The Flax Council of Canada has created an excellent brochure on the benefits of flax and easy ways to get it into your diet.  I am posting it here with permission for you to benefit from.  Enjoy!

Flax Brochure

What to Feed? This tends to be the biggest question of all, and recommendations vary widely on what to start with. Iron-fortified rice cereal is the most common recommendation, because it is least likely to cause allergic reactions.

Where to Feed? This is much more important than you think. You are teaching good eating habits which begin with structure in a common ‘eating’ area. Babies and children like to know what to expect. When they are at the kitchen table, they will learn what to expect and what is expected from them.

When to Feed? Pediatricians now recommend introducing solids at six months. This is to encourage breast-feeding for longer periods, and research shows that it’s not necessary to introduce solids earlier. Speak with your family doctor, pediatrician or a dietitian if you need some guidance.

How to Make? Make your own, buy jarred or frozen baby food as you feel comfortable. Give your baby a spoon, too, so they feel they are a part of the experience. Think calm, quiet and consistent:

Calm—this means you. Your energy will affect what and how well your baby eats. Try not to get frustrated when your baby won’t eat what you’ve prepared. Freeze leftover food in small portions and keep trying to reintroduce it. You may have to introduce a new food up to 15 times before you have success.

Quiet—this means the setting. Loud noises (TV, music, other children playing) can be very distracting. Even though your baby may be hungry, the entertainment may be more exciting.

Consistent—this means time and place. Babies are not dependent on the nutritional content in food until they are closer to one year (breastfeeding and formula provide them with the key nutritional items they need), so at this stage, they are really just learning how to eat.

Introducing solids definitely has its challenges, but by setting proper expectations for both yourself and your baby, you will have more success in the long run.

Originally Published on SavvyMom.com

Also see Introducing Solids To Infants; A Nutritional Guide

In an ideal world, each meal and snack should consist of the following:

Protein: Meat, chicken, fish, nuts and seeds (or peanut butter), milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese (or dairy alternatives), eggs, tofu, soy beans, and legumes (kidney beans, chickpeas, black beans, lentils). Protein should be ¼ of the meal or snack.

Carbohydrates: Try to make ½ of the meal/snack a fruit or vegetable (yes, these are carbohydrates) and ¼ of it whole grain choices of starchy carbohydrates (breads, cereals, rice, pasta, crackers, potatoes, quinoa, couscous). Aim to be as colourful as possible in your fruit and vegetable selections—every colour reflects different physical molecules and different nutrients. A colourful diet can be fun and is an easy way to make sure your kids are getting all of their vitamins and minerals. In addition to Vitamins C, B (particularly foliate) and A, fruit and vegetables are important sources of potassium, iron (particularly in vegetables) and fibre. The bright colours in your fruits and vegetables are shown through phytochemicals (including beta carotene, lycopene, lutein, and many more). These phytochemicals act as antixoidants which help with disease prevention and general well-being.

Fat: Don’t be afraid of good fats in all your meals and snacks with nuts and seeds, ground flaxseed, canola, olive oil and fish (particularly salmon).

By following these nutritional guidelines right from the start, you can create healthy eating habits for your child that last their lifetime.

Originally published on SavvyMom.com

Calcium, magnesium, potassium, fibre and vitamin E are five essential nutrients that are often missing from many children’s eating patterns. Try mixing and matching from the following list to ensure well-balanced, ‘happy meals’:

Having such a wide variety of food options to choose from can be exciting, but at the same time, daunting. To help get you started, here are some easy meal/snack ideas for children that cover the five essential ‘happy meal’ nutrients.

Sample Breakfast #1

• ½ cup oatmeal (made with milk, wheat germ and cinnamon)
• ½ cup milk or a small yogurt
• ½ banana

Oatmeal is a great source of fibre, particularly of the soluble kind, and is also rich in magnesium. Wheat germ is rich in vitamin E, while milk contains magnesium, calcium and potassium. These last three nutrients are key to building strong bones! Adding half a banana provides an added boost of potassium and helps to top breakfast off.

