Toddler's Food

Found some useful information from some forum & babycenter, and I thought it'll be useful to share to others (or a reminder for myself for my next kid ;))

7 Superfoods to boost kid's diet
"Superfoods" are packed full of nutrients that have wide-ranging health benefits. Some critics think it's misguided to focus on only a handful of healthy foods, but nobody argues that these foods pack a powerful nutritional punch.

Bottom line? Even if you can only wrangle one of these onto your kid's plate, you're doing good — and you may initiate a food habit that will help your child's health throughout her life.

1. Avocado
Avocadoes are the only fruit laced with monounsaturated "good" fats that may lower "bad" LDL cholesterol, which can harm the heart. The avocado is also a super source of soluble fiber, which helps stabilize blood sugar. And it's full of vitamin E, which protects your cells from free radicals.

"Try mashing avocado with a little lime or lemon juice and yogurt and using it on quesadillas or tacos — or as a dip for raw vegetables," suggests Jessica Seinfeld.

2. Blueberries
Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants — substances that slow the body's release of chemicals that can damage cells — blueberries can help lower cholesterol, sharpen memory, and fight certain cancers. These little fruits offer big health benefits, whether fresh or frozen.

"I make a purple puree filled with blueberries and spinach that I add to tacos, burgers, pancakes, cookies, and brownies," says Missy Chase Lapine. "Wild, organic, frozen blueberries are one of the most versatile nutrient-rich foods you can disguise in dishes."

3. Oats
These mild-tasting, versatile whole grains help prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes, will keep your child feeling full, and aid in escorting bad cholesterol out of the body.

"Serve oatmeal for breakfast," says Chase Lapine. "The old-fashioned rolled oats, not the quick-cooking kind — they offer more fiber and longer-lasting energy. Cook them in milk, rather than water, and top with blueberries for a well-balanced start to the day."

4. Salmon
This cold-water fish contains healthful fats known as omega-3s that can lower the risk of heart disease. These nutrients may also help improve mood and prevent memory loss.

"Make your own fish fingers," recommends Jennifer Iserloh. "Choose wild salmon to reduce your child's exposure to toxic substances such as PCBs and mercury. Adults enjoy these lightly crumbed strips too."

5. Spinach
An excellent source of iron, calcium, and folic acid, along with vitamins A and C, spinach is great for growing bones and brains.

"This versatile vegetable has a mild flavor and cooks in a flash," notes Iserloh. "Stir it into hot soups, toss it into your tomato sauce, and tuck it into quesadillas."

6. Sweet Potatoes
Packed with vitamins B, C, and E, plus calcium, potassium, and iron, sweet potatoes are also rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber, which keeps digestion moving along properly.

"Sweet potatoes are good at preventing a sugar crash, thanks to those complex carbs," says Chase Lapine. "They also add a subtle sweetness to sneaky recipes and work hard to cut the acidity of tomato that some kids dislike in pasta sauces."

7. Yogurt
Rich in calcium and a good source of protein, yogurt helps build strong bones and teeth. It also aids in digestion and fights bad bacteria in the gut.

"Buy plain low-fat yogurt and add your own fresh or frozen fruit to it," recommends Iserloh. "That way, you'll avoid the sugar that's in flavored yogurts. It's so creamy and comforting that most kids go for it."

Top 5 worst foods for your child

From 500-calorie desserts disguised as coffee drinks to greasy, salt-encrusted french fries, we adults usually know when we're making unwise food choices. But often we don't realize that many of the foods we routinely give babies are essentially junk food – high in calories, sugar, or salt, and low in nutrients.

Eating junk food is more damaging to babies than adults. That's because babies don't need many calories, but they do need lots of nutrients. It's easy for them to fill up quickly on junk food's empty calories, leaving no room for nutrient-rich healthy foods, says doctor and American Dietetic Association spokesperson Christine Gerbstadt. The nutrition deficit can even hinder development, she adds.

1) Soda:-
It seems too obvious to mention, but believe it or not, some babies are served soft drinks as early as 7 months of age, according to a survey of more than 3,000 families presented at the American Dietetic Association (ADA) conference in 2009.
Whether regular or diet, soft drinks provide absolutely no nutrients. Regular soda contains a ton of sugar, which can wreak havoc on your baby's teeth. And filling up on either type means babies eat and drink less of the nutritious food their bodies really need.

