nattō is neato

Thank you to Jasja Dekker for the use of this photo.  You captured the essence of nattō so well!

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nattō not nachos

"What the heck is that?" you may be asking.  The way it was explained to me by tofu-cooking-sensei Etsuko Kizawa, nattō is comfort food to the Japanese much like mac-n-cheese is to the average American.  Funny side note, I didn’t realize that mac-n-cheese was uniquely American until I went to a Southern-style restaurant with a few British friends and found myself translating many of the foods on the menu.  I expected questions about collard greens, black-eyed peas and hush puppies but was genuinely surprised when I was asked if mac-n-cheese had anything to do with McDonalds.

So what is nattō?  While fermented soybeans may not ever qualify as one of your comfort foods, the lovely thing about introducing new foods to babies is that they don’t know what you do and don't like.  Natto is really, really good for you, so why not try it?  Unlike most of my posts, nattō is not a grocery store staple.  You can find it in any Japanese market.  I always get a sense of smarty-pants satisfaction at the check-out when I have natto in my basket because the checker usually gives me an appreciative look and silent smiling nod of approval when natto is in my pile of goodies. 

Nattō is definitely an acquired taste.  It has a viscous, gooey texture and can have a strong odor.  Okay, fair enough, I hear you asking, “This doesn’t sound very appealing, why should I serve this to baby?”  The answer is because natto is terrifically nutritious and has multiple health benefits.  You have a small window of opportunity to introduce new foods to baby, right?  At some point your little person is going to beg you for a Happy Meal and chicken fingers, so why not use this precious time wisely and introduce out-of-the ordinary foods that are really healthy.  In fact, According to Parents Magazine, by 15 months, [most] kids eat more French fries than veggies ... taste buds will adapt to what you feed [your baby]. If that ends up being lots of whole grains and veggies, [baby will] begin asking for those.  The more variety you offer, the more foods baby will grow up to like.  This has certainly been the case with us.  Of course our daughter eats French fries occasionally, but at 22 months, she also very happily eats asparagus, beets, broccoli, baked sweet potatoes, quinoa and oartmeal.  French fries are a treat, not the standard.

  

Not convinced yet?  Are you thinking "my baby is too young to be introduced to something as radical as fermented foods."  Au contraire!  According to the well-informed Bettina RD Good old fashioned plain yogurt, a staple of our daughter's diet, is a fermented food and baby consumption of this item is oft encouraged by pediatricians to build up the healthy bacteria in baby's gut.  For toddlers, improving the diversity of digestive bacteria reduces digestive issues.  Improved digestive activity leads to better absorption of many of the nutrients baby needs to grow.  As a long-term bonus, there's research indicating that long-term consumption of fermented soybeans in particular may help reduce the onset of type 2 diabetes.  

An extra bonus is that nattō requires no cooking.  I buy small packages and mix it with brown rice but you can serve it plain and right out of the package.  Some Japanese eat it for breakfast with soy sauce and mustard or sugar.  I’m not a fan of adding salt or sugar to food I serve my baby, but this is a choice and I’ll leave the condiment options up to you.  According to the very lovely Etsuko at SOY, some people grate daikon and mix it into nattō to change the flavor and texture. To be completely honest with you, our little girl doesn't like it much (yet), but I keep trying since it is such a super-food and the benefits are numerous.  I've read that some food items take as many as 12 introductions to generate interest in a toddler and I've introduced nattō about four times. If your little ninja is over one year old, consider mixing natto with honey or agave to sweeten it instead of sugar.  You can spread nattō on toast, which is likely going to be my next attempt at serving up natto since she loves toast and if that doesn't work, I'm going to try rice crackers (she calls these cookies).

If you can find nattō, try it.  It is not expensive and if baby likes it, you’ll be happy to have another easy to prepare (yet somewhat exotic) go-to healthy food in the fridge at mealtime.  And while you're in the Japanese market, look for individually wrapped single-serve organic tofu.  I find that these tofu packages are the perfect size for meals.  They travel really well and are considerably less messy than storing partially eaten tofu containers in the fridge.  There are usually many varieties of tofu available at a Japanese market. Resist the urge to buy the cutest package -- instead check the nutritional information and select the one with the highest calcium content.  Not all tofu is created equal!  More on tofu another time, our little pixie is a BIG fan.

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no fear of spears

My thanks to  itsjustanalias for the use of this photo.

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auspicious asparagus

Eggs are incorporated into more than just breakfast in our household.  

Everyone in our family loves them and we eat them all sorts of ways.  One of the easiest egg dishes that can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner is a frittata.  If you have chops, cheese and of course eggs, all you need is time.  Our 22 month old eats asparagus as long as I chop it up and add it to a frittata. In comparison, I don't think I was willing to eat asparagus until I graduated from college.  

If you have abundant chops or purées, use them in a frittata.  This asparagus-gruyère  frittata is one that I make regularly, but broccoli, peas, ham, carrots, leeks, mushrooms, cauliflower and just about any other chop-able vegetable will work in a frittata.

