Are you feeling the need to hit the reset button on your food intake? Those well meaning New Years Goals set just a couple of months ago now out the window?
Perhaps you've been slipping into lots of ultra-processed foods (it happens!) and your body is craving some nourishing, wholesome goodness? Resetting your diet doesn't have to be complicated or overwhelming. Action creates forward momentum - sometimes you just need to know where to start!
In fact learning how to reset is an important part of sustainable nutrition practices - we do not want to 'be afraid' of life getting busy or changing drastically because it will happen. Knowing how to make small tweaks
Here are three easy steps you can do right away:
Add Protein to Your Next Meal: Protein is an essential macronutrient that plays a crucial role in various bodily functions, including muscle repair and growth, hormone production, and immune function. Incorporating protein into your meals can help you feel fuller for longer, curb cravings, and stabilise your blood sugar levels.
Start by just adding a source of protein to your next meal. Whether it's a handful of nuts (even alongside something sweeter like a cookie), a protein shake, beans, full-fat Greek yogurt, or something larger like grilled chicken - aim to include a protein-rich food to help balance out your plate. Not only will this keep you satisfied, but it will also provide your body with the nutrients it needs to thrive.
In terms of protein shakes, I have been using Go Good protein for over six months now. Fair to say I am extremely selective about what I put in my body and have a good understanding of ingredients being in the industry. I would use this daily one way or another. I often have it after training and sometimes alongside something like a snack log or (as pictured below) on of our limited edition Easter Muffins. I have a tub both at home and my office! I will do a full review on this but if you want to try use the code DRJULIE for my exclusive 15% off.
Do Some Healthy Baking: Who says healthy eating has to be bland or boring? Baking can be a fun and creative way to incorporate nutritious ingredients into your diet while satisfying your sweet tooth. Instead of reaching for store-bought treats laden with refined sugars and unhealthy fats, make a healthier option and feel the difference - not only in eating but how more organised you feel!
Experiment with recipes that use wholesome ingredients such as whole wheat flour, oats, nuts, seeds, and natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup. Of course I have you well covered with lots of recipe ideas on my blog, cookbooks and Dr Julie's Kitchen healthy mixes - all of which include extra protein too (yes I made them this way!). Not only will you satisfy your cravings, but you'll also nourish your body with nutrient-dense foods. My chocolate zucchini bread pictured below is super popular and in my Sugar Reduction eBook which is just $14.99.
Resetting your diet doesn't have to involve drastic changes or strict restrictions. By taking small, actionable steps like adding protein to your meals, doing some healthy baking, and meal prepping bulk dinners, you can gradually transition to a healthier way of eating that nourishes your body and revitalises your health. So why not start today? Your body will thank you for it.
xx Dr Julie
This is an area of growth that has been front of mind lately. We have been having deep conversations on the podcast and blog on body composition and mindful eating. However this goes far beyond that. I know for me personally that I am at a stage where wellbeing wise a lot of work done over the last four years is more visibly noticeable. I am also struggling a lot with exactly this – doing the work and not seeing the results – in other areas of my life, including business.
When we take something on – in any aspect of our lives – this is one of the most frustrating, challenging and demoralising parts of the journey.
The world of social media and our image driven society drives this further.
We typically only see the end result.
We don’t see the ups and downs – we might see the gradual ups – but how do we show this….the grind, grind, grind, potentially the backwards steps and the utter heartbreak of no results.
Or what we perceive are no results.
I wanted to crack this conversation open because if I am struggling, and have struggled (many times over) then I am going to guess there are a few others right now in the thick of this.
On my podcast (dropping tomorrow) I talk about some of the body composition changes that I have shared in a reel. This is potentially how you have found this blog. I always have mixed feelings about sharing such content. This is because I feel it only shows the outside – not the work and certainly not the changes and shifts on the inside.
I am four years postpartum from my third baby. Many, many years ago now I had a viral blog called ‘My Real Postpartum Body’ go crazy viral. I know what a huge challenge this is for so many women and the response of my blog shows this. I am no stranger to my body being online but it is still not something that comes easily.
More recently I wrote a blog on my third postpartum journey. I shared this when at a stage three years after having Ray and on the eve of my second surgery. That was about 15 months ago.
How you see me now is after four years of consistent, daily work with A LOT of downs along the way. In this time I have had TWO major neurosurgeries. I don’t need to explain how much these took out of me physically, mentally or emotionally. My healing and recovery is indefinite.
What you cannot see in these images shared is the daily actions taken simply to be as healthy as I could and perform to the best of my ability both physically, at work and at home. At NO POINT has my outside appearance EVER been a focus. Is it a nice to have? Of course but it was NEVER the driver – and still is not.
When I shared that third postpartum blog the very next day I woke up from my surgery and was almost at ground zero again. I wasn’t ‘quite’ at the bottom, thanks to all the preparation I had done, but it was a huge step backwards.
Yet I kept taking the same daily actions – if anything more so as my recovery was depending on it. It can be easy to write this off (all puns intended) but we shouldn’t. It took everything from me. It took the same prioritising of non-negotiables. It took overriding the pull of less healthy and nourishing practices – we all feel this pull even if it has a different flavour. None of this comes easily when you have competing needs especially as a mother and a woman working well over 40 hours a week.
It also takes trusting the process.
We have been talking about mindful eating. This is a practise that I know is hard to trust. Why? We have been programmed with not doing this for so long. Even my early nutrition training was on counting calories. Everyday for the last four years I have mindfully eaten wholefoods. I have never counted a single calorie. I have never restricted my volume and I have never portioned out food other than a rough idea of protein amounts. I could count the ultra-processed food eaten on one hand (if that!) and this is not from deprivation but mindful choice. Similarly with alcohol I would be lucky to have even had 10 drinks total in the last four years. Am I perfect? Nope cue huge coffee consumption. Have I struggled at times with eating? Yes! Especially when stressed and post surgery – it was an active effort to eat but I still did.
Self-Check
There was a particular time in these last four years where I felt myself sliding into a pattern that was not nourishing. I spoke about in that previous blog the importance of making a decision. What I have not even truly admitted openly is that a little while after that - I found myself effectively over doing things. Juggling the load of yet another lockdown, keeping my business going, trying to fight through all the personal change and emotions plus knowing more surgery was inevitable I started to go from exercise to nourish me to an escape from my feelings.
Looking back this is obvious in the photos as I was very lean. When I checked in with myself I knew that this was heading down a slippery unhealthy slope. I did this though, I self-checked and I made yet another decision to focus on getting strong. This kept me going right up to my second surgery and then yet again in the recovery. To prepare for a surgery where I would lose so much was challenging mentally but I did it.
I could go down a very negative path with this is….or I could truly acknowledge the work and strength it takes to do a self check, to recognise when things are not positive and how I refocused that. This learning meant on the other side of my surgery rather than doing the same – I chose to embark on intensive therapy to manage grief and healing.
In a world where ‘thinness’ is praised it could have been so easy not to do this. To hide this. Instead I faced all of this head on and learned from this.
Trust the process.
This includes trusting there will be some downs, there will be some backwards steps and yet it is all part of it.
I mentioned at the start of this blog that yet again am in a frustrating time in business. I am doing the work, especially with my food brand and not seeing the results I really want.
In preparing this content, its given me pause and reflection.
What are the ‘results’ that I am wanting to see? Are they the made up results of others and society?
I have been grinding away at my food brand for three years now. It feels like such an impossible goal to crack into supermarkets and beyond. It feels like the leap to have the packaging I want and is a fit for the brand is going to take so long to get there – others just start with it right from the beginning and here I am struggling and fighting away.
Sound familiar?!
Can I really put a price on the learning that is happening?
Who came up with the timeline of these supposed results?
Next week on the podcast I am sharing an interview with an amazing woman – Donna Davis. I have been working with Donna for the past two years on publishing her book through my publishing company.
Now I know a thing or two about writing and publishing a book. It is a tough, grueling process. Doing exactly this – all the work and I mean ALL THE WORK with nothing to show for it until right at the very end. It’s been a truly rewarding experience to guide Donna through this.
She has done the work. I have seen her get knocked back – I have needed to even do this to her work in order to bring it to life!
This was all part of why I created my own publishing company but it’s been a huge reminder to even myself to keep just doing the work.
To keep trusting the dam process!
So if you are in this right now, regardless of what part of life it is – or maybe all of it! I just want you to know that you are not alone and to keep going. Maybe you are not seeing the results, maybe it is taking you so much longer than you want, maybe you need to do even more than you are already doing (!!!) because that’s the raw reality.
Maybe you have extra challenges that no one can see and you wish you had a t-shirt with them all listed and printed on and it’s all so unfair.
But maybe, just maybe you can’t see what’s around that corner.
You can’t see that you are in fact so much closer than you think.
You can’t see the version of you that’s on the other side of this.
Keep going, just keep going – those results will come.
P.S I am so proud of you.
Xx Dr Julie
]]>Introducing solids to your baby is a significant milestone in their development, marking the beginning of a lifelong journey with food. It's an exciting time for both parents and little ones, but it can also bring about questions and uncertainties.
When is the right time to start? What signs should you look for? Do they need to be sitting upright?
I have a whole section on when to start solids in my best selling book, The Nourished Baby. However, in this blog, I will delve into these questions and provide points on this....to help you get started on getting started!
Understanding Readiness Signs
It is important to keep in mind that every baby is unique, and readiness for solids can vary. However, there are some common signs that indicate your little one might be ready to explore beyond milk or formula:
Age: The World Health Organisation recommends starting solids around six months of age. By this time, most babies have developed the necessary head and neck control and can sit up with support, which are essential for safe eating. It also means their gut has developed and matured enough. If you are like myself and just need a date to circle and not think about - use this and go forth!
Interest in Food: Babies who show curiosity about what others are eating, reach out for food, or seem eager to join mealtime may be ready to start solids. Just keep in mind that some babies will start to do this very early on and it is not recommended that babies start before four months of age.
Loss of Tongue Thrust Reflex: Around six months, babies typically lose the reflex that pushes food out of their mouths with their tongues, making it easier for them to eat solid foods.
Ability to Chew or Gum: While babies won't have teeth at this stage, they might start making chewing motions with their jaws or gumming on toys, indicating readiness for more textured foods.
Sitting Upright: There is some dialogue that a baby needs to be sitting upright on their own before starting solids - this is a myth! A baby needs to have some neck and core strength but they do not need to be able to sit unassisted. There is significant research to show the importance of not placing a baby in a sitting position on the floor until they can roll themselves in and out of that themselves.
