We’ve been dealing with the stomach flu around here. Just when I started bragging about the only one not getting sick — I got sick. I finally had that day of doing nothing I’ve been dreaming about. I slept most of the day and my husband took care of the kids. And guess what? They are still alive!

It’s a good thing I did my meal planning early. I just have to find some time to go the store today. For more meal plan inspiration go to Org Junkie.

What’s Cooking This Week

Monday: Shrimp Tacos with all the toppings

Tuesday: Lasagna Cupcakes with salad/fruit and bread

Wednesday: Kids Choice

Thursday: Baked Salmon with herb/spice rub, baked fries and garlicky green beans

Friday: Black Bean Mexican Pizza with salad/smoothies

Have my kids traded places?

No child has loved sweets more than Big A. When she was three, she really hit her peak for requesting sweets. But it seems that she and Little D have switched places. Over the holidays I made some cookies and Big A was done after one cookie while Little D proceeded to have four. I have never seen her eat only one cookie before.

Don’t get me wrong, she still loves sweets and asks for them but there is a definite change. I think part of it has to do with her beginning to like food more. She actually has some dinners she eats and definitely eats more at mealtime than she ever has (including the lunch I send to school). I think her need to fill up on sweets is becoming less as she eats, and likes, more food. She’s even been sitting quietly at my mother-in-law’s and trying the food, even though she still doesn’t eat much of the meal.

Little D, who will be three in April, has become more selective. He’s in the bread phase and his love of meat is less, although he still loves eggs and meatballs (my husband was so proud that he would eat a whole hamburger at In ‘N Out — now he only takes a few bites and sips on the shake!). I know his growth has slowed and this is all typical, so I’m barely fazed by this compared to when Big A went through it.

This is just another example of how things change and the many food phases kids go through — both fun and not so fun. So if you’re having a tough time, hang in there. If you want to talk leave your challenges in the comments.

The Fat Trap

Before New Year’s, Tara Parker-Pope wrote an article about the difficulty of losing weight and keeping it off. I wrote a response to her article on WebMD Real Life Nutrition. I won’t rehash all I wrote, but a comment someone wrote really struck a chord with me:

Prevention seems to be the most effective form of addressing obesity on a national scale. I think a huge question would be, “how do we get Americans, as a whole, to WANT to raise their children in this fashion?” Because ultimately, if parents don’t believe that the way they treat food is a problem, they won’t fix it.

I kept thinking about the questions this reader raised: ”’Why don’t more Americans want to raise their kids in this way?” Then I watched Oprah interview Joel Osteen from Lakewood church. Joel Osteen is a religious TV personality who is often criticized by some as being too soft. He made the point that people had been beaten down for so many years with guilt and negativity from the way religion can be presented. He was simply focusing on the good of God and people respond to that (not trying to debate religion here, just using the example!).

I immediately thought, “Isn’t that what has happened with nutrition and health?” Haven’t people been so beaten down with all the shoulds and negativity that the enjoyment of eating has been lost? People bring this nutrition baggage with them when they start a family — being overwhelmed with parenthood — and often turn away from nutrition and health. The worst part is the guilt they suffer knowing they should do better.

I met a mom recently who said she feels guilty for feeding her children “badly.” When I asked her what she fed them, yes, there were quite a bit of chicken nuggets and fries but they also ate a lot of fruit and had balanced dinners most nights. After I pointed out the good things going on — and that she could start with some small changes — she had a whole different attitude.

I guess what I’m trying to say is we need to change the way we view healthy eating. It’s not a destination or about perfection but a journey that can actually be enjoyable (and taste good!).

What do you think? What do you see holding families back from eating better?

If you’ve read this blog for a while you’ve probably figured out that I like black beans. My husband does too and my kids will eat them (usually stuffed in a burrito or quesidilla).

I’ve been trying to make soup each week this winter (it’s been about every other week). Last week I combined this recipe from Weelicious with this one from All Recipes and came out with a really wonderful soup. I used dried beans and after 8 hours in my slow cooker they were perfect — firm but not too firm. Your slow cooker might require a longer cook time — up to 10 hours. Bottom line: take your slow cooker’s tendency to cook fast or slow into account. It’s almost impossible to overcook soup which is nice!

