Food is much more fun than just what's on our plate

Let’s face it, food is an important part of our well-being. There are so many things that connect us in this world, one of which is food. Food ties cultures together, creates a story and brings families and friends closer.

Respecting the food on our plate means appreciating the story behind that food, its history and how it brings us all together.

Food Wastage

As a mother, educator, and role model, I always try to be conscious about the wastage of food by keeping portions realistic, being mindful about the expiration dates when I am shopping by planning my week, and turning leftovers into sandwiches or casseroles.
There is so much that goes into making good food. Food is not only nourishment but a piece of art too.
We need those nutrients from the food we eat for our body's fuel and our energy. Sometimes we don’t pay attention to the nutrition that food is bringing to us. More than anything, if we do not pay attention to what we put on our plates, it can lead to health imbalances for our loved ones. If we consume too much of the wrong things, then we risk negative health consequences. If we do not plan our meals, then we may end up wasting more than we should (any excess can that is not consumed gets wasted).

A balanced approach and proper planning are such important factors to help prevent waste while looking to improve our health with food.

 Being a Leader for Our Kids

Let’s walk the talk when it comes to NOT being wasteful.

Here are a few tips that may help your kids at home. What they learn at home, translates outside of the house too.

Snacking before a meal

Setting and sticking to mealtimes is easier said than done.

Having a snack or giving in to a snack right request before meals may also affect your appetite and lead to wastage when it comes to dinner.

Sometimes saying no is actually better for our development, health and growth (especially for our little ones), when it comes to food.

Time it right and space your meals and snack times apart.

Set the rules

Should the children be expected to finish their plate?

I have heard many different opinions on this topic. This really depends on how much food is on the child’s plate.

If the child is too young to know how much is needed, the best way would be to give smaller portions of the foods on the table. This way they can easily finish what’s on the plate and go for seconds if needed. This may help a child to understand how not to take more food than they can eat.

Before going for seconds

Another behaviour that can be modeled by the parents is to finish what’s on the plate before reaching for the seconds. Ensuring a healthy balanced plate is the key.

 Let the kids pick their own plates of food

Older kids can start to pick their own food. Freedom of choice also comes with responsibility.

Save the leftovers

The vegetables or greens not eaten can always be added to soups. Leftover fruits can be added to the smoothies or pancakes.

There are always to salvage the leftovers for another meal and snack time. Understand the signals your body gives to your brain and know when to walk away. Cherish the food and make it easier on yourself for your next meal prep.

Water

When eating, it’s best not to drink too much water as it may fill us up, before we have had a chance to eat the food on our plates.

Fun fact about digestion, water dilutes your stomach acid. It is very important to be hydrated, however for those with compromised digestion, diluting stomach acid isn’t helpful. Encourage drinking water 20 minutes before or after a meal. If you must drink, take little sips.

Another great way to save water not used - use it for the plants in and around the house. The children will love watering the plants in the house or in the garden.

MEAL PREP INVOLVEMENT

I always encourage the children to get busy in the kitchen with meal planning, choosing vegetables that will accompany the main dish, the fruits for snacks and etc.

When baking, I get them involved in mixing, adding, rolling. This has always been a blast for us and a great way to learn about good food etiquette, meal prep, and cooking in general. When they are involved, they will also respect their hard work and enjoy the treat or food even more!

Wrapping Up

When it comes to teaching our kids NOT to waste, it’s about the behaviour that we as role models model.

Okay - It’s Recipes Time

Granola Cookies

Granola cookies is perfect as it can be broken into small bites.

Ingredients

2 cups Oats (rolled)

1/2 cup Oat Flour (optional)

1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds

1/2 cup Raisins

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 cup Sunflower Seed Butter

1/4 cup Maple Syrup

2 tbsp Coconut Oil (melted)

Instructions:

·       Preheat oven to 325ºF (163ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

·       In a mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients until well combined. Transfer to the baking sheet and use your hands to press down into a formed even layer.

·       Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and use a spatula to flip over sections of the granola, gently breaking up the granola into chunks.

·       Return to oven and bake for 10 more minutes at 300F.

·       Turn off the oven completely and leave the granola for another 20 minutes, or until crisp.

  Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Ingredients:

100 grams Dark Chocolate (at least 70% cacao)

4 cups Strawberries (whole)

2 tbsps. Unsweetened Coconut Flakes (optional)

Instructions

·       Wash strawberries and dry very well.

·       Spread a large piece of parchment paper across a large baking sheet.

·       Fill one large pot with water and place a smaller pot inside. Bring to a boil then reduce to lowest heat.

·       Ensure no water is able to escape into the smaller pot. Add the dark chocolate to the smaller pot and stir continuously until melted. Remove from stovetop.

·       Tilt the pot with the melted chocolate to one side so that all the chocolate pools.

·       Hold the strawberries by the stem and dip them into the melted chocolate one-by-one.

·       Place on parchment paper.

·       Sprinkle with shredded coconut immediately. (This is a optional step)

·       Transfer the chocolate dipped strawberries to the fridge for 20 minutes or until chocolate is completely set.

·       Remove from parchment paper and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to eat. Enjoy!

Watermelon Pizza

The watermelon pizza, another beautiful and delicious way to get those fruits in. It could be a snack or a dessert. Leftover can make it smoothies or as a topping on yogurt

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups canned Coconut Milk (full fat, refrigerated overnight)

1/4 Seedless Watermelon (medium)

1/4 cup Blueberries 1 Peach (sliced)

Instructions:

·       Scrape the coconut cream from the top of the can into a large mixing bowl.

