B00AFU6252 EBOK by Jessica Alba Read Free Book Online Page A

not at all picky.
    By showing the girls all the fun sides of cooking and trying new foods, we’re ensuring that they grow up loving food for all the right reasons.
    We’ve always made sure that Honor has a vegetable with every meal—now she’s come to expect them!
    REDUCE THE JUICE
    Pediatricians often warn that kids shouldn’t drink too much juice—it’s full of sugar, particularly the sweetened “juice drink” kind, and can fill them up quickly. In our house, we love some great organic juices that aren’t too sweet, like Evolution Fresh cucumber and celery juice (try it with a splash of pear juice) or Honest Kids organic juices and teas. Soda is off-limits (except for Reed’s Original Ginger Brew mixed with sparkling water on special occasions!), but kids love bubbles, so we also drink a lot of seltzer. A great way to DIY your own seltzer is a Sodastream maker, which lets you fizz up a bottle in just a minute: so much better for your health than regular soda, and better for the planet than buying tons of the bottled stuff.



SNACKS TO GO
    I like Honor’s snacks to come from two different food groups: usually a fruit or vegetable plus some protein or a complex carb. This way, I know she’s getting a good mix of nutrients—as well as a tasty flavor combination. Some good ones to try (that are also pretty portable):
LOW-FAT GREEK YOGURT (6-ounce container) and fruit
ALMONDS (¼ cup) and preservative-free dried blueberries or other fruit (if you’re a nice mom, you can also throw in chocolate chips or something gummy—I’m a “mean” mom, so it’s just nuts and fruit!)
CORN TORTILLA QUESADILLA with cheese and veggies
CARROTS AND HUMMUS
ANTS ON A LOG (celery with peanut butter and raisins)
SMOOTHIE (milk or almond milk with ½ banana and frozen berries)
APPLE OR BANANA with a tablespoon of peanut butter
AVOCADO (¼ cup) and whole grain crackers
TURKEY BREAST SLICES with sliced pear, apple, or peaches
CUCUMBER with organic yogurt ranch dressing

Feeding Babies
    I STARTED BOTH my babies on an all-fruits-and-vegetables diet at about 6 months, per the advice of Jay Gordon, MD, a pediatric nutrition expert who is the author of
Good Food Today, Great Kids Tomorrow
, and a member of the teaching attending faculty of UCLA Medical Center.
    Most weekends, I set aside a chunk of time to make all of Haven’s baby food for the week ahead. I get Honor to help, which makes it more fun and, again, is a great opportunity to talk to her about how healthy food makes babies grow. I always blend savory with sweet in a ratio of three-to-one. I think we work too hard to make food “kid friendly” with lots of sweet flavors—all that does is make them want sugary things later on when they start getting picky. I usually use what I have around the house, but Haven’s favorite combinations are squash, cauliflower, and banana; carrots, peas, and apples; green lentils and broccoli.
Adding Protein
    A COUPLE OF MONTHS into both of my girls’ transitions into solid foods, I began adding finely chopped lean animal protein like chicken, beef, or leftovers from a weekend barbecue to their veggie mixes. For example, I blend broccoli, sweet potato, chicken, and apple—or beef, broccoli, and cauliflower. Beans are another good source of protein, and they puree so well. We like chickpeas, black beans, or lentils in almost anything!
Adding Grains
    D R. G ORDON SUGGESTS holding off on introducing whole grains until your child is 7 or 8 months because they can be hard on babies’ digestion—and he recommends skipping the refined grains (all those baby cereals!) altogether. Once your baby is old enough, the doc’s all about an organic quinoa and/or organic oatmeal cereal. I soak the grains before boiling, and add a handful to whatever blend of veggies, legumes, and meats I’m making, with a bit of olive oil, salt, onion, and garlic for flavor.
    DON’T HEAT YOUR FOOD IN PLASTIC!
    This can cause toxic chemicals to leach out of some plastic