Frittatas are easier to make than egg scrambles but do require more time and some patience.  The secret of a successful frittata is to leave it alone after you add the ingredients at the stove-top stage up until the point you slide it out of the pan an hour later.  A frittata needs time to sit and properly set.  If your baby has reached the point that he or she is picking up Cheerios, after the frittata fully cools, cut it up into small bite-sized pieces, scatter a few small pieces on your child's tray and encourage your cutie to pick up pieces to eat on their own.  Little bites work well for the barely-toothed, especially if your main non-egg ingredient is a purée and you substitute plain yogurt for grated cheese.  

As I noted in a previous post, some pediatricians do not recommend feeding eggs to babies so if you are allergic or have concerns that your baby may be, be sure to ask first.  Our doc said it was fine to introduce eggs to our daughter before 12 months. We did and she gobbled them right up from the start. Nutritionally speaking, eggs are considered the gold standard for protein. If your little person isn't gobbling up meat (many do not, including ours) eggs are a healthy go-to for protein.  My friend and nutritional consultant Bettina RD adds that egg yolks in particular have a lot of nutritional goodness in their fatty, yellow yolkness.  Egg yolks are high in lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidant carotenoids that protect the eyes and skin and that are fat-soluble. 

Family Frittata

Equipment:

• 4 oz. small single-serving containers
• Frying pan (non-stick helps but is not essential)
• Spatula
• Whisk

Ingredients:

• 7-8 eggs -- I get my free-range eggs fresh from the farm.  If I'm lucky, my egg purveyor will bring me a few duck eggs, which have rich yolks and yield delicious frittatas. 
• 1/2 a shallot finely chopped or one chopped scallion bulb.
• Chopped asparagus -- be sure to snap off the woody ends before you start chopping.
• 1/4 cup-1/2 cup grated gruyère (or any hard cheese like cheddar, swiss, jack).  If your baby does not have many teeth, use a microplane or substitute with yogurt or softened cream cheese.  The cheese is essential as it will bind the frittata together when it has fully cooled.
• 1/4 cup of whole milk

Instructions:

1. Turn the heat to medium and add a pat of butter or a spoonful of olive oil to the pan.
2. Add asparagus and shallot or scallions.  Sautée lightly until the vegetables begin to soften.  About 3-5 minutes.  
3. While the asparagus is cooking, beat 7-8 eggs leaving out two yolks.  
4. Mix 1/4 cup of milk to the eggs.
5. Remove from heat, drop contents of pan into a bowl and allow to cool.
6. Turn the heat to medium-low and pour the egg mixture into the pan.
7. Scatter vegetables evenly around the pan.  Don't mix them.  You want the frittata to set.
8. Scatter grated cheese evenly on top of the frittata.  Try to mix the cheese into the eggs without disturbing the bottom of the pan.
9. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
10. Turn heat down to low and set the timer for 10 minutes.  Don't touch the contents of the pan or cover it.
11. When it looks like the frittata is nearly ready, turn on the boiler.  Remove the pan from the stove-top while the boiler heats up.
12. Place the pan in the boiler for 3-6 minutes.  Keep an eye on it to make sure the top does not burn.
13. Remove from the oven and allow the frittata to fully cool.  This might take 40-60 minutes.  Letting the frittata fully cool is the most important step.  Once it is cooled and set, it will be very easy to slide the frittata out of the pan.  If you try to remove it too soon, it will tear apart and you will have a very messy mess on your hands.
14. Slide the frittata out of the pan onto a cutting board using the spatula to separate it from the pan.  

You can cut up the frittata any way you like -- you don't have to cut it like a pie.  I cut ours in long strips and then into bite-sized pieces for our daughter.  She picks up the frittata cubes and pops them into her mouth like popcorn.  Between Mr. Witty-Charming and me, we usually polish off the other 1/2 of the frittata for dinner (which sounds like a lot but is actually only 2 eggs each) with a frisée or arugula salad.  Baby Wonderful will eat her share and we reserve the rest in a few 4 oz. small single-serving containers for lunch or dinner the next day.  To mix it up and add some fiber, I toss frittata cubes with warm quinoa or rice the second time around.  

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morning oatmeal

This looks good!  Thanks jek in the box.

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not a spoonful of sugar

Soon after we introduced our daughter to her first solid food (pumpkin) we started making oatmeal for her breakfast.  I didn't see much benefit in making "baby specific" oatmeal, it just didn't seem very substantial and besides, I wanted to start her day right with a real meal that would stick to her ribs.  As I have mentioned before, I am not a fan of refined sugar so I also figured that putting her into the habit of starting the day with a bowl of plain, good old fashioned oatmeal would also be a way to introduce her to real cereal without introducing the sugar that one usually finds in most cereals.  