·       The cream should have separated from the coconut juice after being refrigerated.

·       Whip the coconut cream with a hand mixer until fluffy, about 5-10 minutes.

·       Place in fridge until ready to use. (Note: it will not be as stiff as dairy whipped cream. If dairy cream is preferred, that would be a great option too)

·       Cut a round slice from the center of your watermelon, about 1 inch thick.

·       Pat dry with paper towel.

·       Spread whipped coconut cream evenly across your watermelon and top with blueberries and peach slices.

·       Carefully cut into servings and enjoy immediately.

About Sujata

I am Sujata - a Holistic & Culinary Nutritionist as well as a Metabolic Balance coach. I help my clients to overcome personal challenges and to help live their healthiest life.

I will be writing a series of blogs on how to introduce healthy eating and make it a familial lifestyle that you and your children will carry throughout life.    

To learn more on how I can help, visit any of the links below:                        

Website:
https://www.sujatanutrition.com                                                    
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/suja.banerjea/?hl=en

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/sujatanutrition

Holiday Foods and Healthy Tips

The holiday season is here! With this season, comes many cookies to bake, parties to attend, and family celebrations to have. My focus as a nutritionist is to help families maintain healthy habits while enjoying all the foods the holiday season brings.

 Here are some simple tips that you and your little ones can follow at home:

 1.     Try to keep your regular meal timings during the holidays when you can: Routine is so important to maintain a healthy discipline and relationship with the food. Regular timings maintain a sense of security for your child - 3 healthy meals with healthy snacks every 2-3 hours!                                                                                                                                                       

2.     Make veggies a part of healthy snacks by including them with a dip or adding them to a smoothie. For the fussy little ones, try shredding vegetables in soups or pasta sauces. Homemade bread is also a great way to get those micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals.

3.     Spend time with your kids and get those curious minds busy in the kitchen. Involving them with holiday baking will get healthy conversations rolling. Little ones love to feel important, get them to choose a healthy recipe, and get them involved with appropriate tasks based on their age which also gives an opportunity to talk about safety in the kitchen.

4.     Parents, you are a role model: Holidays are perfect for spending time with little ones and modeling healthy eating behaviours. Maintaining regular meal timings and eating together will help model good behaviour. When parents have a good relationship with food, kids are more likely to follow.

5.     Holiday treats: I believe during festivities, food is a reason to celebrate, as it is sure to bring people together. Keeping well-balanced routine meals in check with the treats will help to maintain the balance. I like the 80-20 rule! 80% of the time think along the lines of well-balanced meals inclusive of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats along with hydration and 20% of the time allow the little ones the treats, the holiday fun foods.

6.     Treats are treats and not BAD foods, do not make your child feel guilty about enjoying the treats. This allows them to appreciate moderation. Appreciation teaches them responsibility.

 Here are some healthy recipes that you can incorporate and enjoy in your kitchen with your family!

 Baked Berry Oats

Serves 6

2 cups oats (quick or traditional)

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

2 tbsps. maple syrup

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsps. chia seeds

2 cups
frozen berries

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease a baking pan with coconut oil. Add all ingredients except the sliced almonds to a mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Transfer to baking pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Sprinkle with sliced almonds before serving. Enjoy!

Crispy Prosciutto Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:

·       3/4 tsp
avocado oil

·       3
leeks (trimmed, roughly chopped)


·       3/4
yellow onion (chopped)


·       3/4 head cauliflower (cut into florets)


·       6 cups
chicken broth


·       3/4 tsp
sea salt
170 grams


·       Prosciutto (sliced into small pieces)


·       2 cups
canned coconut milk (full fat)


·       1/3 cup
parsley (chopped)

Instructions

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the leeks and onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower, chicken broth and sea salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 to 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and cook for 3 minutes per side or until crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the coconut milk to the soup and stir to incorporate. Blend the soup with a stick blender or in a blender. Ladle into bowls and top with crispy prosciutto and parsley. Serve and enjoy!

Crackers with Pear, Cheese and Honey

Serves 1

Ingredients

 ·       30 grams
seed crackers


·       1/4
pear (sliced thin)


·       56 grams
cheddar cheese


·       3/4 tsp
raw honey
1/8 tsp


·       Thyme (fresh)                  

 Instructions

 Assemble the crackers on a plate. Top with pear slices and cheddar cheese. Drizzle honey over top and add thyme. Enjoy!

Frozen Yogurt Covered Blueberries

Serves 6

Ingredients:

 ·       3 cups
blueberries (fresh or frozen, not wild)


·       1/3 cup
plain Greek yogurt

 Instructions:

 In a bowl, combine blueberries and yogurt until well coated. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer individual yogurt-covered blueberries to the sheet in an even layer. Freeze for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a freezer bag or a freezer-safe storage container. Continue to store in the freezer until ready to eat.

 Wrapping Up

 Implementing a healthy habit early on will lead them to make healthy decisions in their lives as they grow up and go into high school, post-secondary, and adulthood.

 If you enjoy the recipes for the holidays with your little ones, reach out for more ideas on fun and healthy recipes.

About Sujata

Sujata is a Holistic & Culinary Nutritionist as well as a Metabolic Balance coach. Sujata helps her clients to overcome personal challenges and to help clients live their healthiest life.

Picky Eating, the Consequences, and the Solutions

Picky Eating, the Consequences, and the Solutions

Defining Picky Eating

What is “picky eating”? This term is not clinically defined but it is a common concern of parents that leads to frustration when determining what to feed their children.