Still Not Sure?
Sometimes the only way to truly know if your baby is ready is simply to give it a go! From six months of age a baby does need to be given an opportunity to try solid food each day. So if you have started before this age you can simply stop and start again closer to six months. If you are six months or beyond and struggling with solids I have a lot of resources, virtual events and blogs with free tips to help (see below) and you can also book a 1:1 with me for individual help - you do not need to struggle alone with this!
Other Helpful Links and Recipes:
-Why I Don't Recommend Baby Rice
- Best Milk for Babies Starting Solids?
- Baby Led Weaning Pancakes - Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free & Nut-Free
Other Helpful Resources
- Starting Solids Coffee Groups
xx Dr Julie
]]>This week on the podcast I took a deep dive into mindful eating. I also unpacked a caller question on the difference between restriction and enjoyment. These two eating concepts are linked. I thought it was worthwhile writing up the key parts of this on the blog for you to come back to.
There is no magic bullet when it comes to learning how to eat for your body. This is more so if you are doing it without counting calories or using weight on scales as an end outcome.
The constant practice of mindful eating however is going to be one of your secrets to success here. Our bodies are constantly changing. This becomes very paramount when you get pregnant. More so when your baby arrives. If you are struggling though this time it is not without good reason! You have never had the body you have now so you are learning to fuel it for the first time!
This is aside from the fact that for a huge majority we have never been taught the practice of mindful eating. Some reading this will have potentially spent 30-40 years NOT listening to your body! Trying to stick to some 'plan' or set amount of calories/portions without checking into your the cues from your body.
So do give yourself some grace here.
What Exactly is Mindful Eating?
= It involves the practice of checking in to one’s present thoughts, feeling and body sensations without judgement.
Next are some aspects of eating in which to start to apply mindfulness. Remember this is a practice and not something you will necessarily 'get' right away. I have also included an example mindful question.
1. Hunger cues - am I hungry or is there another need not being met?
2. Deciding what to eat - what will nourish me the most right now?
3. During a meal - does this taste amazing?
4. After a meal - how do I feel?
These are only some simple questions to get started - there are many more! I even include a section on mindful eating in my book The Nourished Bump. This is because you are not only fueling yourself but either your conception journey to prepare for possible pregnancy or to fuel your growing baby as well - learning to check in to your body is so important here.
Restriction Verse Enjoyment?
The balance between restriction and enjoyment is embedded into mindful eating. This is because you may want to have certain foods but you try to override that. Total restriction is going to lead to feelings of deprivation and even shame for wanting certain foods. Allowing your body to tell you will be your best guide. Giving yourself permission to have something you want will immediately take out that deprivation.
The trick then is to have a small amount of something and then check in to your body and what it is telling you. This is not a 'free for all' approach - which many of you know will lead to feeling terrible after and is not what you want deep down. You want to be able to have (for example) a few chips and then something more nourishing. In the allowing yourself it will take out that 'game' of "I really want it but shouldn't" AND (in a gentle way) force yourself to indeed taste it, experience it and then decide if you truly enjoy it.
Maybe the only way to know how you feel after eating it....is to eat it! Then you can play around with the volume. I find it helpful initially to physically sit on your hands while you assess this. It is a good action to cue this check in AND takes your hands away from auto-pilot eating. Eventually you will learn to recognise the pull of certain foods especially with those created with bliss points - the exact mathematical equation of certain ingredients to keep you wanting more and more and more!
Food should leave you feeling fueled and satisfied - not craving more with no end!
I do cover more on bliss points and the strong hormonal pull that many ultra-processed foods create in my sugar reduction guide. I am also working on a full book on the implications of sugar too (not due for release until end of 2025). However you will find this guide really helpful!
I hope this has given you some places to start and practices to try. Remember this learning is life long! If you have any questions you would like answered do hit the contact page and be sure to listen to my podcast! We do a lot of deep diving into these topics.
xxx Dr Julie
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Grains
These tiny, unassuming seeds have played a pivotal role in the history of human civilization, shaping culinary traditions across the globe. But what exactly is a grain, and why do these unassuming kernels create such debate in terms of dietary intake?
At its core, a grain is a small, hard seed or fruit of a cereal crop. Crops like wheat, rice, oats, barley, and corn are all examples of plants that produce grains.
A grain seed has three main parts:
• The bran is the seed’s outer layer (skin), which is very fibrous.
• The germ, also referred to as an embryo, is the hub for all the goodness that the seed contains (such as vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids).
• The endosperm is the germ’s food supply, which mainly consists of starch and a little bit of protein.
Are These Grains?
One of the most widely consumed grains is wheat, which is a staple in many diets worldwide. From bread and pasta to pastries and cereals, wheat has found its way into countless dishes. Rice, is another prominent grain, is a dietary staple in numerous Asian countries. These three foods are often in my frequently asked question box! To answer:
Oats = yes
Quinoa = yes
Corn = yes and no! Corn on the cob is a vegetable and process corn kernels (like in popcorn) are.
Are They Good or Bad?
Now this is the question which sparks a lot of debate. Very rarely will I put food or food groups into 'good' or 'bad'. This is because it fails to answer the more important question of how much nutrients am I getting? The reason grains are so confusing is because they all have a different level of processing which alters their nutrients. All grains are are ‘born’ a wholegrain. It is the process of industrialised milling which changes this. It's important to note that all grains, even the most nutritious wholegrains, such as steel cut oats, still have been processed in order for consumption its about the level of processing that has occurred. This is why oats and quinoa are often asked - they are grains but some of the more nutrient dense wholegrains.
Wholegrain & Refined Grains
The main difference between wholegrain and refined grain lies in the parts of the grain kernel that are included in the final product.
Wholegrain:
When you consume a whole grain product, you get the full nutritional package of the grain, including fiber, which aids digestion, and a variety of nutrients that contribute to overall health. Examples of whole grains include whole wheat, brown rice, quinoa, oats, and barley.
Not Wholegrain (Refined Grain):
Common examples of refined grains include white flour, white rice (including baby rice), and products made with these ingredients like white bread and most commercial breakfast cereals.
Choosing wholegrains over refined grains is generally considered healthier due to the increased nutritional content. The fiber in whole grains also helps regulate blood sugar levels and contributes to a feeling of fullness. In addition for toddlers it can provide some extra nutrients such as iron, fibre and vitamin B12.
Baby Rice
You will have seen the mention of baby rice under the refined grains section. This is a highly processed (and marketed) product for infants. One of my key messages in terms of starting solids and baby feeding is to avoid this product all together. In addition, I also recommend waiting to introduce grains overall until a baby is 10-12 months of age. I have a lot of resources explaining the science and rationale behind this. You can read my blog here and check out my best selling book here. I have gone on to create a product which offers similar practicality but significantly more nutrients for a baby - my Baby Porridge with Pumpkin.
Practical and Sustainable
Sustainable nutrition and food supply is not a separate variable in terms of dietary intake. It can be easy to forget when we are privileged by an abundant food supply especially in first world countries. Grains play a vital role in environmental sustainability. Many grains are resilient, adaptable crops that can thrive in diverse climates. Their cultivation provides food security and supports rural economies, making them a crucial component of a sustainable global food system. In comparison to vegetables they are a lot more cost effective. This is also why I do not like to put grains into a 'good' or 'bad' category.
All of my cookbooks contain recipes where the major focus is on wholegrain intake but still supportive of the core foods which provide the key essential nutrients. You will also find my food products follow the same nutrition principles here. I have a forthcoming blog on how to introduce grains to a toddler but cover this in detail in my other best seller - The Nourished Toddler.
Hope this helps to cut through some of the confusion around grains! You can also check out my coffee group presentations and upcoming events which is always a good option for asking questions like this and hearing from others!
x Dr Julie
In the journey to promote healthy eating habits, vegetable platters for kids become more than just a healthy snack – they become a culinary playground! Or maybe that's just me...but truly these are just so much fun!
By combining visual appeal, flavorful (healthy) dips, and creative presentations, these platters turn veggies into a source of joy and nourishment for even the pickiest eaters (big and small). So, why not turn snack time, including party food, into a colorful adventure that fuels both the body and the imagination?
I have made it my 'veggie fun' mission to keep coming up with new ideas for vegetable platters. These are some I have used with my boys - one just for my second son's 9th dinosaur party.
Offering vegetables at birthday parties or social gatherings is such an important way to promote repeated exposure. What this does is 'normalises' having vegetables at these social occasions rather than just sugar laden or empty calorie foods. Creating a fun platter makes it near impossible to not want to try them!
My general nutrition guidelines and strategies, back by a heavy body of peer-reviewed research, still applies to the serving of vegetable platters. In particular applying the framework of the division of responsibility and offering without bribes or rewards. Our job is to offer and it's our children's job (or responsibility) to decide if they will try - offering in a platter just makes it super appealing and fun!
So some simple ideas for you!
*Vegetable Train
This I have actually shared inside my cook book 'Feed the Tribe' which has an entire "vegetable fun" section. This also includes my own healthy homemade humus recipe.
*Halloween Skeleton
As many of you know, my third son was born on Halloween. So we have had Halloween themed birthdays for him! His first ever birthday is actually on the blog and I did this one not Halloween themed but still with vegetables...I knew that we would get Halloween themed ones for the foreseeable future for him! I was not wrong! This Halloween Skeleton platter has featured in all subsequent ones and it's fun to even look back on the photos and costumes!
Second Birthday
Third Birthday
Fourth Birthday
*Dinosaur Platter
This one is my latest vegetable platter. It really was simple and fun to put together. My boys kept eating the vegetables as I was creating it! You could also add in cauliflower for clouds!
As the major part of this platter is the cucumber you will find it relatively fast to put together! I promise!!
Any left over vegetables I just use to create a second platter - can you really have enough? I like offering salmon on this platter - for the same reason of exposure and for my boys it's a real treat! These homemade chips I have shared on my socials as well and are also from my Baby & Toddler Cookbook.
I hope this has helped to give you some inspiration! All my cookbooks have lots of ideas for including vegetables in a fun way - you can also check out my vegetable and spice mixes and keep watch for my new cake mix coming too (with a vegetable of course!).
x Dr Julie
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This is the perfect summer treat! This recipe is one of over 30 wholefood recipes from my book, The Nourished Bump - really it is for all to enjoy but for those looking to conceive and/or pregnant this is a low sugar, gestational diabetes friendly option.
