Sari Greaves - Cooking Well Healthy Kids: Easy Meals for Happy Toddlers: Over 100 Recipes to Please Little Taste Buds

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Cooking Well Healthy Kids: Easy Meals for Happy Toddlers

Text Copyright 2016 Sari Greaves, RDN

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN: 978-1-57826-655-5
eBook ISBN: 978-1-57826-656-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

v3.1

In loving memory of my father, who always believed in me.

Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate.

A LAN D. W OLFELT

To my husband, Mark, and my two little bundles of joy, Isabella and Zachary: you inspire me in every way possible. Thank you for your unconditional support.

I love you right up to the moonand back.

S AM M C B RATNEY

To my mommy,

Thank you for showing me the true meaning of being a Balaboostawonderful mother, cook and gracious hostess. You do it all and I love you.

I t is not a coincidence that the words nutrition and nurture share a common word of origin. They both likely descend from a Sanskrit word which refers to the act of breast feeding. The overlap shows that feeding your child has been historically defined as the central act of raising a child, and consequently the central source of anxiety for parents. As parents and practitioners, we are bombarded with advice and pressure from all sidesgrandparents who remind us that we ate totally differently when we were young, official policy statements from medical groups which are difficult to implement or even comprehend, the latest diet our local mothers group is discussing, and ceaseless input from the internet and social media about everything we are doing wrong in feeding our children. We as parents have difficulty sorting through the information and fear that we are failing on a fundamental level when our children are not eating as well as the successful parents that we perceive all around us.

As a pediatrician, I work with families to try to simplify the advice and create an approach to eating that will allow children to thrive and not create excessive anxiety and frustration for the parents. But all of the reassurances a pediatrician can give may not address every concern and obstacle that a family may encounter at mealtime. That is why I am excited to see Cooking Well Healthy Kids: Easy Meals for Happy Toddlers, a book that serves two important functions: it gives a sensible approach to feeding the toddler that is consistent with the latest expert advice, but also gives a practical and fun way to actually implement these recommendations when mealtime rolls around. Children have a natural fascination with, and excitement for, food that stems from the early years of development where taste is a major sensory input that enables them to explore their surroundings. This book will show families how to use a childs natural fascination with bright colors and fun themes to foster a calm and healthy approach to mealtime. Providing children and parents with a simple plan for meals that they can prepare and enjoy together as a family is the best foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating habits.

Parents constantly worry whether their young children are eating the right foods and enough of them. But it is equally important that food choices be approached the correct way, without too much worry. If there is too much pressure associated with eating, potential eating issues can emerge as children grow older, including obesity and anorexia. The experiences that children have around the early years of eating with their family can directly impact that formation of these conditions in later adolescence. By making mealtime fun and nutritious, many of these undesired consequences can possibly be avoided, leading to overall better adjusted children. I hope that this book will enable families to achieve a broad perspective towards eating meals in a healthy but enjoyable fashion that will lead to a long-term habit of balanced, nutritious, and stress-free family meals.

Thomas Porter, M.D.

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.

S OPHIA L OREN

W hat your toddler needs more than anything else in order to develop healthy eating habits for life is your love and guidance. A diet that emphasizes whole grains, fruits and vegetables, legumes, low-fat dairy, lean protein, and heart-healthy fats will support your childs unique needs for growth and nutrition while working to establish healthy eating patterns that will serve them well their entire life.

That being said, the challenge isnt necessarily what to feed our toddlers. As a registered dietitian and mother of two toddlers, I understand that balancing a healthy routine with a busy family schedule can be quite the juggling act. From my experience hosting parent-toddler playgroups, Ive noticed that the topic of conversation always seemed to sway in the direction of, Whats on your dinner menu tonight? or, How do I get my toddler to eat more fruits and vegetables?

The real roadblock is figuring out how to get your toddler to enjoy a variety of foods without making mealtime feel like a war. This is what inspired me to come up with a way to subtract the stress from toddler meal planning, creating a cookbook that speaks to what parents really need nutritious, user-friendly recipes that are as tasty to toddlers as they are convenient and easy to make.

The two special toddlers in my life, Isabella and Zachary, have been my personal taste testers throughout the development of this book. Each recipe was only granted entry after receiving their stamp of approval. These recipes will give you the building blocks for healthy meals that