ChowBaby

I should start by telling you that I woke up feeling annoyed this morning. And, no, it has nothing to do with the time of the month. Ah, shit! Saying that makes it seem like it must have something to do with that time of the month, but I promise it doesn't.

See, last night I read about a new book written by a pediatrician and the chief of infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia that presents a case against the link between vaccines and autism. Notice I'm not linking. I don't want to step into that fray today. Especially since it wasn't anything about either side of the vaccine debate that got me worked up. Instead, it was a (probably throwaway) quote by actress Amanda Peet who has become a spokeswomen for a vaccine advocacy group. Here's what she said:

“Where I live in L.A., there’s this child-rearing trend—only feed your kids organic food, detoxify your house. And there’s a lot of anticorporate fervor, anti-pharmaceutical company fervor.” She went on, "I'd have lunch with my friends who were moms, and they'd say they wouldn't vaccinate, or would space out their vaccinations and hadn't I heard?" 

Wait! How did organic food come into this? (And, side question: is detoxifying your house a bad thing?)

I think I know the answer to my own question. Organic has become trendy. Something no longer associated with an authentic movement, but with mega corporations that market over processed foods and questionable nutritional claims trying to get in on a new consumer interest. Organic products are often exorbitantly expensive (and, ironically, bringing the price down often means hoping that the big, bad companies who can produce and distribute on a scale that makes the whole enterprise more affordable get in the game). There is uncertainty over what organic even means and if the label can be trusted. This is related, at least in part, to the issue of industrial organic (which is also related to the fact that over sweet, over processed foods can be made with organic ingredients--i.e., organic doesn't necessarily mean healthy), and the fact that organic products can only be truly organic under particular conditions that are supposedly overseen by the USDA. You know, the same agency that also oversees industrialized meat production and processing. And that's worked so out well, right? And all this isn't just news of the past. Our soon-to-be secretary of agriculture, Tom Vilsack, who will oversee the USDA, has a history of supporting biotechnology and genetically modified foods. What are we to make of all this? Especially in a time when related government agencies have failed parents with their positions on bisphenol-A and melamine in our baby formula? Oh, there's more, but I'll spare you. Needless to say, I get it. I understand why you're skeptical. I am, too.

That's why, along with my wicked sense of humor (oh yea), I'm the first one to make fun of the whole obsessive mommy questioning, "Is it organic?" about every "O" shaped cereal and puffed fruit snack you try to hand a kid these days. Even though I'm one of those moms. And why, depending on my mood, I laugh or cringe every time I write a recipe for this blog and specify "organic" next to every single item in the ingredient list. But, let's take a moment and breathe. Or at least give me a moment to catch my breath. 

Organic means grown without the chemical pesticides, chemical fertilizers, sludge sewage, bioengineering, antibiotics, or ionizing radiation. I know that this requires diligent oversight that has been brought into question, but go with me for a minute. Seems pretty straight forward that we would want our government to ensure that our food is grown in as natural a ways as possible. If we can support natural growing techniques without jeopardizing health or food supply, we'd want to. Right? It would not only result in less toxic food, but also cleaner soil and water supplies. I'm guessing we're all, more or less, on the same page here.

Now, are organic products in the US actually less toxic and reliably grown on farms that have cleaner soil and help keep water supplies clean? Not an easy question to answer. I'd guess that, realistically, we can say "some". But some is better than none. And some can lead to many. Many leads to most. Support for organic farming and products both in the form of consumer purchase and activism can help push us towards stricter policy and oversight and greater organic supply. In the meantime, I get that most of us can't be cavalier about spending extra money on organic just to help push us towards a tipping point. (Though, for the record, I don't believe that's all your doing when you buy organic. I believe there is compelling evidence that an organic diet reduces the amount of toxins that you and your children take in.) If that's the case, you might want to consider buying organic just for your little ones (since they eat more fruits and veggies relative to their body weight and developing bodies cannot break toxins down as effectively as ours) or focusing on the dirty dozen (also listed here along with the 12 least contaminated foods, and on Greenopolis with some useful notes on why certain produce is safe to buy non-organic). If you can afford organic and are interested in considering pro-organic research data, here are some points that I find compelling:

