Nutritional Noshing

Young children snack all the time.  (Ok!  That is it!  No more words of wisdom!  DONE!)

All joking aside, beyond the 3 squares a day (or not so square if you are a toddler) your child can sit, stand, run and sleep while snacking throughout the day.

Careful choices on your part, as a parent can make them empty calories, or beneficial, nutrient rich calories.

My friend Michelle and I used to joke when our daughters were about a year old, whether or not they could sustain themselves on blueberries and breast milk.  Since Michelle was also Daisy's caregiver during the day (back in the day when I was a "traditional teacher" in a traditional classroom), she feed my daughter alongside hers.  The two cuties got into the groove of only eating the (ORGANIC!) blueberries that were given to them, and nothing else!  Luckily neither one of them had any crazy side effects, such as skin turning blue (as child would turn ORANGE if they only ate carrots!  True!). On the other hand if they only ate donuts and milk, then we would have a REAL issue on our hand!  Luckily donuts and other such food were never introduced as an option to their diet!

On that note, one of my equally as health conscience friends, Ginger recently raved about a great idea regarding her son's nutrition.  He is still 6 or 7 months old, so he is still in the category of a limited diet, as many infants still are, and should be.  She concocted a teething biscuit that she believes he likes, and eats heartily,and that she feels comfortable feeding him.
She sent me the recipe below:
she informally titled them:

DELISH BISCUITS
Preheat oven to 425
1c flour
1c baby cereal
3TBS oil
ICE Cold Apple Juice about 8oz (I juiced mine fresh and then added the pulp too)

Mix flour, cereal, and oil, then slowly add the cold juice until a dough forms and begins to pull away from the bowl. Roll flat, cut into shapes, bake about 25-30 minutes.
(thanks for sharing Ging!)     : )

As you may have noticed, I emphasized the fact that the produce that I serve to my child is organic.  I am very careful that I choose such an option for my child, as produce that is "labeled" organic tends to be a little more trustworthy, as far as farming practices.What is sprayed on and around the produce is monitored a little more carefully, this contributes to the health of the soil, water and humans.  I am also lucky to live in the middle of California's agriculture land, so much of what I  am able to purchase is not only local but ALSO organic.  While my hubby, Mr. Penny-Pincher (and also a Science teacher,with a degree in environmental sciences, so he should KNOW better), often scoffs at me and my organic purchases, he cannot deny that our child is healthy and that an extra 50 cents for a basket of produce that makes me happy, is more than worth it!

If you are interested in the topic of toxins in our environment and how they effect us read: