Any nutrition experts?

Michelle - posted on 06/27/2009

Kate, thank you so much- those recipes would be great.
That's great info about the kelp- see that's where my knowledge goes downhill- when you say bio available, my science knowledge isn't the best :)
Ok, so looks like I'll be transitioning to those smoothies with added kelp, with the fruit too I guess the Vit C will make it fully absorb-able? Thanks again to all :)

Kate - posted on 06/26/2009

Quoting Michelle:

Excellent, that's lots of info, thank you so much :)

I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep the formula for a while yet as it's fortified with iron and I want to be treble sure they're getting enough hehe.
But those smoothies sound brilliant for when we stop- that recipe's a keeper :)
The cheese thing is interesting too, I had thought a few times of trying to make cheese- mozzerellla and paneer- as they sound so easy. May have to go back to that again now too. Do you make your own?

That's new to me re: the grains, could be something for me to try, they sleep great but I'm aware that it could be due to a carb heavy diet. But they aren't bloated or fat in any way, quite lean actually :) Did you find it affected sleep at all?
I'm hoping that as a by product of all this, they aren't getting too much fibre too- would there be any harm in that area?

Thanks so much again for replying, sounds like you certainly have done some homework on this subject :)

Okay, let's see.  If you want, kelp granules added to smoothies will give iron and it will be more bioavailable than the formula's iron, so that might be a good solution (and probably cheaper and healthier too!).

I've never made my own cheese, I just go to health food stores and buy what I can that's raw or from goat or sheep.  I've thought about making it, but as I can't get raw milk legally (in the US most places it is illegal...very strange) I would rather buy the raw milk cheese.

I'm not sure if the grains affected sleep or not, as DD was eating a lot of grains when she was also eating a lot of cheese, before we learned she was allergic.  That did affect her sleep.  So, I don't know if it was grains or just cheese or both.  The grains, while not BAD, are rough on the system sometimes.  They tell adults to eat lots of grains because they aren't fully digested and therefore keep you "regular" but in a small child who does not need this, I think they could be kind of hard.  But, if the grains are properly cooked and combined with plenty of fresh fruit/veggies, it should be fine.

Soy -- the natural estrogens ARE a problem when the soy is processed.  Edamame is okay, or anything that is fermented, but soy milks and other highly processed items are not great.  I use almond milk in most of my cooking/baking, and sometimes coconut milk (which makes GREAT ice cream, btw).

I have tons of recipes I could share if you are interested, for breads, cookies (healthy ones!), ice cream, and other random stuff.  Let me know if you want anything!

Michelle - posted on 06/26/2009

Thanks again ladies, really appreciate all the info here, it's great :)
Laci- I think maybe I'll just steer clear of Soy for a while too, I need to do more research really.
Jocelyn- I've never heard of salba- another one to add to my list here :)
Erin- great idea about the marmite, thanks :) As a child I used to love bovril but obviously can't use that now. What's the salt content of marmite like? My guys get very little salt in their diet at the moment. I use quinoa quite a lot too, find it great...

Erin - posted on 06/26/2009

You can also add Marmite in your cooking, it is an English product, but can often be found in the baking aisle. It is rich and brown and I am a personal chef and have taught vegetarian cooking classes, also my main business is working with people with special diets so I have a bit of experience with this. You can use marmite in soups and stews to richen up the flavour, the English just put a thin layer on bread. It is full of B vitamins, and Niacin and some other stuff I can't remember, it is also good if you are feeling a little depressed because B Vitamins are good for mood.

Erin - posted on 06/26/2009

Soy milk has natural estrogen but it is not dangerous. Regular milked is processed in such a way that it probably has more antibiotics and artificial hormones in it from what they inject into the cows.

Erin - posted on 06/26/2009

Put Quinoa in their diet. It is a seed that you cook like a grain and it has tons of calcium and loads of other good stuff. It's nice and fine so easy to chew and you can even make it sweet like a breakfast cereal.

