[SchmennaLeigh]

I'm petrified of each food stage. A Mommy Friend who had a baby a week or so after me has all ready started feeding her soon-to-be seven month old veggie puffs. We're not doing finger foods until after his 9 month appointment in which our doctor is going over a list of good finger foods with us. I am paranoid of both choking and crap that is in preprocessed foods.

Also, as I continue to search for a healthy cake option, I just want to cry. I don't want him having unnecessary sugars. I just don't. Perhaps he'll be like me in the future anyway and dig salty over sweet but... I just think sweets + kids = bad.

I have an allergy to cinnamon and am lactose intolerant. Thankfully, so far, Nicholas has shown no lactose intolerance, although he does have a similar problem of mine in not processing iron all that well. I'm also allergic to beer, wine and champagne but we aren't planning on giving him those any time soon.

At this point, after reading up on juices and their sugars, we're only giving him water when we try the sippy cup (which always turns into taking the lid off and letting him drink like 'normal' which my MIL informs me is better for teeth anyway... I think he's just silly! ).

I seem to be alone in a lot of this thinking, even among some of my rather "crunchy" mom friends. Am I just too far off in left field?

[WLD]

my daughters pediatrician said NO JUICE too much sugar

[HBV]

Well, I'm with you on the no juice, and I also think limiting the sugar and junk is best, though I am not that worried about an occasional special occasion, like a birthday cake. You're more concerned about it than I feel, but do I think you're in left field? Not exactly. It sounds like you have some food allergies to consider.

Without discounting your concerns, my outlook has been this: we aren't too big on junk food in our house. I'm a good cook, we try to eat healthy stuff and follow a more or less Mediterranean diet---organic, lots of veggies, whole grains and VERY few processed foods. I want H to grow up to appreciate food that's good for him, I don't want a lot of unnecessary emphasis on it, and I don't knwo what I would do with a kid who won't eat anything but foods that have been dyed blue and green or are branded with exclamation points. We're introducing him to what we eat and following general guidelines about things like egg whites, nuts, strawberries, citrus. I've talked to the doctor about it, he agrees with what I'm doing and says he wishes more folks would handle it like that. I'll tell you something funny about the allergy issue--- my nephew has a nut allergy. He's not in the life threatening category, but there's a fairly dramatic reaction. Ever since he was tiny, he wouldn't go near peanut butter or anyone eating pb. I took him to a toddler class where they were making bird feeders w/ pine cones, pb and birdseed. He wanted to leave as soon as he saw the jar. I explained that it wasn't for him to eat, but he cried and insisted, so we left. We found out about 2 months later that he really did have an allergy. HE knew before we did. Won't go near it to this day.

As for finger foods and choking, H has been doing ww bagels, crackers and puffs since about 6 and 1/2 months. You do need to watch carefully and give them easily soluble stuff. He does choke sometimes when he takes too big of a bite, he always coughs it back up or we sweep it out---it is going to happen. I guess I'd rather he started learning now, when he is contained to a highchair while eating and while I'm watching and can fix it. We both got certified (and our nanny is as well) in infant emergency procedures, so I guess I'm on the other end of the spectrum---I feel like I could handle a choking episode if we had a bad one. Bottom line: I think they're much tougher than we give them credit for.

[alwaysus]

Jenna,
I like to joke that if it wasn't for my dad. Sarah would STILL be eating baby food ( Sarah will be 18 next month!) It's very hard to know what to do and when to do it. Elijah is our 7th baby and I STILL am leary at times. The veggie puffs are great. Just make sure that there are only one or two on her highhair tray( so he won't stuff too many in his mouth) and only offer the foods when he is seated, no wandering and eating. Rice krispies are great because they are so small.

I recently read that Juice has more sugar than soda! WOW! And that adults gained more weight on juice than on soda! Yikes!

