I have little of consequence to report; just been the typical routine around here. I'm the sick one this time and - newsflash - your kids are happy to bring home germs AND they don't give two shits that you are sick. I'm wearing my OLD glasses this weekend because I have pinkeye and Georgia can't seem to figure out who I am. Ellen, on the other hand, thinks I look like a newscaster.
I moved Georgia to a four schedule, which is really so great. I remember dreaming of this when I was up so frequently with her during the night when she was a newborn. Following the trend, I worried about it much less this go round ... just casually moved her evening feedings closer together and added some more milk to her school bottles, then just dropped a feeding and she was fine. No biggie. I think she is seriously the most flexible child of all times. I kept pumping before I went to bed to maintain a 5th "feeding", but wasn't getting much milk for the effort. I had such a crazy milk supply with Ellen that my benchmark is skewed and I feel like I don't have enough, yet I'm still putting a little milk in the freezer at the end of each week. I decided to stop with the pumping on most nights and we'll see how it goes.
Her napping is generally quite good. Not at school, mind you, but her Thursdays and Fridays are usually great when she is home. Then Saturdays and Sundays are a little less predictable because she is well-rested, then the process starts all over. The new 4-hour schedule has messed with our dinnertime a bit, as she is zombie-like after school and requires a lot of attention right when we need to get dinner on the table. When Ellen was a baby, I would just put her down and then Erik and I would eat later. Now, we need to feed Ellen and then start the bedtime charade, so there is no time to eat later. Oh well - just another transition. When she is really sitting up and eating some finger foods in a few months, I think we'll be good.
Speaking of finger foods - I'm flying with Georgia next week solo on a trip to visit my girlfriends. I've flown with Ellen solo, but always had food and toys to keep her entertained. Not this time ... send your happy-flying-baby vibes this way, s'il vous plait.
And, per usual, a few more things I've been reading. Do you like this and/or find it interesting?
The Ringya App via Cool Mom Tech - organize groups of school/sports contacts easily
Helicopter Parents are Everywhere, Except Where They're Needed Most - an interesting column on child and car seat safety in response to a viral kid video
A good response to the Victoria's Secret tween-undie scandal via Mom101 - and, can I say, SOOO not looking forward to the teenage girl years
Why Suckable Fruit Sucks - interesting commentary on a generation of children who eat much of their food from pouches
Related, from Dinner: A Love Story - How to talk to your kids about healthy eating - I like the "sometimes food" description
And another from them, Dinner: A Love Story - 100 Rules of Dinner
And, finally, I liked this column by Erin Loechner on being a first time mom and creating a baby registry. I have a similar feeling when I read back through early entries on this blog looking to see how I did things the first time. I hope it didn't come across as preachy and know-it-all, but maybe it did. It seems that way to me, at least, a lot of the time. I just think there is something about being a first-time parent and trying to figure it all out (as if it's even realistic to think you can) and for me it was helpful to process things by writing. If anyone else benefited, even better. So ... thanks for "listening" back then. And still.
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Friday, April 12, 2013
Friday, July 27, 2012
Eat this!
My mother-in-law got us the Eat This, Not That book for kids. Not in the "you-need-help" kind of way, but in a "knew-you-would-enjoy-this" kind of way. She's good like that. While a lot of it is common sense, and we eat at very few of the chain restaurants they profile, I still thought there were some good tips - a few of which I'll share!
I was pretty much of a food nazi before Ellen was born regarding what I planned on her eating. That continued for most of her first year - I made almost everything that went in her mouth, most of it organic, and she was a delightful eater. I loosened up quite a bit as she started eating meals at school, by necessity and to avoid rocking the boat too much, and have continued to loosen up. Did I think I would share my secret stash of gummy bears with her? No, but it can't be avoided and, really, what's the harm in a gummy bear or two?
