Parents: The 12 Days of Christmas -- Pop Nutrition, Super Sprouts & Snot Hoovers (Part 3)

Welcoming Melanie Potock of My Munchbug with Part Three in her series on gifts for parents to help children eat (and play) more adventurously.  There are great ideas for any kid, and also for kids who have food allergies, autism, or other special needs.

What About Days 1 through 8?

In Part 1 of this 12 Day of Christmas series we looked at my favorite lunchitime things.  In Part 2. we discovered more great products for adventurous eating and play.   What's in store for Day 9?  Read on... we are counting down...

On the 9th day of Christmas my Tender Foodie asked of me - VitaRocks™!

Nine Packs of VitaRocks™…vitamins that pop!  VitaRocks are a sure-fire way for kids ages 4 and up to get more vitamins, because they are fun and easy to take!  Sweetened with evaporated cane juice and loaded with vitamins A, B, C, D, E and minerals, the tiny crystals come in individual packets that truly “POP” thanks to a little CO2 to create a party in your mouth. 

Oh, and forget the nine packs, because right now, you can get a “stocky stuffer special” of 56 packets for less than $40 in either Cherry Blast or Lemon Burst.  Sure, it’s not a “daily vitamin” at that cost, but it’s definitely worth a little assurance that your kiddo is getting the occasional, extra burst of vitamins because it's impossible to resist those little crackles and pops on your tongue!

Note: VitaRocks contain lactose and are not dairy free.   Be sure to read the ingredient list carefully against your child's particular allergies.  If you have any questions, contact the company.

On the  10th day of Christmas my Tender Foodie asked of me -- Vegucation!

10 heroes and villains from Super Sproutz where “vegucation is made easy…and fun.” The cast of characters includes Brian Broccoli, Colby Carrot, Suzy Sweet Pea and Radha Radish, also known as Radha Agrawal, founder and CEO of Super Sproutz.  Check out their video “All the Veggie Ladies” to learn more about Radha’s dream of helping children see vegetables and nutrition differently “through catchy music and lovable characters.”

On the 11th day of Christmas my Tender Foodie asked of me .... a Snot Hoover!

“The Snoover Snot Hoover” aka the BabyComfyNose nasal aspirator.  Now, what does this have to do with the number eleven?  Absolutely nothing.  And why are we bringing up mucous (gross!) when we were just talking about food?  Because, without being too nosey (great pun, right?) I’d like you to recall the last time you had a stuffy, snotty nose.  I know you didn’t feel like eating.  Kids with stuffy noses can’t smell, can barely taste anything and mucous makes it really difficulty to swallow completely.  And, if your tiny Tender Foodie becomes congested after reacting to a specific allergen or food sensitivity, you’ll be glad you own the BabyComfyNose.  Here’s the scoop from One Step Ahead, which chose this unique aspirator for its highly-selective catalogue:

•    Thanks to the nasal bulb's egg-shaped design (not to mention basic principles of physics), mucus is trapped inside the receptacle and can't advance up the tube. Crumple an ordinary tissue inside the bulb to enhance its filtering properties.
•    Each child should have their own personal nasal aspirator; we offer you a choice of colors for easy identification
•    BPA and phthalate-free

Okay, so now you are curious, right?  Check out the video that demonstrates this brilliant invention!

On the 12th day of Christmas my Tender Foodie asked of me ... MOMables!

A 12 month subscription to MOMables!  Mom-a-what?  MOM-ables!  Invented my yet another savvy mother, MOMables sends busy parents a weekly lunch menu with a shopping list every single Friday.  Each recipe includes a photo of exactly what the lunch will look like (these photos are variations to the "sword" lunches) and never includes processed food.  According to their website,  

“In nearly all recipes, you’ll be able to swap ingredients to accommodate for food allergies and ultra-picky eaters.” 

I perused through several recipe cards and it does appear to be quite easy to substitute as needed.  What parents love about this system is having a plan.  I love a good plan, don’t you?  A nice, easy plan that makes my life simpler, more organized and more fun.  That’s MOMables!

And to All a Good Night

And so the season of giving is upon us and I hope that you have a few ideas for keeping mealtimes joyful while you share this time with your precious family.  In the spirit of the season, 25% of profits from the sales of My Munch Bug's CD, Dancing in the Kitchen, will be donated to Allergy Kids Foundation until the 'twelfth night" or midnight, January 5th, 2012.

 Peace…


About Melanie

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

The 12 Days of Christmas -- My Favorite Lunchtime Things (Part 1)

The 12 Days of Christmas -- Gifts for Adventurous Eating (and Playing (Part 2)

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?

Parents: The 12 Days of Christmas -- My Favorite Lunchtime Things (part 1)

The Tender Foodie once again welcomes Melanie Potock of My Munch Bug.

