Nutritional Nuggets
Expert Louise Goldberg answers your questions!
I want to offer my daughter whatever food we
are eating and just blend it in the baby food
grinder at the table, but I’m worried that the
spices aren’t good for her. Is it okay to season
our food or are we destined for bland meals
over the next year?
After your daughter has tried a food without
an allergic reaction, it is okay to gradually add
spices, as well. Seasonings are a great way to
introduce her to different cultures, but avoid
spicier foods until she is able to communicate in
some way whether it bothers her or not. Sodium
can also be a concern when feeding an infant
from the family’s foods. To prevent her from
consuming too much sodium, you can limit or
avoid salting the dishes until after you’ve pureed
her portion.
I am not a cook. Just the thought of getting
in the kitchen sends me into a cold sweat. But
I love the idea of my family getting homecooked meals...or a delivery guy, so I’m willing to try. Where is a good starting point and
what is the most important thing I learn how
to make?
You aren’t alone! However, sometimes the fear
of the unknown is more terrifying than actually doing it. I recommend starting out with
12
straightforward tasks like scrambling eggs, boiling pasta or roasting veggies. There are several
websites that have brief “how-to” videos for
cooking, e.g. Epicurious, Chow and YouTube. If
your children are old enough, include them in
this challenge! Have them help by picking one
new dish a week, shopping for the ingredients
and helping to prepare it. It’s good for them to
see you conquer this fear out of your desire to
provide healthy nourishing foods. Once you’ve
mastered a couple basics you may find you’ve
discovered a new passion!
My son is obsessed with granola bars. He’s
been underweight and I’ve let him eat whatever he wants just so we could get the calories
in him but is there any harm to this?
It is normal for children to go on “food jags”
where they want only one or two foods for a
short period of time. During this phase, look
for quality granola bars (that include some fiber
and protein but less than 10 grams of sugar) so
his limited food selection is still providing good
nutrition. When a child is underweight, parents
feel additional pressure to offer the child only
the food he will eat and in an unlimited quantity, but it is best to continue to offer a variety of
foods so they are available when he decides he is
ready to include more.