Again, I think common sense prevails: we eat most meals at home, cooked by me, and she eats virtually anything I put in front of her. She is willing to try almost any new food and that is just as important to me as feeding her healthy food (which I do). We eat out with family or friends once a week or so, and she gets a special mom-daughter lunch every now and then, which is fun and fine. She doesn't notice if I order her green beans instead of fries, but she also gets to sneak a few fries from someone else's plate. She is a snack-lover, and I try to make healthy choices (beyond fruit or veggies, of course). She eats a lot of organic food, but not everything.
Here are some things I found interesting:
- Chick-Fil-A got the award for America's Healthiest Chain Restaurant for Kids. Politics aside (which I do struggle with, damn you waffle fries), a chicken strip, fruit and milk is a pretty decent "treat" lunch.
- Chipotle is surprisingly less healthy than I would have thought. Crispy steak tacos? Yes. Soft chicken tacos? Not nearly as healthy. No cheese or sour cream, of course, is what they recommend. Boo.
- Dairy Queen strawberry sundae has 260 calories and 7g of fat and the sauce's first ingredient is strawberries, as it should be. This is a lot better than a milkshake, though maybe similar to a Blizzard. We don't often get to DQ, usually opting for FroYo, but I do love me a dipped cone.
- I don't ever get to Jamba Juice, and frankly am not even sure we have one near us, but I guess they have an All Fruit Line of smoothies just like I would make at home.
- Krispy Kreme: If we eat donuts, we go to our fave local place. But, the book says that the sugar donut at KK has less sugar than any other donut on the menu. Who knew?
- It's funny how I rationalize fast food that Ellen eats. She has never had a meal from McDonald's, though has eaten at Chick-fil-A plenty of times. The small vanilla cone at McDonald's is a great treat for kids - 45 calories, 1 g fat, 6 g sugar. Go ahead, get one for yourself, too. The Egg McMuffin is also a pretty healthy breakfast in a pinch, as far as fast food breakfasts go.
- Ellen was begging for Panera this week. I usually get her the kid meal with a turkey sandwich, but a healthier choice is the half chicken salad sandwich on wheat bread. Bonus - Ells would eat this!
- The Wendy's single hamburger with everything (minus mayo) is one of the healthiest fast food hamburgers.
For grocery store items:
- We usually buy the Nature Valley granola bars because I think they have the fewest "weird" ingredients. Surprisingly, the Clif Kid organic chocolate ZBar has less calories, less fat and more fiber. Seems counter-intuitive, but Ellen would be THRILLED to get to eat this.
- Most other grocery store items are as you would expect - watch for hidden sugar and calories, whole wheat over white, etc, etc. We don't buy much packaged food, but I must say that I really do like regular pasta vs. whole wheat. Sue me. I bought a loaf of white bread from the bakery this week for meatloaf sandwiches (the only acceptable method) and Ellen hardly knew what it was.
And, for the pregnant among you, if faced with a a vending machine at work: Nacho cheese Doritos have fewer calories and about the same fat as a bag of cheese Goldfish. Go for it. :)
I also read a good tip somewhere this week - The mother's rule was that her kids had to ask her before getting any snack, but they could have a piece of fruit (or veggies I suppose) without asking. The path of least resistance is also the healthiest!
I was pretty much of a food nazi before Ellen was born regarding what I planned on her eating. That continued for most of her first year - I made almost everything that went in her mouth, most of it organic, and she was a delightful eater. I loosened up quite a bit as she started eating meals at school, by necessity and to avoid rocking the boat too much, and have continued to loosen up. Did I think I would share my secret stash of gummy bears with her? No, but it can't be avoided and, really, what's the harm in a gummy bear or two?
Again, I think common sense prevails: we eat most meals at home, cooked by me, and she eats virtually anything I put in front of her. She is willing to try almost any new food and that is just as important to me as feeding her healthy food (which I do). We eat out with family or friends once a week or so, and she gets a special mom-daughter lunch every now and then, which is fun and fine. She doesn't notice if I order her green beans instead of fries, but she also gets to sneak a few fries from someone else's plate. She is a snack-lover, and I try to make healthy choices (beyond fruit or veggies, of course). She eats a lot of organic food, but not everything.
