About Kim

Kim Corrigan-Oliver is a practicing Certified Nutritional Practitioner, graduating from The Institute of Holistic Nutrition with First Class Honours. She is proud to be a professional member of the International Organization of Nutritional Consultants earning the designations of Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner and Registered Orthomolecular Health Practitioner.

Kim’s practice Your Green Baby is a place for mom, baby and toddler. We assist you with preconception care, pregnancy nutritional needs, pregnancy issues and postnatal care. Our pediatric nutrition services will help guide you to optimize your baby’s health and wellness, setting them up for good health and well being later in life.

Kim has appeared on Rogers Daytime, is a regular contributor to Lakeridge Kids Magazine and writes for blogs in Canada, US and UK. She is currently writing a book, Raising Happy Healthy Babies. Kim is dedicated to inspiring and motivating moms to make informed decisions regarding their child’s health and wellness through one-on-one consultations, workshops and cooking classes.

Kim is a first time mom with a passion for health, wellness, real food and cooking. She is happy to combine these passions to help moms and dads raise happy healthy babies.

Cooking with Your Kids

February 18, 2013 by 2 Comments

I am a big believer of involving children in our lives from the very beginning; they like to be an active participant in our days. Cooking plays a big part of my days and my little man has always been along for the ride when I am in the kitchen. Here are some great ways to involve your kids in the kitchen:

Babies
Babywearing is the best way to bring your little one into the kitchen. And while I don’t suggest wearing your baby while you are preparing foods on the stove top, you can easily bring your baby into the kitchen as you prepare a snack, whip up some hummus or wash fruits and vegetables.

Once your baby can sit up, bring the high chair right up to the counter. Let your baby see what you are doing – washing vegetables, chopping, measuring and pouring, stirring, blending, mashing, etc. And as you go about your meal preparation talk to your little one about what you are doing, show them the foods you are preparing, call them by name, let your little one touch them, play with them and if appropriate depending on age, let them taste test as you cook.

Toddlers
Tiny toddler hands love to play in water, so give them a bowl and the vegetables which need to be washed up for dinner and let them have some fun.

Buttons, what toddler doesn’t love buttons? Let those tiny hands press the buttons on the blender, turn on the food processor or put the vegetables into the juicer. Reece is right there standing on a chair or sitting on the counter when we make smoothies, juice, hummus, pesto, and so on. He loves helping out and being part of the action.

Pouring, can you say fun for a toddler? Let them help you pour ingredients into the blender, food processor or a bowl, they love it! Yes, it can be a little messy, but fun and mess go hand in hand when we are talking toddlers.

Stirring, Reece loves to stir. He wants to stir everything and anything in the kitchen. The other day he was helping mix the flours for the muffins we were baking, yesterday he was stirring the ingredients of our lentil walnut loaf as I measured and added them to the food processor bowl.Give them a spoon and let them go at it. Caution, when you are dealing with flour, watch out, you can easily end up with a cloud of flour filling your kitchen.

And once dinner is cooking, let your toddler help you set the table. Reece climbs up and down our dining room chairs pretty easily now, so I pass the place mats to him and he climbs up and puts them in place, and then I pass along the cutlery (forks and spoons only) and he places them on the place mats. Now it doesn’t always look perfect, but that is not the point. He is absolutely thrilled to participate and so very happy when he sees the finished product.

Cooking With Your Kids

Preschoolers
This is a fun stage, they can do a little more, and if they have been involved from the beginning, they really love the kitchen.

Adding three tablespoons of an ingredient to a recipe; pass the tablespoon to your preschooler and let them count out three tablespoons. Need one cup of flour, pass the measuring cup and let them give it a try.

Need water in a pot, fill a bowl, pass the measuring cup and let them transfer the water to the pot.

Preschoolers can use the masher and mash potatoes, they can help stir and mix, they can get vegetables from the crisper drawer and put them on the counter and they can even help you with menu planning.

School Age Children
If you have been having fun in the kitchen with your little one, this stage gets very exciting. You can start to introduce a knife and teach them how to cut up fruits and vegetables (hint: start with soft fruits when teaching knife skills, much easier to cut through, bananas work very well).

They may want more of a say in the menu of the day, so let them help with the meal planning. In fact, I have known some families to give up one dinner per week to the kids and let them plan, prepare and serve dinner. Of course, there should always be supervision in the kitchen, but try to remain as hands off as possible, if you give this a try. They will feel so awesome serving you the “tasty and delicious” meal they prepared for you.