LaCi - posted on 06/26/2009

Quoting Michelle:

Thanks ladies for the info :) Great to know I'm not the only one!
Laci- where would I get hemp milk- health shop or a specific cultural shop? I'm in Ireland so our supermarkets can be a bit more basic than the ranges in some countries :) And what is it made from? , I've never even heard of it! :)
Do you guys use much Tofu or Soya? I'm wary of giving Soy products to boys due to stories I've heard about hormones in it?

I'm also concerned about soy for hormonal issues- I've heard it increases estrogen, and on the other hand I've heard it just promotes hormonal balance. So since I'm not expert I just stayed away from it, for the most part, he has had occasional soymilk.

They have it in my grocery store's health food section, I'm in the states. I'm sure you could purchase it at an online grocer-it doesn't have to be refrigerated until after it's been opened. Its made from hemp seeds, similar to soy milk just a different seed :) 

Jocelyn - posted on 06/26/2009

oh and my son also eats tofu and soy products. and we've never had a problem with them. it's no more than if your baby was on a soy formula. i do try to limit his amount of soy tho, we only do about a serving a day.

Jocelyn - posted on 06/26/2009

i'm a veggy too, and my son is basically a veggy, although i am allowing him to eat meat (daddy's a carnivore lol) he only has maybe one serving of meat a day...if that.
but anyways, my son loves almonds, and it is a good way to get the protein in a "snack" form
and my sons diet is very fibre rich, as you were saying, he poops 3-4 times a day! lol
it sounds like you are feeding him a very healthy diet.
if you want to get more omega (or magnesium, or foliate or iron etc) into their diets, you can try salba, it is a grain (seed?) supplement that you can get either whole or ground. you can add it to most everything and use it in baking (add to muffins and such) you can also put it in smoothies, but it does tend to suck up a bit of the moisture.

Michelle - posted on 06/26/2009

Thanks ladies for the info :) Great to know I'm not the only one!
Laci- where would I get hemp milk- health shop or a specific cultural shop? I'm in Ireland so our supermarkets can be a bit more basic than the ranges in some countries :) And what is it made from? , I've never even heard of it! :)
Do you guys use much Tofu or Soya? I'm wary of giving Soy products to boys due to stories I've heard about hormones in it?

Sarah - posted on 06/26/2009

I'm another vegetarian mum! Nice to see i'm not the only one! :)

LaCi - posted on 06/26/2009

Quoting Michelle:

Hi there, thanks :)
Well I've done some research and reckon I'm giving them a 'good' diet, I guess I just wanted a second opinion, you know? :) The diet is based on them getting enough Protein and omega oils, carbs, veg and fruit and dairy along with fortified formula and water. I don't have any worries re growth or development, but you know how mothers always question themselves? :)

This is a rough guide of their daily menu:
8am- 8oz bottle of fortified Formula each
9am- Weetabix, Porridge or Ready Brek topped with flaxseed, made with full fat cows milk.
12.45- Lunch: Large portion of protein mix ( 2-3 of: mixed Chickpeas, cannellini beans, kidney beans, mung beans, pinto beans, lentils) with avacado oil and mixed with either pasta, couscous, potatoes and veg topped with cheese. Followed by portion of fruit and natural yoghurt and water.
3.30- snack of Liga or toast
6pm- Tea of semolina or rice pudding with yoghurt or custard, with fruit mostly bananas. Sometimes another savoury meal.
7pm- 8oz bottle of fortified Formula each

How does that seem?

I'm also trying to raise a vegetarian kiddo, I really like your meals! thank you for posting that, i was looking for more ideas. 

One thing I do include is hemp milk (I'm not a fan of dairy products) its loaded with good stuff, My kiddo absolutely loves it. Excellent source of complete protein and its easier to digest than dairy or soy milk, still has all the vitamins of milk if not more-depends on the brand. congrats on raising a veggie kid :)

Michelle - posted on 06/26/2009

Thanks Sarah; that's good to know about the fibre- I was worried it could be 'washing' other nutrients out of the system or overloading their little digestive systems. A veggie diet can be quite fibre rich.
I think they're getting a good range of everything, and for complex carbs- porridge oats, wholewheat pasta, quinoa, flaxseed, potatoes, cous cous- as many whole foods as possible really. Sounds like what I'm doing is okay then?

