children's eating habits Archives - Mother 2 Mother Blog

Fresh Baby – Toddler Products Review

I was contacted by Fresh Baby to review their baby products. Their focus is on healthy meals for toddlers. Since I have 1 picky eater and 1 than will pretty much eat everything, I jumped at the chance to check out their site and products.

Here’s my dilemma: My grandson is picky, no veggies and few fruits. My granddaughter who was born a 2 lb. 10 oz. preemie will eat you out of house and home with the exception of veggies. If it’s green, it’s mean in their eyes and they’re not allowing it to get close to their lips. My grandchildren also love snacks, especially my granddaughter. By 8:00 am she’s ready to start her journey through the snacks and meals of the day. Yummy in her stomach is how she describes the experience.

I was anxiously awaiting my package from Fresh Baby, and finally the box arrived. You know I’m like a kid at Christmas when I’m waiting for my review products. I was excited about the selection of products when I opened the box. Lets start with this plate. It’s perfect for my granddaughter. Here’s why:

The plate allows you how to control portions without guessing.
The plate shows you what you should be serving.
The plate is fun, of quality, and colorful.
The plate can used to teach your toddler about food and what is good for them. Children learn by what they see as well as what they hear.

I love that it is sectioned, my grandchildren do not like their food to touch, lol. My grandson does fine with his portions, it’s the vegetable side of the plate that is normally bare unless it’s corn.

How adorable is this apron/mock! It was included in the box, and I love it for several reasons:

Toddlers can relate to those adorable little chefs at the top.
It also helps teach children about fruits, veggies, dairy and meats.
I love to put white on my 3 year old granddaughter. I know crazy, right. My daughter has a fit when it’s time for her to eat because of spills and drops. This covers her completely when she’s sitting down. Fresh Baby knows toddlers.
It’s easy to wipe clean.
It’s great for those little ones who like to help in the kitchen.
Fits most kids 3 – 5.
It can be folded and placed in a gallon plastic bag and carried in your purse for outings.

Here’s another problem. How many cookbooks have you come across that was created with toddlers in mind? Right, not many. As parents, we all know how difficult it is to come up with easy recipes that kids will eat. So Easy toddler food is a winner. The book is written by Cheryl Tallman, one of the founders of Fresh Baby. The book has quite a few recipes that my toddler would eat or I could modify for her. For example, a fresh banana and strawberry smoothie. My daughter does Beach Body, so my grandchildren are no strangers to smoothies. I need to get on board, bahaha! There’s recipes for apple and chicken kabobs, deviled eggs, my grandchildren love these, home made pizza, great way to use my homemade tomato sauce and cinnamon apple slices. There’s a recipe for Pink Potatoes that’s at the top of my list now. It’s mashed potatoes that uses a combination of sweet and white potatoes that turn pink. What toddler wouldn’t love these.

I have a story for you about my granddaughter and her appetite. One of her favorite places to eat is Golden Corral. She loves to eat mashed potatoes and mac and cheese there. At one outing she ate so much that the gentlemen sitting behind me stopped by our table on the way out and said, “She can really put it away”. My response was she will eat until the bottom falls out. She was 2 at the time. Another time she wanted peanut butter crackers. She loves them. She wakes up in the middle of the night asking for them. I remember her eating so much one day that I was afraid to give her anything else. I thought she was going to get sick. Of course, she protested. My daughter came in to see what was happening and laughed so hard. She said mom she’s not going to get sick. Give them to her. Her doctor has approved her eating as much as she wants, so we let her. She’s not overweight and apparently just burns it up. I stressed that healthy eating was a must for her.

These tips from Fresh Baby on how much she should be eating was right on time. When I looked at the portions, I realized that she’s not overeating. I just have to make sure that she’s eating healthy meals and snacks and spread them throughout the day from the recommended food groups.

I would highly recommend that you head over to Fresh Baby and check out their products. They also have a blog that you may want to check out and subscribe to. I did. The blog offers a food database and clever ways to use their Fresh Baby products. Both sites are truly worth the trip.

Do You Give Your Child A Sugar High?

December 10, 2009 by Rhonda Gales

Moms you will be glad to know General Mills has agreed to reduce the sugar content in their cereal by 25%. I’m glad Sonny the Cuckoo Bird will remain the same. He’s so cute, and he’s Coocoo for Cocoa Puffs. Even though I don’t give my 2 year old grandson cold cereal at this point, I’m glad to hear that General Mills will be helping to instill healthy eating in our children.

Our country has a big problem with obesity, that includes childhood obesity. I don’t blame our children for being overweight, I blame the large corporations for promoting sweets, fast food and other junk. I also blame the schools and parents for serving it. I didn’t give my daughter many sweets when she was growing up. She was a serious dancer from the age of 5 through college. As a result, she became very disciplined with her eating habits and very weight conscious. I, however, did not follow the restrictions that I placed on her and I am now paying a price for it. Getting the excess weight off has become a struggle for me and many other Americans.

We live in the land of good and plenty. In most countries people are starving. We reward ourselves and our children with food. Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Chucky E Cheese and many others gear their products toward children. They ask for it, we give it to them. Children aren’t concerned about their health and they shouldn’t be held accountable for the foods they consume. They want what tastes good and they want to have fun. They want immediate gratification. We as parents must make better choices for them and for ourselves. Obesity starts with being 5 pounds overweight and than it increases to 10, 20, 30 and before we know it we’re struggling to get 50 plus pounds off.

Because I’m struggling with my weight, I’m careful of what I serve to my grandson. I also think that many parents feed their children cold cereals because it’s quick and easy. Many mothers work outside the home and they don’t have time to turn 0n the stove before they head out. When they get home in the evening they prepare the quickest and easiest meals not necessarily the healthiest.

General Mills is coming under fire for promoting foods that contain too much sugar. A study showed that General Mills made six out of ten of the least healthiest cereals. The study also showed that the least healthiest cereals were the most advertised and were geared toward children. General Mills also makes Trix, Kix, Boo Berry, and Lucky Charms among others. I do love their healthier Honey Nut Cheerios.

Do we blame our children for being overweight or do we blame our businesses for promoting unhealthy eating? Do we blame our children for being overweight or do we blame the providers of the food? As a mother, I know the struggles of trying to get a child to eat healthy. They don’t want veggies or fruit. They want candy, ice cream, McDonald’s, and pizza. You know the routine. Our children are less active these days too. Their world revolves around the computer, texting, and video games. Rarely do you see children outside riding bikes, skating, playing hide and seek or hop scotch.

Personally, I think we need to bond as a country and work together to eliminate obesity. Starting with the companies who are making and promoting sugary and fattening foods is a good start. They next step is working at home to ensure our children understand the consequences of unhealthy eating.

I applaud General Mills for reducing the amount of sugar in their cereals. Do you instill healthy eating habits in your child? Please share a few healthy foods you promote.