Do you have a different twist on black bean soup you want to share?

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
-1 Tbsp Olive Oil
-1 Onion, diced
-3-4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
-2 Cups Dried Black Beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
-1 32 oz Chicken Broth or Vegetable Stock (low sodium optional)
-1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped
-2 Bay Leaves
-2 tsp Chili Powder
-1 tsp Cumin
-1 tsp Garlic Powder
-1 Tsp Kosher Salt

Toppings: cheedar cheese, yogurt and/or sliced avacado

1. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté onions for 4 minutes and then and sauté for another minute.
3. Pour the onion/garlic micture into the crock pot along with the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
4. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
5. (optional — I did not do this) Puree the ingredients to your desired texture with blender (or partially blend).
6. Top with suggesting toppings or anything you like!

During the process of writing Fearless Feeding, I’m going through an immense amount of research. I’ve been interviewing researchers and want to bring some of their wisdom and perspective to you. Today we have Dr. Lucy Cooke, Senior Research Associate at UCL Department of Epidemiology and Public Health in London. Her expertise includes the development of children’s food preferences and eating habits and childhood obesity. She has a PhD in Psychology and MSc in Health Psychology from the University College London and has published numerous research articles in various peer- reviewed journals.

1. What is the one thing you want parents to know (about feeding/research) that you don’t think they know now?

That what they themselves eat is the strongest predictor of what their child will eat. If a parent doesn’t like or eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, then their child is unlikely to do so.

2. In your professional opinion, what is the biggest feeding mistake parents make with their children?

There are a few, but one important thing is the use of food as a comfort, as entertainment or as a reward. A child who is given food for these sorts of reasons may learn to associate food with those feelings so that in future they will seek food when they are bored or sad, rather than just when they are hungry.

3. Research shows that taste exposure is beneficial but pressuring kids to eat isn’t good either. How can parents get kids to taste food without it being a negative experience?

Only ever offer very small pieces of a food to begin with and give lots of praise for tasting. If parents try the food at the same time, that often encourages their child to do likewise. If all else fails offer a small non-food reward…a sticker, maybe…if the child tastes the food.

4. What does the research say about rewards for trying new foods?

If a child will not taste a food, then it appears that offering a small non-food reward is beneficial in the short and long term in terms of increasing both liking and intake. However, using foods as a reward (e.g. “If you eat your peas, you can have some ice cream”) can have unintended results in that children may dislike peas more and grown to like ice cream even more.

5. Exposing babies and toddlers to a variety of tastes appears to be important for future food acceptance. Any advice on how parents can do this?

When starting a baby on solid foods, giving them a variety of vegetables as first foods seems to be beneficial and best of all, giving something different every day. It’s important to realize that for a very young baby all tastes are unfamiliar and apparently negative facial expressions in response to new foods may indicate surprise rather than dislike. Keep offering lots of different foods in small amounts and babies will become accustomed to a variety of different tastes.

6. Anything else you want to add about your research? Something to say to parents?

If a child appears to dislike a food today, it does not mean they won’t like it tomorrow. Keep trying!

I’ve been wanting to try this recipe I found on the Meal Makeover Mom’s blog for some time now. I don’t usually ”healthify” dessert but these sound so intriguing. I have to admit, my chocolate-loving husband was skeptical.

Me: Should I make black bean brownies?

Him: Do what you want, but I probably won’t eat them

Me: Will you at least try them?

Him: Yes

So I made them but of course was missing the right pan so I used my muffin pan. The dinner I was making tool longer than planned so I took a bite of one. Then my husband took a bite and he kept going back for more!

Everyone loved these, including Little D, who is taking after his Dad’s love of chocolate. These lasted less than 24 hours. They are not as rich as regular brownies but pretty darn good.

Anyone else make something like this?

Ingredients:
-15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed well
-3 large eggs
-3 tablespoons canola oil
-3/4 cup sugar
-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, optional (I skipped)
-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
-Pinch salt
-1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (I added a bit more)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Place the black beans in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, oil, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, peppermint extract as desired, baking powder, and salt and process until smooth. Add ¼ cup of the chips and pulse a few times until the chips are incorporated.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with a rubber spatula, and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips.