Here are some things I found interesting:
- Chick-Fil-A got the award for America's Healthiest Chain Restaurant for Kids. Politics aside (which I do struggle with, damn you waffle fries), a chicken strip, fruit and milk is a pretty decent "treat" lunch.
- Chipotle is surprisingly less healthy than I would have thought. Crispy steak tacos? Yes. Soft chicken tacos? Not nearly as healthy. No cheese or sour cream, of course, is what they recommend. Boo.
- Dairy Queen strawberry sundae has 260 calories and 7g of fat and the sauce's first ingredient is strawberries, as it should be. This is a lot better than a milkshake, though maybe similar to a Blizzard. We don't often get to DQ, usually opting for FroYo, but I do love me a dipped cone.
- I don't ever get to Jamba Juice, and frankly am not even sure we have one near us, but I guess they have an All Fruit Line of smoothies just like I would make at home.
- Krispy Kreme: If we eat donuts, we go to our fave local place. But, the book says that the sugar donut at KK has less sugar than any other donut on the menu. Who knew?
- It's funny how I rationalize fast food that Ellen eats. She has never had a meal from McDonald's, though has eaten at Chick-fil-A plenty of times. The small vanilla cone at McDonald's is a great treat for kids - 45 calories, 1 g fat, 6 g sugar. Go ahead, get one for yourself, too. The Egg McMuffin is also a pretty healthy breakfast in a pinch, as far as fast food breakfasts go.
- Ellen was begging for Panera this week. I usually get her the kid meal with a turkey sandwich, but a healthier choice is the half chicken salad sandwich on wheat bread. Bonus - Ells would eat this!
- The Wendy's single hamburger with everything (minus mayo) is one of the healthiest fast food hamburgers.
For grocery store items:
- We usually buy the Nature Valley granola bars because I think they have the fewest "weird" ingredients. Surprisingly, the Clif Kid organic chocolate ZBar has less calories, less fat and more fiber. Seems counter-intuitive, but Ellen would be THRILLED to get to eat this.
- Most other grocery store items are as you would expect - watch for hidden sugar and calories, whole wheat over white, etc, etc. We don't buy much packaged food, but I must say that I really do like regular pasta vs. whole wheat. Sue me. I bought a loaf of white bread from the bakery this week for meatloaf sandwiches (the only acceptable method) and Ellen hardly knew what it was.
And, for the pregnant among you, if faced with a a vending machine at work: Nacho cheese Doritos have fewer calories and about the same fat as a bag of cheese Goldfish. Go for it. :)
I also read a good tip somewhere this week - The mother's rule was that her kids had to ask her before getting any snack, but they could have a piece of fruit (or veggies I suppose) without asking. The path of least resistance is also the healthiest!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Rules of Dinner
Again, courtesy of our friends at Dinner: A Love Story - Rules of Dinner.
We aren't great with following any rules of dinner, but I like to read about how other families make it (successfully) happen. We do have family dinner most every night now, though, which was a slow but nice transition. Miss Ellen has her moments of being adventurous and trying (and liking!) new things, but certainly also turns her nose up at the "go-to" items. Grrrrr.
I look forward to the days of talking about the "highs and lows" ... the things that come out of that girl's mouth are already entertaining. Boy howdy, what the future must hold ...
We aren't great with following any rules of dinner, but I like to read about how other families make it (successfully) happen. We do have family dinner most every night now, though, which was a slow but nice transition. Miss Ellen has her moments of being adventurous and trying (and liking!) new things, but certainly also turns her nose up at the "go-to" items. Grrrrr.
I look forward to the days of talking about the "highs and lows" ... the things that come out of that girl's mouth are already entertaining. Boy howdy, what the future must hold ...
Friday, February 18, 2011
Life-changing
Well, that might be drastic. Kitchen-changing, for sure.
I'm just muddling through the parenting thing these days without much to report, so I'll expand on my family-dinner theme this week ...
