The birth of my baby boy was an elating experience, filled with joy and wonder.
But even as I welcomed Magnus into the world, I faced not only the anxiety of new motherhood, but the added stress of knowing that Magnus had been born with an abnormal liver. His doctors initially feared it was a rare disease called alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency that often leads to complete liver failure, requiring a liver transplant. While, fortunately, this turned out not to be the case, the first months of his life were spent in hospitals and clinics, going from one specialist’s office to another.
Like many parents of a child with a serious health condition, I felt frustrated at the lack of control I had in keeping him healthy. In those early days, we depended solely on the views of doctors and specialists. I summoned the courage to face the visits to the hospitals day after day, but I felt helpless during his painful interventions and blood work, sonograms of his organs, and the constant fasting he had to endure for the numerous tests; it was easy to give in to despair. But as Magnus grew stronger by the month, thriving first on breast milk and then on solid foods, I realized that there was something that I could determine and take control of for my baby’s health. Besides providing love, support, and care for him, I saw that I could do my best to give my son the most nutritious foods possible to improve his overall health and growth.
I began to look fervently for resources for cooking for babies. What I found was only a handful of books of what I thought was underwhelming quality. Some had very few recipes; some were quite dated; others were extremely confusing; and still others were very limited in the range of flavors they presented. Many featured bland foods that I would not eat myself. Moreover, while I found multiple support systems for breast-feeding mothers, there was little available for new mothers who had to learn how to feed their babies beyond breast milk. I could not find a comprehensive book on feeding babies and toddlers, especially one that provided essential information on food safety, a very basic feeding guide, and reasons behind why certain foods should be introduced at different stages for a baby’s growing digestive system. I struggled to find information in a variety of resources, which took energy and time that I did not have much of when my baby was 4 months old and ready for solids. I knew that I could not be the only mother who was concerned about infant nutrition.
The more I searched to find good nutritional information for my son’s growing body in the existing literature, the more I became aware of the need for a holistic approach to food for a growing infant and child. What the infant eats nurtures his entire little body–—his organs, bone structure, eyes, mouth, and brain. I was convinced that my son’s condition could not be dealt with by simply feeding him foods aimed only to fortify his liver. He would have to take in vitamins and minerals that would strengthen his entire being.
The search for nutritious meals led me to learn about certain “superfoods”—foods that provide more than the essential nutrients found in protein, fats, and carbohydrates. They benefit specific human functions, such as blood circulation, bone growth, and the immune system. I was particularly inspired by the information in the field of cognitive developmental research about particular foods that support healthy brain function and development. I began to call certain foods that provided particularly brain-beneficial nutrients “brainfoods”—and for my son’s food, “baby brainfoods.” From that point on, I became much more conscious of everything I cooked, and I tried to include essential foods for healthy body and brain function in everything I made.
As I pored over the existing cookbooks for recipes for baby and toddler food, my most striking discovery was that all of them virtually ignored the importance of a meal’s textures, flavors, scents, and visuals for a developing brain. In other words, no book that I found addressed how important food is as the principal source of brain stimulation. The oral senses are a major component in an infant’s learning and growing process. Anyone with an infant knows that everything goes into the mouth; this is how an infant understands and connects with the new world around him. It’s a fundamental part of a baby’s life.
Between birth and 2 years of age, the human brain experiences exponential growth that will never repeat itself. This is the prime time to provide mental stimulation and enhance the receptivity of the palate. It makes perfect sense to approach nourishment from this perspective.
What surprised me the most was that in the last 15 years, the United States has undergone a significant shift in its eating and cooking culture, which includes a renewed emphasis on organic foods and receptiveness to world cuisine. But this great cultural transformation was only benefitting adults.
Smart Bites for Baby is an alternative and original approach to cooking for and feeding babies and toddlers, focusing not just on fresh organic ingredients, but also on foods that scientific research has proven to enhance development and stimulation of the brain, mouth, and eyes. It entails an entirely different vision of food for young children—as a source of learning, physical and mental development, sensory stimulation, and fun. Eating, tasting, and feeling are developmental tools in and of themselves, and the entire process of feeding babies and children should be approached as such.