Baking always seems to be a big hit with all kids. And what is not too love, it smells so good when it is baking and the tasty treats taste just perfect warm from the oven. Baking also lends itself very well for teaching or reinforcing math skills.

Send your school age children on a search for a new recipe. Get the cookbooks out and let them search the internet for new and inspiring recipes. Give them a cuisine (Mexican, Italian, Greek, etc) and have them find a recipe to cook up.

So whatever stage your children are at – babies, toddlers, preschoolers, or school age, get them in the kitchen. Let them be involved in the process. Make it fun, let go of the mess and enjoy it with them. You will encourage healthy eating, establish healthy habits and create a wonderful bond with your children.

Have fun!

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Soup Season

January 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment

It is soup season in our part of the world. Winter is here, we spend lots of time outside in the snow, playing, hiking, sledding and having fun. When we come in a hot bowl of soup is perfect to warm the soul.

Soup Season

Soup Season Favourites

Here are two favourites in our home, hope you enjoy.

Carrot Soup
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 red onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
4 cups vegetable broth
8 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tsp sea salt
½ cup coconut milk

Heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and cover. When seeds begin popping, add the onion, garlic, cumin and coriander. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add broth, carrots and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetable are fort tender, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly, then puree with a immersion blender until smooth.

Return to heat, add coconut milk, mix well.

Serve and enjoy!

 

Leek, Potato and Broccoli Soup
2 tbsp coconut oil
3 leeks chopped, include green and white parts
5 to 6 white potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cups broccoli
1 tsp dried thyme
4 to 6 cups of vegetable broth
Water as needed, to thin, if necessary

Warm coconut oil in pot, add leeks and heat until softened.  Add potatoes, broccoli, thyme and vegetable broth.

Simmer until potatoes are soft, approximately 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and puree with hand blender.

Serve and enjoy!

What soups are favourites in your home right now?

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Supporting the Immune System

December 17, 2012 by 1 Comment

How To Increase Immunity Naturally

The time is here to focus on supporting the immune system for the cold and flu season ahead. In my last post I provided some old tricks to support the body naturally and enhance the functioning of the immune system. Today I will provide some information on a few supplements that are particularly beneficial to you and your family during cold and flu season.

How To Increase Immunity Naturally

  • Deep Immune liquid by St. Francis for adults or Deep Immune KIDS for children to support healthy immune function.  These are made up of Chinese herbs and have been proven to be effective at boosting immune function in both clinical and laboratory work.  The primary purpose of Deep Immune is to improve immune system function and decrease the tendency of frequent colds, flu and infection.
  • Vitamin D3 liquid – research continues to show that vitamin D supplementation is better at preventing the flu than the flu shot http://www.naturalnews.com/029760_vitamin_D_influenza.html
  • Omega 3 fatty acids are necessary for normal immune function. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, fatty fish, cod liver oil supplements, fish oil supplements and algae supplements.
  • Probiotics (good bugs for your gut) taken daily will support immune health. Up to 80% of the immune system is in the gut, providing good bugs daily will help the body and immune system function optimally.
  • Antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, glutathione, and zinc are important for immune health. Providing your body with nourishment from real foods, with vibrant colours and avoiding processed packaged foods will help you to meet the need for these antioxidants from your diet.

These are just a few supplements we have in our “prevent the cold and flu” campaign in our home.

If you have any specific health issues, concerns, questions or disease/diagnoses, please consult your health care provider, Naturopathic Doctor or Holistic Nutritionist to help you customize a plan to meet the individual needs of you and your family.

What tricks or supplements are in your family’s “prevent the cold and flu” campaign this year?

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Taking the Natural Approach to Cold and Flu Season

November 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Yes cold and flu season is here and now is the time to think about supporting your child’s immune system, as well as yours, so it is ready to put up a fight against any foreign invaders that may try (notice I said try) to take hold and bring you or your children down.

So what can you do naturally to support immunity, here are a few old tricks:

Sleep – rest is important for immune health, the body needs the time to repair, restore and rejuvenate. If you are feeling particularly tired or stressed this becomes even more important. Ensure you and your family get adequate rest and if you feel yourself or see someone in your family starting to get run down, take time now to rest, if not the body will force you to rest (unfortunately with a cold).