Sample Breakfast #2

• French toast- 1 slice whole wheat bread (crusts off), ½ egg (add cinnamon and vanilla)
• strawberries and blueberries
• maple syrup

Whole wheat bread is a great source of fibre, and is also rich in magnesium. The egg gives great protein and vitamin E. Adding berries gives great antioxidants.

Sample Lunch or Dinner

• 1 Bean burrito (1 whole wheat tortilla, ½ cup cooked beans, 2 Tbsp. salsa, shredded cheese)
• ½ baby carrots
• 1 mini-go yogurt
• ½ cup water to drink

Don’t be afraid to get creative! Bean burritos are a great way to introduce legumes into a child’s diet. Beans are rich in fibre, magnesium, potassium, and are a good source of lean protein! A whole wheat tortilla adds a touch more fibre to the meal, while the salsa boosts potassium, and cheese and a yogurt snack adds calcium. Last but not least, crunchy baby carrots can ensure that your child gets that added fibre they need daily.

Sample Snack

• 5 whole-grain crackers
• 1 Tbsp. hummus dip
• 1 Tbsp. guacamole dip
• ½ cup cantaloupe

Snacks can be somewhat tricky to plan because they are smaller in size than meals, but yet still need to include all five key nutrients. This snack idea is simple but well-balanced. Whole-grain crackers are a good source of fibre, while cantaloupe is rich in potassium. The two dips included are clever, but fun, ways of introducing new tastes to your children. Hummus, made from chickpeas, contain three out of the five key nutrients, while the avocados in guacamole are rich in vitamin E.

The important thing to remember about children and healthy eating is to get them involved! Keep the above nutrient chart on the fridge where they can see it, and allow them to help plan their own ‘happy meals’!

Start with Milk consistency:  thickened→ finely→ mashed→  minced→ diced→ finger foods
(use your judgment as it depends on each child to how many teeth they have and coordination)

Foods not to introduce before 1 year:

• Egg white (don’t forget you can introduce the yolk!)
• Strawberries
• Peanut Butter (up to 3 years if your family has a history of allergies- discuss with your doctor)
• Milk after 1 year (at 9-12 months you can introduce cheese, cottage cheese (a great source of protein) and yogurt (a great dessert!)
• Do not give honey to your baby because of botulism

Watch for foods your baby can choke on- for example, hard candies (they should not be getting any candy to begin with), grapes, hotdogs, nuts and raw vegetables. Use your common sense.

Reminders:

• Introduce one new food every 3-4 days
• Your child is learning much more than healthy eating habits- they are learning about social cues
• and hand-eye coordination so let them feed themselves! Allow your child to get messy
• Be patient… introduce and reintroduce foods up to 6-7 times. Introduce small amounts.
• Make meal times quiet
• Don’t just introduce foods you like to eat!
• Try to get at least 2-3 food groups at each meal/snack by the time they are 1 year
• Don’t add spices, salt and pepper to your child’s meals… but DO add fresh herbs (for examples basil and oregano to spaghetti sauce)
• Respect baby’s satiety cues when they are full. Do not bring the spoon to the mouth of the child. Hold the spoon out and allow the child to come to the spoon.
• Allow them to feed themselves whenever the opportunity is available (and based on age of course)
• Put all the food you will serve on the plate/high-chair tray at the beginning of the meal. Do not serve in ‘courses’ as you would with adults.
• Allow 20-30 minutes for a child to eat a meal. Once that is done, take the food away so they learn the importance of meal times.
• Remember portion sizes. Most toddles and young children will eat portions approximately the size of their fist.
• Choose textures and foods that appropriate for your child’s development and age. Do they have teeth? How many? Are they showing interest in some foods? Are they trying to hold a spoon?

Your child is watching your every move- so think about your eating habits too!

Ref: Dairy Farmers of Ontario Introduction to Solids Handout

Also see Introducing Solids To Infants; A How To Guide