Review: The Magic of the BellyFULL Kit (from The Hopeful Company)

The Tender Foodie welcomes regular guest blogger, Melanie Potock of My Munch Bug.

The BellyFULL Kit

When the mailman recently delivered a box from The HopeFULL Company, it took a minute to recall what might be inside: “Oh, right” I pondered.  “This must be those funny shaped frozen pop molds from those gals in Minnesota…”  As a feeding therapist, I love to try new products that help kids be more adventurous eaters. Whether I am working with a medically fragile child or a garden variety “picky eater”, I am always thinking of how to make eating fun!

 

But, another frozen treat mold?  Really?  My father always taught me: Never judge a book by its cover.  There had to be more to this.  I opened the box and began to examine what new treasure had arrived that day while discovering how I might use this to help children be more adventurous eaters.  The box contained a complete BellyFULL Kit, which included…

  

1.       An adorable chef’s hat: the essential accessory.  I mean, who doesn’t love a good hat?

 

 It’s adjustable too!  I have a huge head and I suspect the hat is meant for kids, but of course, being 52 going on 5,  I had to try it on.  It didn’t quite fit sitting on my blockbuster noggin, but if you undo the Velcro in the back and slip it on like a pilgrim hat, it’s absolutely fabulous.  

Me in my "Pilgram" hat

 

2.       A silicone mold: if you’ve got kids, you know the absolute delight in anything wiggly and jiggly!

This bright orange flexible mold allows the 8 frozen pops to be well, “popped” out with ease.  In feeding therapy, we know the first step to interacting with new foods is being willing to handle the container.  For many kids, this can be as challenging as spooning out a Brussels sprout from a family serving bowl.  With the BellyFULL mold, the container is so enticing, kids will be eager to handle it, fill it and pop out the nutritious treats.  It’s irresistible!

 

3.       100 Birchwood spoons that your kids get to push into the pop with the bowl of the spoon sticking OUT, like a little handle.  

The spoons are just the right size for little fists and offer just enough of a handle that the pops won’t flip out of their grasp.  Have you ever noticed that a traditional frozen pop stick is just too narrow and too long for little fists to hang on to?  Plus, the curve of the spoon bowl fits nicely with the curve of your child’s thumb, adding extra stability while holding the pop.  Hesitant eaters don’t want their food waving in front of them.  They want to feel secure and stable with it before they put it in their mouths.  

4.       My favorite part: the coated recipe cards (easy clean!) on a ring (brilliant!) with fun, playful graphics that will elicit plenty of belly laughs!  

My favorite card was the recipe for “Applesauce-A-Saurus” pops, with a silly photo of a ferocious dinosaur about to devour an orange tray of frozen pops!

The photos are entertaining conversation starters to help kids decide which recipe they want to make that day.  When you have a hesitant eater, introducing a new food truly begins with something silly, like a dinosaur eating popsicles or putting on a chef’s hat upside down!  If you can engage them in the kitchen and get them involved in the preparation of the food, you are that much closer to that first taste.

 

More than just a ring full of recipes, each card includes a “Kids Can” text box with fantastic suggestions for helping kids experience all the sensory aspects of cooking.  The suggestions on each card are helpful reminders for parents to get their kids involved and include recommendations like, “Kids can…squeeze the pulp out of the halved avocado into the blender” and “Pack the spinach leaves to measure.”

 

Spinach?  Yes Popeye, spinach.  This isn’t an effort to hide healthy food in a sugary treat; this is a mission to get your kids involved in washing the spinach leaves, pulling off the stems, packing the measuring cup and dumping it in the blender along with the other wholesome ingredients for the “Raspberry Robot” pop.  Hear the blender whir and watch as the leaves disappear along with the avocado, almond butter, raspberries and yogurt.  Don’t be surprised if they announce that they love frozen spinach!

Substitutions for Food Allergies & Texture Works!

 

The result of this blenderized magic is a smooth, velvety frozen treat that offers just the right consistency for little munchbugs learning to tolerate frozen foods.  For example, the Raspberry Robot pop had a texture similar to a traditional fudge bar, easy to bite into and quick to melt in the mouth.  Because my job involves helping children learn to tolerate new textures, I experimented with this recipe a bit.  I substituted frozen cherries for the raspberries and blended just a tad less to keep some extra texture (cherry skins) in the mix.  Another time, because so many of my clients have food allergies, I substituted sunflower seed butter for the almond butter and tasted no difference.  A third time, I used orange juice instead of almond milk and the pop was a bit more like a traditional icy treat, requiring a bit more strength to bite into and providing a more solid chunk in my mouth.  For kids who are taking that next step in jaw strength, the ability to change the recipes in order to change the hardness and texture of the frozen pop is appealing.  Substitutions were always simple and tasted great!