Picky eating (also known as fussy, faddy, or choosy eating) is generally thought to be on the spectrum of feeding difficulties. It is characterised by an unwillingness to eat familiar foods or to try new foods, as well as having strong food preferences.

Strategies on How to Deal with a Picky Eater

Strategies for avoiding or correcting picky eating includes repeated exposures to unfamiliar foods, parental modelling, and the creation of positive social experiences around mealtimes (Taylor, & Emmett 2019).

Have you had a moment when you feel defeated as a parent when it comes to feeding your child?

Picture this scenario; you spend hours reading about healthy food options, find recipes that get you excited, and prepare the food that you think the whole family will enjoy. But, at the dinner table, your child throws a fit and refuses to eat. Does this sound familiar? I went through this exact scenario with my children.

As a parent, you become desperate – you want to ensure that they eat enough. You don’t want to surrender to mac n cheese and chicken nuggets for the 4th night in a row. On top of this, you are worried that your child is malnourished and not getting the proper nutrients. So, what can you do as a parent?

My Perspective, As a Nutritionist

My focus is understanding the connection between healthy meals and the nutritional benefit to the consumer. Common patterns seen in picky eaters include:

·         Continued rejection of food

·         Limited variety of foods, flavours, and textures

·         Low consumption of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains

·         High intake of snacks, sugar sweetened juices and fast foods

·         Eating the same food daily and fear of new foods

Studies show that eating enjoyment serves as an important and central factor in children's picky-eating behavior. Highly controlling practices might create a negative environment around food and healthy eating and thus decrease eating enjoyment and increase food avoidance (Steinsbekk et al., 2017).

The consequences of picky eating for the child include poor dietary variety and an imbalance in nutritional intake, with low levels of iron and zinc (associated with low consumption of meat, and fruit and vegetables) being of particular concern. Low intakes of dietary fibre, as a result of fruit and vegetable avoidance, are associated with constipation in picky eaters. There may be developmental difficulties in some children with persistent picky eating (Taylor, & Emmett 2019).

Tips for Avoiding Picky Eating:

·         Role model desired behaviour. Your children aspire to be “you” and you want to take advantage of that when it comes to eating. For instance, try eating a wide variety of foods in front of your children. Let them see you enjoying foods of different textures, shapes, styles, temperatures, and colours. Set a good example for them.

·         Children love to help, get them involved in choosing, prepping, and setting the table. This gives the parents an opportunity to show them how to cook healthy ingredients. Kids understand the hard work that gets put into prepping a meal and that gets them eager to try the final dish. For example, ask your child to toss a salad, stir a sauce or arrange the vegetables on a homemade pizza.

·         Give the power to kids by letting them choose what they would like. When they are choosing, have healthy options available for them. Kids like to be proud of their actions. For example, ask your little ones what different colours of fruits can be added to the morning bowl of porridge?

·         Establish rules. For example, finish what is served and when taking seconds, let the child choose the amount with an expectation that he/she must finish it.

·         Try new foods! Introduce your children to foods with different textures, colours, or temperatures. While eating, talk about the food and the nutritional value it provides. Kids are like sponges; they soak up the information that is provided to them – turn dinner time into a learning experience.

·         Hide and disguise vegetables and fruits. For example, puree vegetables and add them to your pasta sauce, hide a few strands of zucchini noodles in a plate of spaghetti. Mix in whole grain pasta with refined pasta and slowly reduce the quantity of refined pasta as days go by. Whole foods have their own character, when little palates get used to the wholeness of foods on their plates, they will probably love it too.

·         Take their favorite dishes and modify them to be healthier. If they love mac n cheese, opt for making it from scratch rather than buying a package. Use spelt or chickpea pasta and organic cheese or nutritional yeast.

·         Pique their interest by planning a family game 2 or 3 times a week when everyone agrees on trying a new vegetable, fruit, or dish. When planning these games, talk about the food or the dish, the origin, the history if any, and some fun facts.

·         Is your child hungry? By feeding your kids cookies, candies and juices, they don’t recognize their hunger. It may sound harsh but try to take away some of these sugars filled snacks and drinks. They are robbing the hunger.

·         Avoid bribing your kids at mealtime, as it increases anxiety, creates a negative relationship between the caregiver and the child, and conflicts with rewards

·         Finally acknowledge your little ones for trying new things and making the right choices

Help your child try a new food so that they can learn to eat a more varied diet at their own pace and thrive. Contact me for a kid friendly 7-day meal plan or for ideas on healthy and delicious snacks – see one of my favorite’s below.

Guilt-Free Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Sauce

Serves: 4

454 grams Chicken Breast (skinless, boneless, sliced into strips)

2 tbsps. Avocado Oil (divided)

1/2 cup Rolled Oats (coarsely ground)

1 tbsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

6 Carrot (medium, peeled and sliced into fries)

1/4 cup Dijon Mustard

3 tbsps. Raw Honey

Preheat oven to 400ºF (204ºC) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Brush chicken strips with half of the avocado oil. Combine the oats, Italian seasoning, and sea salt and spread over a small plate. Press both sides of the chicken strips into the oat/spice mixture to coat, then lay on baking sheet. Toss the carrot sticks in remaining avocado oil. Spread across the other baking sheet. Place both pans in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, flipping the chicken and tossing the carrot fries halfway through. Meanwhile, combine the Dijon and raw honey in a small bowl to make the sauce. Mix well and set aside. To serve, divide the chicken tenders and carrot fries between plates and serve with honey dijon dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Sources

Steinsbekk S, Bonneville-Roussy A, Fildes A, Llewellyn CH, Wichstrøm L. Child and parent predictors of picky eating from preschool to school age. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017 Jul 6;14(1):87. doi: 10.1186/s12966-017-0542-7. PMID: 28679411; PMCID: PMC5498871.