2) Juice ( Surprise SUrprise!) :-
Sure, it comes from fruit, but that doesn't mean it's healthy. The fiber in fresh fruit is largely lost in the juicing process, and what's left is a whole lot of sugar. "Juice is basically a waste of calories," says pediatrician Ari Brown, co-author of Baby 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Baby's First Year.

Using certain types of juice – specifically apple and pear – to sweeten your baby's food isn't a good idea either, says nutritionist Leanne Cooper, author of What Do I Feed My Baby: A Step-by-Step Guide to Solids. The sugars in these juices can speed up the food's passage through the digestive tract. "When food passes too quickly, the body doesn't have time to absorb all those lovely nutrients," says Cooper. It can also lead to diarrhea in some babies.

What about advertisers' claims that juice provides babies with necessary vitamin C? Don't be fooled. "Babies can easily get their vitamin C from one small serving of fruit," says Brown.

What should your baby drink instead? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that babies younger than 6 months drink nothing but breast milk or formula. Babies 6 to 12 months old can have small amounts of water, but breast milk or formula should still be their main beverage. (Find out more about when babies can drink water.) After the first birthday, cow's milk is recommended.

3) Crackers
They make convenient snacks once your baby can bite and chew, but it won't take many to satisfy your little one's appetite, leaving no room for nutrient-rich foods. Also, just as eating sweet things can help babies develop a sweet tooth, eating salty things can give them a "salty tooth." The survey presented at the 2009 ADA conference found that nearly three-quarters of toddlers and preschoolers get more than the recommended daily amount of sodium.

The ever-popular fish-shaped crackers fall into this category. "What a waste of calories in a snack," says Brown. "Fruit slices are a much better choice." And if you're looking for an instant grab-and-go snack, low-sugar cereals have more nutritional value than crackers, she says.

4) Processed meals (KFC, MCD IS A BIG NO NO)
People define processed foods in different ways, but in general, the more the food is modified from what was originally caught, raised, or grown – and the longer the list of ingredients – the more processed the food. With heavy processing, foods often lose significant nutritional value and gain unhealthy additives.

"The more processed the food, the more nutritional value tends to go down, and the more the sugar, salt, and fat content goes up," says Kate Geagan, dietitian and author of Go Green, Get Lean.

The worst processed foods parents serve up are the ones not specifically meant for babies, such as canned pasta, says dietitian Eileen Behan, author of The Baby Food Bible. "They often contain way too much sodium." You're better off boiling up some noodles and topping them with a few crushed tomatoes.

5) Gelatin desserts
"You'd be surprised at how many people think a gelatin dessert is a wholesome food for babies," says Gerbstadt. Why the misconception? Many people think gelatin contains protein, perhaps because it's made from processed animal bones and cartilage. But it doesn't, says Gerbstadt – at least, not in any significant amount. "What the baby ends up eating is nearly all sugar, artificial color, and artificial flavor, and a trace amount of gelatin to make it wiggly," she says.

True, gelatin is easy to swallow, but then again, so is Gerbstadt's own idea of a healthy dessert: a baked, mashed apple with a sprinkle of cinnamon. "It's naturally sweet and has good fiber, vitamins, and a yummy, smooth texture," she says. "That's what I'd opt for."

Mastitis

Mastitis means that the breast is inflamed, and there is swelling, redness, tenderness and pain. There may be an infection, so it is wise to consult your health-care provider to determine whether or not an antibiotic is necessary.

I read about mastitis ever since I started breastfeeding. I have been very very careful. When Eunice was 3-4 months old, on a night, I felt chilled in my sleep. I woke up, felt my breast very very engorged. I went to kitchen and get a warm towel to do some warm compresses to my breast. And I saw a white blister on my nipple. I pricked it using my finger nail, made sure the milk flow resumed, and direct fed Eunice. I was ok on the next day itself. Later on, I read that that's blocked duct.