You get to enjoy the joys of a sorbet without all the crazy sugar or loads of dairy knowing you are also getting in the goodness of coconut as well.
For those with children strawberry picking is a fun summer activity and you can freeze all those good strawberries for this! I would measure them out before freezing. You can also get frozen strawberries from most local supermarkets. You can use fresh ones you just might need some freeze time – I find using frozen you can get a spoon straight into the blender!
Ingredients
1 cup of cashews (soaked overnight or
6-8 hours)
1 cup of coconut cream
5-6 cups of frozen strawberries
(approximately 700g)
3 tb coconut oil
2 tb maple syrup
Method
Place the cashews into a bowl with cold water, cover and leave to soak (either
overnight or 6-8 hours). When ready to use, drain and add into a food processor. See notes on this for additional tips in blending cashews depending on equipment.
Add in all other ingredients to the food processor, blend well. You may need to
pause and scrap down the sides a couple of times.
If using frozen berries, you can pretty much serve straight away, alternatively (or if
making for later) place into a loaf tin, cover and freeze.
Prior to serving remove a bit before hand to soften enough to spoon out with an ice cream scoop. Store any leftovers in the freezer well covered.
Notes:
Personally, I find this sweet enough with just the strawberries and for those
with GD I would recommend keeping the maple syrup at this amount (and the
carbohydrate/sugar content is what is in the table). However, you can easily adjust
this to taste preference when blending all together.
Additionally, you can also swap the maple syrup for honey (or sugar) depending on what you have on hand.
Regarding blending the cashews, if you are wanting a super smooth sorbet, you
might find you need to blend the cashews and coconut cream up together in
a separate smaller/more powerful blender and then add to the main big food
processor just depending on what you are using. I also don’t mind a little texture
from the cashews either (and cannot be bothered with the extra step) but you will
know your equipment and taste preferences the most.
In terms of berries, you can absolutely mix and match with what you have available.
You can find more helpful recipes in The Nourished Bump along with all my cookbooks! Don't forget my cookie mixes are all low sugar, gluten-free and packed with extra goodness of flaxseed and almonds.
xx Dr Julie
]]>Starting solids around Christmas can be a fun and festive experience for you and your baby. However it can also bring some extra worry and pressure too. Here are some tips to make the introduction of solids during the holiday season enjoyable:
1. Check in with How You Feel First:
- If you are feeling pressure and anxious about it - there is a reason for this! Give yourself some grace - if this is your first baby well you have never done this before! If this is a second, third (or beyond!) child, you have never done it with this child - all babies are different.
- Doing anything for the first time is always a bit more challenging and more so when you are doing in front of family and friends.
2. Timing is Flexible:
- In terms of when to start your baby off on solid first it does not have to be six months on the dot! It is ideally around this time. We do want a full term baby to have started by seven months but this gives a lot of flexibility - for example if you are going away at Christmas for a week you can totally wait until you are back!
- For more of the low down on when to start and what I would not recommend starting on food wise check out my blog here.
3. Include Your Baby in the Celebration:
- Seat your baby at the table with the family during mealtime. This can help your baby feel involved and part of the festive atmosphere.
4. Festive Presentation:
- Make the introduction of solids special by presenting the food in a festive manner. For example, use holiday-themed baby utensils or place the baby's food in a small, decorated bowl.
5. Photograph/Video the Moment:
Capture the moment with photographs or videos. It's a special milestone, and documenting it will create lasting memories for you and your child - try to include you in it!! Parents always forget themselves :)
6. Be Mindful of Allergens:
- Friends and family members may not be aware of allergenic foods and be quite keen for your baby to try all sorts of things - keep in mind there are some common allergens and care needs to be applied in their introduction.
- You can find more information on allergens in this blog as well as in my best-selling book - The Nourished Baby.
7. Be Prepared for Mess:
- Introducing solids can be messy. Don't forget to pack some bibs and have some wipes handy if going away. Be ready for the mess that may come with your baby exploring new textures and tastes.
8. Incorporate Family Traditions:
- If your family has specific holiday traditions around meals, consider incorporating them into your baby's feeding routine. This can make the experience more meaningful for the whole family - you might need to substitute some foods but that is ok! For example we will do Arjun's famous pancakes on Christmas morning (from Feed the Tribe) my Baby Porridge with Pumpkin makes the easiest grain-free BLW pancakes as a substitute for babies!
9. Stay True to Your Values:
- This might be the biggest thinking point of all. I see so many parents struggle to factor in how other friends or family members might feel at Christmas - this is across the board but especially with starting solids. If you do not want your baby to have a lick of chocolate - say no!
-This is your baby and you are their parent - teaching them it's ok to say no right from the start is so important. You may need to have a think about just what are your values around food first - this might be a little confronting but is something I highly recommend as you will use them to guide your children's eating....for a very long time!
Further Help and Resources:
My top resources and food products to help here are my Baby Porridge with Pumpkin mix and my DJK slow cooker mixes – which are all baby friendly from the start. You will also find lots of protein-rich baby food recipes in my cookbooks and free on my blog:
- Best Milk for Babies Starting Solids?
Merry Christmas!
xx Dr Julie
]]>I had a lovely follower message me the other day asking if I had a healthy Christmas pudding - ideally one that little ones could enjoy?! Do you know what I just happened to and in all those balls that I can never keep up in the air just literally had not got to putting in on the blog.
Ask you and shall receive right!
This version is just so me - gluten and grain-free, low sugar, an option for no alcohol and best of all......you guessed it = it has PUMPKIN!
I have included my custard recipe but the real hero is the pudding so if you end up using a store bought one to save one of those balls I think that's ok!
Remember an Xmas pudding needs a bit love!! So please read the recipe all the way through first! This one will take some time and the more you soak the fruit the better (think months!!). However it will still work well with some overnight soaking. This is why I have not put in the preparation and cook time!
Ingredients:
Fruit Mix
1 cup of dates
200g mixed dried fruit
1/2 cup of port/sherry or orange juice for non-alcoholic
1/4 cup maple syrup
Pudding
300g dates, chopped
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs, separated
200g pumpkin puree
2 cups almond meal
2 tbs coconut flour
1 tb tapioca flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp all spice
2 tsp ground ginger
Coconut oil to grease
Brandy/rum for brushing (optional)
Vanilla Custard
300ml milk of choice
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
2.5 tb tapioca flour
1/2 tsp salt
To Garnish
Fresh raspberries
Fresh mint leaves
Method:
Fruit Mix Preparation (months prior or overnight)
Place dates in a bowl and cover with 1/2 cup of boiling water to soften. Leave for about five minutes. Place softened dates in a blender and purée.
In a sealable container place the dried fruit, alcohol or juice, maple syrup and puréed dates. Stir the contents of the container and place the lid on tightly.
Store in a dark, cool cupboard for at least overnight, or up to 6 weeks.
To Make Pudding (on day or can be frozen ahead of time)
Place the dates in a bowl, add 1/2 cup boiling water and baking soda. Soften for about five minutes.
Place the dates including the liquid in a blender and pulse until a purée forms.
Place the egg whites into a kitchen stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk the egg whites on medium/high until medium peaks form.
Add the puréed dates and continue to whisk. Add the egg yolks and whisk for 1 minute. Add the mashed/puréed pumpkin and whisk in.
Lightly whisk the almond meal, coconut flour, tapioca, baking powder and spices together until combined. Add the dry mixture to the eggs and stir in until combined.
Add the fruit mix to the mixture and stir in until combined.
Take a 2 litre (8 cup capacity) pudding bowl and grease the sides of the bowl with coconut oil. Place a small piece of baking paper on the bottom of the basin and grease it also.
(I use a pudding steamer for ease here).
Pour the mixture into the pudding bowl, smoothing the top for a flat surface. Place another piece of baking paper on the pudding and screw on the lid. Place the pudding bowl inside a large saucepan, sitting it on top of a trivet or small plate.
Pour water into the saucepan, ensuring it comes 3/4 of the way up the edge of the pudding bowl. Bring the water to the boil and simmer on medium, with lid on, for 6 hours. Make sure the water is bubbling around the pudding. Check the water levels regularly to ensure that they are 3/4 of the way up the edge of the pudding bowl. Check the pudding after 6 hours, and if not completely cooked through, cook for a further 30 minutes. The bottom of the pudding (the top part of the pudding basin) is the last part to cook through.
After 6 hours (or when the pudding is cooked through) remove the pudding bowl from the saucepan and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and run a knife around the edge of the pudding to ensure it can be easily removed.
Invert pudding onto a serving tray. Brush the pudding with the alcohol if desired.
Vanilla Custard
Place the milk and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to near boiling point over low/medium heat.
Place the egg yolks, maple syrup and tapioca in the kitchen stand mixer (or use an electric hand whisk) and whisk on medium until pale and thick. This may take 3-5 minutes.
With the whisk still on, gently pour the almost boiling milk mixture into the bowl. Do this by pouring the hot liquid down the sides of the bowl. Return to the combined mixture to the saucepan and whisk continually over medium heat until boiling. Continue whisking the boiling mixture for 1 minute.
Pour the custard into a heat proof bowl and allow to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Who says you can't have your cake (pudding) and eat it too! Happy Christmas baking!
More Xmas inspired recipes in my cookbooks and be sure to check out Dr Julie's Kitchen for other healthy, easy goodies!
x Dr Julie
]]>Navigating a myriad of advice when it comes to starting solids and baby feeding is par for the parenting course. One topic that frequently raises questions is whether it's okay for babies to have meat and protein at night.
Contrary to some common beliefs and advice generally given by those with very little nutritional (or tertiary level) qualifications - incorporating protein at dinner time is not only essential but can have positive effects on their sleep.
Where Is Your advice Coming From?
Before I launch into the science of protein and the importance of this essential macro-nutrient I want to open up the conversation on where your starting solids advice is coming from here. The reason this aspect of starting solids is hot topic is wrapped into sleep. I know first hand that parents will do anything to improve their babies sleep. I am also the first to advocate for getting help with sleep, including from paid services. However, I do caution around the advice given on starting solids from sleep consultants. This is because they are not trained in infant nutrition, or if they are it is very limited often not with any formal qualification let alone a tertiary level qualification. Moreover, they do have an invested interest here – that is – finding a “reason” as to why a baby is not sleeping. Blaming a certain food can be an easier solution than guiding an infant to join sleep cycles and to figure out the parenting style that best suits a family to do this.