My daily life as a feeding therapist is all about kids and food.  Kids with food allergies, intolerances, sensory issues, GI issues, picky eating issues …you name it, we got issues!  But, we’ve also got lots of love and most importantly, tools for making mealtimes joyful.  So, in the spirit of celebrating little munch bugs with tender tummies or not, here are my top 12 gifts or super-tools for encouraging adventurous eating!   Whether you celebrate Chanukah, Kwanza, Christmas or another December remembrance, my holiday wish for you and your family is peace, love and plenty of Dancing in the Kitchen.  Which brings me to my first shameless plug:

On the 1st Day of Christmas, My Tender Foodie Asked of Me:

A picnic under the Jewelberry Tree!

One of the most popular songs from Dancing in the Kitchen, Songs that Celebrate the Joy of Food is the second track: Picnic Under the Jewelberry Tree.  It’s all about eating together.  “It’s a picnic all day long, just singing, singing our happy song!”  So, perhaps your picnic is under a Christmas tree or a beautiful menorah,  but what our kids want most of all is time together.  I hope you will find time to picnic or dance, or both!   In the spirit of the season, 25% of profits will be donated to Allergy Kids Foundation until the 'twelfth night" or midnight, January 5th, 2012.

On the 2nd Day of Christmas, My Tender Foodie asked from Me:

An assortment of yummy foods in tiny cubes, hearts, triangles and half-moons…not too much to ask, right?

Right, if you have the coolest little cutter around known as Funbites!  It is truly bite-sized mealtime magic and works with most foods, including sandwiches (even with gluten-free bread), cantelope, watermelon,  tortillas (tested on my favorite: rice tortillas) and  it’s BPA free!

On the 3rd Day of Christmas, My Tender Foodie asked from Me . . .

Three boxes of granola from Purely Elizabeth!  (sing it baby!)

Dairy-free, gluten-free certified, sugar-free, soy-free, mostly organic and vegan, my new best friend Elizabeth (Well, she has actually never met me, but since I love her granola this much, I am sure she will want to be besties.) makes three different, delectable, delish granolas almost too yummy to waste on top of anything, except your bare hand.  Straight from the box, the original flavor is just right for little munch bugs.  If you can eat pecans, try the cranberry pecan for a slightly chewier texture.  My favorite is pumpkin fig, loaded with  protein rich quinoa and chia seeds as a super sources of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and antioxidants.  Purely Elizabeth – purely heaven!

On the 4th Day of Christmas, my Tender Foodie asked from me:

A set of four containers from Easy Lunch Box!  Parents love the easy-open, kid friendly lids and the BPA free containers that make packing lunches a snap.  I recommend these to all the kids I work with because they save valuable time in the chaotic school cafeteria.  Although parents care most about their child's nutrition during lunchtime, kids care most about making friends during those precious 25 minutes!  Cutting healthy food into bite-sized (remember the first day of Christmas?) pieces so that kids can “grab and gab” from these cute, 3-compartment, compact containers (say that 5 times fast) keeps everyone happy.  Parents know their kids are eating a healthy, easy to eat lunch and kids have time to munch and chat with their friends.  Teachers love it because they know the kids fill their bellies and also have a little down-time to blow off steam before heading back to the classroom.  When time is of the essence, you want the lunch time process to be easy-peasy.

Phew!  Four down, eight to go!  My next post includes my favorite foodie toys, an allergen free recipe for busy little hands, and an ingenious product invented and patented by a mom - gotta love that!  Until then, I hope you are humming the "Twelve Days of Christmas" because frankly, now I can't get that tune out of my head! 

What do you suppose number five will be...

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?

Tips to Help Your Food Allergic Child "Belong" During the Holidays

Another installment in our series about the social aspect of food allergies, authored by Melanie Potock from www.mymunchbug.com.

Building New TRADTIONs

Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  You’ve reminded the relatives about your child’s food allergies and done all you can to ensure that your child is safe at the yearly family extravaganza.   You’ve worked through the emotions that encompass the holidays, especially when dietary restrictions impact not only your little one, but your extended family as well.

Time to focus on what Thanksgiving is truly about: Gathering together with thankful hearts.  It’s about family, tradition and community.  It’s about gratitude and giving.  And yes, we express our thanks around the table, often with recipes passed down from generation to generation.

How about establishing some new traditions for your little one that don’t focus on food, but on celebrating our time as a family and one that is centered on gratefulness and generosity?  Here a few suggestions to do just that:

Designing Delightful Thanksgiving Tables

 While the adults are preparing the food or perhaps at your house the day before, have a special party for the kids to decorate the table.  Older cousins can assist as the younger kiddos make the centerpiece, place cards, napkin rings or place mats.   This is a time to encourage each generation to get to know each other  a little bit better.  What wonderful conversation starters this will be when everyone sits down! 

Try these centerpieces, place cards, napkin rings or place mats.

A Tisket, a Tasket, Who’s Got the Basket?

Just before dinner, give everyone a small piece of paper.  Each person writes down one funny fact about their lives,  such as “My first job was at an ice cream shop and I'm lactose intolerant!"  or  “My husband called me by the wrong name our entire first date!”  Put them in a small basket, perhaps decorated by your child and while enjoying dinner, pass the basket around the table.  Each person pulls out a piece of paper, reads it, and the table has to guess who wrote it.  Then, that person tells the funny story in detail.  This is the perfect game to video tape – family history straight from the horse’s mouth! Make video copies and give them as holiday gifts in December.  Family holiday shopping - done!