I was trying to come up with a Mexican-themed dinner this week to use up the avocados and tomatoes I had on hand. We always have some chicken breasts in the freezer, but I generally don't have any creative uses for them. I thawed a few and thought I would come up with something, then serendipitously came across this technique:
How to Cook Moist & Tender Chicken Breasts Every Time at The Kitchn
They aren't kidding! It worked great for me - truly a revelation. I just added about 1 Tbs of Mexican spices to the flour for some extra flavor, but you could use anything or nothing at all. I squeezed 4 chicken breasts into the pan and we had two for dinner that night, along with two the following night chopped up for tacos - I just rewarmed them in a nonstick skillet.
The best part, though, is that it takes 20 minutes once you put the lid on. You can definitely whip up a side dish or salad, or get your kid's plate ready and the table set while you are waiting for the chicken to finish.
Give it a try!
I'm just muddling through the parenting thing these days without much to report, so I'll expand on my family-dinner theme this week ...
I was trying to come up with a Mexican-themed dinner this week to use up the avocados and tomatoes I had on hand. We always have some chicken breasts in the freezer, but I generally don't have any creative uses for them. I thawed a few and thought I would come up with something, then serendipitously came across this technique:
How to Cook Moist & Tender Chicken Breasts Every Time at The Kitchn
They aren't kidding! It worked great for me - truly a revelation. I just added about 1 Tbs of Mexican spices to the flour for some extra flavor, but you could use anything or nothing at all. I squeezed 4 chicken breasts into the pan and we had two for dinner that night, along with two the following night chopped up for tacos - I just rewarmed them in a nonstick skillet.
The best part, though, is that it takes 20 minutes once you put the lid on. You can definitely whip up a side dish or salad, or get your kid's plate ready and the table set while you are waiting for the chicken to finish.
Give it a try!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Family dinner
I've made some effort in the last few weeks to try to get food on the table in an appropriate amount of time for all of us to eat together.
And?
It is really nice.
Ells has been trying to drag out bedtime more and more these days, so even if I am no-nonsense, she is rarely in bed with lights out before 730pm. And even then, there is lots of going up and down to replace socks, or covers, or something else important. Eating dinner at 800pm is too late for me, or my dinner just gets cold due to the constant interruptions.
I also think eating at the table with us makes Ellen a little bit more comfortable with eating at restaurants. We don't eat out with her very often, but I will jinx it and say she has been doing better. Confining her to the inside seat of a booth seems to work best - a little bit of freedom, but she can't run wild.
Finally, I notice that she is more willing to try foods that we are all eating together, rather than if I just give her the leftovers the next day. This isn't rocket science, I know, but nice to see that it sometimes works in practice.
What this does mean for me, though, is that I need to have a few really easy meals planned for the week, and something that seems reasonably kid friendly. We haven't been a big taco family, but that is a great one for all of us. Pasta works pretty well, too. She isn't big on soups (or, I should say, she isn't big on soups at home. She seems to eat them just fine at school). It takes more planning on the front end, but I like getting into the habit a bit more.
What about you? What are your go-to, family-friendly meals?
And?
It is really nice.
Ells has been trying to drag out bedtime more and more these days, so even if I am no-nonsense, she is rarely in bed with lights out before 730pm. And even then, there is lots of going up and down to replace socks, or covers, or something else important. Eating dinner at 800pm is too late for me, or my dinner just gets cold due to the constant interruptions.
I also think eating at the table with us makes Ellen a little bit more comfortable with eating at restaurants. We don't eat out with her very often, but I will jinx it and say she has been doing better. Confining her to the inside seat of a booth seems to work best - a little bit of freedom, but she can't run wild.
Finally, I notice that she is more willing to try foods that we are all eating together, rather than if I just give her the leftovers the next day. This isn't rocket science, I know, but nice to see that it sometimes works in practice.
What this does mean for me, though, is that I need to have a few really easy meals planned for the week, and something that seems reasonably kid friendly. We haven't been a big taco family, but that is a great one for all of us. Pasta works pretty well, too. She isn't big on soups (or, I should say, she isn't big on soups at home. She seems to eat them just fine at school). It takes more planning on the front end, but I like getting into the habit a bit more.
What about you? What are your go-to, family-friendly meals?