While sleep consultants are often coming from a good place this can do more damage. This is because parents are already dealing with a huge volume of confusing and conflicting advice around starting solids (and sleep). Never (like never, ever) in research will we draw lines of causation. What this means is that we will never say x causes y. In this case “protein at night is causing your baby to wake up” or ANY food for that matter – because we simply do not know. There may be associations or some foods that are more likely to impact. However this is quite different to “cause”. So watch for this!
In addition, in research, there would never be one variable or one isolated observation used. To explain in this context, if a baby has steak at night (on a singular night) and then wakes up a few times – saying it is the steak after only one night…..again is simply not possible to know and nor should even an association be assumed after only one night.
Again, I know that you are desperate to get some sleep and please do get help with this but just question the validity of starting solids advice from someone who does not have extensive training and experience here.
Right, rant over, back to the science.
Importance of Protein:
Protein is one of our three essential macro-nutrients. These are carbohydrate, fat as well as protein. Protein is a crucial building block for the body. It aids in the development of muscles, tissues, and organs. For babies, who experience rapid growth and development (more in their first year of life than any other year), ensuring an adequate intake of protein is vital.
Given it is one of three essential macro-nutrients – essential meaning our bodies cannot make it….why would this be restricted at one of our three main opportunities to eat?!
Meat vs Protein
Just to clarify here, this blog is going to discuss protein at night. The reason why meat is often discussed is because the major macro-nutrients in meat is protein….however if babies “have a problem with meat” (they do not just for the record) then they would also have a problem with other sources of protein as many have similar or the same amino acids.
Night Growth and Repair:
Night is a period of rest, but it's also a time when the body undergoes significant growth and repair processes. During sleep, the body releases growth hormone, which plays a key role in muscle and bone development. Providing a source of protein before bedtime actually ensures that the body has the necessary building blocks to support these crucial nocturnal processes.
Melatonin is a hormone primarily produced by the pineal gland in the middle part of the brain. This hormone stimulates our sleep processes at night. Hormones need nutrients to support them and help them release. Iron and protein also play an essential role in the release of melatonin, which starts in the late afternoon.
So in short, it is more likely that there is an opposite association in that infants who do not get adequate opportunities for iron and protein (most protein sources are high in iron), especially at night time, may have their circadian rhythm less supported for sleep.
Can Babies Digest Protein?
One of the common reasons protein is suggested to be ‘causing’ babies to wake is that they cannot break it down or have trouble breaking down protein. Given it is a major macro-nutrient….why would our bodies not be able to break this down? Why would babies not have the enzymes to break this down. Even if we were to look at meat (as an isolated protein source) it is a wholefood and, as you will see below contains some of the exact same amino acids as human breastmilk.
How Is This Different to Grains?
One of my key guidelines is on withholding grains from babies until they are closer to 10-12 months. This is due to a babies GI tract not having a key enzyme to breakdown the starch in grains. It is also due to the lower nutritional value (and iron) of grains as a whole. You can read more on this here. It is important to note that grains are a food group, not a macro-nutrient and they are all processed. We cannot eat grains of any sort off a crop in their whole form. They all, even the most nutrient dense grains, have had some level of processing in order for them to be consumed.
Protein in Breastmilk
The proteins in breast milk are uniquely suited to an infant's digestive system and nutritional requirements. The following amino acids that are in human breastmilk are also in meat:
The last two amino acids comprise of nearly 50% of all the free amino acids in breastmilk. So if babies had a problem breaking these down…well they would have a problem with breastmilk!
Balancing Core Foods:
As with any aspect of a baby's diet, keeping in mind what I call the core foods is important. While protein is important and a crucial source of iron (one of the three core foods I discuss) babies also need good sources of vegetables and healthy fat. Too much of anything is never beneficial, as it can displace an opportunity for other key nutrients. Given current levels of iron deficiency still prevalent in babies and the small number of opportunities they get to eat especially at the start it is unlikely for them to ‘over consume’ on meat or protein unless they are only given these regularly and not other core foods.
Summary:
In conclusion, providing protein at night for your baby is extremely unlikely to result in them waking frequently. There is significant research and science to support its importance in your babies starting solids journey, including at dinner. I hope that understanding the importance of nighttime growth and repair processes and the need for high iron sources not only to support melatonin but also for their brain development helps. For all three of my boys, once they were having a dinner meal I gave them meat and protein night (Ray in the photo). As always, if in any doubt do book a 1:1 consultation to ensure that you are meeting your baby's specific nutritional needs.
Further Help and Resources:
My top resources and food products to help here are my Baby Porridge with Pumpkin mix and my DJK slow cooker mixes – which are all baby friendly from the start. You will also find lots of protein-rich baby food recipes in my cookbooks and free on my blog:
- Best Milk for Babies Starting Solids?
(DJK Slow Cooked Beef Casserole Mix)
Truly hope this helps,
xx Dr Julie
When we think about 'adding' something this also helps from a mindset perspective. We are not just 'taking something away'. From a practical perspective this looks like adding some nuts to your cookie instead of have two or three.
*Sugar Reduction Guide
This is because their food preferences and taste profile has expanded so a baby puree is not going to cut it! If you do have a baby I have a great blog here which will help and my Baby Porridge with Pumpkin Mix comes in a perfect travel size. This is not strictly for babies so depending on how your food journey has gone you might still find it helpful for your toddler too!
Here are some quick fire tips for you, which is a bit of a modified extract from my best selling book - The Nourished Toddler:
1) Expectations
My top piece of advice when traveling with toddlers and managing their food is to lower your expectations....and then lower it some more! You are simply not going to be able to mimic what you would normally do at home with a toddler - they are already dealing with the day-in and day-out cognitive challenges and desire to flex their boundary pushing with now the demands of travel on top - large cues, lots of people, wait times, not being able to move, not being able to express themselves, sleeping in different places and having less access to food.
2) Emergency Supplies
Have extra emergency supplies of food on you but also be prepared that these may not get eaten. Potentially there maybe a couple of bites taken and then it's discarded. So again, to reiterate the above, you need to be realistic here and know that food wastage is par for the course.
You are not aiming for perfect with your emergency supplies'. For example try:
*Popcorn
*Muesli bars
*Veggie sticks
*Pretzels
*Low sugar cookie - prepackaged try Nairns as a brand, I often make a batch of my DJK ones including taking the mix with me (I eat these so win-win).
*Seaweed
*Dried fruit
3) Lunch Box
Having your emergency supplies in individual lunch boxes (especially if you have multiple children) is a game changer. You can easily hand these out and your kids can pick and mix what they want - this means you can do it while waiting on a delayed flight or on the plane for example. It may mean you need to take a bigger bag on the flight but it's worth it.
4) Practice Helps
I recall one plane trip I did with all three boys on my own and a Dad sitting on one side of me said "hope you don't mind I am just watching what you are doing, you seem to have it all handled so well with three on your own!". He was going to be taking his son on a plane trip for the first time soon after this. So yes, practice helps. Not only in what you bring and what you find works but also in just feeling relaxed. I know this is the biggest difference for me is that when things do not quite go the plan, I trust that I can work it out and I have also learnt not to sweat the small things. This is not possible when you are doing it for the first time! I have had many, many years of experience travelling.
5) Think Protein
Sometimes it can be hard to know what to focus on as the most important - so my best nutrition advice here is 'think protein'. This is for any meal or snack. Now it's not always going to be possible but actively seek out options that have some protein in it. This is going to help regular blood sugar, provide satiety and by default be more nutritious. It might be as simple as picking a cheese toastie for example or a sausage roll - again not perfect but better than a donut or sweet muffin. This also applies to breakfast and dinner. While toddlers will happily chomp down on hot chips, if there is an option for some fish or crumbled chicken as well it's going to help (again as realistic examples). What Ray has at the beach there is a sausage - I often take these as they make an easy, packaged option. You can read my blog on 'how healthy are sausages?'.
As a bonus tip, depending on where you are staying if you have the option to be able to take a slow cooker with you - I have done this many times. Not only does this help to keep things cost effective but if, for example, you are out all day it means you can just walk into dinner already prepared. I have taken the boys to an Airbnb many times during summer. I will often put the slow cooker on when Ray naps after the morning beach trip. This means in the late afternoon, following beach trip number two - dinner is sorted for the hungry, tired boys!
Do check out my DJK range - all of these are designed to be toddler friendly and I have tested and trialed these on the road. My spice and veggie mixes can easily be added getting your vegetables in too.
Good luck and remember to try and take a bit of pressure off yourself - travelling with toddlers is not the for faint hearted!
x Dr Julie
This is one question which seems to generate A LOT of opinion...most of which is not founded on evidence or research.
My simple answer is = solids first - right from the first day of solids.
I want to direct you to our World Health Organization Fact Sheet on starting solids. In this fact sheet it is clearly stated that from around six months of age, an infants need for energy and nutrients starts to exceed what is provided by breast milk (or formula) and complementary foods are necessary to meet those needs. This fact sheet highlights that infants who are not introduced to solids at this age (and consume it) their growth can be impacted.
Food before one is NOT for fun! It is needed!
Please show me the robust evidence, peer reviewed research or guidelines that say this!
To understand why I recommend this from day one, it is important to understand that hunger is hormonal. When we give milk first (breastmilk or formula) in a babies routine it will decrease those hunger hormones as they contain calories. A small percentage of babies will eat after, however the majority will not and not in volume.
To be clear I am not suggesting you start your baby off on three meals a day and cut out all milk! As you will see in my month-by-month guide in The Nourished Baby, you will start on one solid meal a day. This does not need to be first thing in the morning; rather at a time that works best for you and your baby after one of their naps.
What is important is that you offer solids first.
Here is the primary reasons to do this:
- To maximise iron intake - breastmilk (and subsequently formula) is low in iron. Babies need 10-11mg of iron a day from six months and this is a key reason to start solids at this age to match that nutrient requirement not available from breastmilk or formula.
-To encourage eating on a cue not a clock - we want our babies to be instinctual eaters. By this I mean eating when they feel they are hunger NOT a clock. When we do milk first it is generally recommended solids are given half an hour or an hour after - this is a clock telling our babies they are hungry not them.
- To give the greatest opportunity for volume intake - this relates to the first two points. Doing solids first means we allow babies to simply eat until they are full. They will quickly turn their head away when they are. You might find my blog on portions here helpful as well. Moreover, it is maximising their food intake as they have not had calories from milk first. By the age of one (not on their one year old birthday), solid food needs to be the primary provider of nutrients for a baby.