Sarah - posted on 06/26/2009

Excess fibre will pass out of the body and as long as they are complex carbs (whole grains and the like) it is hard to over carb kids...they burn through the energy...it is when they are fed sugars and othe simple carbs that they run into problems. The most important thing to look at is that they are getting a variety of foods and they are whole foods when ever possible.

Michelle - posted on 06/26/2009

Excellent, that's lots of info, thank you so much :)

I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep the formula for a while yet as it's fortified with iron and I want to be treble sure they're getting enough hehe.
But those smoothies sound brilliant for when we stop- that recipe's a keeper :)
The cheese thing is interesting too, I had thought a few times of trying to make cheese- mozzerellla and paneer- as they sound so easy. May have to go back to that again now too. Do you make your own?

That's new to me re: the grains, could be something for me to try, they sleep great but I'm aware that it could be due to a carb heavy diet. But they aren't bloated or fat in any way, quite lean actually :) Did you find it affected sleep at all?
I'm hoping that as a by product of all this, they aren't getting too much fibre too- would there be any harm in that area?

Thanks so much again for replying, sounds like you certainly have done some homework on this subject :)

Kate - posted on 06/26/2009

It looks pretty good. Since you're not doing meat, have you thought about not doing dairy? Or limiting to certain types of dairy, like goat/sheep or raw dairy? Your sons would benefit more and get more nutrients from raw dairy than from pasteurized, and raw cheese, at least, is easy to get.

They are over age 1 -- do they need formula now? What we've done in the morning is smoothies (although we do breastfeed first). The smoothies are a mix of frozen fruit (strawberries, peaches, mangoes, pineapples -- but you can choose whatever), blueberry/pomegranate juice (again you can choose...I like that for the antioxidants but it also tastes good), coconut oil (unrefined), flax oil, and probiotics. You could add natural yogurt if you wanted to in addition or instead of something. This smoothie has lots of fat and calories so is good to start the day. We pair this with some spelt bread (sometimes) or eggs.

If you're not totally vegan, eggs (cage-free, organic) could be good. Peanut butter is good if they're not allergic to peanuts.

I would say, in general -- offer even more fruits/veggies and protein, and maybe less grains. The grains you're offering are GOOD but kids don't have the enzymes to properly digest them until 18 - 24 months, plus the Western diet tends to be overly grain-heavy. My DD, now, will eat tons of protein, fruit and veggies and not too many grains...no matter what she's offered. Since changing around she's growing better, seems to have more energy, and no more diaper rash/allergy issues.

Just some thoughts. :)

Michelle - posted on 06/26/2009

Hi there, thanks :)
Well I've done some research and reckon I'm giving them a 'good' diet, I guess I just wanted a second opinion, you know? :) The diet is based on them getting enough Protein and omega oils, carbs, veg and fruit and dairy along with fortified formula and water. I don't have any worries re growth or development, but you know how mothers always question themselves? :)

This is a rough guide of their daily menu:
8am- 8oz bottle of fortified Formula each
9am- Weetabix, Porridge or Ready Brek topped with flaxseed, made with full fat cows milk.
12.45- Lunch: Large portion of protein mix ( 2-3 of: mixed Chickpeas, cannellini beans, kidney beans, mung beans, pinto beans, lentils) with avacado oil and mixed with either pasta, couscous, potatoes and veg topped with cheese. Followed by portion of fruit and natural yoghurt and water.
3.30- snack of Liga or toast
6pm- Tea of semolina or rice pudding with yoghurt or custard, with fruit mostly bananas. Sometimes another savoury meal.
7pm- 8oz bottle of fortified Formula each

How does that seem?

Kate - posted on 06/26/2009

I'm not an "expert" but I have done a LOT of research on diet/nutrition so I would be willing to help if you want. :)