 

Now, some kids have trouble with temperature, especially “frozen” foods.  My favorite therapy technique is to have a narrow glass filled with water to dip the frozen treat.  It makes the outer layer melt just enough to help a child take their first lick.  Kids love to watch the colored swirls in the glass as you twirl the frozen pop in the water and slowly, over time, adjust to the temperature.  

Gentle Eating for Those With Cancer

 

Know what I love best about The BellyFULL Kit?  That it came about quite unexpectedly from a random act of kindness.  Jessica and Stephanie, the two sisters who founded The HopeFULL Company, reached out to help a family friend who was diagnosed with cancer in 2009.  

BellyFull Founders, Jessica and Stephanie

They said “Like many people undergoing chemotherapy treatments, eating was no longer an enjoyable activity for our friend. She struggled to find foods that she could tolerate and that would give her enough calories and nutrition. Knowing we both made homemade baby food for our children, she asked us to make her meals which were small in portion, packed with nutrition and without strong flavors. We were thrilled to help and dove enthusiastically into the project.”

What began as an act of kindness to nurture a dear friend grew to include a new project:  The BellyFULL Kit. Jessica and Stephanie tell us that “this kit was inspired out of a desire to introduce whole foods to our young children in a way that nurtures their curiosity for food, fosters a love of whole foods and desire to eat healthy. The BellyFULL Kit makes it easy to introduce whole foods to young children in an adventurous, playful way. Our frozen BellyFULLs make eating whole foods fun for kids, and preparing them together can create memories which will last a lifetime! BellyFULLs are perfect for finicky little eaters, children with sensory issues, little chefs in the making, parents who made their own baby food, upcoming kid birthdays or mommy-to-be/baby showers!”

 

And to that I shout from my happy belly: “BRAVO Sisters! BRAVO!”

About Melanie

Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP, of www.mymunchbug.com.  Melanie is speech language pathologist who specializes in feeding.  Her work brings her into the homes and schools of her clients, kids, who for various reasons have difficulty with food or with eating. She works with kids and their parents to develop effective strategies that help children become “more adventurous eaters”.  At least 50% of her clients have food allergies or intolerances, and for them, “adventurous eating” takes on a special meaning.  Melanie is also the author of Happy Mealtimes with Happy Kids” and the executive producer of “Dancing in the Kitchen.”

More Posts from Melanie

Tips to Help Your Food Allergic Child Belong During the Holidays

How to Talk Turkey (and Food Allergies) at Thanksgiving

How Can Parents Feel Less Stress with a Food Allergic Child in School?

Fun Ideas to Keep Your Trick-or-Treaters Safe from Food Allergies

Welcome to guest blogger, Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP, of www.mymunchbug.com. 

Melanie is speech language pathologist who specializes in feeding.  Her work brings her into the homes and schools of her clients, kids, who for various reasons have difficulty with food or with eating. She works with kids and their parents to develop effective strategies that help children become “more adventurous eaters”.  At least 50% of her clients have food allergies or intolerances, and for them, “adventurous eating” takes on a special meaning.  Her last post, "How Can Parents Feel Less Stress with a Food Allergic Child in School", was a major hit with readers.  Welcome, Melanie!

Trick or Treat Nirvana (What'a a Parent to Do?)

My neighborhood is a child’s Trick or Treating nirvana; street after street of tightly packed  houses, much like enormous Pez candies crammed inside a spring-loaded Casper the Ghost container. It’s the perfect setting for little fists holding giant plastic pumpkins to collect as many pounds of sugar as humanly possible in the shortest amount of time.  The neighbors are obsessed with decorating their homes to the hilt and consequently our sidewalks are packed with little Batmans, Disney Princesses and giant Rubik’s Cubes negotiating their way to each and every over-the-top decorated home and loading up on anything the neighbor’s offer when the kids shout “TRICK OR TREAT!”

So what’s a parent to do when their child with food allergies so desperately wants to join in on the door to door fun? 

  Well, keep this in mind: For the kids, Halloween is about ringing a doorbell, shouting “TRICK OR TREAT”,  remembering to say “thank you” as they scurry off to the next house and most of all – giggling non-stop with their friends.  It’s truly about the social experience, and not so much about what gets thrown in the bag.  But for parents, what ends up in their bags is vitally important for safety reasons. Here a few strategies to consider.

Enlist the help of a few neighbors

…and be sure to send them a thank you note in November!


1.    SECRET PASSWORD:  Nobody wants a child to miss out on the big night.  Most friends and neighbors will be thrilled to stash your candy alternatives by their front door.  If your alternative treat needs to be kept separate from other food substances,  be sure to let them know.  If your child is old enough and/or you are not present,  just tell them that  Mrs. Smith needs to hear the secret password (e.g. “monster mash”) because she is saving something just for them.  The last thing you want is Mrs. Smith accidently giving some random fairy princess your child’s special allergen free treat!