4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (in the muffin pan it was 30 minutes). Cool in the pan before slicing into 2-inch squares.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 120 calories, 5g fat (1.5g saturated, 0.3g omega-3), 95mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 3g protein.

Thanks Meal Makeover Moms!

Even though it was over 5 years ago, I’ll never forget my first experience feeding my daughter.  The nurse helped her latch and I couldn’t help but feel how unnatural it all felt.  We had to wake her up for feedings, it was excruciatingly painful and she seemed to hate it.  And I absolutely dreaded every single feeding.

One of the lactation consultants I hired (long story, but I went through many) told me that my daughter didn’t like to breastfeed because it wasn’t a place she wanted to be.  In a hormonal sleep-deprived fit, I thought to myself “so in addition to getting her to latch, dealing with sore nipples and making sure she get enough to eat, I also had to make this fun?”

But now I understand what the lady was saying.  In hindsight, Big A’s refusing to breastfeed at 7 weeks was the best thing that happened to us.  I still gave her breast milk through a bottle but we finally got to enjoy and connect during the feeding process. 

Problems then = problems now

Even after she refused to breastfeed I kept offering Big A the breast.  But this time there was no pressure and I even stopped caring if she would take it or not.  And then, when she was 4 months old, she started to breastfeed.  I couldn’t believe it!

When it came to feeding solids, I made sure to let Big A take the lead and keep feeding pleasant.  But had I not learned that lesson, I wonder if things would have been different for us.  This is what happened to Lori and her daughter.  They went through an experience, early on, where her milk supply was low and her daughter wasn’t gaining weight.  Even though that problem got resolved, feeding continued to be a game of cat and mouse in order to get her thin but normal growing 3-year-old to eat.

The thing about early feeding experiences is that they tend to color later feeding experiences.  Once Lori realized this, she was able to let go of pushing food on her daughter and the dynamic around feeding greatly improved. 

What gets missed in the right and wrongs

I’m in the process of researching infant feeding for Fearless Feeding and all of the decisions that go along with it.  There’s whether or not to make baby food, when to start solids (4 vs. 6 months) and the new option of baby-led weaning where purees are totally skipped (see this post for a review).

But what I think gets lost in the quest for the perfect food for baby are the most basic needs of feeding. Babies need their nutritional needs met and they need to be challenged with texture and have opportunities to transition to self-feeding but they also need to feel in sync with the person feeding them.

So a mom can spend hours making the perfect purees, but if she’s shoveling food in without looking at her baby for signs of hunger, fullness and enjoyment, feeding is not going so well.  And another mom can be hell-bent on baby-led weaning to find her baby isn’t thriving this way and is one of those “late to self-feed” kids (this was my son!).  Or the baby may want to self-feed but the mom doesn’t want to lose the “nutrition control” that spoon feeding offers.

The mistake that is often made early on is forgetting (or simply not being told!) that feeding is about much more than getting the right foods into our children — it’s about connection and having both child and parent be part of the process.  Even when little one’s desires and needs fail to match our expectations. 

The good news is it’s never to late to change the feeding relationship to one that’s positive and reciprocal.

I’m sure you remember (or you may be doing it now) what it was like when you starting feeding solids.  What resources or information did you need that you didn’t get?  What would’ve really helped you? If you want privacy contact me here.

I thought it would be appropriate for my first post of the New Year to be a vegetable dish.  I’ve been wanting to try this one for awhile now after seeing it on one of my favorite food blogs — Weekly Bite. Estela is so creative with food ideas for kids.

This turned out great!  I offered it as a pre-dinner appetizer and Little D ate one and Big A nibbled (that is good for her!).  I doubled the recipe because I have found that half bags of anything in my freezer tend not to get used or thrown out. 

This makes a great finger food or as a snack or a side with dinner.  Anyone else making something like this?

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
-16 oz bag of frozen mixed veggies (carrots, peas, corn, green beans, & lima beans)
-2 eggs
-1 cup panko bread crumbs
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-Juice of 1 small lemon
-2.5 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook veggies according to package directions and let cook. Place veggies in a food processor and pulse a few times with over-processing.

In a large bowl, combine veggies, bread crumbs, egg, salt, garlic powder, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix well using the back of your spoon to continue to mash the veggies.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and use a small scooper to make a small ball and then use your hands to form mixture into nugget size (I think mine were too big).  Line onto baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degree for 40 minutes – flip nuggets halfway through cooking (after 20 minutes).