Taylor CM, Emmett PM. Picky eating in children: causes and consequences. Proc Nutr Soc. 2019 May;78(2):161-169. doi: 10.1017/S0029665118002586. Epub 2018 Nov 5. PMID: 30392488; PMCID: PMC6398579.

Supporting Healthy Children At Home

Supporting Healthy Children At Home

Building Healthy Habits

 “A child’s health and wellbeing is fostered by a home environment with engaged and skillful parenting that models, values and encourages sensible eating habits.” (Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Prevention of Obesity in Children and Youth, 2005)

 We have a lot of power over our health, wellness, and resiliency based on how we treat our bodies. 

Setting an Example

As a parent, teacher, and adult, modelling to kids is important as they are watching us. When we start building healthy habits as adults, we start to feel good. As parents when we feel good, we are motivated to teach our kids to embrace healthy habits.

Transitional Time: Power of impact

A routine is consistently found to be the most important tool when teaching our children to adapt to something. When we are modelling healthy eating, the curious minds of our little ones are absorbing everything – this is an opportunity to talk about healthy habits. For example, talking about what is on our plate, the colour and texture of the vegetable or fruit that we are eating, whether it is sweet or sour, and how it impacts our bodies.

Steps to Take When Educating Children About Healthy Routine

The first step is to set a strong and consistent routine:

·         Set expectations surrounding meals and dinner table rules

·         Serve meals and snacks around the same times every day if possible. Make the experience fun, get your child involved by telling them you have a big ‘project’ for them and to set the dinner table. When my daughter was little, she had a special plate just for her that she picked out. Every night before dinner I would tell her to set the table and make sure she puts out her special plate!

o   You can also plan dinners with them and get them to be your little helpers (with stirring, kneading, etc.)

Sit down at the dinner table with all family members if possible (and during breakfast and lunch if everyone is home)

Try to make sure that everyone at the table is eating the same food and there is no one person eating something different – by limiting the choices, kids will be forced to get comfortable with the foods that are in front of them instead of ‘demanding’ what they want and don’t want.

Let your child pick their own portions with a promise to finish what is on their plate – this means less waste for you and also a way to get your kid involved (but make sure they are also taking enough to keep them full!)

If you are introducing a new food item, make sure they at least try 3 bites of it before deciding whether they want to eat it or not

·         Discuss the taste, texture (crunchy, lumpy, soft, hard)

·         Talk about food, its colour, and what it does to our body.

·         It is important not to shame any foods even if they are not the foods that we are not used to. Include different ethnicity once a month to keep a variety

Healthy Eating Research Findings

The formation of healthy habits is considered to play a fundamental role in health behaviour change. The term lifestyle change inherently means that changes are made such that they can be followed for the lifetime of an individual. A healthy routine does not require conscious effort or thought once it is established. Research consistently demonstrates that “too much change, too fast” is likely to end without positive results.

A routine helps your child understand the balance between enjoyable tasks such as play and functional tasks such as helping to set a table during mealtime. The predictability of the daily routine helps little ones with expectations and responsibility.

A fun, nut-free, lunch box friendly Granola

·         2 cups Oats (rolled or old fashioned)

·         1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

·         1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds

·         1/2 tsp Cinnamon

·         1/4 tsp Sea Salt

·         1 Banana (ripe, mashed)

·         2 tbsp Coconut Oil (melted)

Preheat oven to 300ºF (149ºC). In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, and sea salt. Add the mashed banana and coconut oil into the bowl with the oat mixture. Use a spoon to stir until all is very well combined. The mixture should be evenly coated. Spread mixture in an even layer on a large baking sheet. Press down slightly and place in oven. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, checking and tossing every 15 minutes. Break up large clusters as necessary. Once the granola is evenly browned and no longer feels damp, remove it from the oven. As it cools it will crisp up even more, so do not over-bake. Once cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Or store in the freezer for a few months.

Serving size: One serving is roughly 1/2 cup of granola.
Serve it with yogurt, oatmeal, parfaits, almond milk and/or fresh fruit.
Variations: Add chocolate chips, nuts, Golgi berries or other dried fruits, banana can be replaced with nut butter and honey.

Wrapping Up

Get the children involved with the preparation of fun and healthy recipes. Since they are young, they are eager to learn and will adapt to this routine easily. Implementing a healthy habit early on will lead them to make healthy decisions in their lives as they grow up and go into high school, post-secondary, and adulthood.

If you are looking for a kid-friendly, 7-day meal plan with recipes and a shopping list, contact me and we can work on one together based on what you and your family like to eat!

About Sujata

Sujata will be writing a series of blogs on how to introduce healthy eating and make it a familial lifestyle that you and your kids will carry throughout life.