If you are struggling with solids please know that there are a number of factors that might be contributing. Do check out my resources below and you can always book in for a 1:1 consultation. I have helped many parents for over a decade now with this I promise I have a lot of tips and tricks up my shelve that you often cannot even think about as you are so tired.
Other Helpful Links and Recipes:
-Why I Don't Recommend Baby Rice
- Best Milk for Babies Starting Solids?
- Baby Led Weaning Pancakes - Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free & Nut-Free
Other Helpful Resources
Teething baby or toddler?
I know it is not always easy managing teething for your little one. A baby’s first tooth generally appears between six-seven months and by around two and half years of age your child will have their full set of teeth.
Through this period your child will go through times of teething. This discomfort from teething comes from the soreness and swelling in the gums before a tooth breaks through. It will disappear as soon as that tooth comes down.
There are many ways for easing this possible discomfort for your baby. One of the popular suggestions is to use a teething rusk or teething biscuit.
Are these actually good for your baby?
My short answer is I do not recommend your store bought teething rusks.
I have never used these with either of my three children. Many major health guidelines world wide also recommend against them. This includes the NHS (UK) and the Canadian Paediatric Society. In Australia, public health guidelines do recommend them but specify sugar-free ones. This is because some processed rusks do have added sugar. However, as they majority of the rusk is made from a refined grain it does also still natural glucose in it (see below).
Here in New Zealand, our guidelines do suggest to use teething rusks (without highlighting a sugar-free option) which is a disappointing to say the least, given the need to look after small babies teeth. Let alone the following reasons as well.
Then again, there are also recommendations for processed baby rice in this document as well which I strongly do not recommend (and many brands of this also have added sugar).
It is long time we had an overall of our public health guidelines here in New Zealand, but in the meantime I will keep talking about this!
Reasons not to use store bought teething rusks:
High Chocking Risk
Any foods that are hard in texture pose a reasonable risk to a baby – babies can suck these bought rusks (not bite them) down to a size that could block the wind pipe. Teething rusks have been identified in research as carrying one of the highest risks of chocking in small children.
No Nutrients
The above list is the ingredients in a teething rusk currently available on the market – what is a baby getting from what is simply a refined grain?
Did you also know that a lot of rusks are not dairy-free like this one?
Some rusks are ‘fortified’ with iron. Remember this means it is not a natural, bio-available source of iron which will impact absorption. It is also certainly still not what I would call in a high amount – 1.6mg per serve. Babies need 10-11mg a day. Let alone the fact it does not contribute to repeated exposure of natural sources of iron rich foods.
Food Should be Food:
Teething rusks are often used not just in times of teething but as a 'distraction' for a baby or toddler. We want to set up the precedent that food is food right from the beginning. Using a processed food to distract a baby can potentially lead to other challenges down the track. This is hard in a social environment where even as adults not only were we raised with such behaviours (food as a distraction) but many foods, meals and drinks are still used in this way! The more exposure to the core foods the better and we do not want to take away opportunities for this.
Homemade Rusks:
As an alternative, you can make your own teething rusks. This way you can still get the benefits of a teething rusk but in a way that is nutritious, gives exposure to core foods.
In my best-selling Baby and Toddler Cookbook I have a homemade teething rusk – grain-free and made with a vegetable and egg. Highly nutrient dense and you can put these in the freezer to make them hard and cold initially – and soften as a baby has them so significantly lowers chocking risk.
Other ways to help teething – think hard and cold!! These suggestions are from my best-selling book, The Nourished Baby:
Teething pops can especially be helpful as they are nice and cold. They can also be a way to get in extra nutrients if a baby does go off their food those couple of days before a tooth breaks. I have a number on my website like these ones and some in all of my main books (can you really have enough ideas?)
Other Helpful Links and Recipes:
-Why I Don't Recommend Baby Rice
- Best Milk for Babies Starting Solids?
- Baby Led Weaning Pancakes - Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free & Nut-Free
Other Helpful Resources
Full Reference for Quote:
Johnson, S & Hayes, J (2017). Developmental readiness, caregiver and child feeding behaviours and sensory science as a framework for feeding young children. Nutrition Today, 52(2), S30-40.
NHS Statement - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/babys-development/teething/tips-for-helping-your-teething-baby
Canadian Paediatric Society - https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/healthy-living/healthy_teeth_for_children
New Zealand - https://healthed.govt.nz/products/copy-of-eating-for-healthy-babies-and-toddlers-nga-kai-totika-mo-te-hunga-kohungahunga-he1521
x Dr Julie
]]>
You guys know how much I love a good one-bowl-wonder! This new creation of mine is a bang together recipe which is egg-free, nut-free, dairy-free and can easily be made gluten-free. So this means say hello to a breakfast, snack, lunch-box, after dinner option.
In particular as this has no nuts it is great for school lunches as many are nut-free but the addition of the chia seeds in both the loaf and my fruit spread means extra goodness - healthy fat, iron, protein and fiber.
Moreover this recipe only uses the fruit from the banana and raspberries inside the fruit spread for sweetness - no added sugar, let alone refined sugar at all!
Did I mention it is fast?!
This recipe does use my super popular Dr Julie's Kitchen fruit spread. You could make your own....but why would you when I have done it all for you and it can be used for so many other things too!
Ingredients:
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees bake. Lightly grease a muffin tray (I use a silicon one for ease).
Mash the bananas with a fork and add to a large bowl.
Place in all ingredients and mix well with a spoon.
Spoon half the mixture into the bottom molds of a silicon mini loaf tray (I just got this from Kmart NZ).
Spread one tablespoon of DJK fruit spread on top of the mixture for each mini loaf.
Spoon the remaining half of the loaf mixture on top.
Place in the oven and bake for approximately 10-15 minutes, until mini loaf tops are golden and cooked through. Take out and leave to cool before serving.
Substitutes:
Flour - You can easily use all purpose flour, normal wholemeal flour or a gluten-free flour (just add xanthan gum.)
Chia seeds - You could use ground up flaxseeds instead or desiccated coconut (for extra healthy fats). DJK fruit spread already has chia seeds in it!
For other recipes using my DJK fruit spread (aka healthy jam!) you can check out my fruit spread cookbook and my gluten-free, dairy-free jam drops here.
Happy cooking and eating!
xx Dr Julie
]]>This is a frequently asked question of mine. First and foremost we need to reframe the question. Where possible I avoid putting foods into 'good' or 'bad'. There is no morality attached to food (we do that!). The question we want to be asking is:
"How much goodness does this provide?"
This question alone will help to guide you but for reference we want to be asking this in relation to the essential nutrients we need to consume each day as humans and especially our core foods.
For babies, one of my key guidelines which I discuss in depth in The Nourished Baby is being careful around the introduction of grains prior to 10-12 months of age. My blog here will give a brief overview to any new followers of my work.
In terms of the core foods for toddlers and above these are:
- Vegetables
- A source of healthy fat
- A source of iron
Generally our fat and iron sources are the same, and also provide protein along with B12. You can read a bit more on this blog here which covers core foods and portions.
In short does Weet-Bix provide any of these core foods, let alone in a reasonable amount = no.
While this does not mean we 'should not' eat it at all, this is a very strong consideration in terms of how regularly we do eat it or give it to our children. Often Weet-Bix is given for breakfast between 5-7 days of the week and potentially is not giving enough key nutrients to fuel what our day needs.
Benefits
There are factors to Weet-Bix outside of it's nutrient density to consider. Out of all cereal options we have, Weet-Bix is very low in sugar. Seems a small miracle given our food industry and specifically the cereals we do have. More over, it can be a fast option along with one that children can learn to do independently. Mornings can be a pressure point for families so this is a consideration. In addition, it can also be cost effective - while we would like nutritious food options to be budget friendly this is rarely the case. As someone taking on the food industry I don't pull any punches here. While we cannot change this beast overnight - allowing yourself some grace to still factor in budget is important.
All or Nothing
In my experience we can get stuck with an all or nothing approach when it comes to food choices. Do not underestimate that even one different breakfast a week can make. This is in terms of repeated exposure for younger children and also habits for older children (and adults!). This is a good place to start, especially if mornings during the week are hectic. Notice how you feel with a different breakfast that includes the core foods. When do you next get hungry? Did you have cravings at 3pm? This will be a good guide in assessing how well your breakfast served you.
Below I have some additions you could add to Weet-Bix to increase the 'goodness' along with some other breakfast options to try out.
Additions:
- Full fat Greek Yoghurt or Coconut Yoghurt
- Ground LSA (linseeds, sunflower seeds, almonds)
- Desiccated coconut or coconut chips
- Chia seeds (can also soak overnight with Weet-Bix and milk
- Coconut milk (extra fat from dairy milk)
- Other nuts or nut butters (depending on allergen responses and preferences)
Other Ideas:
Other than simply listing highly nutrient dense options such as eggs, mushrooms, beans, and spinach you might find these helpful for both the big and small humans in your home!
- Breakfast Muffins (link here)
- Breakfast Balls (link here)
- Breakfast Bars (Feed the Tribe)
- DJK Muesli (Toasted or Grain-Free)
- Overnight Chia Pudding (recipes in both Feed the Tribe & Baby and Toddler Cookbook)
-Tiramisu Overnight Oats (Sugar Reduction Guide)
In both my major cookbooks I have a full breakfast section packed full of ideas which would be great to try especially on the weekend and then build into a breakfast mid-week. Keep in mind what I mentioned above, even trying out one different breakfast a week can make a big difference, especially given it's a third of a major meals. Starting small, with exposure for one of these can be a stepping stone into other days.
I answered this question along with other great caller questions on weight training and returning to the work force on the podcast this week! Be sure to tune in each Wednesday when I have a new episode drop each week. If you do have a question you would like answered just hit the contact page!
xxx Dr Julie
Method:
Break eggs into a bowl and mix with a fork.
Mash bananas with a fork and add to the bowl.
Add in the DJK Baby Porridge and whisk well.
Place a fry pan on medium heat, add olive oil when hot.
Spoon in a tablespoon of mixture onto the pan for each pancake. Flip when golden and cook the other side. Depending on your pan size you can cook multiple mini pancakes at once. Serve when slightly cool.
Enjoy!