Potato Turkey Heads

You’ve heard of Mr. Potato Head?  Give the kids a variety of shapes and sizes of potatoes, toothpicks, buttons, felt and anything from the bottom of your craft box to create their own potato turkeys, each with his own personality.  Hint: Poke the potatoes with a fork in a few places, microwave the them just slightly the night before and then refrigerate so that little fingers can push toothpicks into the potato a bit easier.  These also make fun place cards (but don't make Uncle Fred's place card look too much like Uncle Fred himself)! 

Find a little inspiration here...

I’m Thankful For…

It’s a lovely touch to share what you are thankful for, but here’s a silly twist to do afterward…go around the table clockwise and the first person must start with the letter A, then B, then C, etc..   Always known for practical jokes, Uncle Rob might say: “I am thankful that Andy’s pet snake hasn’t escaped (yet) from the cage under the table.”  The child on his left might say “I am thankful that Basketball season is coming because I am going to score a gazillion points for my 4th grade team!”  or “I am thankful for Carrots because we dug up the last bunch at our Community Garden to give to the food bank.”

How about a holiday gratitude can?  It keeps us counting our blessing all the way through the end of the year.  

Visit Blissfully Domestic for the how-to's .

Warm Hands, Warm Heart

It’s important to help our children understand that many families don’t have a warm place to gather together on Thanksgiving.  Making blankets  or rice-filled hand-warmers to deliver next week to your local homeless shelter or similar charities is a gracious way of giving thanks for our special day together.  Most craft stores have inexpensive fleece for tied blankets that the entire extended family can construct after dinner.  A few years ago, our family of four made blankets and donated them to Project Linus.  It is their mission “to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer "blanketeers."  Gotta love that!

Is there an adult in the family known for sewing?  Prior to the Thanksgiving gathering, ask them to cut 4 inch by 4 inch pieces of fleece and sew them on three sides as “starter” hand warmers.  During the family festivities, help the kids fill the pockets with rice via a funnel, then  blow in a kiss before whip stitching it shut tight.  For those homeless in our community, a convenience store microwave means not only a hot cup of water for tea, but it is an easy means to heat up these rice-filled hand warmers.  Attach a note,  directions for heating and a tea bag.  Then tell them you wish them well. 

Learn more about how to make rice-filled hand warmers from e-how.com.

It’s Not about the Food, It’s about the Presentation

Okay, it’s also about the food – I’m not fooling anyone here!  But, for your little munchbug with food allergies, participating in the presentation of the food helps them feel valuable and included in the holiday meal.  As a feeding therapist, I love for all the kids to join in on this.  Experiencing the feel and aroma of new foods is one of the first steps to becoming a more adventurous eater.  Here a few tips for getting them involved:

• Handwashing:  This is a golden opportunity to learn about proper hand washing before prepping food!  Soap up and sing Happy Thanksgiving to you (the Happy Birthday song) twice before rinsing hands well.  Dry with a paper towel to prevent your child from accidently being exposed to any food residue that may be on a kitchen towel.  Don’t forget about the soap itself – many contain allergens, especially when the “fancy” ones are put out in the powder room!
• Fresh herbs can decorate any platter or dish.  If you child can’t be exposed directly to the food, have them tear the leaves onto a fresh plate and the hostess can add them herself.  
• Remember to take a minute and admire the presentation.  “Ellie, I love the way you made a nest of greens for the turkey to rest upon! It makes the whole dish look beautiful!”
• Letting the little ones arrange several small allergen-free vegetable trays and then carry them from guest to guest as the adults help themselves is a wonderful exercise in social skills and creates the perfect opportunity for each adult in the family to chat with each child.  So often, kids end up sitting together or playing in another room and miss out on the important feeling of belonging to the extended family. 

Being a Gracious Guest During the Party and Afterward

Demonstrating how thankful we are for the special day together is part of being a gracious guest.  The holiday season is prime time for polishing up on manners, helping with the chores whenever our child can do so safely or offering to entertain the younger children while the adults clean up the  kitchen.  As your child “What is the one thing you would like to offer to do for Grandma today?” and help him follow through.  The very next morning, sit down together and write a thank you note.  Preschoolers can color a picture and kids in elementary school can write a sentence at the bottom of your handwritten note.  It’s all part of the celebration and focusing on what matters most – family. 

Try a handprint turkey card, if you'd like to be creative!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your sweet families!  I wish you good health andmany joyful memories this holiday season.  _Melanie

More Articles About Thankgiving

Read Aimee's Story:   Second Thoughts About Thanksgiving.

How to Talk Turkey (And Food Allergies) at Thanksgiving.

For more tips on dealing with schools, read:  How to Feel Less Stress With a Food Allergic Child in School.

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.”