I have been breastfeeding for almost 14 months and I never thought that I'll get mastitis at this time! On Thursday, before my usual pumping time at 5pm, I already felt some pain on my breast. I thought why is it so engorged. So, I went to mother's room 30 minutes earlier, thinking I might get quite a lot. But I was wrong. Nothing much came out, and the milk was pink in color! And I couldn't stop shivering in the mother's room, and the pain on my breast didn't reduce even though I tried to pump for 45 minutes.

I decided to throw the 4oz of pink milk away. And I smelled some unusual odor from the milk. Fresh pumped breastmilk should be odorless. The milk from the other side of the breast was ok. When I poured the milk away, I saw some debris at the bottom of the bottle. It looks like some many little pieces of dried milk. I was shaking so badly that I couldn't even hold my phone with one hand. And the moment I left my office, I got fever.

I called up my friend Janice in KL as I know she has one lactation consultant that she always gets help from. I told her my condition and got her to help me to ask her LC what's going on. My main concern was - can I still direct feed Eunice? I talked to a few of my colleagues, but no one had this problem before. I called up a doctor from my church who's also breastfeeding, and another LC from Penang that I found in internet. I even called up to Island Hospital baby nursery room to talk to one of the sisters. All of them told me it might be mastitis, and it's safe to direct feed Eunice still. Only problem is that when I have mastitis, the milk will taste salty. So some baby won't like it, and it'll make things worse as the blocked duct will worsen the situation.

Thank God that Eunice was still drinking like usual! Even the LC Dr Jamie from PG was laughing about it. Guess Eunice is not a fussy eater. She was drinking longer than usual, maybe because it's full since I couldn't pump them out. I took a paracetamol, and slept at 9.30pm. Felt better after that.

I still went to office the next day, but I felt really lousy. So I took MC after settling some work and went to see my gynae Dr Karen. She was shocked to see my breast, commented that it's red & warm and it's infection. She commented that mastitis can happen anytime during breastfeeding when I asked her why. So, I'm now on antibiotics for a week and if it doesn't improve after 3 days, I need to go back to see her.

I initially stopped paracetamol thinking that I don't have fever. But how wrong I was. The pain was so bad that I couldn't walk well, and I couldn't even lift up my hands. I tried pumping and could only get 2oz! So, Eunice was my best breastpump to clear my breast for me.

I'm now on my 2nd day of antibiotics and I felt much better (maybe from the help of the paracetamol to reduce the pain). But I still feel the infected area on my breast. I hope I'll be better by end of tomorrow.

Eunice's First Eating Out

As a very particular mum (and dad also), we try our very very best to let Eunice eat only home cooked food. The only non home cook food that we let her eat are probably cereal, baby cookies or rusks, bread, and maybe some fish or toufu (digged till deep inside) while we're eating out. Even though the websites said we can put some seasoning for toddler at age 1, but EG still doesn't allow me to put any soy sauce or salt in Eunice's food. So, we have been drinking some really really "natural tasting" soup while we are having meals together at home. :)

But last few weekend, we decided to go out for a lunch on a Sunday noon. We went to Chillis. And there's this Kids Eat for Free thingy, so looking through the whole menu, we ordered cheesy macaroni for Eunice, thinking if it's too salty, we'll eat it ourselves. I actually brought Eunice's porridge together with me. So, I had backup plan. ;)

The free macaroni for kids

I'm kind of impressed when the food came. It's a big plate! NO wonder all the parents love to bring kids to Chilis for meals. But it's just plain macaroni with cheese, nothing else. No meat no vegetable. I fed Eunice half of her porridge, then I let her eat the macaroni. :)... We tasted it first and decided to let her try as it's not salty nor it's full of flavoring.

The guava juice

The meal came with drinks also. We changed the soft drinks to guava juice (FOC). But the juice was very sweet. I think it's not fresh juice but it's from some packet drinks. So, I drank more than half of it, and diluted it with Eunice's water.

First row: Little girl eating her macaroni yum yum 2nd row: The small finger prints on the glass, drinking the diluted guava juice, continue eating her macaroni

Oh my little girl loves the macaroni so much. I put some in her bowl and she could pick them up one and one and feed herself while I'm enjoying my meals. It's one of my most relaxing lunch so far. :)...