My Mister is the true oatmeal aficionado in our house.  He is partial to McCann's Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal but since neither of us is willing to commit to the 45 minutes it takes to make porridge every morning, we decided to take the easy path. We buy Quick Cooking Rolled Oats which are so, so, so simple and quick to make.  If you have a tea kettle, a bowl and three minutes, you can make delicious oatmeal in a snap.  I asked Bettina RD why it's good for babies (and all of us for that matter) to eat oatmeal and she told me that ...

1. Everyone should increase their consumption of whole grains to increase the consumption of vitamins, minerals, fiber, lignans and antioxidents lost in processed foods
2. Oatmeal is a good source of fiber, including soluble fiber which reduce cholesterol.  The soluble fiber in the oatmeal also means that you stay fuller for longer and that sugar is more slowly released into your blood stream, giving kids the energy they need without that fast sugar rush.

We started our little sprite with plain oatmeal mixed with formula.  Then we graduated to oatmeal mixed with a quick fresh fruit fruit purée (made in the blender) or mash.  Next we mixed in whole milk and water plus fruit and eventually we arrived at where we are now which is every morning starts with a very hearty bowl of oatmeal mixed with water, milk and fresh or dried fruit.  I still don't add sugar, honey, agave or maple syrup and she is none the wiser.  She loves her breakfast oatmeal and we love that she is getting a very healthy first meal to fuel a morning filled with running (and jumping and swinging and sliding) all over the playground.

Equipment:

• A tea kettle or a small pot
• Bowl
• Spoon

Ingredients:

• McCann's Quick Cooking Rolled Oats
• Water

Instructions:

1. Add a cup of water to the kettle. 
2. Turn the heat up and wait.
3. As you wait, add a 1/4 or 1/2 cup of dry oatmeal to the bowl. 
4. When the water comes to a boil, pour some water (not all) into the bowl and start mixing the cereal with a spoon.  If it looks too thick, add more hot water until you reach the consistency you think will work.
5. Let the oatmeal cool.
6. Voila!  Your baby's breakfast is ready.

Here are a few nutritional ways to "upgrade" baby's oatmeal without adding refined sugar.  Add one or more of these items:

• Fresh blueberries (cut them in half if they are large or puree them)
• Pureed, mashed or cut-up banana
• Raisins
• Dried cranberries
• Raspberries
• Dried apricots that have been slivered
• Fresh grated ginger
• Apple sauce
• Cooked apple or pear puree
• Fresh diced or pureed peaches
• Fresh diced or pureed nectarines
• Smashed or cut-up kiwi
• Slivered almonds
• A dollop of plain yogurt (this actually helps the hot cereal cool down quickly)
• A small amount of whole milk or half-and-half
• A spoonful of silken tofu

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o snack!

Beautiful clementines compliments of horstm22. 

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oh my darling clementine

It is a challenge to shop for produce during the doldrums of winter.  I’m not much of a winter gal myself, so it takes an effort on my part to find inspiration and keep things bright.  As far as I’m concerned you won't find a brighter spot in the market than the piles of juicy citrus that start to appear in the fruit section each December.  And among the cheerful yellows, oranges and blushing pinks radiating from the pomelos, grapefruit, oranges, tangerines and honey belles, my favorite hue is the cheery orange of the clementine.  Clementines arrive in those charming take-me-home rustic crates and are impossible to resist, especially when they are branded with adorable names like "cuties."  

We didn’t give our daughter any citrus during her first 12 months – it just intuitively seemed like these types of fruits would be too acidic for her and might wreak havoc with her developing digestive system, however once comely clementines hit the market this winter, I decided to take the plunge and introduce her to their sweet, juicy goodness and the powers of Vitamin C.  Vitamin C has many benefits -- one of the most well-known is its immunity boosting powers -- eating one single clementine accounts for 60% of our recommended daily intake.  And really, who can eat just one?  Of course there are many other sources for getting your RDA of Vitamin C (like kiwis which are also in the market right now), but other than getting on a plane and heading down to the citrus groves of Florida, nothing beats the satisfaction of ripping into seedless, juicy citrus at peak ripeness in the middle of dark, dreary winter. 

Clementines are ideal snacks because like bananas, they are conveniently packaged in individual-sized biodegradable packaging (aka the peel) but unlike bananas, clementines are remarkably hearty for on-the-go parents as they don’t bruise or squash easily if they wind up at the bottom of your bag.  I find that this little fruit in particular is ideal for baby's snacks because of their small size, predictable fourteen sections, the easy peel-ability factor, and the fact that there are rarely seeds.  I have eaten my weight in clementines this winter and have encountered about four lonely seeds.  

Our little blondie will eat three clementines at one sitting (which may explain why she has had so few colds this winter)!  Usually I sit her in my lap and peel each clementine for her, carefully removing as much of the pith as possible.  I make quite a show of removing all of the stringy pith which delights her (she finds this exercise very funny), and much to my surprise, she quickly learned the word “peel.”  As I peel these little orange packages for her, she points to the peel, grins and says “peel!” which is probably why we find ourselves peeling more than one clementine for her at a time.  

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Untitled

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