• The Environmental Protection Agency reports that children receive 50% of their lifetime cancer risks in the first two years of life.
• According to the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Academy of Sciences, standard chemicals are up to 10 times more toxic for children than for adults. The fact is that children take in more toxic chemicals relative to their body weight than adults and their developing organ systems are less capable of detoxifying chemicals.
• According to the Food and Drug Administration, half of the produce currently tested in grocery stores contains measurable residues of pesticides.
• According to the Department of Health and Human Services, organophosphate pesticides (OPs) are now found in the blood of 95% of people tested. OP levels are twice as high in blood samples taken from children than in adults. Exposure to OPs has been linked to hyperactivity, behavior disorders, learning disabilities, developmental delays, and motor dysfunction.
• The Food and Drug Administration conducted laboratory tests of eight top-selling baby foods which revealed the presence of 16 pesticides, including three carcinogens.
• In blood samples of children aged 2 to 4 years, concentrations of pesticide residues are 6 times higher for those eating conventionally farmed fruits and vegetables when compared with those eating organic food.
• The Centers for Disease Control reports that one of the main sources of pesticide exposure for children comes from the food they eat.

(Source: Organic Consumers Association, US Government Fact Sheet)

Dr. Green, renowned "green" pediatrician, adds, "In 1993, a congressionally mandated study by the National Academy of Sciences expressed concern that existing methods of risk evaluation for pesticide exposure were failing children. More recently, the Consumers Union and Environmental Working Group have released studies confirming that children are overexposed even if their exposure is within legal limits. The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 mandated a review of agricultural chemicals in light of this new information about risk assessment. Included in this act is a requirement to impose a 10-fold margin of safety to protect children when setting standards for the use of pesticides on food. While safety standards have become more strict, buying organic products, if they are available and you can afford them, and supporting organic agriculture may be your best protection."

Phew. Lots of info. I know. One last thing, though. The American Academy of Pediatrics. Despite what I believe are dubious positions on various child health and safety issues, I feel it would be irresponsible to not report the AAP's position that there is no evidence that "organic, natural, or health foods are any more nutritious or taste better than regular foods." You know, the same way a little bit of melamine in your baby's formula won't kill them. OH snap! (And, as a side note, a prerequisite for joining the AAP is dead taste buds.) But, seriously. While I couldn't find the full text of any of their source research without paying (which I didn't do), I've considered their position and thought that you might want to, as well.

There you have it. Why I buy into organic. But convincing you isn't my point. You being indifferent to, pro-, or anti-organic isn't what makes me mad. It's that damn Amanda Peet and her quote, which I feel was irresponsible.

First off, it's judgmental. And, sadly, baby and kids food tends to be a lightning rod for judgement. Breast milk or formula? Organic or not? All natural or processed? Homemade or store bought? And don't get me wrong--I've been a perpetrator as much as (okay, more than) I've been a victim. And I say that even as someone who was emotionally and physically pulverized by breast milk supply issues that forced formula on Isaac starting at 3-months-old. I guess that in a time like ours, when an obsession with self-awareness has intersected with a massive parenting industry that churns out books and products and advice, feeding is one of the last primal ways we have left to nurture our children. But I wish we could find more compassion for each other. And respect for natural food as a fundamental element of our existence and history.

I also find the comment to be dismissive of sound research on both sides of the issue (certainly the pro-organic side, but she also diminishes the anti-organic stance by chalking the whole thing up to some "in-the-know" privileged mommy trend). Lastly, I find it dangerous that she flippantly brings together the organic and vaccine debates. While there is some interaction--some parents promote organic, gluten- and casein-free diets for autistic children--there is no direct relationship between organic and vaccines (i.e., not all parents of autistic children who believe organic matters necessarily believe that vaccines caused their child's autism, and vice versa). These are not just fads that can be clumped together as part of some cockamamie natural movement. They are globally debated health and environmental issues that have sound research--and smart, informed, outspoken parents--on both sides of the debate. And we're all just doing our best to figure it all so we can make the best decisions we know how for our families.