For more baby-led weaning ideas, especially grain and gluten-free check out my Baby and Toddler Cookbook along with my slow cooker and spice & veggie mixes all of which are baby friendly from the start of solids.
x Dr Julie
Mussels are seafood (molluscs) that live in both saltwater and freshwater. They are characterised by two hinged shells (bivalves) which filter their food from the surrounding water. They are therefore categorised as shellfish. Blue mussel and green-lipped mussel are the most common varieties.
Nutritional Power:
Nutritionally they pack a a real punch. Mussels are a high source of:
- Iron (4.5mg/100g)
- Omega 3 fatty acids
- Protein
- Zinc
- Magnesium
- B12
Top Allergen:
Shellfish are classified as a top eight allergen. This means that it is important to test for a possible auto-immune response to shellfish in a babies first year of life and give repeated exposure to all types of shellfish, including mussels in this first year and beyond.
Can You Use Pre-Cooked Mussels?
Yes! Pre-cooked mussels are very practical way to give both a test of and ongoing exposure to mussels. Many parents do not eat mussels themselves or hardly ever. Given both the nutritional importance AND the allergen testing/exposure importance using precooked mussels can make what is a daunting task that more doable.
You want to go for the options that are 'plain' if possible. Most will use a little bit of salt (this is ok!) and some a small bit of sugar. This is to keep them preserved. Yes in a perfect world we would just use fresh mussels but like all parts of nutrition we need sustainable, practical strategies first and foremost. I would much rather babies get some exposure to this important food group than none at all!
When you buy mussels in their natural form, they are alive which means they need some love and care. I find that introducing mussels or any shellfish for that matter, can be daunting to parents especially if you have not eaten them yourself (potentially ever!).
I have used pre-cooked mussels many times with all my boys! This image was of making my grain-free mussel fritters on a Facebook live with all my boys! Ray had a mussel inside a food feeder and then in the fritter (more on this below).
A Note on Raw Mussels:
You do not want to give your baby (or any human for that matter) raw or undercooked mussels. This is because it will not ensure any bacteria (such as vibrio parahaemolyticus) is gone. You must ensure raw mussels are cooked until steaming hot. Only eat mussels where their shells pop open when boiled or steamed, and the mussel inside is firm to the touch.
How to Give?
You do need to give exposure to shellfish first to test for a response. You can see a video of me doing this here on IG/Tiktok in a complication of all allergen intros. Once you have done this, you can:
*Add to a puree (both my main cookbooks have recipes here)
*Put a pre-cooked mussel into a food feeder
*Include in a grain-free baby led weaning recipe and I have shared my grain-free mussel fritters from my Baby and Toddler Cookbook freely on my blog here.
Other Helpful Blogs:
-Why I Don't Recommend Baby Rice
- Best Milk for Babies Starting Solids?
Other Helpful Resources
Helpful Upcoming Events:
xx Dr Julie
]]>There are not many aspects of starting solids that are easy to answer but this one is a little more straight forward.
For the first couple of weeks (at least) you just start with one meal a day. This will be the most relaxed time of day for both the parent (s) and the baby. Generally this is after your babies first nap, but depends a little on the overall family structure. Sometimes for those with older children, if you are already making food at breakfast and dinner this maybe an easier time. It can differ day-to-day but keeping the rhythm is the most important not the exact time of day.
Volume?
I mentioned rhythm above and by this I mean the arranging of milk, solids and naps. You do want to do solids first and milk (breastmilk/formula) second. I have a full guide of this in my best selling book, The Nourished Baby, and a number of reels and Tiktok videos too. This means in terms of volume - just let your baby go! They will tell you when they are full. Allowing them to be instinctual eaters like this is important.
When to Increase Meals?
The 'aim' so to speak is that by one year of age solid food is the major provider of nutrients. Where this exact cross over happens will differ for each baby. As a guide though you do not want to move to two meals until one substantial meal has been established. While I don't recommend a set volume or set portions (see blog here) 1-2 tsp is not what I would call 'substantial'.
Still Struggling?
If you have been trying solids for a couple of weeks (and definitely more) and they are not eating much please do get some help! That's exactly what I am here for. You are not meant to have all the answers you are on this journey too. The sooner you get help here the better. You can book in a 1:1 with me here or check out some of my upcoming events.
Other Helpful Blogs:
-Why I Don't Recommend Baby Rice
- Best Milk for Babies Starting Solids?
Other Helpful Resources
xx Dr Julie
]]>
It is no secret that I am coffee obsessed! I have a beautiful new partnership with an incredible New Zealand coffee company, Zero6Coffee. Not only is it the best coffee in the country they are committed to ethic business practice's, sustainability and supporting Blue Hope. To say I am beyond happy they are the sponsor of my new podcast - Dr Julie's Coffee Chats - is an understatement. I wanted to create a healthy recipe with their beautiful coffee to mark the occasion and this is now going to be on regular rotation.
These coffee and walnut muffins are so easy, packed with some sneaky goodness, are super low in sugar and are dairy, egg and gluten-free. Oh did I mention they have coffee in them too! These can be had basically right from oven. I am not totally dairy-free so like mine with lashings of butter...and more coffee of course. All substitutes at the end of the recipe.
Ingredients:
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees bake. Lightly grease a muffin tray (I use a silicon one for ease).
In a large bowl add the dry ingredients.
Make a cup of espresso coffee (no milk).
Add in the brewed coffee and remaining wet ingredients.
Gently fold the ingredients together with a spatula.
Add in the walnuts and fold together again.
Spoon evenly into your muffin tray. I like to make sure there are a few walnut pieces on top for presentation.
Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until muffins are cooked through. Remove from the tray and enjoy!
Substitutes:
Flour - You can easily use all purpose in these muffins (have trailed both) you just do not need the xanthan gum.
Sugar - You can use normal sugar and if you need to can increase to half a cup.
Milk - Any milk of choice is fine.
Coffee - You can also use instant coffee for this.
Walnuts - These you can substitute for different nuts and/or add chocolate chips in.
For other easy, healthy goodies do check out my gluten and dairy-free cookie mixes!
Thank you again to Zero6Coffee for their sponsorship to my Coffee Chats Podcast - here we dive deep into all topics on wellbeing, nutrition, the food industry, business, motherhood and life! You can send in your questions through the contact page. I answer these on the podcast which you can listen to on all your fav channels (check out link here). Listeners get an exclusive code to Zero6Coffee as well!
x Dr Julie
This is one of my week night throw together meals that the tribe loves. Sometimes I just put the whole tray on the kitchen island and we dig into it from there. It is also quite a 'pretty' main meal so if you are wanting an option to take easily to friends/family bookmark this one. In addition it gives exposure to Shanghai bok choy (baby bok choy).
Difference between soy and tamari sauce?
I use a mixture of gluten-free soy sauce and tamari sauce. Tamari is specifically a Japanese form of soy sauce, traditionally made as a by product of miso paste. It is gluten-free in its make up where as soy sauce is traditionally made with wheat (you can get a gluten-free option now). Tamari sauce is also darker in color and has a greater depth of flavor - however you can easily mix and match with soy sauce depending on what you have and availability. If making for babies I would recommend the gluten-free option of soy sauce.
Ingredients:
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees bake. Line a large roasting tray with non-stick paper. Arrange the chicken thighs and drumsticks on the tray.
Prepare all vegetables (if not previously done and arrange them around the chicken on the tray. Leave the bok choy off.
Make the sauce by adding all sauce ingredients into a medium sized bowl and whisking together. Pour over the chicken and vegetables.
Place in the oven and bake for around 20-30 minutes. Turn chicken pieces and vegetables over and baste in sauce. Bake for another 20-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
In the last five minutes place the boy choy leaves evenly on top (I like to press into gaps) and bake for those remaining minutes. This just lightly cooks them through which is all they need.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly and dig in.
For more helpful ideas on family feeding and healthy easy recipes check out my ultimate meal planner, best selling slow cooker mixes and cookbooks - which are also available in Kindle format (you don't need a Kindle reader just the app on your phone!)
xx Dr Julie
]]>Do you know when I typed out these thoughts?
6am on Sunday morning in Melbourne. Two coffees down (body clock woke me naturally at 5am Melbourne time) after having…space to think.
And not just today. The last four days.
This is one of many reasons I carve out time for trips like this. Yes it’s a work trip but it never feels like work because I am not juggling my children or the huge mental load of normal life at home.
Ultimately, I don’t have to justify any trip or time away from my children.
Of course, as mothers we feel like we do.
The reason I wanted to put words to paper, is that they just came to me but how did they “just come to me”.
I had time to think.
I was literally thinking of my blogs and content for the next six months (yes you heard that correctly). I was opening up the enquiry of “do I want to add any more to this weeks content”. I have another great recipe for you, plus will be rolling out some epic events and my brand new podcast is about to drop. So was there anything else that fitted with the plan.
I have had such a great trip here. A mixture of work, play, space, connections, sleep, forward planning and…..food. So. Much. Devine. Food. I wondered just how I could capture that into words with the core message of hoping to encourage one of you who also desperately needs something like this…to do it.
Actually. Scrap that. You don’t need to be desperate. In fact, I would hope not, as that would mean such needs have not been meet in a long time.
Just need. No justification. No reason. You just know you need it.
Do you know what you need? Do you know what is important to you?
I am going to hazard a guess that for some (if not many) reading this you will be like “I don’t even have space or time or energy to even THINK about what I need.”
Which is my point.
I know for me the ONLY time I get to myself in a day is at 5am (hello #5amclub). My older boys do not go to bed now until the same time as me and Ray no longer has a nap. I work well more than full time hours so there is no 'home time' while the boys are at school. While I have trained my body clock to be in sync with this seven days of the week, I still pretty much naturally wake up often before my alarm. It’s like my body knows this is the only time for me. It’s not enough, but that’s the best I can do on a daily basis.
One of the early mornings here, looking out over the Melbourne skyline I journaled. I let words, feelings, emotions all tumble onto a page. Old school style, pen in hand, pink journal on lap. I have journaled my whole life but following my surgery I have used it heavily. This is my first trip away since my surgery and I knew that when space opened up I would also be processing this time and what I went through as well.
I have spent so much time thinking.
I did an audit of where everything is at right now. I put out into the universe things I want to attract into my life.
I thought about what I NEED. What my kids need. What my business needs.
I thought.
I had space.
I breathed. I cried. I created.
I have to fight and claw and beg and put 10 million things off for such time.
But my soul needs it.
Do you know what your soul needs?
Do you allow yourself permission to even dip your toe on top of that well of needs?
Do you wrap yourself up in the love and kindness you do of your children when they need something?