Saturday, January 29, 2011
I eat it all up, Mama
We've officially entered the chicken finger phase at our house.
On a few occasions we've been out running around, and I've stopped to get Ellen a quick lunch - a chicken finger and fruit. Of course, she devours the chicken finger, when at home it is virtually impossible to get the girl to eat any meat.
So, I went the "home-chicken finger" route and made some of my own to stash in the freezer.
I got some chicken tenders from Whole Foods and made these Oatmeal-Crusted Chicken Tenders from Cooking Light. If you make them, read the reviews and make a few alterations. I think they are just OK as written, but Ells eats them. They were definitely super easy - I just baked them in the oven, let them cool and stashed them in the freezer. It only takes about 5 minutes in the toaster oven to heat one up for dinner - add some ketchup or BBQ sauce and she is a pretty happy girl.
Do you have any good recipes like this?
How do you get your kid to eat more protein?
On a few occasions we've been out running around, and I've stopped to get Ellen a quick lunch - a chicken finger and fruit. Of course, she devours the chicken finger, when at home it is virtually impossible to get the girl to eat any meat.
So, I went the "home-chicken finger" route and made some of my own to stash in the freezer.
I got some chicken tenders from Whole Foods and made these Oatmeal-Crusted Chicken Tenders from Cooking Light. If you make them, read the reviews and make a few alterations. I think they are just OK as written, but Ells eats them. They were definitely super easy - I just baked them in the oven, let them cool and stashed them in the freezer. It only takes about 5 minutes in the toaster oven to heat one up for dinner - add some ketchup or BBQ sauce and she is a pretty happy girl.
Do you have any good recipes like this?
How do you get your kid to eat more protein?
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Dippity do dah
I promise this isn't a post about early waking.
Except, that, well, I've been about to tear my hair out with all the early waking!
Let's focus on a solution, then, shall we?
Our Girl always asks to eat the second we get her out of her crib. I think some of this is habit, but I also truly think she is hungry, as evidenced by the ungodly amount of food she consumes first thing in the morning.
I've tried all my usual tricks to get her to stay in her bed (quietly): Cry it out. Go in and lay her back down and tell her to sleep. Go get her and have her sleep in our bed (which works on occasion, but usually results in her kicking my face). Try to reason with her and tell her that if it is still dark outside she needs to stay in her crib quietly. (Ha, Ha. And, oh yeah, HA again). Have her play with her toys in her pack n' play in mommy's room while mommy sleeps. Put books in her own crib to play with ...
My newest notion is that I've been wondering if a grumbly stomach has been contributing to her waking up. She eats a lot during the day and generally eats a pretty good volume of food at dinner, but it is mostly fruit and veggies, which doesn't necessarily sustain her for 12 hours. She used to be a cheese monster, but now turns her nose up at cheese, unless it comes in a grilled cheese sammy form. She doesn't eat very much meat and usually refuses meatballs or deli meat or the like.
So, time to get creative with the protein-pushing!
I roasted a chicken in the crock pot (btw - you should do this if you have the time. It is the same price as a rotisserie chicken and you can get a better quality chicken. Just clean out the cavity, rinse and pat dry, rub the skin with spices, put it in a crockpot on high or med-high for about 4 hours and forget it. No liquid or anything!) and Huz was cleaning the meat off the bones while I made Girly dinner. She asked to "eat that!" and I gave her a taste, though she never liked it in the past. She kind of picked at the meat, then I offered her ketchup and mustard and she couldn't get enough! The shredded chicken pieces are perfect for dipping.
I have been trying to avoid most condiments, with the thought being that I wanted her to eat her food as it was and not to always have to add something to it to make it appealing. I've gotten over myself, though, now that I have witnessed the wonders of sauces! She would just eat the ketchup and mustard straight with her fork, so I had to remind her to dip and bite, dip and bite, but she did eat it all up. And, she slept till 6:00am for two mornings in a row! Success! (And, yes, 6:00 is pretty much the best I can hope for ...)