Good luck,

[Lovebug]

No you aren't in left field. While toddlers love to eat the general array of chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and pizza, our son's diet is full of fruits, veggies and lean meats. All of my friends ask me how I can get A to eat that...and it is pretty easy as he doesn't have a choice, kwim? I cook, he eats. Simple. I mean, don't get me wrong, he does eat nuggets and stuff...everybody's gotta do a McD's night every now and then, but he has a balanced diet. Loves yogurt, bananas and beef! And I think he is weird, too! Lol. He doesn't like cookies!!!!! Or anything sweet. We put like 2 oz of unsweetend apple jiuce in his sippy with 6 oz of water and he wouldn't drink it. So he has milk and water and is perfectly happy. MIL said I should give him chocolate milk!!!!!!!!!! Um, why???

So you're doing great, and do what makes you happy, kwim?? He's your son, who cares if people think you are off base, kwim?

--Renee

[StorkWatcher]

I just have to say - I've never heard of anyone else w/ a cinnamon allergy. But it's a good thing to be allergic to the alcohol!!! Less temptation that way.

I've been really worried, also. And I haven't been as hard line on some things to do lack of support (or at least, not complete support) from hubby and MIL (who helps care for babe a couple days a week).

I believe similiarly - if they are happy eating the healthy stuff and don't get used to the other, what's the point? I'd been giving some juice to use to mix cereal, but am uncomfortable w/ my decision to do that, and since he's not really interested in his sippy yet (and I WILL NOT put juice in a bottle), I think I'm just not going to buy it any more and do like someone suggested and give the regular fruits in true form. That way they get more of the fiber and the fruit will still aid in absorption of iron and whatever other vitamins and minerals it aids.

I have a friend who was diagnosed w/ lymphoma few years ago. She had a partial lung and a few other areas removed, but after eliminating sugars and processed foods and switching to a mostly organic diet and juicing daily, she's cancer-free at the moment, and all her docs cannot explain it. She's supposed to be dead by now. That's what made me start looking at things differently.

I was raised on very little sweets or junk food. Since I wasn't denied totally, I didn't go crazy w/ cravings. I think once in a while is okay, for our lifestyle. But not now. Not yet - he's not even a year old!

I am just trying to be better about it and learn from others here. You're not alone. I get some comments and strange looks once in a while.

[SchmennaLeigh]

Thankfully Josh is in full support and keeps his parents and even my own from offering things like mashed potatoes when I'm not looking. Our pediatrician is a lot like us which is why we chose him and understands our want and desire to keep him healthy from a young age. So, when we were told not to introduce finger foods until 9 months, I thought that was the norm. I didn't realize that maybe it's not and now we're "super" not-the-norm. I am pretty sure that we will continue to delay finger foods but I will discuss it with Josh later. I think he feels the same was as I do. We were both raised in very healthy food homes. Our one "bad thing" is how much we drink pop/soda, though I was great while pregnant with Nick. I need to just make myself give it up and stick to getting my caffeine from my (unsweetened) iced tea.

The obesity rates, diabetes in my family and my own food allergies just have me on edge, I guess. If I could raise him vegetarian until he could make his own decisions, I would. But, then again, I love me some steak now and again.

This parenting stuff is rough!

[SchmennaLeigh]

PS - Thanks for the support. I hope to have a healthy eater as well. I'm just so nervous about things sometimes.

[JPDakota]

Our little one is just a year old now. She started Veggie Puffs at 7 months. They're great because they dissolve quickly, so the choking hazaard isn't an issue unless they take too many. You have to just put out a couple at a time. We've found them very useful at Sunday Mass. She's never fed anything unless she's stationary in her high chair or sometimes her creeper.
DD gets mostly fresh fruits and veggies, or food that we've canned/frozen ourselves. She eats a wide variety of veggies like asparagus, carrots, green beans, squash, sweet potatoes along with mangoes, tomatoes, apples, melons, etc. I grew up on a farm, so gardening and putting up fruits and vegetables is second nature. DH is also from a similiar background, except Asian from his Mother. DD is also offered lean meats, which she enjoys. We're in the middle of livestock country. She gets no sugar added apple juice mixed with prune juice (don't ask), lots of water, and she loves milk. There are occasions when we can't offer her exactly what we would normally, like eating out/traveling. But typically that's not the case. DH is diabetic, so we have no sugar in the house. We do not give her artificial sweetners either. Her b-day cake definitely had sugar in it, but she normally doesn't get any.
I think everybody has to go with what they're comfortable with, provided they are thinking people and the child's best interests are served.