Poor Amanda Peet. She probably doesn't even remember saying the quote. And I can imagine how she meant it differently than I took it. (See? Compassion. And I'm not being sarcastic!) But she is a public person and has chosen to be a spokeswoman. With great power comes great responsibility. I hope she'll be more careful about how she speaks about her issue at hand. And, if she did mean her comment the way I took it, I hope she'll consider (re-consider?) the research on organic as carefully as she did the research on vaccines. If she ends up feeling the same way and wants to talk about it publicly, maybe she'd be willing to speak more specifically so that moms, like me, who are interested in the issue can reflect on a new, educated, parent-centric point-of-view. Because those are always helpful, even when we disagree. 

-S

related posts:
obama's food policy & choice of tom vilsak for agriculture secretary
dr. alan greene goes organic--is all organic really better
US (non) regulation of baby products
top foods to buy organic
Tree Hugger's "Green Basics" overview on organic food (including criticisms of organic)

Ahhh. La piña. The symbol of hospitality. Worthy of mention in the title of one of my favorite recent comedies. (Have you seen Pineapple Express?!) And the new favorite fruit in my house. Yea, yea. I know. So much for keeping it local. But January is a rough time for fruit in New York City and I didn't can or freeze. (Or pickle? Check it out: pickled limes from the fabulous food blog MattBites.com, quick pickled papaya or mango from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, and pickled watermelon rind from Martha Stewart Everyday Food!) Plus, with Isaac's palate still developing, I want to introduce him to a wide range of flavors. And if we go somewhere tropical where pineapple is indigenous, Isaac won't be with us--ha!

It all started with a Trader Joe's Pineapple Fruit Bar, a 100% fruit snack that is Isaac's latest food obsession. I've tried the other flavors, but he only wants "pie-nipple" (which sounds great in public). He loves these things so much that I moved him on to fresh pineapple. I wanted to see if the love affair would last in the absence concentrated sweetness. It did. So, when it came time to make birthday cupcakes for play group (Isaac turned two 2 days ago!), these pineapple carrot cupcakes were the obvious choice. (I found them while looking for a cupcake recipe that called only for agave syrup--serendipity!) Another hit with Isaac. 

         

Click here to download:

PINEAPPLE.zip (764 KB)

With one last fresh pineapple lying around, yesterday afternoon I announced to Isaac that we'd have fresh pineapple for dessert. Wasn't I such a nice mama?! Sure. Nice. But not so smart. I hadn't checked if the pineapple was ripe before making the promise. (Did you know that one way to check a pineapple for ripeness is to pluck a leaf from the top--if it comes out easily, you're good to go.) Bad move. I had to come up with something quick. Roasted pineapple was the move. It would soften the under ripe fruit and concentrate the sweetness.

I cut off the top and bottom, cut the fruit in half, peeled it with a knife, cut out the core, and made 1/2" slices. I used a baking dish that was too small to arrange the pieces in one layer. That didn't cause any problem. I laid the first layer down, sprinkled lightly with organic sucanat and cardamom, the repeated the process with a second layer. I dabbed the whole shebang with butter, but don't think it was necessary. I baked for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees, until the juices thickened into a nice, natural, syrupy coating.

I must have been overcompensating--or got caught up in the gooey sweetness of it all--because I mixed a 1/2 tsp of organic agave syrup with 1/4 c organic plain whole milk yogurt to top the whole thing off. (Plain yogurt would have worked just fine!) A sprinkle of cinnamon brought the whole thing together (balanced out the cardamom on the pineapple). (Sorry for the bad camera phone picture!)

This was Isaac's favorite pineapple dish yet. He couldn't stop saying, "MMM!" He seriously said it with every bite. Hysterical. Good thing our pineapple wasn't ripe!

I'm sure we'll have more adventures in pineapple-ville. But, in the meantime, all of this cooking with the tropical fruit got me wondering... is it even nutritious?! (Always smart to ask this question after you've stuffed your kid full of the stuff--LOL!) According to the World's Healthiest Foods, pineapple is an excellent source of manganese and vitamin C, and a good source of vitamins B1 and B6, copper, and dietary fiber. Manganese and B1 (thiamin) are both important for energy production and antioxidant defense. Vitamin C also provides antioxidant protection and immune system support. You can read more in WHF's profile of pineapple. Or check out the hard nutrition facts at NutritionData.com.

Works for me. (Phew!) So more pineapple stuff I will make. Got any pineapple recipes to share?