So, if you haven't started the dips yet, you may want to check them out! I am trying to focus on 'healthier' things, like mustard and salsa, but the occasional drizzle of real maple syrup on roasted squash isn't such a bad thing, either.
Except, that, well, I've been about to tear my hair out with all the early waking!
Let's focus on a solution, then, shall we?
Our Girl always asks to eat the second we get her out of her crib. I think some of this is habit, but I also truly think she is hungry, as evidenced by the ungodly amount of food she consumes first thing in the morning.
I've tried all my usual tricks to get her to stay in her bed (quietly): Cry it out. Go in and lay her back down and tell her to sleep. Go get her and have her sleep in our bed (which works on occasion, but usually results in her kicking my face). Try to reason with her and tell her that if it is still dark outside she needs to stay in her crib quietly. (Ha, Ha. And, oh yeah, HA again). Have her play with her toys in her pack n' play in mommy's room while mommy sleeps. Put books in her own crib to play with ...
My newest notion is that I've been wondering if a grumbly stomach has been contributing to her waking up. She eats a lot during the day and generally eats a pretty good volume of food at dinner, but it is mostly fruit and veggies, which doesn't necessarily sustain her for 12 hours. She used to be a cheese monster, but now turns her nose up at cheese, unless it comes in a grilled cheese sammy form. She doesn't eat very much meat and usually refuses meatballs or deli meat or the like.
So, time to get creative with the protein-pushing!
I roasted a chicken in the crock pot (btw - you should do this if you have the time. It is the same price as a rotisserie chicken and you can get a better quality chicken. Just clean out the cavity, rinse and pat dry, rub the skin with spices, put it in a crockpot on high or med-high for about 4 hours and forget it. No liquid or anything!) and Huz was cleaning the meat off the bones while I made Girly dinner. She asked to "eat that!" and I gave her a taste, though she never liked it in the past. She kind of picked at the meat, then I offered her ketchup and mustard and she couldn't get enough! The shredded chicken pieces are perfect for dipping.
I have been trying to avoid most condiments, with the thought being that I wanted her to eat her food as it was and not to always have to add something to it to make it appealing. I've gotten over myself, though, now that I have witnessed the wonders of sauces! She would just eat the ketchup and mustard straight with her fork, so I had to remind her to dip and bite, dip and bite, but she did eat it all up. And, she slept till 6:00am for two mornings in a row! Success! (And, yes, 6:00 is pretty much the best I can hope for ...)
So, if you haven't started the dips yet, you may want to check them out! I am trying to focus on 'healthier' things, like mustard and salsa, but the occasional drizzle of real maple syrup on roasted squash isn't such a bad thing, either.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Yikes! of the day
Did you know that cottage cheese has a crazy amount of sodium?
I am trying to pay more attention to the hidden sodium in our food, especially for Girly. She eats mostly whole foods, but does love cheese. I've been giving her whole milk cottage cheese, and even sought out the organic kind, and just today realized there are 520mg of sodium in 1/2 cup!! That's as much (or more) than she needs in a whole day!
I almost fainted, but then my blood pressure was so high from all the sodium we've been eating that I was just fine.
I'm sure brands vary in the amount, but this was surprising to me. Maybe you have been paying closer attention.
Back to the drawing board ...
I am trying to pay more attention to the hidden sodium in our food, especially for Girly. She eats mostly whole foods, but does love cheese. I've been giving her whole milk cottage cheese, and even sought out the organic kind, and just today realized there are 520mg of sodium in 1/2 cup!! That's as much (or more) than she needs in a whole day!
I almost fainted, but then my blood pressure was so high from all the sodium we've been eating that I was just fine.
I'm sure brands vary in the amount, but this was surprising to me. Maybe you have been paying closer attention.
Back to the drawing board ...
Monday, May 17, 2010
Hysteria
Thank you, Today Show.
As if I wasn't already goofy enough about the foods I feed my child, you had to go and add another level of craziness.
You know I am susceptible to the craziness.
As I was about to turn off the TV this morning to head out the door to work, I caught Dr. Nancy talking about "harmful things in the healthy foods we feed our children". Attention? Consider it grabbed.
(CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED: RANT FROM A CRAZY LADY TO FOLLOW)
She was discussing a new study published online today in the journal Pediatrics. (If you scroll down the page, you can access the full article for free under e-First Pages, titled Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Pesticides).
The jist of the study is this: there is already an established association between organophosphate pesticides and adverse effects on neurodevelopment (behavioral problems, lower IQ) in populations with high exposures (such as children who live on farms, etc.) This study looked at a group of over 1,000 average kids who were representative of the entire US. They found that children who had higher urine levels of organophosphate pesticides were more likely to meet the criteria for a diagnosis of ADHD.
This is by no means a cause and effect type of study, but rather establishes an association between the two and indicates further study could be beneficial.
As someone who works in the health care field, I think it is important to always seek out primary sources of information and determine their reliability. I've read the original article and I would consider Pediatrics to be a reputable journal. I'm not a researcher and I fully admit that I don't understand all the minutiae of the article, but I get the big themes.
More interesting to me, though, were the cited references about the detectable concentrations of pesticides in common foods, like frozen blueberries and strawberries. If you are a nerd like me, you can look at the USDA Pesticide Data Program Annual Summary for 2008. Scroll down to page 50 where you will find Appendix B, Distribution of Residues by Pesticide in Fruit and Vegetables. This appendix takes up 81 pages of a 202 page report. I have no idea what these chemicals are and just because they are listed doesn't mean they are harmful. At a minimum, though, it is eye-opening to see the sheer number of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides that the government monitors in our food supply. Fruit and vegetables would be the primary exposure your children would have to pesticides, but the FDA considers food, drinking water and residential pesticides as important sources for exposure.
Feeling bad enough yet?
I know. It sucks.
I think we all try to do the very best we can for our kids. I think it is impossible to address every risk, or potential risk. We have to make judgment calls about the hysteria of the day and whether or not it will be proven or disproven in the future.
I can't, and do not wish to, control every morsel of food that enters Girly's mouth. She eats six meals and three snacks a week at school, none of which is organic. Not to mention meals we eat at restaurants or other people's houses. I will not change our lifestyle to avoid these necessary or pleasurable events.
I can, however, take more charge of what happens in our own home.
- The author of the study recommends buying organic produce when you can and washing or peeling conventional produce.
- I already mentioned how much I am loving Door to Door Organics. I truly mostly love the convenience, but I am appreciating the organic produce more and more.
- I will continue to use this Shopper's Guide to Pesticides when I am buying produce at the market.
- We don't have a shoe-free home, but I have friends who do. I am leaning more in that direction, especially in the spring and summer months when there are likely to be more chemicals on the grass.
- Buy local and seasonal whenever possible. Ask the farmers at the farmer's market how the food is produced. Some small farmers can't afford all the certifications for 'organic' status, but follow the same rules.
The bureaucracy surrounding the food system in this country is amazing. (Have you seen Food Inc.? Don't worry, it has added to my craziness.) It's also not simple. Buying organic food is not the solution too all of the world's problems. For me, personally, I started really buying organic food when I began making baby food for Girly. I still bought a lot of conventional food for us, which is kind of silly, but I think kids are potentially more susceptible to the effects or pesticides and such. I don't believe that the actual flesh of an organic apple is more nutritional than the flesh of a conventional apple, but I do believe that buying organic produce helps the water system because there is less pesticide run-off, and it supports small business owners. So, maybe if you don't believe in the pesticide hysteria, you will start to buy some organic produce for one of these other reasons.
Anyone still reading? Carrie?
I'm far from perfect when it comes to all of this. And, "perfect" in my mind is different than "perfect" in your mind. The more I learn, though, the more information I can use to help me make better choices for our family. Maybe all of this will give you some food for thought ...
Need help finding local food? Check out Local Harvest.
The organic labeling system in this country doesn't make it any easier to understand this complicated business. Organic.org has some good information.
As if I wasn't already goofy enough about the foods I feed my child, you had to go and add another level of craziness.
You know I am susceptible to the craziness.