It’s been quite a year of blogging.  And what better way to celebrate than to take a step back and review the top posts of 2011.  These are the posts that stood out with higher-than-average Facebook shares and tweets or active conversation in the comments.

I also want to take this time to thank you for reading Raise Healthy Eaters.  I learn as much from you as you do from me.  My goal is not only to provide you with the most credible feeding advice but to get you to think more broadly about feeding kids and yourself.  I realize that some of you don’t even have kids yet, as one reader wrote: “I realize that I have to raise myself as a healthy eater first.”

So here are the posts from 2011 that stood out the most and why…

1. 10 Strategies for Ending Kids’ Sugar Obsession: The goal of my managing sweet series was to get you thinking about how to offer sweets so they don’t get more attention than needed. This last post in the series was well received because it provided practical tips for parents.  As one reader pointed out: Personally, as a parent, I employ most all of these tips, even having dessert with dinner, and it does take the emphasis off the sweets.

2. Why Banning Foods in Schools Sends Kids the Wrong Message: Things got a bit controversial with this post about banning chocolate milk in schools.  It’s not that I want children to drink chocolate milk, I just think bans create desire for the banned food and there are better ways to balance out the menu in favor of healthier items.  More on this subject in 2012!

3. The Annoying Kids’ Eating Habit Parents Should Adopt: This post has received the most Facebook shares of all time (271) and it was also reposted on Fooducate with a good response.  The message is vital: we need to stop getting kids to eat more food, and teach them to honor hunger and satiety.  In the food-centric environment in which we live, this will be essential to their long-term success in eating. 

As one reader points out: I feel one of the greatest gifts my mother gave to me was teaching me the mantra, “Listen to your body.” If I wasn’t hungry, I was never made to eat. And I think her tutelage is one reason why I never much struggled with maintaining my weight in adulthood.

4. 7 Convenience Foods That are Easy and Healthier to Make Yourself: This post was shared a lot and it got people thinking about the store-bought items that are surprisingly easy to make themselves. Check the comments for more great ideas on easy-to-make-yourself food.  This post got shared on quite a few baby forums and it seemed to hit a nerve with new parents.  I’m glad the information helped clear up the confusion of when to start and stop using sippy cups.  I only wish I had this information sooner!

5. Five Things Parents Should Know About Starting and Stopping Sippy Cups: This post got shared on quite a few baby forums and it seemed to hit a nerve with new parents. I’m glad the information helped clear up the confusion of when to start and stop using sippy cups. I only wish I had this information sooner!

6. What Rewarding Kids with Food Looks Like 20 Years Later: I wasn’t sure what would happen when I posted this one but I was pleasantly surprised by the comments and popularity.  It really points out how our feeding practices have long-term consequences that most parents never think about.  Check the comments for eye-opening stories.

7. My Top 10 Trader Joe’s Products: A fun post that had many wanting to share their favorite Trader Joe’s Products.  I need to do Part 2 because I have a lot more to add! 

8. Macaroni and Cheese in the Rice Cooker: This recipe was popular because most people don’t think to make macaroni and cheese in the rice cooker.  Other all-time favorite recipes include slow cooker Veggie Lasagna and White Bean Chicken Chili

9. Do You Believe One of These 5 Myths About Kids’ Nutrition? This post kicked off my nutrition series and it got some parents feeling relieved, especially the one that says children don’t have to eat veggies to meet their needs.  The other post in this series, How to Meet Your Child’s Nutrition Needs Even When They Don’t Eat Perfectly, was a good one too.  Check out this post from Science of Mom for more on this discussion. 

10. The Fearless Feeding Movement: There would have been more posts but I was spending time selling mine and Jill’s idea for a feeding book: Fearless Feeding.  If you haven’t done so already, like us on Facebook so we can access you for ideas and stories to make this the most relevant feeding book around. 

Well that’s it.  I’m looking forward to many more posts in 2012.  Happy New Year!