Website: https://www.sujatanutrition.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suja.banerjea/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sujatanutrition

References

Arlinghaus, K. R., & Johnston, C. A. (2018). The Importance of Creating Habits and Routine. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 13(2), 142–144. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827618818044

David T. Neal, Wendy Wood, Jennifer S. Labrecque, Phillippa Lally. How do habits guide behavior? Perceived and actual triggers of habits in daily life. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. Volume 48, Issue 2, 2012, Pages 492-498, ISSN 0022-1031, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2011.10.011.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002210311100254X)

Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Prevention of Obesity in Children and Youth; Koplan JP, Liverman CT, Kraak VI, editors. Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2005. 8, Home. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK83834/

Nemec PB, Swarbrick MA, Merlo DM. The Force of Habit: Creating and Sustaining a Wellness Lifestyle. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv. 2015 Sep;53(9):24-30. doi: 10.3928/02793695-20150821-01. PMID: 26325170.

Healthy Eating at a Young Age

Why Healthy Eating is Important

By Sujata Kale-Banerjea CNP, CANNP

Childhood obesity is an epidemic that is affecting children of all ages. Poor nutrition does more than cause excess body weight. Imbalances at a later age can lead to hormonal imbalances, urinary tract infections, skin disorders like eczema, psoriasis. Chronic constipation, other GI conditions, etc. Nutrition is also important for mental wellness, alertness, focus and much more

Take care of your little ones inside and out! Well-nourished kids who eat healthily at a young age are more likely to turn into healthy and active adults.

Healthy Eating Research Findings

Research confirms that young kids in fact ARE drinking fewer sugary drinks and are eating more fruits. However, the majority of kids are not meeting the nutritional requirements. Adolescents aged 12-19 make the worst food choices compared to kids aged 6-11 and 40% of the children 5 and under (Birch et al., 2007).

There is strong evidence showing that diets that are introduced earlier in childhood and adolescence will persist for life. But this requires developing healthy habits early on. The first solid foods given to the child will determine their food preferences later in life.

Steps to Take When Educating Children About Healthy Eating

The first step to healthy eating begins at home with early education. Keeping children healthy is a family affair. Kids have curious minds, and they learn when they are engaged, rather than being told what to do. They like to know the ‘why’ behind things and listen to stories. Hence, nourishing the curious minds through engaging them in stories about nutrition makes the information more interesting and relatable.

 Check out this link that shows examples of books for kids about healthy eating:

·         Why should I eat well by Claire Llewellyn

·         Little Critter: Good for Me and You by Mercer Mayer

·         The Boy Who Loved Broccoli by Sarah A. Creighton

·         I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child

·         A Tale of Two Brothers: A Rhyming Story About Making Healthy Food Choices by Brittany Andrejcin

With that said, let’s switching gears -and talk about healthy recipes that will keep them coming back!

Looking For A Summer Treat: How About Mango-Coconut Popsicles?

See a healthy treat recipe below! I will be posting recipes with every blog that I do, so if you have a recipe that your child loves and you want to make it healthier, send me a message and I’ll pick one of the recipes to modify in the next blog! Also please send pictures of your child for my next blog. This blog is featuring Zara today!

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 2 cups of frozen mango, 1 cup canned coconut milk (divided), 1 tsp honey, ½ tsp pure vanilla essence.

Directions:

1.    Blend mango and 3/4 of the coconut milk, honey and vanilla in a food processor or blender until smooth.
2.    Roughly scoop mango puree into 3oz. paper cups.
3.    Spoon remaining coconut milk into each cup to fill in the gaps around the mango. This will create a swirl effect when frozen.
4.     Insert popsicle sticks in the middle. Place in freezer for 4 hours or until completely frozen.

Notes:

No coconut milk? Use whipping cream, cashew cream
Try different fruits such as frozen mixed berries, frozen pineapple.

Wrapping Up

Nutrition does not have to be complicated – it can be simple and fun for the entire family to get involved. Think about your current eating habits and what small changes you could make to ensure you’re getting the right nutrients. Make those changes and see if you feel a difference in your mental and physical health. If you would like me to assess your family’s current eating habits, reach out to me and we can conduct a diet assessment! The next blog post will feature some tips and steps on how to set a routine when incorporating nutrition into your family. Stay tuned and see you then!

About Sujata

Sujata is a Holistic & Culinary Nutritionist as well as a Metabolic Balance coach. Sujata helps her clients to overcome personal challenges and to help clients live their healthiest life.

Sujata will be writing a series of blogs on how to introduce healthy eating and make it a familial lifestyle that you and your kids will carry throughout life.

Website: https://www.sujatanutrition.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suja.banerjea/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sujatanutrition

References

Birch, L., Savage, J. S., & Ventura, A. (2007). Influences on the Development of Children's Eating Behaviours: From Infancy to Adolescence. Canadian journal of dietetic practice and research : a publication of Dietitians of Canada = Revue canadienne de la pratique et de la recherche en dietetique : une publication des Dietetistes du Canada, 68(1), s1–s56.

TOILETING IN INFANTS & TODDLERS

The first topic of our Parenting 101 session was about Toilet Learning VS Toilet Training. In the Infancy room we start off by sitting them on the toilet after taking the diaper off, so they can begin to feel comfortable and get used to the feeling of sitting on the toilet. So when they move along to the Toddler classroom, they will already be partially prepared to start Toilet learning as they have been introduced to the toilet.

Communication is the key, ask your child if they have had a bowel movement or did they urinate. Not all infants have the words to tell us they need to use the washroom or tell us they urinated or had a bowel movement, instead they use gestures. They will point at their body, or if we ask sometimes, they will respond with a nod.

Have you ever thought of or considered the use of cloth diapers? They are similar to wearing an underwear. Would have the same feeling when they soil/wet the cloth diaper as a they would in an underwear. The only difference is the cloth diaper will hold the waste just like a regular diaper does. As in regular diapers absorb the urine so they don’t feel the discomfort.