Drink – plenty of liquids: water, herbal teas (ginger, peppermint, nettle, alfalfa, horsetail, lemon balm, etc) and fresh juices. Moms and dads keep in mind caffeine and alcohol dehydrate your body and weaken your immune system – limit or avoid if possible.

Eat real food – eat a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, food with few ingredients, food in its natural state, food that is not packaged and processed. The body needs quality nutrition from real food to support health and well being.

Avoid sugar – sugar suppresses the immune system for up to six hours after ingestion making the body more vulnerable to pathogens. Sugar requires nutrients for its digestion, the same nutrients that were stripped away during processing, and will steal these from the body – leaving the body depleted and vulnerable. Sugar also actively competes with vitamin C for entry into your cells. Your cells need vitamin C, if there is too much sugar in the body competing for entry into the cells, less vitamin C will be allowed into the cell. When you eat sugar you are slowing the immune system down to a crawl.

Include garlic –it has anti bacterial, anti viral, anti parasitic and anti fungal properties; eat it raw for best results, and include it as much as you can when cooking. To take it raw, finely chop one clove of garlic, let it sit for a minute or two, then swallow with a mouthful of water. The key to no garlic breath is not to let it touch your teeth. You can get raw garlic into your little food critics in bean dips, guacamole, homemade salad dressing, etc. Breastfeeding moms if you take raw garlic your baby will get the immune benefits via your breast milk.

Be positive – your thoughts play a role in your health and well being; be positive, think positive, know that your body has the amazing potential to support and defend itself against the many pathogens you come in contact with on a daily basis. And don’t forget to laugh with your children every day for an easy and fun way to boost immunity 

Be hygienic – the only portals of entry for pathogens – the flu virus or cold germ, are the mucous membranes – mainly nostrils and mouth/throat. It’s almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with a pathogen in spite of all precautions. Contact with pathogens is not really the problem; proliferation is. To prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, there are some very simple steps you can practice:
• Frequent hand-washing
• Hands-off-the-face approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face.
• Gargle twice a day with warm salt water. Pathogens can take 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive, age-old yet powerful preventative method.
• Similar to above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water, try a nasal irrigation device, found at most drug stores or try blowing your nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with Q-Tips dipped in warm salt water, this is very effective in bringing down viral population.
• Drink warm or hot liquids. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

You can’t avoid cold and flu season it is here, but you can support the immune system to do what it naturally wants to do – defend itself against foreign invaders.

In my next post I will discuss natural health products that can help to support and strengthen the immune system along with the recommendations above.

What are you doing to ensure you and your family stay healthy this season?

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Recipes for Your Baby | Wholesome Baby Food Recipes

October 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Well, I promised you a few wholesome baby food recipes this month, and here they are. There were favourites with my little man and also tend to be favourites with the little ones whose moms attend my classes.

Wholesome Baby Food Recipes

Seven Wholesome Baby Food Recipes

Six to Nine Months
Roasted Banana Puree
4 bananas

Pre heat oven to 250 degrees

Place bananas on a baking sheet and roast in preheated oven until soft, about 30 minutes. Let bananas cool until they can be handled.

Peel cooled bananas holding them over a bowl to catch any liquid.

Puree using an immersion blender to desired consistency, adding water, breast milk or formula as necessary.

Nutrition Information
Bananas are a great first food as they are easy to swallow and very smooth. They are sweet, very similar to breast milk and formula, making the transition a little easier. Bananas contain potassium, which can help to replenish mineral balance in the body if your baby has diarrhea or is vomiting.

Squash Puree
3 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped

Steam butternut squash until tender, transfer to a bowl and puree to desired consistency, adding steaming water as necessary.

Nutrition Information
Good source of vitamin A, C, B1, B3, B5 and B6, potassium, fibre, manganese, folic acid and copper.

Dried Apricot Puree
1 cup dried un-sulphured ready to eat apricots
1 cup water

Combine apricots and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until apricots are soft and begin to break apart easliy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool at room temperature.

Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender in the saucepan. Puree until smooth, adding extra water as necessary to thin.

*For freezing add ¼ to ½ cup extra water for it to freeze solid.

Nutrition Information
A good source of beta carotene, potassium, iron, calcium, silicon, phosphorus and vitamin C.

Roasted Beet and Apple Puree
4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 fresh beet

Wash beet well, wrap in foil and roast in oven until tender, about 45 to 50 minutes depending on size. Let cool and peel and chop beet.