This is a guest post from Bridget Swinney MS, RD, award-winning author and well-regarded nutrition expert in the field of prenatal nutrition, child nutrition and family eating matters. Bridget has worked as a clinical dietitian, public health nutritionist, WIC Program Director, diabetes educator and weight loss group facilitator. Her book, Eating Expectantly, won the Child Magazine’s Top Ten Parenting Books of the Year, and Baby Bites was awarded a 2008 iparenting.com Media Award. The 4th edition of Eating Expectantly will arrive in May 2012. Bridget is also a spokesperson for Similac.

Pregnant women and new moms often ask me which nutrients will give their children the healthiest start possible. The good news is that adding just a few nutrient-rich foods can provide benefits for both mom and baby.

Below are seven nutrients that are important during and after pregnancy — for both mom and baby. Some of the nutrients, such as calcium, may seem commonplace, but others, like lutein, are rather new on the “nutrient radar screen.” All of these nutrients present multiple benefits to infants and young children, from strengthening their eyes to assisting in brain development.

Read on to learn more about the nutrients and easy ways to incorporate them into your diet!

1. Folic Acid: Benefits: Folic acid helps with the production of red blood cells and assists in cell division. It’s a critical nutrient during early pregnancy when errors in cell division can lead to birth defects.

Food Sources: The CDC and March of Dimes recommend that all women of childbearing age consume a multivitamin containing folic acid. Food sources include fortified grain products such as bread and cereal, as well as blackeyed peas, dried beans and peas, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, avocado and orange juice.

Meal idea: Black bean wrap with avocado and a glass of orange juice.

2. Lutein: Benefits: Lutein protects a baby’s eyes by absorbing potentially damaging light and helps defend against oxidative damage. In addition, a recent study found lutein in the infant brain in key regions for memory and learning. Lutein is important because much of what babies learn is based on what they see, so the more we can do for their eyes — and brain — the better.

Food Sources: Moms should seek leafy greens, eggs, and certain vegetables and fruits, such as kiwi and zucchini. Infants rely on breastmilk (note that lutein levels are dependent on maternal intake) and infant formula that contains lutein (such as Similac).

Meal idea: Creamy spinach soup.

3. Fat, Specifically DHA: Benefits: DHA is found in the cell membranes of the brain and eye and is important for brain function. Babies need a high percentage of fat in their diets to assist brain growth during the first year. The right balance of essential fatty acids is critical to infant development.

Food Sources: Moms should consume cold water fish (no more than 12 ounces per week, according to the Food and Drug Administration), fortified eggs, flaxseed, walnuts and walnut oil. They should also seek a prenatal vitamin with DHA. Breastmilk (depending on maternal intake of DHA during and after pregnancy) and infant formula with added DHA are ways in which infants get this key nutrient.

Meal idea: Salad with grilled salmon and toasted walnuts.

4. Choline: Benefits: Choline is an important nutrient that helps brain cells develop properly and supports baby’s memory and learning.

Food Sources: Most pregnant and breastfeeding women do not have enough choline in their diets. Not all prenatal vitamins contain choline, so dietary intake is important. Women can get choline primarily from eggs, beef, salmon and chicken. Infants rely on breastmilk (depending on maternal diet) and infant formula with added choline.

Meal idea: Microwave Scrambled Eggs

5. Iron: Benefits: Iron is part of the protein hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to different parts of the body including the brain. It’s especially important during times of growth. Iron deficiency anemia is common during pregnancy and during the first two years and can have devastating effects on pregnancy outcome and infant development.

Food Sources: Moms should incorporate lean beef, lamb, dark poultry meat, beans and iron-fortified cereals into their diets. Until baby starts eating solids, breastmilk and iron-fortified infant formula are the best ways to ensure baby gets iron.

Meal idea: Crock pot roast with zucchini and red peppers.

6. Calcium: Benefits: Calcium is the main structural component of bones and teeth. It’s also needed to support vascular, muscular and nerve function, and hormonal secretion.

Food Sources: Moms should consume dairy foods, salmon, spinach, turnip greens, kale or fortified juices. Dark, leafy greens can also be easily incorporated into baby food.

Snack idea: Greek yogurt-pumpkin parfait.

7. Vitamin D: Benefits: Vitamin D aids in calcium absorption, which helps build baby’s bones and teeth. Emerging research also shows a possible connection between vitamin D deficiency and diabetes as well as autism.