As I was about to turn off the TV this morning to head out the door to work, I caught Dr. Nancy talking about "harmful things in the healthy foods we feed our children". Attention? Consider it grabbed.
(CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED: RANT FROM A CRAZY LADY TO FOLLOW)
She was discussing a new study published online today in the journal Pediatrics. (If you scroll down the page, you can access the full article for free under e-First Pages, titled Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Pesticides).
The jist of the study is this: there is already an established association between organophosphate pesticides and adverse effects on neurodevelopment (behavioral problems, lower IQ) in populations with high exposures (such as children who live on farms, etc.) This study looked at a group of over 1,000 average kids who were representative of the entire US. They found that children who had higher urine levels of organophosphate pesticides were more likely to meet the criteria for a diagnosis of ADHD.
This is by no means a cause and effect type of study, but rather establishes an association between the two and indicates further study could be beneficial.
As someone who works in the health care field, I think it is important to always seek out primary sources of information and determine their reliability. I've read the original article and I would consider Pediatrics to be a reputable journal. I'm not a researcher and I fully admit that I don't understand all the minutiae of the article, but I get the big themes.
More interesting to me, though, were the cited references about the detectable concentrations of pesticides in common foods, like frozen blueberries and strawberries. If you are a nerd like me, you can look at the USDA Pesticide Data Program Annual Summary for 2008. Scroll down to page 50 where you will find Appendix B, Distribution of Residues by Pesticide in Fruit and Vegetables. This appendix takes up 81 pages of a 202 page report. I have no idea what these chemicals are and just because they are listed doesn't mean they are harmful. At a minimum, though, it is eye-opening to see the sheer number of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides that the government monitors in our food supply. Fruit and vegetables would be the primary exposure your children would have to pesticides, but the FDA considers food, drinking water and residential pesticides as important sources for exposure.
Feeling bad enough yet?
I know. It sucks.
I think we all try to do the very best we can for our kids. I think it is impossible to address every risk, or potential risk. We have to make judgment calls about the hysteria of the day and whether or not it will be proven or disproven in the future.
I can't, and do not wish to, control every morsel of food that enters Girly's mouth. She eats six meals and three snacks a week at school, none of which is organic. Not to mention meals we eat at restaurants or other people's houses. I will not change our lifestyle to avoid these necessary or pleasurable events.
I can, however, take more charge of what happens in our own home.
- The author of the study recommends buying organic produce when you can and washing or peeling conventional produce.
- I already mentioned how much I am loving Door to Door Organics. I truly mostly love the convenience, but I am appreciating the organic produce more and more.
- I will continue to use this Shopper's Guide to Pesticides when I am buying produce at the market.
- We don't have a shoe-free home, but I have friends who do. I am leaning more in that direction, especially in the spring and summer months when there are likely to be more chemicals on the grass.
- Buy local and seasonal whenever possible. Ask the farmers at the farmer's market how the food is produced. Some small farmers can't afford all the certifications for 'organic' status, but follow the same rules.
The bureaucracy surrounding the food system in this country is amazing. (Have you seen Food Inc.? Don't worry, it has added to my craziness.) It's also not simple. Buying organic food is not the solution too all of the world's problems. For me, personally, I started really buying organic food when I began making baby food for Girly. I still bought a lot of conventional food for us, which is kind of silly, but I think kids are potentially more susceptible to the effects or pesticides and such. I don't believe that the actual flesh of an organic apple is more nutritional than the flesh of a conventional apple, but I do believe that buying organic produce helps the water system because there is less pesticide run-off, and it supports small business owners. So, maybe if you don't believe in the pesticide hysteria, you will start to buy some organic produce for one of these other reasons.
Anyone still reading? Carrie?
I'm far from perfect when it comes to all of this. And, "perfect" in my mind is different than "perfect" in your mind. The more I learn, though, the more information I can use to help me make better choices for our family. Maybe all of this will give you some food for thought ...
Need help finding local food? Check out Local Harvest.
The organic labeling system in this country doesn't make it any easier to understand this complicated business. Organic.org has some good information.
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