I wanted to cook foods for my baby that could stimulate his senses, boost his physical and mental development, and awaken his palate to appreciate a diverse array of flavors. I wanted to provide the foundation for him to experience food as an inspiring and exciting part of daily life. I wanted to build up his resistance and, at the same time, allow him to have an open spirit toward food. The experience of eating, sharing, and sampling new flavors with loved ones is, for me, one of the most intimate and joyful activities we have as social beings. On the practical side, I also wanted to give him fresh, organic, and vitamin-packed meals without spending hours in the kitchen.
I began to experiment and research recipes from my Japanese cooking culture and realized that cooking for a baby and toddler in Japan always takes into consideration texture, color, and flavor to enhance mealtime experience and simultaneously stimulate the brain, eyes, and mouth. Some of those “brainfoods” also happen to be the main components of Japanese food—fatty fish, seaweed, and soy. Omega-3 fatty acids could be included in most meals after 8 months of age. It was natural, then, for me to turn to the basics of Japanese food when creating my recipes. It is also a Japanese approach to emphasize vegetables and fruits that reflect the flavor, color, and scent of the changing seasons. Following nature in this way allows the body to replenish itself with vitamins and minerals from seasonal ingredients that can specifically target the weather (for example, watermelon in the summer to cool the body, or chestnuts in the fall for complex carbohydrates).
This, in turn, inspired me to delve in to other countries’ food cultures—starting with my husband’s culture (Norway); then France, where I lived for over 15 years; then other European cultures; and then to Asian, African, and Latin American cultures. As I researched different cooking traditions, I found that all over the world, babies were being introduced to more variety and intensity in textures and flavors much earlier than babies in the United States, including spices and aromatics, as well as a diversity of tangy, tart, salty, and sweet tastes. In other words, babies’ taste buds and palates were being challenged and stimulated in different ways all over the world while many children in the U.S. were being given the standard pureed food out of a jar, then on to chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese on a daily basis.
As a result, the recipes in Smart Bites for Baby draw on world flavors, with the intention of introducing as much variety to the new, developing palate as possible and as early as possible. The ingredients call for organic, fresh, seasonal, and local produce.
I know that all parents want to provide optimal conditions for their babies and children so they grow up healthy and strong. How to give them the most well-balanced, nutritious meals possible, prepared with care, is what I have tried to share with my friends, and what I share with you now.
Chapters are organized by months, from the initial solid food feedings—sometime between 4 and 6 months (depending on the recommendation of your pediatrician on when you start solids for your baby), up to 3 years and beyond.
The first 8 months of a child’s life are specifically geared toward your child’s journey from experiencing simply breast milk or formula to a whole new world of sensations, looking at food as a sensory adventure in taste, texture, temperature (at this point, cold, warm, room temperature), touch, and smell. This is the time for your child to explore food to the maximum. According to registered dietician Bonnie Modugno, this phase has two objectives:
1. To introduce and increase the variety of foods in a safe and measured way.
2. To approach eating and food as developmental tools.
The physical aspect of eating marks a critical step in improving a child’s motor skills, muscle development, and hand and eye coordination. These, in turn, all enhance the capacity for verbal communication.
As we move on toward 12 months and beyond, we will use recipes and quantities that are for family meals—recipes for kids and adults alike. These recipes are meant to help your child become receptive to a variety of flavors and textures, while not “overdoing it.” While every stage of eating for a child presents challenges—introducing new sensations can mean dealing with phases of fussiness—it is important to remember that every phase also presents opportunities.
The recipes from 24 months on strongly emphasize variation in flavor combinations, surprising your child’s palate with unexpected mixtures of tastes, smells, and textures. The recipes may seem to be more intricate, but it is mostly because of the unusual ingredients I use. Don’t get discouraged; it is a lot simpler than it may first appear.