Next week my podcast drops (you can listen to the trailer here).
I am beyond excited. I am deep diving into so many areas I am passionate about and that impact our health and wellbeing. In my first episode I talk about wellbeing. What is it where food fits. What is my nutrition ‘philosophy’.
Guess what – I talk about knowing what’s important to you.
Because this underpins and is at the centre of wellbeing.
Oh how I love, love, love when creative threads like this align….but I also know it’s not just luck….its due to space and time and deep soul connection.
Honoring our needs is something most of us have not been taught. We signed up to the “selfless mother” troop without even knowing it or without even knowing the damage it could cause.
I don’t know if you can have the space to think about what you need but I will be that little voice which says….do it.
P.S If you have questions or topics you would love me to cover on the podcast – just message through here. These will land on popular podcast channels each Wednesday from next week and our proudly brought to you by my incredible sponsor Zero6coffee.
x Dr Julie
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Calling all lemon fans! In our new place we have the total delight of have some lemon trees and as a foodie this is such a treat. Ray and I love popping up the drive to pick lemons together...he is also a good height for getting those low ones begging to come off the branches too.
These lemon bars are a delicious, healthy way to use up lemons - they do really taste different with lemons from a tree. The filling is quite delicate so as a heads up I would say this recipe has a medium difficulty level...having got distracted from the oven more than once though (hello mum life) I can confidently say these will stay taste delicious even if that filling is a little over done!
As the bars are also quite soft, I feel these bode well for a dessert and will not travel well. If you are at home though I think these would hit the spot for some cravings or just getting in some goodness when feeling a little under the weather. These would even be good for those with morning sickness and if you are expecting or planning to conceive my last blog might be a helpful read too.
As for this gluten-free yumminess....recipe below for you!
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line an 8 x 8 inch square tin. I personally like to use one with a removable base – just put on an extra tray in case in the oven when baking the filling.
Preparing the base filling by mixing all ingredients into a bowl. Press into the base of the tin. I would use your hands for this as the mixture is just a little sticky and press down the sides with the back of the spoon.
Bake the base for about 10 minutes. As this will get baked again keep a little blonde. Place in the fridge to cool before pouring the filling in.
Meanwhile prepare the filling ingredients. Break eggs into a large bowl and whisk well. Add in the other ingredients and whisk again well. Pour onto the cooled based and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Take care to check towards the end a few times. You do not want to cook the filling all the way through just until it no longer jiggles. Let to cool and then finish setting in the fridge for approximately four hours.
When you are ready to serve, cut with a sharp knife and dust with icing sugar and/or lemon zest (I like them just as they are, but the icing sugar can also cover the odd crack in the top!).
If you do have any left over, you can slice and store with baking paper in between bars in the fridge for 3-4 days or freezer.
For more healthy desserts and treats check out my Fruit Spread Cookbook a full cookbook using my must-have fruit spread aka 'healthy jam'.
x Dr Julie
]]>This week I am headed back to Melbourne. I have not been back since my surgery so really looking forward to visiting one of my favourite cities again. The last time I was here I was promoting one of two books I did last year – The Nourished Bump. Among other business related activities I am also recording some podcasts in Melbourne. This includes conception and pregnancy related topics. As such I thought I would have a bit of a ‘bump’ focus this week for our online community!
Let’s be straight good nutrition is hard at the best of times.
When you are planning to conceive and those early days of the first trimester there are even bigger challenges that can make it feel impossible to eat well or even eat at all.
Hello morning sickness right.
I have seen some dialogue online recently (from other health professionals) to suggest that “just eat what you can” in the first trimester and that “your baby does not need a lot of nutrients” in the first trimester.
Like all things nutrition related there is always a mass of confusing and conflicting advice.
However, this is firstly completely inaccurate – we have significant evidence to support such. Secondly, as this is coming from health professionals there needs to be extra caution here.
“A healthy diet in pregnancy has been demonstrated to be one of the most important factors that promotes optimal maternal and neonatal health outcomes
(Ramakrishnan et al., 2012).
The first trimester can be extremely challenging. I have entered that five times so I more than understand (three full terms babies and two miscarriages). However, nutrition during this period truly does matter. We also know with little doubt of the impact of good nutrition with considerable peer reviewed research to demonstrate this. I have pages and pages of references for this research at the back of The Nourished Bump. Not to mention the countless number that were read before even writing that book.
It has become more mainstream knowledge of the importance of nutrition during the first 1000 days for your baby. This starts literally from the singular moment of conception. Not only is nutrition important from this literal second – it means that your nutrition and wellbeing before conception is fundamentally crucial.
The role of optimal nutrition at preconception, has received too little attention given the nutritional status of the mother at the time of conception is an important determinant of embryonic and fetal growth”
(Marshell et al., 2022)
What About Moderation?
In the introduction to The Nourished Bump I call “moderation” out. This is two-fold for a conception and pregnancy journey. Firstly we can’t aim for moderation when our food environment and socio-cultural environment around food is not moderate. It is so grossly stacked against good food choices. Secondly, as conception and pregnancy is a vulnerable time, a time when your body and your developing baby will really benefit from optimal nutrition, now and for the future - you have less wriggle room (not more!).
Now this is not to say berate yourself, feel guilty or have circumstances that mean it is actually not possible to be able to eat they way you want.
The difference here is between myself as a health professional giving advice and what you do.
Imagine if I did say it was ok and your baby did not develop optimally?! Let alone not support your own recovery and subsequently your ability to be able to be the parent you want to.
I cannot in good faith say this!
Deep down you are also not here to be let off the hook – that's why we seek guidance out right?!
I have nothing but love and compassion for how hard this is and that we are all human - I have dedicated my life's work to this and share has much of my own struggles as possible. I written many books and cookbooks all of which include recipes and advice I have personally used and still use.
I have also not stopped there. I have started my own food brand. I am not just saying do this really hard stuff in a tough food environment, let alone a socio economic culture without also trying to make a significant difference some how there (and if you think for a second it’s easy, think again).
Learning to eat well when you are faced with extra challenges is truly the name of the game and it is part of the preparation for when your baby arrives.
Do I wish it was easier? Of course but working with what we have right now is what we have to do. As a health professional I will guide you to the best I can – for your health, for your conception journey, for the health of your future baby.
So What is Important?
Here is an info-graphic from The Nourished Bump. It quickly summaries what are important nutrients in pregnancy including the first trimester. I also have this blog on food safety in pregnancy which is a good guide.
Eating for Two?
I love a good myth buster. In fact I specifically have small snippets in the book just on unpacking many of the 'myths' that get thrown around colloquially in pregnancy. This may be where the slight confusion lies in early pregnancy. While your total energy requirements do not increase in your first trimester but your nutrient intake does. In fact, your total energy intake only increases by 10% in the second two trimesters. But your body's need for maximum intake of the nutrients in this infographic is significant. This is why you have less wriggle room than before you were pregnant - more so when struggling to get food in.
I hope this blog helps to clarify some of importance of good nutrition during this roller coaster of a journey. I have lots of free recipes on my blog - my latest ones include a high iron option of a Meatball Bake and these Gluten-Free Lemon Bars are a yummy low sugar (and gluten-free) desert option. Of course my Ginger & White Chocolate Cookie mix was made with expecting mums in mind - low sugar and packed with extra fibre, iron and good fats.
Do check out The Nourished Bump it’s packed full of information and over 30 recipes as well. I share lots of nuggets on Instagram and Tiktok plus my podcast is about to kick off – be sure to ask me any questions for this via my contact page!
x Dr Julie
]]>Prep Time: 10 Mins
Cook Time: 30 Mins
Makes: 1 Mega Bake (50 meatballs)
A twist on the old meat balls 'n' spaghetti that will get the bowls licked clean! It is made in mega volume so that, depending on your tribe size, you can cook once and eat twice....or simply feed a large crowd. The stage my boys are at (currently 10,8 and 3) not only are they eating large quantities but my older boys are doing a heavy amount of basketball after school and we have a split dinner at least twice a week. Having a meal that can be portioned out and reheated is essential for me. You could half the ingredients to make a smaller batch or two portions with one to freeze.
Ingredients:
2 eggs, whisked
1kg beef mince
1 cup wholemeal breadcrumbs
2 tsp paprika
Olive oil (to fry)
2 cups wholemeal penne pasta (uncooked)
10 button mushrooms, sliced
3 large handful baby spinach
3 cans tinned tomatoes (drained)
70g tomato paste
Topping:
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
2 tsp Italian herbs (or thyme/rosemary)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees bake.
Prepare the meatballs by adding the eggs, mince, breadcrumbs and paprika into a bowl. Combine together with your hands and roll into balls.
Place a large fry pan on medium heat. Add olive oil when hot and brown the meatballs on all sides before placing into a large oven proof dish. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan.
Evenly spread the pasta on top, followed by the mushrooms and spinach. Pour the tinned tomatoes over and spoon on the paste. Use the back of the spoon to even out the tomatoes and vegetables a bit.
Add all topping ingredients into a bowl, combine and then sprinkle generously over the meatballs and vegetables.
Bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes. The top will be golden, and you just want to do a sneaky check that the pasta has cooked through.
Allow to cool slightly before serving in bowls (and hopefully there will not be too many fights over that topping!).
Substitutes:
To make this gluten-free simply use gluten-free breadcrumbs and pasta.
The pasta can easily be substituted for normal pasta (I use wholemeal for extra fibre), pulse pasta or as above gluten-free pasta.
You could also use a pasta sauce or passata sauce instead of tinned tomatoes/tomato paste.
Vegetables can easily be mixed with what you have on hand, just keep in mind the shorter cook time.
The egg is required to bind the meatballs so cannot be swapped (I find a flax egg does not hold the balls the same).
For more easy family meals have you checked out my slow cooker mixes? These have been flying out the door!
Like so many aspects of starting solids the question of the best milk for babies when starting solids is a confusing one!
The use of milk, as in cows milk (dairy-based) or an alternative non-dairy milk (including soy, almond, coconut or oat milks) have a number of considerations and guidelines that need to be weighed up. There is no one singular answer to this for all babies.
I have previously written a blog on alternative milks but this one specifically covers this question in more details for babies when starting solids. It is a valid question and because there is no on fixed answer I more than understand why you are confused.
I have also just recently launched my brand new game changing 'baby porridge' - my Baby Porridge with Pumpkin mix - which is grain-free, allergen-free and yes contains pumpkin! I have said in the instructions it can be made with a "milk of choice" so this will also help you make that choice!
