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What do you feed your Toddler?

Healthy, Practical Suggestions

Our deficient diets coupled with environmental hazards such as pollution, electronic emissions and chemicals can account for all sorts of ailments harassing our children. Some of which are:

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• Allergies and food intolerances: infants, tots and children with skin irritations, permanent runny noses or inflamed sinuses, stomach cramps and restless nights,
• Adult illnesses stalking our children: obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression and cancer,
• Behavioural problems like ADD and ADHD, bad dreams and learning difficulties,
• Sterility in young boys plus early onset of puberty for girls.

Below is information I put together with suggestions of which foods to avoid and which to stock up on. Please note, these are loose categories and many foods can straddle across boundaries. There are many ways to categorise food. Also, the list contains some foods that will not meet the approval of many puritans, like red meat for instance. But I feel we also need to be practical. I cannot imagine cooking different meals for Benjamin and Gerhi. We eat together and so I need to cook in a way that will satisfy us all. Striking a balance is what it is about for me. I count under practical considerations also price and availability of products. It is a learning curve and a growth process for the whole family to learn to eat better.

Carbs and fats: Feed the body and cells

1. Eliminate or minimize:
• Kids cereals, white bread/buns; Cake, cookies, biscuits and pasta.
• Hydrogenated veg oil (margarine).
• Deep fried foods like slap chips, crisps and doughnuts.
2. Enjoy and be creative with:
• Whole wheat bread. Rye bread. Rice cakes rye vita. Rice crackers (check additives).
• Cooked rice, millet, sorgum, oats, mielie rice/meal, samp.
• Popcorn, puffed wheat (no colours, no sugar). Potatoes and sweet potatoes.
• Butter, olive oil.
• Homemade biscuits and treats.
• Dried fruit: raisins, dates, banana chips, other dried fruit (without sulphur dioxide)
3. Add/supplement:
• Apart from the energy that carbs provide, whole grains have vitamins, minerals and enzymes that are essential for all body functions. Their oils are important for cell membranes to absorb nutrition and get rid of waste.
• AIM Barley Life powder with water or juice to get vites, enzymes and minerals, for kids and parents
• Flaxseed oil (5 ml: kids, 15 ml: parents) mixed into porridge/formula/milk/veggies
• GNLD Vita Squares for kids Vites, minerals, enzymes and oils
• GNLD Formula IV plus for parents. Vites, minerals, enz and oils.

Proteins: Repair/grow body and cells

1. Eliminate or minimize:
• Sweetened, flavoured yoghurts; hard yellow cheeses; flavoured milk.
• Processed meat; chicken nuggets; Meat stock cubes; Meat flavoured sauces.
2. Enjoy and be creative with:
• Tahini, almond milk, nut butters,
• Eggs (free range, organic).
• Butter milk and plain yoghurt (live culture), soft cheeses, white/light cheeses (feta, mozzarella, ricotta, edam).
• Yoghurt/butter milk plus fruit and nut smoothies.
• Fish esp tuna, salmon, mackerel and sardine.
• Tofu, beans, lentils, peas.
• Veal, lamb, chicken (free range, organic).
3. Add/supplement:
• Proteins / amino acids are the building blocks of new cells and repair broken ones. Provides sustained energy.
• AIM Barley Life for kids and parents gives good range of amino acids.
• GNLD Nutrishake for kids and parents gives full range of 22 amino acids. Be careful if child is lactose or soy intolerant. Give little at a time until body has made the right enzymes.

Fruit and veg: Protect body and cells

1. Eliminate or minimize:
• Most fruit juices and fruit flavoured anything.
• Veg stock cubes.
• Instant soups/pasta sauces other instant sauces.
2. Enjoy and be creative with:
• Apple/pear, grated or wedges even whole fruit (depends on child's age).
• Pawpaw, mango, banana, naartjie moons, orange/ grape fruit wedges.
• Grapes/cherry tomatoes (halved for up to 18 months).
• Avo mashed, blocks or boats. Finely grated carrot/cooked carrot buttons.
• Broccoli/cauli trees, (cooked for three mins); Green beans (4 mins).
• Home made purees, pastes, dips and soups.
• Dried fruit: raisins, dates, banana chips, other dried fruit (without sulphur dioxide)
3. Add/supplement:
• Anti-oxidants and carotenoids essential for fighting free radicals and building immune system.
• AIM JustCarrots and RediBeets powder mixed with water or juice
• GNLD Vita Guard for kids.
• Carotenoid complex or Beta Guard for parents.

Petro Janse van Vuuren