Have you ever wondered how much you spend on regular diapers?

If you wish to consider looking into cloth diapers, here is a website link: www.barefootbabies.ca

The Montessori Toilet Learning

Is my child ready to use the toilet? From a Montessori perspective we are not teaching the child but rather we are observing the child and their needs.

Factors involved in the toilet learning process:

Physiologically: It is a natural process that develops gradually at each child pace. The digestive and urinary system perform their functions the child needs to control and coordinate these actions, their awareness of them has to develop currently with the maturation of the systems involved.

Emotional: Introducing the potty as young as 12 months to get the child used to it as a part of toileting routine, before the power struggle starts, the crisis of self-affirmation (tantrums). The best way to determine the emotional state your child is in, and how conducive this is to toilet learning, is to observe both his general behavior and his responses to any suggestions about potty use.

Physically: the child is walking and can sit without support all the muscles are functioning and can be directed by the will. By the time the child is walking, his or her body has developed the muscles needed to control urine and bowel movements. Although the muscles have developed, they need some practice before the child has control over them.

At Kaban, the toddler classroom offers the opportunity for this, with a well-prepared washroom area, the environment supports many opportunities throughout the day for the child to use the toilet, change wet underwear and to see other children use the toilet.

The regular use of the toilet/potty allows the children to become familiar and comfortable.

It needs to be a positive experience and the children will start by exploring the environment. This allows the children the freedom of movement so that they can teach themselves to move on and off the potty/toilet at their own learning pace, additionally this allows the child to be more independent.

Adult Points to Consider in Toilet Learning

It is important to decide if you are ready to commit to the process and all it entails. This could include loads of washing; wet or soiled carpets and what people may think if you child is not toilet ready by a certain age. More often than not it requires months of learning for the child and it is important to have and maintain a positive attitude and avoid putting a time period or the age you wish your child to be toilet trained. It is possible that children will develop manipulative actions regarding toileting (e.g. wetting self on purpose) if they believe it will affect your behavior.

Every child is different and toilet ready at a different age, these are some tips to help the process:

• TOILET LEARNING = TEAM WORK WITH YOUR CHILD AND SCHOOL

• It is important to have Patience, Perseverance, and a Positive Attitude

TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT!

The Montessori Approach to Disciplining a Child

Introduction

Children are a wonderful blessing entrusted to parents, teachers, guardians and the society to cherish. Raising a child is a wonderful role replete with joy and challenges in equal measure. A child needs disciplining from time to time. 

Parents around the world employ different ways of disciplining their children. The approach taken usually depends on the parents’ upbringing, culture and religious beliefs as well as personal opinion on the issue. 

Parents who want to learn new ways of disciplining children should apply the Montessori approach. 

What does the Montessori approach entail? 

Generally, it entails finding the balance between discipline and freedom. It revolves around the understanding that children need their freedom. That freedom should not be curtailed simply because a parent or teacher wants the young one to grow up disciplined. 

Finding that balance – and maintaining it – can be the real challenge. The approach borrows heavily from Maria Montessori’s philosophy. She believed that adults should treat children the way they would like to be treated. She advocated treating children respectfully. 

Parents have to respect children if this approach is to produce the desired results. 

Adults should discipline their children using this approach consistently. Do not be afraid of repeating yourself. Here, repetition is the key. Exercise patience instead of jumping out of your skin if you see no change in your child’s behaviour. 

It takes time for some of these lessons to stick to the children’ minds. 

Environment

It's in the planning

Prepare the environment

The Montessori approach encourages parents to focus on creating the sort of environment that enables children to learn to behave properly. Adults cannot leave this to chance. They must proactively design their children’s environment. 

Freedom is crucial in a child’s life. Therefore, adults have to find ways of allowing children as much freedom as they need to experiment and make mistakes. This would only be possible in the right environment though. 

Giving children the freedom to experiment and make mistakes teaches them many lessons too. 

Teach children the importance of doing important chores. For example, train them to clean the spaces they use. Let them know that you expect them to clean any mess they leave behind. Buy a few child accessible rags and supplies the children need to do their part. 

Model appropriate behaviour in the environment

Children learn a lot from the adults around them. For this reason, learn to model good behaviour. Let the little ones see you doing what you always advise them to do. Let them see you behaving well within the environment you created. 

Let them see you cleaning up any mess you create. 

Allow them to clean their mess too. Start teaching them responsibility early. Children are more likely to behave properly when they are trained to be responsible from an early age. Do not wait until they are in their teens to embark on these lessons. 

We believe that every action has a reaction; it is a contrast that lets the child learn and understand resiliency.

Children learn from their mistakes and it is okay for them to start all over again when something doesn’t work. Their exercise of inappropriate behaviour and learning its consequences is what helps them understand how to go further and to be able to recognize and choose differently the next time.

Even with all the work – know that there will still be mistakes

But does that mean the Montessori approach guarantees disciplined children? No. You will still have children making inappropriate choices. The difference here is they will be learning respect. They will see you treating them respectfully hence likely to treat others the same way. 

Distraction

At the end of the day, you will have to judge the situation yourself. 

The question comes – should we as parents or guardians raise voices at our children? Remembering that the Montessori approach advocates treating children the way you want to be treated – the philosophy and methods advocate against such tactics.