Steam apples until tender, transfer to a bowl, add beet and puree to desired consistency, adding steaming water as necessary.

Nutrition Information
Good source of vitamin C, folic acid, manganese, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus.

Nine to Twelve Months
Apple Surprise
4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
¼ cup organic raisins
¼ to ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Steam apples and raisins until tender apples are tender, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, add cinnamon and puree to desired consistency.

Nutrition Information
Good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, B vitamins, iron, folate, fibre .

Pear, Parsnip and Ginger
2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped
3 medium pears, peeled, cored and chopped
¼ tsp ground ginger

Steam parsnips for 15 to 20 minutes, add pears and steam another 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, let cool slightly then puree with hand blender or in blender. Add ginger and mix well.

Nutrition Information
Parsnips are a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and manganese. Pears provide a good source of vitamin C, fiber, vitamin A, niacin and potassium. Ginger provides potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese and vitamin B6.

Carrot, Lentil and Coriander
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped
½ small onion, chopped
¼ cup red lentils, rinsed
½ tsp ground coriander
1¼ cup water

Put carrots, sweet potato, onion, lentils, coriander and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the lentils are very soft. Top up with a little extra hot water if necessary.

Remove from heat and puree to desired consistency.

Nutrition Information
Good source of beta carotene, potassium, vitamins C and E, protein and fibre.

Hope your baby likes these wholesome baby food recipes as much as mine did.

Stop back next month, I will share some tips on supporting the immune system naturally as cold and flu season approaches.

Filed Under: Family Meal Planning

Making Real Food For Your Baby

September 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

There is really no great mystery to making your baby’s food, it is simple and easy and requires very little equipment. Once your produce is washed and ready to go your first step is preparing the food for cooking. For babies 6 to 9 months of age I suggest peeling all fruits and vegetables to remove the skin, this will make for smoother purees for food introduction. Once peeled chop into cubes and add to the steaming basket of a steaming pot and steam for 15 to 20 minutes or until fork tender. Alternatively you can use a rice cooker and steam until tender. Remove from heat, let cool and then puree to desired consistency using steaming water, breast milk, formula or water to thin as necessary. And that is it, easy peasy!!!

I often get asked about cooking methods. Steaming is preferred as it preserves the most nutrients, but you can also bake/roast fruits and vegetables to really bring out the flavour. I suggest avoiding boiling and microwaving. The high heat of boiling can destroy nutrients and microwaving has been shown to destroy nutrients as well as antioxidants.

For babes 6 to 9 months of age the purees should be very smooth, and to begin with very liquid; it should easily fall off the spoon. As your baby gets use to food you can begin to thicken the purees getting him ready for more texture. Around 9 months or maybe before, remember every baby is different, trust your mom intuition, you can begin to leave the purees a little lumpier, and even leave some of the skin on fruits to add more texture to the purees. Your baby may not like it at first, but give it some time, remember it can take up to twelve times of introducing a food before a baby or child accepts it. Be patient.

And for those times when you need a quick meal there are a few foods that can easily be prepared – ripe banana, avocado, papaya and melon can all be fork mashed and fed to your baby; making them great on the go foods!

So give it try, tickle those tiny taste buds with real food, food with flavour, food with nutrients necessary for growth, development, health and wellness – your baby will love it!

Next month I will share a few of my little man’s favourite recipes with you.

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Baby’s First Food

August 20, 2012 by 2 Comments

So, just how many opinions have you heard on which food is the best first food for your baby? Rice cereal, meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit…so many opinions and so many choices. It is no surprise to me when I get an email from a mom confused about what to feed her baby, there is so much information out there it is hard to know what to do.

Today I will give you my thoughts; they are definitely not the only ones out there, but from my experience with my own son and many, many other little ones it works.

First of all, I do not recommend rice cereal as baby’s first food. I have a few reasons for this:

• Rice cereal is a processed food. It has been processed; most of its nutrients have been removed and then added back in. It is a man made food; it is not real food.

• At the age of solid food introduction, six months, your baby’s ability to digest carbohydrates is impaired because they do not yet have the enzymes required for proper breakdown of the grains. These enzymes begin to make an appearance around six months and slowly increase. At six months the enzyme production is not enough to properly digest cereal grains. Without the ability to properly digest that grains the digestive system much work much harder, using energy that your baby needs elsewhere for growth, development and maintenance of health and well being. The inability to digest the grains can also lead to digestive issues including gassiness, bloating, constipation and cramping.

