How to Feed a Henry

Last week, Henry and I hosted a lunch potluck and play date. I was uncertain about what to make until the night before, when the idea for this fusion dish popped into my head. It’s amazing what you can dream up when you’re awake with a baby at 1 a.m. This recipe is Henry-approved. While this dish was geared toward the mamas, I think kids would also have fun putting together their own lettuce cups. Henry and his friends, ate quite a bit of the turkey too; the small bits were good for practicing their pincer grips. Plus, it includes a delicious variety of fruits and vegetables. Daddy enjoyed the leftovers with us on the following day, although he preferred to wrap the turkey mixture in a tortilla instead of using the lettuce cups. Curry turkey cooking on the stove top. Ingredients 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 pound ground turkey 1 clove garlic, minced 1 small red onion, 1 cup diced 1 medium green apple, such as Granny Smith, 1-1/2 cups diced 4-5 wh...

Yesterday, I wrote about preparing to expose Henry to foods that have a higher potential for allergen. I should have posted that story a few weeks ago, but it just didn't make it into the queue until now.  So what was our first allergy prone food for Henry? We started with shellfish, fresh local oysters. I was surprised that Daddy seemed less apprehensive about this then I was. Daddy and Nana harvest oysters on Hood Canal. Harvesting and grilling oysters was a new experience for our family, but one that will be very memorable. If you like fresh seafood and have the opportunity to harvest and grill your own oysters, I highly recommend it.  A few weeks ago we stayed on Hood Canal for a long weekend with the family. Our vacation house was right on the water adjacent to a former oyster bed. At low tide, we were able to walk down to the sand and pick out any oysters we could reach. Nana and I also had a quick tutorial from a local about how to shuck oysters. ...

Allergies are a topic that causes parents a lot of anxiety, including me. When we first started introducing Henry to food, we decided to forgo the one food at a time rule. It seemed overly cautious and cumbersome to wait days between new foods, especially when there is no history of allergic reaction in our family.  We have been careful, however, with foods that have a family history of allergy. Daddy has an allergy to shellfish, although it developed when he was an adult. He also is peanut and dairy intolerant, but occasionally indulges in Thai food and ice cream . In addition, I had strong reactions to strawberries and peaches as a small child, allergies that disappeared as I grew older. Henry eats almost anything, but are we ready to introduce potential allergens? Reassuringly, the CDC reports that less than 5% of American children have a food allergy. Some studies have shown that delayed exposure to allergenic foods has no effect on the likelihood of dev...

This week’s Tuesday Tip for Picky Eaters: No separate menus. A lot of parents can get themselves into a bad habit of becoming a short-order cook when a child refuses to eat what is on the family menu. We worry that our child is not eating enough, so we make separate meals to try to encourage him to eat more. Parents may start offering substitutions of “ kids’ foods ” like pasta, cereal, crackers or even junk food. But in doing so, we may actually be encouraging picky eating. Henry gets to eat from the same menu as the rest of our family. First, it is okay for your child to not eat a meal if they are not hungry . Trying to fill them up with simple carbohydrates sets a poor trend and discourages the child from listening to his body’s signals of being hungry or full . Relax and let your child take the lead on how much to eat . Try not to focus on how much your child eats at one meal, instead consider whether your child eats a balanced diet over the course of the week. ...