And I think my little girl is really no more a baby now. I feel more relax while bringing her out (unlike last time when she's younger I'll get all stressed out!). And this coming weekend we're going to bring her for a wedding dinner. Let's see how she's going to behave there. I surely hope she'll be able to sit through the whole dinner. *Fingers & toes crossed!*

Walking

Since Eunice becomes 1, I've been waiting for her to walk, I mean real one, not by pushing a walker or a laundry basket. After her 1 yr old birthday, she did stand up a few times without support, but when we tried to make her to do it again, she refused to stand. So, I said she's a lazy girl. :)

A colleague actually commented that maybe because she's too chubby, so that's why she is not walking yet. EG and I laughed over it, but later we saw this in Wikipedia. :P

• To toddle is to walk unsteadily; the term cruising is sometimes used for toddlers who cannot toddle but must hold onto something while walking.
• On average, a child begins walking between 9 and 14 months of age. The age at which children start to walk can generally be determined by their gender, physical attributes and family genes. Small, light children usually walk earlier than heavy, large children.

Is my Eunice consider heavy & large child? Hehe! :P

But once she crosses her 13th month, she has been trying to stand up without support very often. And whenever she managed to stand up, she'll herself cheer and clap her little hands, and try to take steps. :)

It's not easy to take her video because she always gets very excited when she sees the camera. But we finally managed to take two short videos of her trying to walk before getting distracted by the camera. :)

Part I: Got excited when saw the camera



Part II: Trying to walk to Daddy

First Weight Loss

I love to go for Eunice's monthly check. Sometimes I'll just go even though she's just having some very mild flu or cough, or something nothing at all, but I want to know her weight and her height. So, I'll make up some reason to go for checkup even though there's no monthly jab.

Since Eunice is born, she has been putting on weight. And her weight is very good (according to many friends around me), and of course me as mummy is proud over it. Every mum likes to know that their child is growing well.

Before CNY, Eunice had some mild flu and cough, and knowing that no clinic or hospital will open during CNY, we brought her to Taiping Columbia Asia to get some medication before the public holiday. And we weighed her. With her diaper on, and I think the weighing machine was not very accurate, Eunice weighed 9.4kg! I was so happy.

Then, she had sore throat and went on antibiotics for 5 days. On that week, she couldn't eat well. She basically skipped porridge and drank little milk at babysitter's as well. She only wanted to be direct fed, and that also I won't know how much she's drinking.

But she recovered fast. After 4 days of antibiotics, she's eating her porridge again, and drinking as usual, and went for her first birthday party.

A week after her birthday, we brought her back to Island hospital for her 1st year old MMR jab. Dr Dan weighed her and told me she's now 9kg. I was shocked. This is the first time when her weight DIDN'T increase. I told Dr Dan that, and he checked his record and found that she was 9.1kg as per last weighed at her 10 months. Then only he found in the older records that she had fever and sore throat last month.

And he told me, "Oh, kids lost weight very fast... but don't worry 9kg is a very good weight for her...".

I didn't know that a child could lose weight THAT fast!

But anyway, I'm not complaining that she's thin. She's definitely not thin. She's chubby. I do think 9kg is a good weight. When my parents saw her, they commented that she's very small size, but is very fleshy! I guess she has my gene! Hehe...

Her height didn't increase for the past 2 months though. I think she's not going to be tall, since both her parents are not very tall. Not complaining as well, shorter girls can find boyfriend easier... Hehehe :)

My Eunice is ONE

Eunice is ONE already! How time flies.

I started planning for her birthday party 2 months before her birthday, looking around for cakes, venue and etc.

In the end, I had it in Strada cafe at Crystal Point. And I got this cake from Funbakez. I gave her the picture of Eunice's stacker with the duck on top, and requested the cake to be in yellow color. And viola, look at the cake. It's just lovely. Many came and asked me about the cake. And the price is very very reasonable too. :)

We had Eunice's birthday during CNY. So, it's rather rush for all the deco stuff. Hence, I kept it really simple. Only gotten some Happy birthday banners, and printed some of her pictures to put on the big windows in Strada Cafe. I got this idea to decorate her high chair while surfing for some birthday party ideas website. Look at the birthday girl. Isn't she sweet? :)


It was a buffet party. I asked for snack but it was actually quite a heavy snack - with fried rice, curry, sandwiches, sausages, nuggets, drinks, & salad. Many told me the food was nice. And since all the friends that we invited are mainly from church and they know each other well, they all had a great fellowship among themselves.