• Rice cereal is fortified with iron which is the main reason it is recommended as baby’s first food. We are told that a baby’s iron stores run out at six months, and that introducing iron fortified rice cereal is imperative to prevent a deficiency. If your baby is breastfed he will continue to get iron from you. Contrary to popular belief there is iron in breast milk, and although I will agree it is present in small amounts Mother Nature has ensured your baby will be able to absorb it. Your breast milk has two components – lactoferrin and transferrin that help your baby to digest and absorb iron. Rice cereal does not contain these two wonderful components and therefore can make it difficult for your baby to properly digest and utilize the iron it is fortified with which can lead to digestive distress, including constipation, a main complaint moms have when their baby starts rice cereal. It is also important to keep in mind that iron that is not digested and utilized by your baby can feed bad bacteria that live in the gut, if bad bacteria are feed and begin to proliferate this can affect the functioning of the immune system leading to increased risk of illness and increased risk of yeast infections.

So what do I recommend as baby’s first food – real food. Food that is natural, in its whole state, food that has not been processed and striped of its nutrients, food that has been grown without the use of chemicals, pesticides and herbicides, food that supports growth and development and food that supports health and well being now and in the future.

Fresh food from our backyard.

I highly recommend choosing real food for your baby – great first foods include bananas, apples, pears, sweet potatoes, squash, dried apricots and avocados. It is the perfect time to introduce those tiny taste buds to real food with lots of taste and nourishment.

What was your baby’s first food?

Next month I will share with you some tips to preparing real food for your baby, it is easy and fun!

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Starting Solids

July 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment

There are so many questions and concerns when it comes to starting solids and I hope over the next few posts to answer them all and leave you armed with the knowledge to feed your baby with confidence.

There are so many milestones in the first year of your baby’s life, and as a mother, looking back my biggest piece of advice is to slow down and enjoy them. Pushing them to come faster or rushing through the current milestone to reach the next one leaves you missing out on the here and now of what your baby is experiencing. Instead, slow down, live in the moment and be mindful of each and every moment with your baby. You will be grateful for this in the years to come.

As a nutritionist I am often faced with questions about starting solids from parents eager to get started.  My first piece of advice is to slow down, follow your baby’s lead and enjoy the process of introducing your baby to the wonderful world of food.

There are a few standard cues your baby gives you to let you know that he is ready to start solids:

  • Your baby is interested in the foods you are eating and tries to reach for them
  • Your baby can sit alone and holds his head up well
  • Your baby opens his mouth when he sees food coming toward his face
  • Your baby wants to feed more often or is not satisfied after breast feeding and wants more
  • Your baby is beginning to make a chewing motion with his mouth
  • Your baby can turn away or push food away with his hands

In my opinion, the last point is extremely important; your baby has an excellent sense of his hunger, he knows when he has had enough and being able to tell you this is imperative so you don’t feed him too much.  The key is that you pay attention to this sign and not force him to eat when he has told you he is done.  This will only teach him two things; the first that food is not enjoyable and second to eat even when you are full.  Your baby’s stomach is tiny and can only handle small amounts of food.  Once your baby has told you he is finished, follow his lead. Don’t force food, don’t make airplane sounds or try to distract him, instead put the spoon down and respect that he is finished.

I am often asked at what age to start solids. It is common to hear six months is the age at which to start. Again, I challenge you to follow your baby’s lead.  Not all babies are ready at six months. I have had some little clients not start solids until closer to eight, nine and sometimes even 12 months. My little guy didn’t start until seven and half months and even then he didn’t eat that much.

Remember, your breast milk or formula provides your baby’s main source of nourishment until their first birthday. Food at this point is to teach them to eat and to get them accustomed to different tastes; it is not about providing nourishment at this stage. I often tell parents any food eaten at this point is considered “bonus” nutrition.

So, when the time comes, and your baby is ready to dive into the wonderful world of food, sit back, relax, follow his lead and enjoy the process.

Next month I will share with you my thoughts on your baby’s first food.

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Magic Happens When You Involve Them

June 18, 2012 by 2 Comments

There are a few constants in my nutrition practice which I consult with parents about pretty regularly. One of these is picky eaters. There are a lot of them out there and there are many reasons for picky eating, which I will explore at a later date. Today I thought I would share with you the magic that happens when parents involve their children in the process of making food. I say magic because it is.

