.S. & Canadian residents only. Please do not enter this giveaway if you have won or received free product from Easy Lunch boxes within the past 3 months.

Here’s how you can enter to win:

1) Mandatory entry: Visit Easy Lunch Boxes and write something you learned or like about their products.

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 or share this post on Facebook or become a fan of Easy Lunch Boxes. Again, let me know you did it by leaving another comment.

This giveaway will end Sunday the 17th at midnight. Good luck!

After receiving positive feedback for my Best Cereals post, I decided to create an ongoing series for different product categories. Today we are tackling yogurt.

Going down the yogurt aisle can be very confusing for parents. How can you tell the difference between the natural sugar in milk and the added sugars? How much calcium should yogurt have? Is organic essential?

So I developed some general criteria, looked around and picked some yogurts I really like. I’m sure I missed some great products along the way so feel free to leave the ones you like in the comments.

Criteria
There are five important factors in choosing yogurt: sugar content, added ingredients, calcium, live and active cultures and taste (of course).

Sugar: Because milk already contains natural sugar in the form of lactose, it can be difficult to tell how much added sugar is in the product. The best thing to do is to compare the sugars in the plain version (if it’s available) to the flavored one. So if the flavored product has 26g of sugar and the plain has 13g the product would contain 13g of added sugar.

In general, plain yogurt and milk has about 12g of sugar per 8 ounces. So that means 4 ounces has about 6g and 6 ounces has about 9g. After examining a number of products the following cut offs for total sugars seem reasonable. 8oz: 26g or less, 6oz: 20g or less and 4oz: 13g or less.

Tip: Flavors like vanilla tend to have less sugar than fruity flavors and fat-free yogurt usually has more sugar than low fat or whole.

Added ingredients: Watch out for artificial colors, preservatives and filler ingredients that make for less yogurt in the cup. Look for yogurts without artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup. Just plain old sugar will do.

Live & Active Cultures: You want to make sure that the yogurt you choose contains “live & active cultures,” which are also called probiotics. If you see the Live & Active Culture seal from the Yogurt Association, you know the product contains adequate amounts.

The large intestine needs healthy, “good” bacteria to thrive and help fight disease. These live bacteria also help breakdown lactose so people with lactose intolerance may be able to enjoy yogurt.

Calcium: The smaller the serving size, the less calcium the yogurt will contain. Shoot for at least 15% Calcium for 4 oz (150mg), 20% for 6 oz (200mg) and 30% for 8 oz (300mg).

Fat and organic: Kids under two need full fat dairy products for optimal growth and brain development so choose whole yogurt for them. People over two can go with low fat or fat-free yogurt (3g of fat or less).

I didn’t include organic in the criteria. Generally, I recommend full fat yogurt be organic but leave it optional for lower fat varieties. For more details see Is Organic Milk Worth the Price?

Yogurts that fit the bill

1. Plain Yogurt (any brand): You don’t need me to tell you that plain is the healthiest choice for yogurt. I highly recommend parents start their babies on plain whole organic yogurt instead of the flavored kind and keep them on it.

I made the mistake of offering my daughter sweetened yogurt and she looked at me like I had two heads when I tried to give her plain again.

It’s never too late to make plain yogurt a staple in your house. Cindy at Fix Me a Snack has some great tips on how to doctor up plain yogurt to suit your family’s taste.

2. Plain Greek Yogurt (any brand): Greek Yogurt is very popular right now. It is similar to regular yogurt but the extra liquid is strained out so it is creamier and thicker in texture. It also contains more protein and active cultures. The only downside is it contains less calcium.

3. Yo Kids Organic Low Fat Yogurt: Stoneyfield Farm wins high marks for their yogurt made especially for kids. For a 4 ounce serving it contains 13g of sugar, 1g of fat, 20% DV of calcium and 25% DV of vitamin D. It contains beet juice for color and organic sugar/juice as the sweetener.

4. Yoplait Kids: : YoPlait has a nice little product for kids. For a 4oz serving it contains 13g of sugar, 2g of fat, 1g of fiber, 20% DV of calcium and 10% DV of vitamin D. Like Yo Kids it contains beet juice for color and sugar as the sweetener. It also contains modified corn starch and inulin which adds some fiber.

5. Trader Joes Organic Low Fat Yogurt: This is a great yogurt with a creamy taste and wins for the least amount of sugar for 4 ounces. It has 12g of sugar, 3g of fat, 2g of fiber and 15% DV of calcium (less calcium than Yoplait Kids and Yo Kids). Sugar is the sweetener and it’s made with inulin and pectin for added fiber.

6. Ronnybrook European Style Yogurt: Before you get too excited about this one, you should know that it is only sold in New York. I have not tasted it but it looks and sounds amazing. Their 8 ounce non fat vanilla maple contains only 7g of added sugar and 35% DV for calcium. Their vanilla flavors don’t appear to have any added sugar. If you are in NY take a look!

7. Strauss Family Creamery Organic Yogurt: As kids get older they will need more calcium and will be able to eat 6-8 ounce servings of yogurt. Strauss organic yogurts have a very short ingredient list. It’s organic yogurt sweetened with evaporated cane juice and vanilla extract. For an 8 ounce serving of non fat vanilla, it contains 25g of sugar and 45% DV for calcium (that’s 450mg!).

8. Chobani Greek Yogurt: For a 6 ounce serving this yogurt contains 17g of sugar, 14g of protein, 3g of fat and 15% DV of calcium. It’s short on calcium but high in protein. The sweeteners used include evaporated cane juice, strawberries, bananas and juice for color.

Now that we have cereal and yogurt done, let me know what other product categories you would like to see reviewed.

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!