-S

go ahead. do a google image search for "peanut butter and jelly" and check out the results. mostly white bread, but sometimes wheat. mostly creamy peanut butter, but sometimes chunky. the one thing that's ALWAYS the same: purple colored jam.

i take this as proof that i'm not alone in defaulting to jams of purple and dark red color. so maybe my revelation about orange colored jams will be useful to others with messy eating toddlers, too--they don't stain! i'm not telling you to ditch grandma's homemade strawberry rhubarb preserves, but i am suggesting that clean-up--or at least laundry--will be easier if you feed little justin-bobby orange, peach, or apricot jam.

-S

this made me laugh. thought it was worth sharing for those of you who don't subscribe to daily candy:

http://www.batterblaster.com

the branding on this is hysterical--and done to a tee! as for the product, i'm happy to try an easy way to whip up organic pancakes as a treat. (although every time i feed isaac pancakes, i feel a little more bad that he's yet to taste maple syrup! we still use a drizzle of yogurt or apple sauce. seems to satisfy him just fine, so i'm sticking with it. it's just funny considering how much *i* love syrup!)

whenever i actually take time to make pancakes, i make a whole bunch extra so that i can freeze them (place parchment between flapjacks and stack in a freezer storage bag--they microwave beautifully after that). this might just make my big batch even easier to cook... or maybe i'll stop worry about making a huge batch at all with a great short cut like this! i'll report back after the family taste test!

-S

i thought i'd never have to say my son is a picky eater. after all,
food, in all its many splendored varieties, may just be my greatest
pleasure. planting it. growing it. picking it. reading about it.
cooking it. sharing it. and, especially, eating it. no surprise i fell
hard for my husband since he's a (now retired) professional cook. and
even if i'm not the best on-the-fly savory cook, i can follow (and
even tweak) a recipe with the best of them. plus i'm a rocking good
baker.
 
anyway, i was hell-bent on having a kid with a good palate. one who
could go to any restaurant and eat off the menu (and i don't mean the
kids' menu!). one who could travel unencumbered by any special foods
from home. one who proved, once and for all, that if we feed our kids
a varied diet we'll raise kids that will eat just about anything.
 
and that was true for the first 2 years of atticus' life. spicy
curries. dark and bitter leafy greans. fennel olive breads. i admit
it. i was proud. and then, one day, out of nowhere came the cry: i
want plain! plain pasta. plain yogurt. plain chicken. plain bread.
plain rice. i was ready to kill myself. or him. what had gone wrong?
 
i did some digging and found out it's not me. some say it's biology.
evolution, in fact. this article describes that kids get picky between 2-years-old and 4- to
5-years-old because taste buds "shut down" around the time toddlers
start walking to prevent them from putting just anything in their
mouth and eating it. i also learned from one of my favorite baby food resourcs that some say it's a development issue. an opportunity for kids to
flex their independence and experiment with cause and effect (ie, how
funny it is when he says "no, yucky" and i roll my eyes and sigh).
suddenly, i didn't feel so bad.
 
so until this phase passes, what is the parent of a picky toddler to
do? don't make a big deal of it. but don't give in to it either. i
don't support, and neither do many experts, the strategy of hiding
veggies in foods your kids like (ie, hiding pureed butternut squash in
macaroni and cheese)--because kids aren't learning to appreciate the
food in question. i do, however, like the idea of continuing to offer
the foods they reject along with the foods they enjoy. and not making
a scene if they don't eat it. it helps that we cook so much at home
since we're invariably making some staples (like rice or pasta or
chicken) that he will eat. so before we plate our meals and let every
food (gasp!) touch the other, we make a special plate (like this fancy schmancy BPA-free and phthalate-free one from Skip Hop) for atticus where the foods he doesn't like remain far from the foods he does. and
sometimes, if we act over-the-top excited about how yummy the yucky
food is (but not so over-the-top that atticus gets suspicious), he'll
ask for a bite. and sometimes, just sometimes, he forgets it's yucky
and eats it all up. yum!
 
--m

hello from muggy louisiana. we finally made it here after a seriously botched travel day. we were booked on a 7:15 am flight from new york to new orleans but after waking up at 5 am, we were still running late. we reached the gate at 7:14 am to find that the plane was gone. not closed. not locked. GONE. as in no where near the gate. in the sky. really gone.

to avoid paying $300 to guarantee seats on the next flight out--which left at 2:30 pm!--we had to hang around the airport until 10 am to get (free) seat assignments. and by that time, going home wouldn't make much sense. so, we were stuck. for 7 hours. with a nap-aversive 2-year-old.

while it was not an ideal way to spend the day, i must say that isaac (and baby daddy, for that matter), held up remarkably well. it wasn't nearly as bad as i had anticipated. being in the new jfk/jet blue terminal definitely helped. it's pretty nice. it's new (ie, fairly clean) and there is a play area. but what about the food? i was dreading our options, but also knew that food was the key to a successful camp out. i prepared to break under the pressure of making the day go smoothly. thankfully, i didn't have to.

not sure how helpful this list will be seeing that our options were superior to those available at most airport terminals, but here's what we fed isaac while stranded and in flight:

• i had packed a hard boiled egg, but noticed that there were some for sale. i thought this was a good protein-packed foundation for what would inevitably be a day of snacking.
• we were excited to find a jamba juice--and, while not always as nice as jamba, i think there are usually places where you can get a smoothie. we got a fruit-and-juice-only smoothie that had pomegranate juice, strawberries, bananas and mango. no frozen yogurt, no supplement powders, no added sugar. the small size was plenty for me and isaac to share (about 1/3 for him, 2/3 for me)
• a lot of nyc airport terminals have lunchboxes made by nyc-based kid fresh. we got one with a small packet of organic cheese crackers, turkey & cheddar on whole wheat bread, and organic raisins.
• we picked up some stacy's pita chips to give isaac on the plane when me and baby daddy would indulge in potato chips. they're pretty salty, but more wholesome than your average chip. and with the same impact. i looked for some hummus to go with the chips, but couldn't find any. i was sure to call the package all done once 2/3 through--it's just too much to give him the whole thing.
• there were a bunch of celery and carrot packets with dip--i could have gotten them and ditched the dip, but found cherry tomatoes instead. it felt like they'd be easier for him to eat without requiring us to watch over him. carrots make me nervous. and i've recently learned that non-organic celery is among the 12 foods on which pesticides are most commonly found (according to the environmental working group).
• i found a small package of peeled (brand) dried fruits and nuts. i like how these come with the dried fruit and nuts in separate packets. i was able to pull out some of the dried fruit (isaac had had plenty of fruit between the smoothie, and pineapple fruit leather, apple sauce, and grapes that i brought--i was nervous for his belly!).
• i had also brought a bag of my own crackers (thinking organic ones would be hard to come by at the airport and, besides the crackers in the kid fresh kit, i was right), cucumber spears (which hold up well), and veggie booty.

besides the one mini chocolate chip cookie that baby daddy gave up when he was caught eating them, isaac didn't get nearly as much trash food as i thought he might. i felt really proud that we were able to pull it off. though, of course, if we hadn't, one day would not have killed him. it's just nice to not have to go there since we shouldn't be forced to. i hope that jet blue's approach to on-the-go food is a sign of how younger companies to come will think about the options they make available.

-S

sounds strange, but it works. at least with the two veggies i've tried: sweet potato and butternut squash. (what else do you think you could use?) it's just like apple butter, really. (in fact, apple butter is a great reference for consistency.) and you can use it the same way. i usually spread veggie butter on our morning toast on top of a little butter. for today's snack, i spread squash on toast that also had some peanut butter on it. yum!

you can prepare the veggies however you'd like in order to make a thick-ish puree. i like to roast both sweet potatoes and squash. i'm sure you can steam (though you'll lose flavor) or boil (you'll lose flavor and nutrients). whatever is easiest.

once roasted and cooled, i peel the sweet potato and wrap the whole thing in foil. anytime over the next three days that i want some sweet potato butter, i just unwrapped it, cut off a slice and spread it with a knife. spreads smooth as melted butter and doesn't need any other flavor (though i sometimes sprinkle cinnamon on top).

as for the squash, i find it easier and neater to make the puree as soon as it has cooled. i don't mind lumpy and prefer to dirty as few dishes as possible, so i just mash it with a potato masher and season with a little bit of all natural, organic maple syrup and freshly grated ginger (best done using a microplane, one of my other favorite kitchen tools). 

so easy, a sweet treat (though less so than jam, in a good way), and a creative way to get an additional serving of veggies in the mix (without having to hide them!).