In this book, you will see a lot of recipes containing salmon, sardines, walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, soybeans, seaweed, and eggs, among others. This is because these particular ingredients have the highest DHA Omega-3 fatty acids. I also thought it would be helpful to give options in cooking these Omega-3 rich foods, especially since many mothers often ask me for different ways to prepare the salmon that they so often just stick in the oven and then serve. You can use any other kind of fish, however, in the recipes that call for salmon, herring, cod, or sardines. When you see some of these key ingredients, you may wonder with a tinge of skepticism, “Seaweed? Will my baby eat seaweed?” You may be surprised. The key is to be open-minded about foods that you may not be familiar with yourself and allow your baby to be exposed to all kinds of foods.
If you are ever in doubt about any aspects of this book, talk to your pediatrician and follow the medical guidance. If your pediatrician recommends a different kind of diet for your baby, by all means, please follow his or her advice.
In using this book, which contains recipes with varying nutritional focus—some centered on protein or on complex carbohydrates, others on fruits and vegetables, some on desserts/treats—it is important to be mindful of balance when feeding your child. Balance can mean several things: attention given to not overfeeding or underfeeding; the balance of protein, vegetables, and carbohydrate in a meal; and a balanced intake of vitamins and minerals from food.
For almost all of the recipes in this book, I use unprocessed whole foods, which are naturally rich in vitamins and minerals. I try to point out the nutritional value of an ingredient whenever it is first introduced in the book. Keep in mind, however, that while a recipe may primarily focus on a protein, carb, or a vegetable, a child should consume a balance of all three. To this end, nutritionist Bonnie Modugno suggests giving your baby one tablespoon of each—protein, vegetable, carbohydrate—and then when your baby has finished all of that, providing the next round of tablespoons. This helps prevent your child taking in only protein or only carbs, for example. Later on, as your child grows and begins to eat independently, you may find that your child will focus on eating one kind of food—say carbohydrates—for one meal or even for an entire day. But children will usually balance out their diet and consume protein the following meal or day, as well as vegetables, so rather than force your child to eat each food group in one sitting, you should allow your child to have some decision-making power on this (unless, of course, your child wants to eat only sweets all day long).
You will notice that I introduce desserts at the 9 to 11 month period, mostly with brown sugar or agave nectar used as sweeteners. I realize that many mothers today do not want to give any sweets to their young children, but I tend to think that sweets are a joyful part of life if made with unprocessed sugar and other healthy ingredients. I included many recipes I use for weekends and special occasions.
There are many approaches and methods to feeding babies and toddlers, and I encourage everyone to learn and read as much as possible and to make choices that are right for them. For my part, with this cookbook, I wanted to go beyond thinking about food in its purest utilitarian form as simply calorie intake. For children, food is about joyfully exploring, discovering, and learning.
It is a scientific fact that children from birth to the age of 2 experience incredible brain growth and maintain an openness to trying new things that is unlike any other period in their lives. The opportunity is ripe to introduce foods that will nurture not only their physical growth, but their intellectual growth as well by tapping into the receptivity of their palate.
Moreover, introducing world flavors is also a way to connect your child to the richness of other cultures and traditions all over the globe. It is important for me to raise my child to be a world citizen, to be resilient when faced with challenges, curious to novelty, and enthusiastic about diversity. This is a small, but concrete, way for me to show him to not fear embracing new things, different cultures, and “foreign” places. It is all right there in our kitchen: we eat what the people of Morocco, Portugal, Senegal, Peru, and Thailand all eat. Food is a universal heritage that connects all of us. It doesn’t matter where you go in the world, people bond by breaking bread together, and I want to share this heartening perspective with my son.
All of this inevitably means that you will have to spend a little more time and energy thinking about what you feed your baby, shopping for ingredients, and, of course, trying new recipes and getting accustomed to a new way of cooking and feeding. But if you have picked up this book, you are certainly someone who cares deeply about what your baby or toddler is eating. You are also ready to make a commitment to feed your child in ways that can have a positive impact. Not everyone can cook from scratch for every single meal, nor are they expected to do so. There is no pressure to make every meal a perfect “brainfood” meal. Parents have to find the right fit for their child, their family, as well as their time and energy. I hope that Smart Bites for Baby can help you in your efforts to find the right approach to food for your child.