[NDN]

I am sooo with you on the processed food and sugar thing. Lots of people think I'm nuts...even my doctor teases me about calling CPS because I'm neglecting to give my kids loads of sugar (he's joking, of course).
My kids did do finger foods earlier than 9 months, but I tried to be selective and make sure the foods were healthy--and, of course, never leave them along while they are eating. NEVER give kids teething biscuits. MIL did this with both boys knowing I hated them...decided not to fight over it...both choked. Thank God I'd had the whole cpr/first aide thing. <You'd think after the first kid I would have stuck to the rule of no teething biscuits...but, ya know...my brain fell out.>

Also, I wanted to know what a "crunchy" mom is. I've been called "granola"--and I'm pretty sure it wasn't meant as a compliment, but I'm choosing to take it as one--but never heard "crunchy".

[SchmennaLeigh]

Actually, granola and "crunchy" Mom IS a compliment. It's those who do a lot more of the natural things: no unnecessary sugars, breastfeeding, cloth diapering, no juice, carrier/slings/wraps, non-vaccinating, etc. Now, some people DO mean it as an insult but I have found that they are usually jealous of SOMETHING that you are doing that they could not or would not do, so that kind of puts the insult in perspective. So, I just say thank you.

[StorkWatcher]

I use the crunchy term in a positive way also. Just think of more natural, healthy lifestyles. (Picture of the hikers out on the trail w/ their babies in backpacks eating all natural, organic granola......)

Plus what Jenna said. I wish I were a little more crunchy at heart. It's definitely different than the way I was raised......

[SchmennaLeigh]

I'm not totally crunchy and I wish that I was.

But I totally have the same vision: hikers in the woods with their kid in the hiking backpack with granola. HA! FUNNY!

And that will TOTALLY be us next summer. :-D

[StorkWatcher]

My husband suggested that we take a little time off this year (we haven't had a vacation in probably 4 years, other than horse shows, and I don't count those), while we were waiting on baby and saving up.

My hubby is NOT the hiking/camping type. Too bad. But I think I can talk him into at least some time camping in our horse trailer (the kind w/ living quarters) at the state park a few miles down the road. If it gets to "woodsy" for him, he can always come home and sleep in his bed, and I'll hang out w/ the kids.....

Or be the one who sleeps w/ the kids in the tent out in the backyard, because HE sure won't be doing it!

I have lots of dreams about taking the kids (gee, I keep saying it plural, hmmmmm) on nature hikes and things. I'll always be a camp counselor at heart!

[kmsga]

we're with you on the healthy eating, Jenna. E will be 18 months in July and has never been to McD's, BK, or any other fast food burger place, and has yet to taste chicken nuggets or french fries. In fact, he's never eaten meat; DH is semi-vegetarian (eggs, some dairy, and fish/seafood) and that is how we are raising our boys. Right now E's favorite foods are apples (his first word! ), bananas, watermelon, and black beans/brown rice; we smashed the beans at first to make them flat and less of a choking hazard, and he's loved them from the very beginning.
He's a VERY healthy and active boy who runs us all ragged, and we're planning on feeding Q the same way when he starts eating real food.
BTW, I agree w/NDN and others re:teething biscuits. So far, that's the one thing E's come close to choking on, so his brother will never taste them, even the "healthy" ones.
As for cake, Whole Foods has GREAT healthy cakes w/out sugar, dairy, eggs, but w/plenty of taste. We bought the carrot cake for E's first bday, and everyone enjoyed it--they also have a carob cake that is super-yummy, and another kind that I can't remember right now. Definitely worth looking into for Nicholas's first bday if you want to stay away from the sweet stuff.
Happy healthy eating to you!!
Almost forgot...DH shares your cinnamon allergy. I had to give up chewing Dentyne when we started dating since it would make his mouth break out when we kissed. Now I can't really stand to chew gum of any kind, so I guess it was a good trade off!