Good Food Baby Blog

When Can You Add Spice to Baby Food?
October 28th, 2011
If you’re worried that your baby’s food is too bland, here’s when (and how) to start spicing things up

by: Ali Chernoff and Chantel Canessa

Adding Spice to Baby Food•Most babies can handle herbs and some spices by eight months of age.
•Spices are transferred through breast milk and you may find your baby can tolerate some better than others.
•Herbs are often easier than spices for babies to digest.
•It’s important not to add salt to baby food because a baby’s kidneys can’t process it.
hen it comes to baby’s first food, the blander the better – at least in those first few months. Here’s a look at some common questions parents have about when to add herbs and spices, and which ones are better for your baby.

Does spicy food affect breast milk?
If you’re breastfeeding, the foods you eat can change the flavour of your breast milk. Herbs and spices are transferred through breast milk and you may discover that your baby can tolerate certain herbs and spices over others. (For instance, if you have a spicy curry for dinner, you might find your infant has a bout of diarrhea as a result.) It can take four to six hours for spices to pass through your breast milk after you eat a meal.

When can you start adding spice to baby food?
Because babies’ taste buds are still developing, their sense of taste tends to be stronger than most adults, which means plain, natural foods are best early on. It’s also important to make sure your baby doesn’t have a reaction to a solid food before you add any herbs or spices to it – this helps rule out any allergies they might have.

Most babies can handle herbs and some spices around seven to eight months of age. If your baby doesn’t have any digestive problems, then gradually add a new herb (herbs are often easier for babies to digest), or spice to their food, applying the same general rule you did when introducing solid foods: wait four to five days after each new herb or spice before trying another one so you can tell if they’re reacting to it.

Herbs and spices that most babies can tolerate include:

•Basil
•Oregano
•Marjoram
•Rosemary
•Chives
•Garlic
•Ginger
•Nutmeg
•Curry (mild)
•Dill
Are there any spices to avoid in a baby’s food?
Some babies with sensitive stomachs, or who have conditions such as reflux or other digestive problems, might not tolerate nutmeg, ginger, garlic and curry. Make sure to add no more than a teaspoon of spice to their foods and if you have any questions about herbs and spices, or if your baby has digestive problems, talk to your healthcare professional first.

It’s important not to add salt to baby food. An infant’s kidneys are immature and salt is too hard for them to process. (Even adults don’t need any added salt in their diets!)

Can babies be allergic to spices?
Allergic reactions to spices and herbs are fairly uncommon and usually cause mild symptoms; however, severe reactions can occur. If you have a family history of food or environmental allergies (to birch or mugwort, for example), avoid introducing the following herbs and spices:

•Cinnamon
•Mustard Seed/powder
•Celery Seed
•Coriander
•Cumin
•Caraway
•Paprika
•Saffron
Meet our experts:
Ali J. Chernoff and Chantel Canessa are the authors of Good Food Baby and Good Food toddler (goodfoodbaby.com). Ali J. Chernoff is a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant whose nutrition-related activities include dietitian services at many schools and sporting events as well as family counseling. She is one of the 11% of BC Dietitians operating a private practice and currently offers food tours that focus on shopping for families, diabetes education, and food label interpretation. Follow Ali on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/NutritionUnique

Chantel Canessa has her Masters in Nursing and is involved with community programs that help improve the health and well being of individuals. She predominately works with children and, as a new parent, it is very important to her to build a healthy foundation by providing nutritious homemade meals and snacks for her family.

www.nutritionatitsbest.com

Trick or Treating is the time when parents can teach their children that candies are a treat. Eating candy is a treat and should be given after their meal so they do not become full on candy. Eating too much candy can affect their nutrition. Moderation is the key when giving a toddler or a young child a treat. Moderation is considered one treat per week. Just a reminder eating too much chocolate can affect a child’s behaviour, sleep and overall concentration because it contains caffeine. Additionally, eating too much candy can cause some children to experience stomach aches, diarrhea or jitteriness.

We also encourage parents to be role models to what they give out on Halloween night. Besides handing out chocolate and candies, give healthier options such sugar free gum, mini bags of pretzels, granola bars, and dried fruit. Another option is handing out non food stuff items such as stickers, toothbrushes, toys from the dollar store, coloring books, etc.

TIPS;

 Take your child to the number of homes based on their age. For example, if your toddler is four years of age, then take them to four different houses only.
 Add non-food items (stickers, crayons) in their bag when they are at home.
 In general, the parents should check the treats for any tampered products or for known food allergies (i.e peanuts) before your child consumes them.
 Depending on the child’s age make sure to check the candy before they start eating them. Remove items that are considered choking risks for toddlers (1-4 years of age) such as potato chips, popcorn, hard or sticky candies and dried fruits.
 They do not need to eat all of their candy in one sitting. Treats such as chocolate bars can be frozen and saved for a few months
 Give some of the treats to the food bank. This can teach your toddler or young child to share with others.

Have fun, be safe and enjoy your treat!

Do you find that your toddler is always eating the same thing? How much pasta with plain tomato sauce can they eat? or cheese sandwiches? Good Food Toddler provides recipes that the whole family can enjoy. Be creative and have fun! Such as offering different types of healthy breads, try pita bread or a whole wheat wrap. Make sure to include a meat and alternative to keep them fuller longer such as natural almond butter or a scrambled egg especially if the fact the school doesn’t allow for peanut butter. Here is another fun recipe that taste good hot or cold.

