Mommy FTW

The other day I was hosting a playgroup at my house and one of the moms broke out some Snapea Crisps.  The babies were in a frenzy!  Cameron was double fisting them!  I knew I had to find these Snapea Crisps, and fast.  Fresh Direct came to my rescue, as usual.  I ordered 2 bags right off the bat!

Yummy Yummy in Cameron's Tummy

Now, I know these aren’t the healthiest snacks on the planet (I think the Fig Newtons are a lot better) although the first ingredient is “peas.”  But, sometimes it’s good to have a sure fire winner in your arsenal.

Recently a mom told me that her daughter loved to snack on fig newtons and that that her pediatrician had recommended them as a healthy snack.  I went on Fresh Direct looking for them, and I was happy to find that they had 100% whole grain Fig Newton Minis.  They come in little packages, which I keep in my diaper bag.  Cameron really loves them!  I did a little research on figs, and I learned that they are indeed good for you.

A tasty treat mom approves of

Here’s some of what I found out:
The mineral content of figs closely resembles that of human milk

Figs are rich in both vitamins A, B1, B2 and calcium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, sodium potassium and chlorine

Figs are high in vitamin B, that is essential in the intestine regulation, the fig has a similar function in our bodies as cereals do;

Dried figs are rich in fibre, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron

The fig is oxidant, laxative, diuretic, digestible and a blood cleanser

Figs excellent for the liver

Sounds good to me!  Snack on, Cameron – snack on!

Yesterday I was talking to a few moms about Cow’s Milk vs Goat’s Milk for babies over 12 months.  According to one mom Goat’s Milk is a better choice for several reasons – it’s more easily digestible, and is less likely to cause lactose intolerance in your baby (and later in life) and is closer to human milk.  I did a little research to learn more for myself.  I found this article which explains the differences between the two milks – here are some highlights:

Unlike cow’s milk, goat’s milk does not contain agglutinin. As a result, the fat globules in goat’s milk do not cluster together, making them easier to digest.

Goat’s milk may also have advantages when it comes to allergies. Goat’s milk contains only trace amounts of an allergenic casein protein, alpha-S1, found in cow’s milk. Goat’s milk casein is more similar to human milk.

Goat’s milk contains slightly lower levels of lactose (4.1 percent versus 4.7 percent in cow’s milk), which may be a small advantage in lactose-intolerant persons

Goat’s milk contains 13 percent more calcium, 25 percent more vitamin B-6, 47 percent more vitamin A, 134 percent more potassium, and three times more niacin. It is also four times higher in copper. Goat’s milk also contains 27 percent more of the antioxidant selenium than cow’s milk

Goat’s milk contains less than ten percent of the amount of folic acid contained in cow’s milk which means that it must be supplemented with folic acid in order to be adequate as a formula or milk substitute for infants and toddlers.

Read the rest of the Article HERE.

If you are interested in trying Goat’s Milk – the next step is finding it!  I’ve been told that Fairway sells it, and so does Fresh Direct – 32 Oz is $6.99!  This mom has a little bit of sticker shock, I must admit!

$6.99 for 32 Oz? Holy Cow... er...Goat!

So is Goat’s Milk right for your baby?  I suggest doing a little more research and talking to your pediatrician.

Cameron loves eating organic YoBaby yogurt, and I love giving it to him – although I’m not crazy about all the sugar.  The other day I was over at a friend’s house with Cameron and she told me that Fresh Direct now has YoBaby plain yogurt!  I didn’t think that Cameron would go for the non-sweetened version, but he didn’t even bat an eyelash.  So from now on at this house it’s YoBaby Plain from Fresh Direct, maybe with a little apple sauce or bananas stirred in.

YoBaby goodness without the sugar!

Brrr!  It certainly feels like winter out – which makes me want to eat something nice and warm for breakfast.  I posted awhile back about the Oatmeal that Cameron likes to eat that I make with Bananas.  Now that he is drinking cow’s milk I make it with whole milk instead of water and we share it (he ends up eating most of it though!)  I just thought I would highlight the post for my newer visitors in case you might have missed it.  Stay warm out there!

Check it out : What’s Cameron Eating? – Oatmeal with Bananas and Cinnamon!

If you want to try something different, add applesauce, pureed pears, or pureed pumpkin to the oatmeal.  It’s a great way to get some extra fruits or veggies in there.  Also, oatmeal is an excellent source of protein – so this really makes a great breakfast!

The other day I was at the playground and a mom got out some pretzel sticks as a snack for her little girl, who is the same age as Cameron (12 months).  She asked me if he would like to try one.  I was sure with his limited teeth it would be too hard for him, but I gave him one anyways, and boy did he prove me wrong.  He loves chomping on them!  I ordered some from Fresh Direct, but perhaps you can find them at your local market.  The only thing to be careful of is when you get down to the last bite – sometimes Cameron shoves the last big chunk in his mouth, and it can be a little big!

Snyder's Organic Oat Bran Sticks Pretzels

Lately Cameron has really been digging Applegate Farms Chicken Nuggets that I have been ordering from Fresh Direct.  I know it’s not the healthiest thing on the planet, but at least the chicken has no Antibiotics, so I can feel a little bit good about that.  Plus he is getting some protein!  They are easy for him to mash up in his mouth, and easy for me to make.  I throw a few in the microwave to defrost for a couple seconds (usually with some sweet potato fries) and then finish them off in the toaster oven.

Yummy Chicken Nuggets

It’s no secret that Cameron (and mom) love the sweet potato fries at 67 Burger here in Fort Greene.  But we can’t be eating out there all the time, plus all that frying – though delicious – isn’t good for us.  So I was trying to think of a way to make these at home, and make them a bit healthier too.  Chatting with some moms one day at the park, I mentioned that I had bought some sweet potatoes that I was going to cut them up into sticks and bake in the oven.  Someone commented that this was “awfully ambitious.”  I thought to myself that they were right, and then a light bulb went off.

My husband and I order frozen fries all the time from Fresh Direct that we bake in the oven, and I knew there were sweet potato ones too made by the same brand – they are called Alexia Sweet Potato Julienne Fries with Sea Salt.  I defrost them for a few seconds in the microwave and then finish heating them in the toaster oven.  Cameron really loves them, and they are easy for me to make a few at a time.

Cameron isn’t exactly the world’s biggest eater, so I am always struggling to think of new things for him to try.  Last week I ordered some Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars from Fresh Direct, and he loved them so much he ate the entire one AFTER eating a whole container of yogurt.  For Cameron, this is a HUGE meal!  After reading the ingredients list, I figured I should try and find a better option, so this week I ordered some Earth’s Best Organic Strawberry Banana Cereal Bars.  Yum!  They are a hit.

Yummy Yummy in Cameron's Tummy

As I mentioned before I am always searching for things that Cameron and I both like to eat.  I’ve started making instant oatmeal for him (it seems a little less labor intensive than Cream of Wheat).  I get the Arrowhead Mills Organic Original Instant Oatmeal from Fresh Direct because its just plain oatmeal with no sugar added.

Yummy Yummy!

Before I microwave it I add some mashed bananas and a dash of cinnamon.  The bananas and cinnamon  sweeten it up without adding any sugar – so it tastes great!  The idea of adding cinnamon was given to me by Celia, who had originally suggested adding it to pureed pears or apples (also, super tasty!)  I think it makes anything taste like apple pie, and totally delicious.  Cameron agrees!