Omega 3: The Essential Brain Oil
The benefits of DHA, an Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid have long been known and accepted among many cultures. In Scandinavian countries, parents give daily spoonfuls of cod liver oil—a concentration of DHA—to their children from infancy. In most parts of Asia, fatty fish, such as mackerel and salmon, are part of their everyday meals.* Today we know that DHA is available from many sources: vegetables, seeds, sea vegetables, nuts, and fish, such as in flaxseed, walnuts, lingonberries, soybeans, seaweed, eggs, hemp seeds, blackberries, milk, and kiwi.
This fatty acid is an essential building block for the brain, as it makes up 25 percent of the total fat found in the brain. It is considered an “essential” nutrient because the body is not able to produce it in sufficient qualities to meet its physiological needs.† Studies have shown that children who have higher levels of DHA intake perform better in school, deal better with stress, and are able to focus for longer periods of time. There are also studies indicating they also have higher IQ scores.‡
The brain thrives on DHA, a fatty acid that specifically stimulates the functioning and development of the brain. The brain is 60 percent fat, and the main essential fatty acid in the brain is DHA. It is found in even greater quantities in the retina and is fundamental for the development of the eye.* Unfortunately, it has been shown that in many Western countries today, most of us are not getting even the minimum daily amount of DHA Omega-3 fatty acid required. Fatty fish, as well as other key DHA-rich foods are simply not part of the daily diet. In many recipes in Smart Bites for Baby, I’ve made a conscious effort to include this nutrient in your child’s diet. I have also integrated other key components in brain development—iron, folic acid, anthocyanins—as well as key vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals that enhance physical growth and boost the immune system—such as beta-carotene, vitamins C, A, and D.
Varied Textures
Babies and toddlers are stimulated first and foremost by their physical receptors—mouth, fingers, hands, and skin. They understand and try to make sense of the world by feeling it. As parents, we have all seen that the oral receptors are especially critical to our infant—so much is discovered through the mouth and tongue. If an infant is constantly being fed mushy food, eating will not be a challenging or stimulating experience. Why lose out on this opportunity to wake up the senses and explore new sensations and flavors? Try to introduce different textures (when the infant is ready, of course) in every meal.
A Range of Flavors
As Dr. Lisa Stern mentions in her foreword, research has shown that diverse flavors physically stimulate the tongue and mouth in different ways. Salty, sweet, tangy—they all hit different sensory receptors located all over the tongue and the upper mouth, sending different signals to the brain, challenging it to open new neural channels with the newness of the taste.
During a child’s first two years, the taste buds are wide open, waiting to sample whatever is presented. The more their taste buds are introduced to different flavors, the more their brains will be stimulated, and the more receptive to a diversity of dishes the child will be in the future. In other words, if a child grows up eating a limited range of flavors and textures, it is only normal that, later on, they will have a more difficult time appreciating new or “unusual” foods. Studies have shown that the more a child is exposed to a variety of foods and flavors, the more likely they are to accept a wide diversity of foods later on in life.* These flavorful foods are safe for babies to consume because we are talking about whole, fresh organic foods and presenting a variety during one meal (the strong flavors of carrots, peas, and yogurt, for example). The key is to buy fresh and organic ingredients, locally produced when possible, and not to overcook them, as the cooking process impacts the intensity of flavor, especially for babies who cannot yet handle many kinds of raw foods.
The Visual Element
In Japan, and especially my hometown of Kyoto, food is an art form. It is as much about the way food looks as it is the flavor. The question of: is it good? is essentially linked to the question: is it beautiful? The presentation of the meal, the color combinations, and the attention to detail in the preparation, are all integral parts of cooking, eating, and fully experiencing food. We eat with our eyes, our nose, and our mouth. It is an entire experience. This aesthetic element to cooking produces a rich and varied visual stimulation to the brain. It also ensures that there is a variety of nutritional elements in the food.