Pita Pizza

Ingredients:

1 whole wheat pita or 6-inch thin whole wheat or multigrain crust
1½ tablespoons of tomato sauce
¼ cup of 7% MF cheese
Toppings of your choice: diced peppers, spinach, pineapple, lean ham or Yves Veggie Ground Round

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (or 400°F if using a convection oven).
2. On the pita or crust, add the tomato sauce and coat well.
3. Add the toppings of your choice and the cheese.
4. Place the pita or crust on a baking or pizza sheet.
5. Place the sheet in the oven.
6. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until the edge is golden brown (for a thicker crust, bake for 10 minutes or until edge is golden brown).
7. Remove from the oven and serve.

Yields 1 pizza.
Serves 2.
½ pita is one serving of a grain product and one serving of vegetables and fruit.

Buy Good Food Toddler or Good Food Baby from www.goodfoodbaby.com

A review of Good Food Baby from Glimpse:

It’s interesting (to say the least) how life keeps changing – I guess it’s to keep us on our toes, so we don’t start growing moss! You’ve had a baby join your family, and just when you thought you had figured everything out, s/he changes it all on you! At least, that’s how it’s been going on around here.

One of the big changes, or developments we went through earlier this year is when Annalies was ready to start eating food. And she was really ready! She can’t say the word “FOOD” yet, but we sure do know when she’s asking for it!

I’m fortunate to have gone through this beginning eater stage already twice, but I remember how hard it was to figure out what to do the first time around. Of course, in the years since my first baby (and it’s not that long), guidelines and recommendations have changed several times, so it’s easy to understand why parents, especially new parents, are so confused. Advice from well-meaning people around can be helpful but can also add to the confusion. And, once you get the recommendations figured out, you still have to actually provide the food and get your baby to eat it!

Luckily for all you new parents out there, 2 Canadian Healthcare professionals have written a couple of books designed to help you wade through the guidelines. Ali Chernoff, R.D. and Chantel Canessa, M.N. realized that there is so much information out there, and their books are filled with practical tips and recipes.

We were given a copy of Good Food Baby to review. With pictures on many pages, as well as charts and lists, the information you’re seeking is easy to find and understand. Definitely a plus for parents with little extra time!

A strong point of the book is the tips on how and when to introduce solid foods. Along with the feeding tips, there is also a section that details how to cook certain categories of foods so they’re appropriate for baby. This section also helps you to figure out which method is best for preparing which food.

Something the book is really good on is explaining how things might be different for a baby with challenges such as Down syndrome. As well, there is a detailed section on food allergies and how to proceed with allergenic foods.

I would have liked to have seen a more detailed section on combined foods, for when baby has tried single ingredients foods. There are some good tips on how to combine foods to make a balanced meal, but I would have liked to have seen more recipes, or recipes with variations on how to modify the family meal to suit baby.

There is a chapter on what to look for when buying baby food, and I’m glad this is included. There are some good options out there, and there are some situations when homemade baby food just isn’t possible or practical. Like the time our outing took longer than planned, and I had a spoon in my diaper bag (standard) but no food. The grocery store was close, and I was able to pick up something quick that Annalies could enjoy, and that would keep her happy until we got home. Or when we went camping; with no refrigeration in our tent, it was impossible to bring along our homemade frozen baby food. I wish they had highlighted a Canadian brand of baby food though – the pictures in this section are of a good quality American brand, and as you all know, if you’ve been reading Glimpse for a while, there are some great Canadian options out there as well. (Note to American readers: I have nothing against the American brand, except it’s not available to us here!)

Once your baby is beyond the beginning eater stage, Ali and Chantel have another book of guidelines for you. Good Food Toddler includes tips on how to transition your child from one stage to the next, how to cope with eating issues such as Celiac disease, how to encourage a picky eater to eat and some menu planning guidelines including recipes.

It is a fundraiser for Right To Play, only $10.00 per tickets.

There will be lots of booth there, including our booth to sell our books at a promo price.

Let me know if you want tickets. It is Sunday June 26th from 1pm to 4pm.

Good Food Toddler is now available to purchase.

Good Food Toddler book is an ideal guide for parents to teach their toddlers appropriate portion sizes and more. Authored by two healthcare professionals answering common feeding questions from one to four years of age, including:

Tips for coping with a picky eater
Constipation tips
Menu planning including recipes
How to plan a party including recipes
Dining out tips
Travelling tips

We are conducting a talk at Hip Baby on June 7th from 7pm to 8pm. It will focus on hot topics like Vitamin D and Iron, however, we welcome any questions. Please call the store 604-736-8020 to reserve your spot!

You can still purchase the book on our on-line store www.goodfoodbaby.com and Hip Baby, Fine Finds, Kidsbooks and Eio Kids but we are also now available on amazon.ca http://www.amazon.ca/Good-Food-Baby-Book/dp/0986680001/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1300138643&sr=8-3-spell

We are conducting a talk at Hip Baby from 7pm to 8pm on Tuesday March 15th to discuss hot topics like Vitamin D and Iron. Good Food Baby book will be available to purchase that night. Plus $1.00 from each book sale goes to the BC Centre for Ability.

Please join us on Thursday March 10th at Fine Finds in Yaletown at 2:30pm to 3:30pm. We will focus on hot topics like Vitamin D and Iron for your baby but we welcome other questions. Please let us know if you can make it.

We will be having another talk on Tuesday March 15th at 7pm to 8pm at Hip Baby on West 4th.