Food Sources: The best source of vitamin D is sunshine. However, sun exposure for infants should be limited. Unlike many of the nutrients mentioned in this post, breast milk is not an adequate source of vitamin D so the AAP recommends that all breastfed infants receive a daily supplement containing 400 IU (often provided via vitamin D drops). Fortified infant formula contains adequate vitamin D. Food sources of vitamin D include salmon, tuna, mackerel, milk, some mushrooms, and fortified foods and juices.

Meal idea: Salmon chowder with a glass of milk.

These nutrients are important for more than just pregnant and breastfeeding women. If there is even a possibility that you might become pregnant, incorporate these nutrient-rich foods into your diet. And remember to keep feeding these healthy foods to your child as they grow. Explore this blog and my books for fun, creative ways to serve up delicious and nutritious family meals.

Happy Holidays! I hope you are not stressing too much.

This week before Christmas I’m keeping meals super simple. On Tuesday, it’s easy spinach lasagna in the slow cooker. And the slow cooker chicken dish I have planned for Thursday is really good and easy! Fridays have become make-your-own pizza days here usually on whole wheat tortillas or flat bread.

I’ve also been making a different soup each week to have on hand for lunches and dinners. Last week I made minestrone and this week it’s lentil in the slow cooker. I like bean soups because they are hearty and filling. And when we are feeling sick I always make chicken noodle. I would be lying if I said my kids eat much soup, but they like the idea of soup and occasionally nibble.

As always, check out Org Junkie for more meal plan inspiration.

What’s Cooking This Week

Monday: Have it your way Tacos (we actually make our own burritos)

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Spinach lasagna with salad, bread and fruit

Wednesday: kids Choice

Thursday: Slock Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken, baked sweet potato fries, garlicky green beans and fruit.

Friday: Make your own pizzas on flat bread — toppings to choose from turkey pepperoni, red onions, red peppers and mushrooms with salad and smoothies.

How mistakes make us better feeders
“I’ve adopted your philosophy of eating although I slip sometimes,” is what one reader recently commented. I emailed her back letting her know that I slip too. And then that got me thinking about how feeding mistakes actually help parents become better feeders. It just depends on how you look at it.

Recently I had a tense moment with Big A. She has slowly gotten away from liking French toast even though she used to devour them. We have them every Tuesday and even though she protests she’ll usually eat some of it once we sit down…along with the fruit on the table. But on this particular morning she didn’t even want to take a bite of the French toast, declaring she “hates it.”

I felt like another person came out of me when I insisted she at least take a bite. She caused a stir, kept yelling that she didn’t have to, and I still insisted. She finally took a bite and immediately said: “Can I go now?”

Not only was I disappointed in myself, it showed me what life would be like if I tried to control my child’s eating. So this mistake not only reinforced my feeding style, it left me grateful for it. I sat Big A down after breakfast and apologized.

So here’s what I think: feeding mistakes show us what we don’t want — and help us stay on track. This same thing happens with meal planning. All I need is one bad week to show me why it’s so important to plan meals ahead of time.

I also know the golden rule of parenting is consistency, not perfection, and this definitely applies to feeding. I’m consistent with providing balanced meals and keeping mealtime positive even though my patience wears thin.

How do you deal with feeding mistakes?

Announcements
Last Friday I announced the Fearless Feeding Community. If you haven’t yet, enter the giveaway or just like us on Facebook. We want to grow this community fast so tell your friends too.

In the spirit of this new project, I’m going to be making some changes to my postings by writing somewhat “lighter” posts that open up the floor for conversation. I also plan to post more recipes, food ideas from around the web and my personal experiences with feeding. If you have any suggestions for the site, leave a comment or send me a message.

In other news, Ellyn Satter is hosting a free, two-part webinar on Obesity Preventionon January 12th (part 1) and 19th (part 2). I’ve interviewed Satter before and I can only tell you that nothing replaces listening to her speak live. She has so much wisdom and experience to share in 30+ years as a feeding expert. Don’t let the word obesity draw you away — this talk is all about feeding. Don’t miss it!

Brian Wansink is working with Birds’ Eye Vegetables and has his top 10 tips to encourage kids to eat their veggies. He’s always got some great ideas so check it out.

Well, that’s enough for now. Have a wonderful week and a happy holiday!

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!!