Instead, we recommend that it is better to use the curiosity within the child to inspire appropriate behaviour. That also allows you an opportunity to gain control over the situation. Bring out an issue that’s likely to raise the child’s curiosity. This way, the young one will stop focusing on and displaying inappropriate behaviour. 

Ultimately, you have to distract the child while helping them refocus on the most important lessons, values, tasks or work. Once again, like was the case with increasing curiosity, the goal is to help the little ones to focus on what is more important rather than their inappropriate behaviour.   This can be done by bringing out a simple new activity that you know that they are fond of.  Or singing their favourite song or reading their book out loud.  Again, this takes more work than simply yelling at the child, but it allows for far better results on the behaviour and development of the child over the long-term.

Related article: Montessori Activities For Toddlers At Home

Separating the child from the group or activity until nerves become calm again

There are times when nothing may work, and the child may truly be unhappy and be modelling really negative behaviour.  In such situations, our approach to helping children “reset” also requires separating the child from a specific group or activity that has brought about the negative behavior. This approach may be appropriate depending on the situation. 

Allow children to return to the group or activity once their nerves are calm. 

Additionally, consider reconnecting these young minds with purposeful work. What this achieves is to allow the children an opportunity to make good social decisions on their own, especially if they started displaying negative behavior while in the company of their friends. 

Individual discussion

The Montessori approach recommends taking time to speak with your little ones too. Talk with each child individually. Teach them about actions and consequences. Help them understand the consequences of their actions. Let them understand that good behaviour is capable of leading to something equally good. 

It is good to let children know the positive outcomes that await them down the line every time they act. Give them freedom to make their own decisions, and reward them with something they love doing. For example, assure them of a trip to the local park happens if we make time for it.  Talk to them about the consequences of the decisions if they work with you to finish whatever you have planned now.  An example would be finishing dinner and putting dishes away, so time can be made to go to the park before it gets dark. 

Let them know they have a choice on any issue you assign them.  It empowers them.  It helps them feel like they are contributing and have some control – which does wonders for their development. However, there is a reward for choosing to behave well and consequences for falling short. Allow them to understand these rewards and consequences respectfully so they understand their roles in all of these. 

It goes without saying but we need to communicate with them without yelling, screaming, and shouting, nagging or doing the things that would often get under your skin if somebody else were to do them to us. It takes time to learn these lessons but they will make you better at disciplining your children. 

The Montessori approach makes the child feel like their actions are helping others (and themselves) towards something bigger.  It allows them to focus in the present, contribute and stay calm.  Ultimately, making them into self-directed individuals that behave nicely and do not require ‘discipline’.  

This approach helps in raising children who are independent and free, but within boundaries. 

They understand the boundaries. They appreciate that going over those boundaries would mean being denied some of the privileges or activities they are accustomed to in their lives. To a doubting eye, this approach can appear excessively free or chaotic.  However, our whole philosophy at Kaban is based on using such approaches to help raise and care for children at our school.  We fundamentally believe children should not be mistreated and allowed an environment that gives them the freedom to struggle and grow at their own individual pace to reach their potential.

To Recap

The Montessori approach recommends a different way of disciplining children. You may have to forget some of the approaches you have learned and used throughout your life. Be ready to embrace a new way of doing things. 

The rewards go beyond raising well-behaved children. It teaches children to think through their actions and decisions before proceeding. They learn to start examining their behaviours early thus increasing the likelihood of growing into responsible, mature adults. 

The Montessori approach uses the “freedom with limits” philosophy. 

Under the Montessori philosophy of education, true disciple starts from within. Here, the philosophy presupposes that discipline is the result of developing inner growth steadily over a certain period. 

Under Montessori, discipline is not something you do to a child. It’s also not something or technique that you use to control a child’s behaviour. The goal here is to help a child understand self-control and discipline enough to display it without feeling pressured to do so.

Montessori vs. Traditional Schooling

Selecting the right school and education methodology for your child is a very important decision.  As parents, we are all crunched for time and can use a little help in understanding which teaching style is best for our children.  When the time comes to choose which school to select for your child, there are two main teaching methodologies to consider: Montessori Schooling or Traditional Schooling.

We get it; it can be difficult to really assess and evaluate the differences in Montessori schooling versus Traditional schooling in a thorough manner when you have so much information to consider from various sources.  Good research will require you to search on the internet, talk to family and friends or colleagues.  Once you have a few options to consider, you will then likely need to tour the short-listed school facilities, evaluate the curriculum, the structure, the environment and interview the teachers.  As you can see, this is not an easy decision and has a lot of factors to consider and that means there is a lot that can be missed.

However, the first thing you need to decide is which teaching style works best for your family and which one will give your little ones the environment and the head start to get ahead in life.  Therefore, to make sure that you are better informed when you go to visit schools, interview the teachers and evaluate the programs, we have created a detailed breakdown below comparing the Montessori Method to the Traditional Schooling Method and you can use this as a basic check when you start researching schools. Bookmark this blog post and make sure you read it before you visit schools to help ask informed questions and make the right decision for your family.

How to select the right teaching method for your child

1)      Learning Approach

Traditional schools begin preschool and Kindergarten years with play-based learning and as children progress to higher years, learning is reinforced through repetition, rewards, and punishments. In Traditional schools, the main mode of learning is generally auditory and visual, while the pace is kept the same for all children in the same year.