I have had little clients eat foods they previously said they didn’t like after they had grown it. I have had little clients eager to find a recipe for a new food they picked out at the grocery store. There is an excitement in their eyes when they tell me about it…that is the magic.

So, just how can you involve your little ones in the process of food preparation, here are a few ways:

Take them grocery shopping. Yes I know parents can do the groceries a whole lot faster without little ones tagging along, but when they are involved in picking out the fruit or vegetables they are excited about it, they want to touch it, they want to smell it and eventually they want to eat it.

Plant a garden. There is nothing more magical then growing your own food. Planting a seed, tending to its every need, watching it grow and then seeing a vegetable or fruit start to peak out and grow right in front of your eyes…well it is exciting for kids, and adults. It doesn’t have to be a big garden, just something small. Tomatoes, cucumber, kale, Swiss chard, zucchini, beans and snow peas are all super easy to grow.

Let them help with food preparation. Kids love to play in water, let them wash the vegetables. My little guy loves to use the vegetable peeler and you can find him most nights peeling carrots for dinner. Are you using the food processor or blender let them turn it on and off, let them press the buttons and let them add ingredients too, whatever you can let them do, let them. Yes I know it means it may be a little bit messier in the kitchen, but you are teaching them about food and they will love it!

By involving our children in the process we teach them about food, where it comes from and how to prepare it. They develop a love for the process and eventually a love for the food they are helping to buy, grow and prepare.

It is the best kind of magic.

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Time for Change

May 21, 2012 by 1 Comment

Hi, my name is Kim and I am happy to be part of the Less Than Perfect Parents Team.  I will be here once a month providing you with information on raising happy healthy children from the perspective of a holistic nutritionist.  In this space I will chat about feeding your baby, your toddler, your school age children and your family.

Today we are faced with the very scary fact that today’s generation of children will not outlive us, their parents, due in most part to lifestyle – diet and physical activity. Wow! If there ever was a time to make change for our children, it is now!

So, just what can you do? Start small, involve the entire family and stop beating yourself up about past decisions. As parents we do way too much of that. You can only make decisions based on the information you have at the moment. If new information comes your way, then you can make different choices, if you feel that is right for your family.  I am here to provide information, make you think, challenge the way you look at food and how it is marketed and then it is up to you to decide what to do with the information.

Where do you start? What changes do your make first? How do you deal with children who enjoy the foods you know they should not be eating regularly? Here are a few tips I often use when consulting with families. It won’t be easy, nothing good for us and our health usually is, but the benefits are amazing. You will feel it, you will see it in your children and best of all you will be setting a solid foundation for health and well being for your children now and in the future.

  • Take a look at your child’s current menu and pick out the healthiest foods they eat, incorporate these foods as much as possible into their meals and snacks.
  • Begin to offer new foods with their favourite healthy foods.
  • When you offer new foods, offer small portions…just a “taste” to begin, and expect your child to make faces, silly sounds, etc. as they make a drama out of tasting it. The drama is okay as long as they are willing to try it.
  • If they don’t want to try it, don’t force them. If they don’t like it, don’t worry. Just smile and say thanks for trying. And then…try again next week.
  • Slowly reduce the “junk” foods you are bringing into the house, replacing them with healthy foods. If the “junk” foods are not in the house, they can’t eat it.
  • Make the healthy alternatives easy to get so your child has options when hunger strikes. Have fruit visible and accessible on the counter, chop up vegetables and store at eye level in the fridge, create quick and easy snacks they can grab on the go – homemade muffins, hummus and crackers, etc.
  • Get your children involved. I know your trip to the grocery store is much quicker without them, but involving them is important.  Let them help decide what is on the menu for dinner, let them help with meal preparation, and so on. Involving them in the process means they are more likely to enjoy eating it. And the pride on their faces as they sit down to a meal they help prepare is priceless.

These are just a few first steps to take when you are working to change family eating habits. Keep in mind changing habits is never easy. You have to keep trying. Know this when you start, set small steps for your family and change only a few things at a time. It is a process, a journey; it does not have to happen overnight.

And remember your children are always watching…so make sure to set a good example.

Please join me each month as I help you navigate the world of nutrition and healthy eating. I look forward to sharing with you, answering your questions and helping you raise happy, healthy children.

Kim Corrigan-Oliver is a certified nutritional practitioner specializing in nutrition for mom, baby and toddler. You can find out more about her and her services here. And you can connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

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