-S

(pictured: squash puree in a mason jar--i keep in the fridge for up to 3 days--and today's snack of toast with peanut butter & squash with a side of blueberries)

   

Click here to download:

use_veggies_instead_of_jam.zip (1240 KB)

atticus is finally getting his two-year molars. and this round of teething feels completely different than the last. when he couldn't talk. when he didn't try to manipulate me with his discomfort and use it to avoid taking his dishes to the sink after dinner or turning the lights off at bedtime. sure, he's perfectly happy to take tylenol for the pain—and embarrass me in public by loudly exclaiming, "mama, i want bubblegum tylenol pleeeeeeeeeease!" but he's also old enough to soothe his tender gums others ways. this weekend, i discovered that frozen unsulphered dried organic mango sliced into thin strips offer lots of relief (not to mention vitamin A). he holds one end and works the other right into the sore spot. then gnaws away as it defrosts. cool!

-m

isaac and i recently started a parent-child program at our local waldorf school. isaac's favorite part (well, besides making bread which we eat at snack time) is playing in the bean box. he loves it so much that i made our very own bean box at home. i simply filled a shoebox with one bag of dried black beans and one bag of dried kidney beans, and voila! you can do the same with pasta. or rice, though small stuff like rice, lentils, etc. make clean up a lot harder.

i'd forgotten about this great, totally absorbing, totally cheap and all natural toy from my child development/education days. i'll let my friends at eensies cover the broader educational benefits. for here, i thought that the ingenious use of food would be interesting. though there is more to it than that--there's a real food/education/child development opportunity here. young children learn best by engaging all of their senses, which is why i often let isaac touch, smell, taste (when appropriate), and even listen to ingredients as i prepare a meal. playing in the bean box provides a unique opportunity for kids to get a new sensory perspective on food ingredients.

isaac is totally obsessed with his bean box. he's been waking up from nap time saying, "BEANS!" hope your little ones enjoy this as much as he does. 

-S

isaac LOVES yogurt. i'm sure he'd eat it in all forms, though he's only been served plain organic whole milk yogurt and--a big treat in our house--ronnybrook farms yogurt drink. (i'd gloat about about never having served him yo baby, except that the yogurt drink we get is just as sugary--well, actually, it's not in the serving size i give isaac, but still--what's a mom to do?) isaac also loves a new introduction: trader joe's very green blend juice. i see absolutely no point, at least nutritionally, in serving children juice, but i also believe that almost every (whole, natural, or at least minimally processed) food can be a "sometimes" food.

the very green juice thing started as an experiment when isaac was last sick. i thought it might serve as a shortcut to some minimal nutrition while his desire to eat food was completely gone. (and, just gotta say that juice, even home pressed, is truly a shortcut--it can never provide the full scope of benefits provided by the same whole food ingredient.) it worked. big time. now isaac wants very green juice all the time, testing my tolerance for the whole "sometimes food" approach. i've since purchased a couple of bottles that have each lasted about a week (he gets little shots with breakfast some mornings). but this drink is sugary, even in small amounts. each serving is 28 g of sugar and our shots are about 1/2 a serving.

i had a revelation this morning that brought together the power of yogurt, yogurt drink, and the very green juice blend. (cue music from the heavens.) i took my no added sugar organic whole milk yogurt, added a tiny bit of the very green juice blend, and, voila, a "smoothie!" i tried this with the ronnybrook farms yogurt drink a while back, but it didn't work nearly as well. i guess adding plain yogurt to yogurt drink is basically watering down the good stuff. but this new concoction makes plain yogurt BETTER.

so, bottom line, isaac eats plain yogurt, it looks and tastes exciting, it's thinned out so that he can drink it (less mess), and he gets his green juice (i made a point of showing him that) in a serving size that i can feel good about. put that in your... something and... drink it? (if you keep reading this blog you'll see that growing up with immigrant parents makes for a complete and utter inability to keep idiomatic expressions straight.)

these videos are totally gratuitous. just experimenting with my flip and learning how to post video properly. watch them. especially if you feel you need a tutorial on stirring.

Click here to download:

VID00117.AVI (5912 KB)

Click here to download:

VID00119.AVI (2111 KB)

-S