Cook and Brew.

If you have a toddler, I bet you can relate when I say that meal time in the dining area can look like as if there’s always a food fight or of that sort. I guess, you would have also been used to having a broom or any type of sweeper, a dust pan or even a vacuum always on a standby because aside from dishwashing the plates, you are always engaged with a clean up routine removing the food particles, sauce smudges, liquid spills on the dining area caused by your little messy eater. Probably, you would have arranged likewise numerous San Diego carpet cleaning appointments already because you might have given up already cleaning those stubborn carpet blemishes.

My 19 months old son is at the height, or perhaps just starting to take off to being an overly inquisitive and playful toddler that he loves experimenting and exploring things. And that includes his food. He wants to eat by himself with this tiny Barney spoon and fork and doesn’t want to be guided anymore. That is why, since his dexterity hasn’t fully developed yet, the food would sometimes miss his mouth and off it falls on his high chair desk or on the floor. Well, of course, he’s just a tot and is too young to reprimand although of course, we started orienting him about proper table manners. We just let him explore because after all, he’s in his developing years and I can always clean up his mess anyway.

Sweet treats such as chocolates have been popular birthday giveaways lately. But for my son’s birthday, I veered away from the traditional chocolate packaging. Check out the words and facts I used in “Nutritional Facts” style to spice up my son’s giveaway. It definitely makes the treat sweeter.

Stand a chance to get free Nestle Chuckie Chocolate Drinks for your kids just by joining the Nestle’s Chuckie Survey Promo.

First qualified 300 entries of every month will receive 1 free Nestle Chuckie 1 Liter. Promo date is from 1st May 2009 to 31st Jul 2009.

This commercial has been a long time favorite of my baby since he was a few months younger. This is his first ever favorite commercial and this never cease to catch his attention whatever he’s doing. Well, as the message of this song conveys, I do hope that he’ll love to eat veggies more as he grows up.

Here’s the translation of the lyrics:
Title: Makulay ang Buhay (Life is Colorful).

Vegetables, you’ll search for them when not served
Sauteed vegetables made meaty by Mom
That’s why vegetables are my favorite

Life is colorful
Life is colorful with Meaty sauteed vegetable

By the aroma alone, you can already taste
With the taste, you’re a winner
Bitter gourd, stringbeans, sayote (chayote), squash
It’s happier if it’s sauteed with Meaty

Life is colorful
Life is colorful with Meaty sauteed vegetable

For every bite and chew there’s happiness
Full of nutrients, full of energy
It make us very very happy both in studying and playing
So come on kids and taste it

Life is colorful
Life is colorful with Meaty sauteed vegetable

Life is colorful
Life is colorful (it’s yummy) with Meaty sauteed vegetable

I could say that Asher, at this stage, is a vegetarian kid. He loves eating mashed squash, soyote, eggplant, carrots, broccoli, stringbeans, potato, malunggay, spinach and saluyot leaves and even those uncommon vegetables that we have on our Dinengdeng dish like the green spaghetti-like “alukon”. What he abhors eating are any meaty texture – pork, beef or chicken. At first, I got worried because he may not be taking in enough protein and other key nutrients but my research in parenting books says that “vegetarian kids can be very healthy, as long as you keep these few simple rules in mind”:

1. Dairy foods (such as milk, eggs, cheese) are great source of protein.
2. Whole grains have lots of proteins, too.
3. Variety of beans,nuts, legumes, and some soy foods together with whole grains cover the baby’s protein requirements.
4. Serve a vitamin C–rich food (which boosts iron absorption), at every meal to make sure the toddler makes the most of the plant-based iron he’s eating. Plant-based iron (called non-heme iron) is not as easily absorbed by the body as animal sources of iron (heme iron).
5. Milk intake should be carefully regulated for vegan kids. While milk is packed with calcium, vitamin D, and protein..it has no iron. So if a vegetarian kid bottoms up just milk, he’ll not go hungry for solid foods in meals that contain iron and many other nutrients. Instead, if he clamors for more milk, serve him some enriched soy milk – which contains iron.

Do have an idea the right amount of food your child should be taking in? Check out this USDA’s Food Pyramid, which was updated late last year. It emphasizes more on protein and vegetables opposed to the grains.

To see the specific requirements for your kids, check the following tables:

“Breast milk is still best for babies up to two years.”

A must-reminder shown towards the end of baby milk formula commercials.

I am breastfeeding my little Asher (and will continue for as long as he’s willing) because of the following reasons:
1. Breast milk is an infection-fighter. The antibodies passed to the nursed baby lowers the occurence of many conditions, infections or illnesses such as ear infections, meningitis, respiratory infections, etc.

2. Breast milk is a “perfect food”. All the minerals and vitamins needed by a newborn is contained in the breastmilk. It likewise prevents the baby against diarrhea and constipation as it tends to be more easily digested than a formula milk.

3. Breast milk is costless. Formula is so expensive nowadays that you have to allot much for a month’s supply. Breastfed babies are less sick so there’d be fewer trips to the doctor which consequently means less medical expenses.

4. Breast feeding is more convenient. No bottles to wash and sterilize. Mom (or dad) doesn’t need to stand up at night to prepare a bottle. No warming up of bottles as breast milk is always at the right temperature.

5. Breast milk prevents childhood and adult obesity. According to studies, breast fed babies tend to gain less unnecessary weight which help them be less overweight later.

6. Breast fed babies are smarter. According to recent research, children who were exclusively breastfed for 6 months have 5 to 10 IQ points higher than formula fed ones.

7. Breast milk enhances mother-child connection. The skin-to-skin contact enhances the emotional connection between the mother and infant. Nothing beats the experience of such bonding.

Infant formula will still help the baby grow and there’s actually no right or wrong choice between the two. Nothing beats the advantages of breast milk though, not only for the baby but to the mother as well.