Learning approaches

Montessori vs. Traditional schooling

On the other hand, the Montessori learning approach provides a well-rounded arena where not only educating and growing intellectually is a priority but physical, emotional and moral development is also front and center. Montessori learning is multi-sensory, i.e. visual, auditory and kinesthetic, meaning a wider range of children can benefit from these learning methods. Children also move at their own pace while learning and are encouraged to move forward by building their own internal sense of success as compared to only a grading system or rewards and punishments.  The Montessori approach also uses sets of dedicated materials such as objects, shapes, games to help the younger children in their learning journey.

2)      Structure

Traditional schooling depends on standardized curriculum and most children are fit into structured learning frameworks and generally required to complete school years within these frameworks. The Montessori approach treats each child as an individual, with individualistic learning needs. Hence, with the Montessori approach curriculums are personalized and the teacher is the helping guide that encourages growth and learning. This way each child can learn and grow independently without being forced to follow rigid structures that may not be suitable based on his or her learning requirements. The Montessori approach also provides a major focus on collaboration with peers of different ages and makes this collaboration a part of the learning process. Peer collaboration, especially between children of varying ages, is not a common practice in the Traditional schooling system.

3)      Age Groups

According to the requirements of the law in Canada – children must enroll in a school by the age of 5 or 6.  You can find out the exact details on the requirements to enroll your children for school on the Government of Canada Website.   However, in Traditional schools kindergarten can be started at age 4.   Before that, children either must go to daycare/preschool, stay at home with their guardian(s) or enroll in a Montessori school.  At Montessori schools, children as young as, or even younger than one year of age can enroll and start benefiting from the Montessori methods and techniques that teach them to become independent and confident at a very young age.  

In Montessori, schooling for the child begins at an earlier age vs. traditional schools.

For example, Kaban Montessori School’s Infant and Toddler Program enrolls children between the ages of 6 months to 2.5 years. Given children can start so early in the Montessori program and are also allowed to experience mixed age groupings from the onset, this enables Montessori students to experience a more enriched environment compared to a Traditional school or Daycare. Generally, in Traditional pre-schools and elementary programs, each child is only placed in an environment with peers born in the same year. 

As mentioned above, peer collaboration is an important aspect of the Montessori approach. Children are allowed and able to mingle with peers of mixed ages, enabling the younger ones to learn from the older ones and giving the older children the confidence to peer mentor their younger classmates. This experience benefits both the younger and the older children by providing them the unique opportunity of learning and playing with classmates at different developmental stages.  This unique learning experience is not a part of the Traditional schooling system, where classmates are generally of the same age. Montessori is definitely unique in this area, as classmate can belong to varying age groups with potentially an age gap of up to three separate grades, and this method does not fit within the strict rigors of the Traditional schooling system and curriculum.

4)      Secondary Language

There have been countless studies done to show the positive effects of being multi-lingual for brain development.  Being multi-lingual also has a positive effect on maintaining a healthy brain for the later part of our lives; so giving our kids a head start is vital for longer-term health and development benefits as mentioned in this BBC Article, “Learning second language ‘slows brain ageing’”, where the research mentioned in this article was originally published in the Annals of Neurology. The Montessori approach at Kaban Montessori School provides an early start on developing secondary language skills. Children who are bilingual benefit not only cognitively i.e. better attention span and multi-tasking skills but also go on to have better social and career opportunities in the future.  Please take a look at this article published by the BBC News to further understand the positive effects of bilingualism in children.

The Montessori structure at Kaban Montessori School provides an environment which naturally helps children develop and integrate French and Spanish into their everyday lives. Kaban Montessori is unique in providing children an environment that allows for more than 2 languages to be taught as part of its curriculum.  Children are not just taught to read or understand the second languages on paper but learn how to use it in everyday life situations. Traditional schooling generally begins French schooling in Grade 4 and French Immersion schools begin at the Junior Kindergarten level. However, in our Montessori environment, we begin our French classes at the age of 3.               

5)      Approach to Discipline

In Traditional schools, discipline is attained through the teacher’s direction and with rewards and punishments.  This can be a hit or miss depending on your child’s personality and whether receiving punishments for undesired behavior truly helps your child learn and correct their behavior. However, the Montessori approach is more holistic, as it requires discipline to be attained through active participation and natural consequences of the child’s actions. Which means, your child will learn to see their own mistakes and the consequences without having a constant external source pointing out the undesired behaviors or mistakes. This way children move forward in their lives without expecting discipline to be continuously forced externally.  They truly learn how to manage their behavior based on the consequences of their actions.

6)      Approach to Manners

This area of focus is again unique to Montessori schools, as the Montessori environment enables children to develop self-disciplining skills, promotes social graces and manners at school and at home. In Traditional schools, manners and graces are generally not taught and students are expected to only learn these at home. Learning mannerism at schools enables our youth to excel in social situations and down the road in their professional lives as well. And besides social benefits, these skills make our children more empathic and kind community members.

7)      Error Handling Approach

Through Montessori learning, children are taught skills and given tools that help them develop an internal mechanism for handling errors and mistakes. Children use self-correcting materials which also promote self-discovery, correction, and independence. Traditional schooling depends on the teachers to highlight and bring forward errors and how to correct said errors, this approach does not promote independent learning and confidence.   

Key Takeaways

Here is a simple, but effective summary info-graphic to help you remember the above more easily as well:

Conclusion

We know you want what is best for your child (we do as we are parents as well) and we want to help you make the best decision for your precious little ones.  Selecting the right school and teaching style is not easy and hopefully, the above detailed and high-level summaries will help you in your journey in finding the best school for your child.

For more information on what are the differences in teaching methods, please reach out and we will help in any way we can!  Good luck in finding the right school 😊!.