First, for infants, a variety of colors keeps them interested in the food they are eating. It shows boundaries between foods and indicates by color the distinct taste of foods. If a 7-month-old infant is sitting in front of four small bowls containing yellow squash, green pureed peas, white tofu, and mashed roasted red beets, it will be beautiful and amazing to look at.
Second, there is a nutritional benefit to offering colorful whole foods—a diverse array of vitamins and minerals. In the four bowls of food mentioned above, there is a range of phytonutrients and antioxidants—yellow foods (pumpkin, squash, carrots) contain beta-carotene which is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from the damaging effects of free radicals, also boosting the immune system; green foods (spinach, collard greens) contain iron and folic acid or vitamin B9, which help with red blood cell production, enhance nerve function, and promote cell production in general; blue and violet foods (blackberries, blueberries, grapes) contain anthocyanins, which are antioxidants that can have positive effects on brain development, preventing memory loss and enhancing other cognitive capacities—for example, blueberries not only prevent the loss of brain fat, which causes brain aging, but can also reverse the degenerative effects of fat loss in the brain, and so on. Color is a strong indicator of the different nutritional elements contained in the food.
Deliciousness
The bottom line is that the food has to be delicious. Babies and toddlers are the first to reject a food that is not good. For a chef, children are the most demanding, trickiest, and pickiest eaters. So the foundation for every recipe in this book is that it has to be a wholesome and delicious meal that kids will enjoy, regardless of how good it is for them. They will love to eat it simply because it tastes good.
It is my hope that the same kind of respect and care that is routinely given to cooking for adults will be given to cooking for the smallest and youngest in our families and communities. What goes into their bodies and how it affects their budding bodies and brains is not a matter that should be taken lightly. It deserves at least the same level of careful attention, awareness, and care that we give when we prepare a meal for our most important dinner guests.
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* “For centuries, fish has been considered “brain food” in cultures around the world. Generations of children were raised on a daily spoonful of cod liver oil because their parents had a general sense that “it was good for you.” Recent medical research has bourn out this traditional wisdom. Today, the scientific community has come to recognize that important compounds contained in fish oils have profound benefits on human brain health, development, and behavior.” Goeppe, Julius G., MD. “DHA and the Developing Brain,” Life Extension Magazine, July 2006.
† Whitney, Ellie, and Sharon Rady Rolfes, Understanding Nutrition, 11th Edition, Thomson Learning Inc., 2008.
‡ “. . . The astonishing effects of Omega-3 fatty acids—especially DHA—on human brain health and development have only emerged over the past 5 to 10 years, as scientists have uncovered powerful evidence . . . DHA appears to have beneficial effects after birth . . . boosting children’s performance on various intelligence tests. DHA’s importance in prenatal and infant brain development—and its impact on IQ, and other measures of cognition and vision are no longer in question. . . . behavioral scientists are now discovering that DHA supplementation in older children, teens, and even adults can have powerful and beneficial effects on behavior, mood, and learning. . . . DHA’s stunning success in enhancing brain development and childhood IQ is likely to be a topic of intense study for decades.” Goeppe, Julius G., MD. “DHA and the Developing Brain,” Life Extension Magazine, July 2006.
* Loh, Andrew. “Brain Food.” www.brainy-child.com: All about Child Brain Development.
* “Starting at around 4 to 6 months old, children become very open to new experiences and will try most any food,” said Lucy Cooke of University College of London, who specializes in the development of childhood eating habits. . . . Studies, in both laboratories and natural settings, have shown that the more children are exposed to a food, the more likely they are to like it. . . . Cooke recommends using the window between 4 months to 2 years to expose children to as many different foods as possible. That way, when the pickiness of toddlerhood sets in, they are retracting from a larger repertoire.” Nixon, Robin. “How to Handle Kids’ Picky Eating,” 24 November 2010, www.livescience.com.