2.    Create a “TREASURE HUNT” with clues that lead your little pirate to the buried treasure where X marks the spot.  Give ten clues to ten neighbors; use brown grocery bag paper, black ink and even singe the edges for that authentic “treasure map” look.  Each piece of paper provides the next clue on where to go:  “Yo ho ho, ye pirate gents! Go to the next house with the white picket fence!”  Little do they suspect that the 10th clue will send them back to their own house, where they will discover a giant X and a special treasure buried beneath, just for them!

Tangible Alternatives to Candy

Whether you are planting a few of these with your sweet neighbors or giving them away to the little creatures knocking on your door that night, here are a few tangible alternatives to traditional candy:

1.    Eyeballs (and other spooky treats):  Google that Michael’s coupon or head to your favorite craft store to stock up on creative options for candy.  Whether you are trying to avoid sugar or the top 8 allergens, bringing home a pillow-sack of party favors such as blood-shot super ball eyes, miniature magnifying glasses, Halloween stickers or a tiny decks of cards is still a nice pile of loot for your little goblins to dump on the living room floor when they get home!

2.    My favorite treats are glow-in-the-dark bracelets.  We activate all of them just before the doorbell starts to ring and put them in a clear plastic bowl so they give off an eerie glow when we open the front door.  Little munchkins pop them on their wrists and run off to the next house, literally glowing.  Because my nick-name is “safety-mom”, I feel better knowing that everyone’s kids are a bit more visible running around in the dark.

3.    Think outside the box.  Most toy or craft stores have bins of whistles, harmonicas and bubbles to use in replace of candy.  Don’t forget small packets of origami paper, craft buttons, jewelry kits and beads, etc.  There are isles and isles of wonderful candy substitutes that will keep your child busy long after the other kids’ candy is eaten.  Believe me, parents all over town will be eternally grateful to see something creative in their children’s sacks rather than yet another pack of sour gummy worms.  Create a little karma for yourself!

Allergen-Free Candy

A spectacular list of allergen-free candy (many, free of the top 8 allergens) is available on The Tender Foodie blog.  Be the “good house” that the kids rave about with the really cool candy.

Got Candy?  (Too Much)  Here’s how to get rid of it FAST!

1.    Hold a Candy Auction:  Dig into that Monopoly game and grab those pastel paper bills!  Here’s your child’s chance to hold a candy auction! When all the bidding is over, he gets to count out how many paper bills (dollar amount is now a moot point) he received and trade those in for real money, but half goes in his savings account.  

2.    Worth Their Weight in... Dollars:   Finally, a chance to use your bathroom scale and rejoice as the numbers go UP!  Kids get to weigh their loot and get paid $5 for every pound.  The next day, extend the family fun by going to the toy store or a favorite “haunt” to buy something together.

Safety Considerations

In addition to the general safety considerations for all trick-or-treaters noted at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/hallow.html, there are additional safety considerations for children with food allergies:

1.    SEPARATE CANDY:  Make it clear to other adults if alternative treats need to be separate from other food substances due to cross-contamination.

2.    Bring an EPI-PEN and if you are not accompanying your child, make sure his friends know where the pen is stored.

3.    Trick or Treating in groups only.  As for any child, stay together.

4.    Give your child a fully charged CELL PHONE with emergency numbers on top; make sure her friends know how to use it, too.

5.    Make sure your child is wearing an ID bracelet that is visible despite her costume.

6.    Ask the other children to WAIT to eat their candy until it can be inspected at home.  This is a general safety rule for all kids, but also prevents accidental contact via another child during the excitement of trick or treating.

A final thought…

Consider your own expectations and how those may define your child’s expectations for Halloween.  Lori Lite of Stress Free Kids has a few words of wisdom applicable to any holiday:

“It is not necessary for children to have the full blown experience in order for them to have a good time.” _Lori Lite (Stress Free Kids)

Ask your child what they would like to do.  Perhaps he just wants to be in charge of passing out the glow bracelets and while the two of you wear matching glow-in–the-dark Vampire teeth!  So often as parents, we try to do make a huge production out of a holiday because we feel we owe it to our kids.  Funny thing is, most of the time, the kids are just thrilled to be a small part of it as long as they are sharing it with you.  

So enjoy and be in the moment.  Wear a funny hat.  Tell a spooky story.  Take LOTS of pictures and video, too.  Stick a plastic spider on someone’s chair at dinner.  Don’t be afraid to scream – it’s the one night you can do so with abandon!   Happy Halloween everyone!