I was also very happy that Eunice was very well behaved that day. I guess she's excited. So excited that she didn't drink her milk at her normal 2pm feed, and she only had 1 1/2 pcs of her biscotti, and some water. And she didn't cry, didn't fuss, didn't get cranky, and didn't sleep as well. She could stay all well behaved from 1.45pm to almost 5pm! And almost everyone could carry her. I think she's just a happy girl that day.


I was very happy with the birthday party. In fact, Eunice might not even know anything about the party, but I felt that the party is mainly for the parents, esp me. I have been a mum for 1 year. And I have been breastfeeding for 1 year too. It's a celebration for me. It's definitely not an easy journey for me but I definitely enjoy all the moments to see my little one growing.

The party was simple. Nothing too fancy. No special agenda. Just eating, talking, laughing, cake cutting, end. :)

Euwing & Win Nee from my church did the below video for me. I think I have been watching it over and over again for almost hundred times. It's very nice. Simple and nice. Just full of love. I hope Eunice will also like it when I show her when she grows up next time.

Eunice's 1st Birthday from Euwing and Win Nee on Vimeo.

Now, my little girl has grown up. And I need to be more relax, and start to live some of my own life now.

First Antibiotic

Eunice has not been feeling well last week, I noticed. She had fever on and off. Having fever is never a good sign. It was low grade about 38.5 degrees and after paracetamol, it went down. Besides, she's eating very little. And at times, she won't eat at all. After a mouth she'll be crying with tears & mucus full of her face. Oh, she has running nose too.

We still sent her to babysitter. When I checked if she's alright on the day, babysitter told me she vomitted after the milk feed and rejected all solid. So, EG and I decided to bring her to hospital for a check in late evening.

During the check, Dr Hwang said she has throat infection. Her throat was red. So, she had to go on antibiotics.

ANTIOBIOTICS!

That word sounds illegal to me. Immediately I asked Dr Hwang why she needs to be on antiobiotics. She looked at me straight, explaining that antibiotics is good for babies as long as it's not abused, and added that "..for some cases, if you don't give antibiotics, babies can die u know...".

Ah... I told EG, after breastfeeding for so hard, Eunice still has to go on antibotics! :(

So, Eunice at 11 months 3 weeks had her very first antibiotics in her life. She has to go on antibiotics for 5 days and today is the 4th day. She's been much better now, though still don't want to eat porridge. But at least, she'll be well enough to attend her first birthday party this weekend! Yay!!

I guess my girl has grown up, and I shouldn't worry so much about her going on medication.

And I should now let her build up her own immunity.

First Walking Attempt

It's my bad that I didn't write much on my parenting blog. Work has been busy, with the little one getting more mobile at home, I'll use the time to blank my mind by surfing or watching tv when she's taking her nap. :)

Anyway, my little one is 11 months old now! She's turning 1 next month and yes, we're having a birthday celebration for her next month. Preparing her birthday party is even more excited than me preparing my own wedding. How ironic. :)...

I was just talking to my mum about Eunice last few days and she asked if Eunice now can walk. I told her No, and commented that her development now is a bit slow comparing to when she's younger. But no, I'm not getting stress out, I'm just going to let her slowly find her new abilities to surprise me.

And on Sunday morning, she's playing herself in the living room, and me washing up her bottles in the dry kitchen, and EG doing some cleaning in the wet kitchen. Suddenly I heard her shouting. I turned back, and saw her trying to push her rocking chair and walked a bit. And when she did that, she shouted again, with joy. Ahh... so cute.

So, later I gave her our laundry basket - which is just nice for her height. And she's happily cruising in around the house.



I didn't get any walker for her after reading up that walker might not be good for babies (actually want to save money also :P) , so I told EG maybe we need to get another laundry basket for ourselves since this one is going to be her walker now.



How fast my baby is growing. I am looking forward for the day when I can bring her to have a walk. :)