Guidelines
Here in New Zealand our Ministry of Health guidelines are for no cows milk as a drink before the age of one. This guideline is to ensure cows milk is not used as a breastmilk substitute, as it is not nutritionally sufficient to be so.
It does not mean no cows milk at all.
Cow milk falls under the dairy classification which does need to be introduced as a top eight allergen in the first year, ideally with repeated exposure based on tolerance. This does not necessarily mean in milk form but unlike other allergens which often have a number of food sources, dairy based options are mainly cows milk, yoghurt and cheese.
Provided that there is no allergic response cows milk is still fine to be included as part of a meal or in baking. Examples include a cheese sauce, a grain-free porridge (I got you here!), or in some grain-free baking.
Allergen Introduction and Allergic Responses
An allergic reaction is defined as a response of the autoimmune system to the protein in a food. This means the immune system creates IgE antibodies to protein (IgE-mediated).
The current Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) feeding guidelines are for all infants to be given allergenic solid foods in the first year of life, ideally as soon as possible, (including those at high risk of allergy).
I have a previous blog on this which goes into more detail as well as in The Nourished Baby. The key point here is that as mentioned above dairy does need to be introduced and 'tested' with two isolated oral intros before cows milk is used regularly. The is also the same for many plant based milk alternatives which fall into the top eight allergens including almond milk (treenuts) and soy milk (soy).
Nutrition Considerations
Without getting too lost into the complex topic of dairy intolerance, which is very different from an allergic response, we want to watch for overall intake of dairy and dairy alternatives from a nutritional perspective. While dairy and these plant based milk alternatives do contain a number of helpful nutrients including fat and protein they are low in overall iron and can displace an opportunity for an iron rich source. Moreover, when used in more traditional cereals these are not only highly processed, low in nutritional value but are also a grain (see my blog on why I don't recommend baby rice here).
Go back to those three core foods for a baby, a source of iron and a source of healthy fats. You will notice I have been very careful to ensure that my new Baby Pumpkin Porridge contains all of three core foods. I have another helpful blog here too on baby food portions.
Your 'Milk of Choice' Options Summary
- Cows Milk = if your baby has had a dairy-based formula before starting solids you can use this milk and do not need to do a specific allergen introduction. Just keep in mind volume. What you use in the pumpkin porridge is fine.
- Lactose Free Milk = this milk is still dairy-based so the same guidelines around this as an allergen applies.
- A2 Milk = this is also a dairy-based milk so as above, but as a side note this is a hugely controversial milk and its benefits are heavily over-exaggerated in marketing which is referenced in peer-reviewed research (I will do another blog on this!)
- Almond Milk = you need to have orally introduced treenuts first, then almond milk in meals/baking can be an easy way to keep up exposure to this allergen for babies.
- Soy Milk = similar to almond, you need to have orally introduced soy as an allergen (soy milk can be a good way to do this) before using regularly. If you have used a soy formula and your baby has not had an allergic response you do not need to do an 'allergy intro'.
- Coconut Milk = Coconut milk is a good milk for a baby to start with if you have not previously introduced any other milks or allergens. Coconut is very nutritious and is not an allergen! You can read my blog here on this - Is Coconut a Nut?. If you are using the pumpkin porridge at the start of solids this is one I would recommend using.
- Oat Milk = This is one milk that I would not recommend as it is grain-based and there are a lot of other options. It does not contain wheat (possibly traces) so you do not need to do a wheat allergy intro but nutritional the other plant based milks are a lot more nutrient dense.
Hope this gives some points to help you make the best choice for your baby! Be sure to check out upcoming events for extra support and question time!
x Dr Julie
Mother's Day is, and always has been, a very tough day. It is my second hardest day of the year. Christmas takes top prize, for similar reasons just amplified by the even more insane commercialisation and social norms.
For me it is the leading up to Mother's Day which is worse than the actual day. The questions around it, the messaging everywhere...the knowing of what is to come in terms of emotional pain. Like seeing the waves rolling in and just knowing they are going to engulf me.
I have previously written a blog before called 'Motherhood Without My Mother'. I wrote this back in 2017 which feels like a lifetime ago now. It is worth a read for new followers. In short, I had a very hard, complicated relationship with my mother but she chose not to be involved in the lives of my older boys. Through the period of 2016-2017 I went through an emotional boundary process (with support from my therapist) where I fully separated from my parents, until which time they were safe for me and my boys to engage with. So far this has not happened, and most likely will not ever happen. This meant that my mother never knew about my second miscarriage. Never knew I was pregnant with Ray or that he was born.
Ray's Birth & Deep Grief
I have never really talked about the early days with Ray and the deep, contrasting grief that I was also thrust into simultaneously. This grief came from the finality of him being my last baby.
I would never have my mother at a birth. Never see her hold my sons. Never have her love, care and support during this incredibly vulnerable, life changing time.
The never part of it was absolutely crushing.
Also knowing the unfairness of why this was the case. That it was because I ultimately chose the needs of my boys and mine over any possibility of small pockets of involvement.
A choice no child should ever have to make.
All the while knowing the help, support and care other mothers receive.
I say this grief was contrasting because I also experienced many positive emotions with his arrival. I had wanted a third baby for a long time, experienced the loss of a baby (my second loss) and concieved him naturally when thinking I was facing a long fertility battle - I found out I was pregnant with him at a fertility assistance appointment. My newborn days with him were different as I was not doing my PhD at the time, like I was with his older brothers. So to experience joy as well as deep grief, while in the throws of all postpartum hormones, breastfeeding challenges, body changes and just life with three children was a lot for my highly sensitive personality.
I had a lot of strategies in place but it was tough. I still feel grief about experiencing such grief during this time.
I had days where all I could do was cry. Feeling like my heart would split in two and yet deeply wanting nuturing as well.
I dread Mother's Day because these feelings never go....time does not heal all wounds....they just sit there waiting....and Mother's Day provides a trigger I cannot escape from not even with my own beautiful boys. I have to feel it all.
Why This Year
This year's Mother's Day is even more difficult than previous ones for me. Last year I went through something in my childhood family. I say 'went through' carefully because, I am still not through it but at this stage it is not for public consumption. If there was any tiny smidge of hope that my mother might be the mother to provide unconditional love, nuturing, understanding, guidence and acceptance...was without a doubt vanished in the actions she took in this regard. I had therapy sessions to unpack this and literally hear from a trained professional how wrong and cruel her actions were.
This is my first mother's day sitting in this new level of grief.
It hurts in an indescribable way.
It feels so grossly unfair that after all this time, all this work on myself, all this healing from things inflicted on me by those who choose to have me that I yet again have to experience painful grief. The social norms and comericalisation of Mother's Day has just ripped these raw wounds apart further.
Protecting My Inner Child
Tomorrow I am going to do what I need to protect and care for my inner child. My phone will be off completely. I will turn it off tonight and won't be back on until Monday morning. This is to avoid all triggers online and stop the flow of input into my brain. I will not be posting anything else as I just simply do not want to contribute to this narrative at all - my life's work is with family units and I think each and everyone involved is amazing well beyond a commericalised day.
I have also reworded Mother's Day to be 'warriors day' for myself. This is not gender specific, not just in reference to those with children (or children here on this earth), not specific to those who have mothers or mother-in-laws or even have someone to recognise them as mothers and the work they do. I wish that Mother's Day could be actually reframed somehow because given the structure of so many family units today it's very outdated and so isolating for many just like myself even for different reasons.
I will spend tomorrow with my boys doing things we love - coffee for me in the morning, pancakes and a fav dinner of mine (lamb shanks). They have asked if we can go and get pink things for Pink Shirt Day next Friday which feels quite fitting really. Plus loads of time with our puppies.
Writing this blog (puppy on lap) and talking with some very close friends who know intimately what I am dealing with has helped as well - even when my default is to struggle alone.
For all of those who struggle with Mother's Day, for what ever reason, I hope that you too can wrap your inner child up and at the very least know you are not alone, your feelings are so valid and that you are simply a warrior.
x Dr Julie
Are Sausages Healthy?
This week I launched our brand new slow cooker mix additions and one of these is devilled sausages. An old school comfort food meal. I got quite a few questions on sausages which are all valid.
Like so many aspects of nutrition it is never a straight forward or clear cut answer. This is because when we look at a meal or food we are not just assessing it purely based on its nutritional composition alone. One of the key, repeated messages through nutrition research is the need for sustainable practices. What is sustainable needs to take into account more than just simple nutrients - it includes cost, preparation, practicality of eating (this is paramount with babies and toddler right!) and also enjoyment, among other variables.
Short Cut Answer
My simple takeaway answer here (for those tired parents) is that I feed my boys sausages, I eat them myself and have included sausage recipes in my books, along with now creating a 'specific-sausage' inspired slow cooker mix. I select the highest quality sausages I can (more below) and would have them on average once a week or every two weeks in among other protein sources.
For a more detailed answer....read on.
What is A Sausage?
Understanding exactly what a food is and what it normally is made up of can help. A sausage is a meat product made using ground meat, encased in a skin and will typically also include herbs, spices, salt, a filler or binder (such as wheat, rice or flout) and possibly preservative.
Sausages will range in meat volume between approximately 60-90%. The ground meat used can be beef, chicken, pork or venison. In vegetarian sausages soy is often used as a non-meat alternative. The higher quality the sausage is normally based on how much ground meat is used compared to the fillers and/or preservatives. We want to aim for a high meat percentage ideally around 75-80%.
Nutritionally
A food which is around 70-80% ground meat, it is fairly nutritious. It is obviously not the same as eating meat in its whole form, such as steak, for example. However this still means it provides important nutrients such as protein, iron (especially those using ground red meat), B12 and fat. In both my books The Nourished Baby and The Nourished Toddler I talk about the benefits of fat including saturated fat. There is considerable debate at the moment around the volume of meat we should be having - this is probably a blog in itself in order to do the topic justice. What I will say is that I see all too often woman getting nowhere near their protein requirements, and that toddlers can also struggle a lot with meat and high iron foods. In my critical assessment of this debate, I believe there are a lot of individual factors that need to be taken into account and the blanket 'low recommend amounts of meat' is potentially doing more damage to vulnerable populations like toddlers and women who need, and are at risk of low intake of, adequate protein and iron.
Practicality
This is an important consideration with sausages especially in terms of a meal that is sustainable for families:
- Sausages tend to be budget-friendly. I can get 1.5kgs of high quality venison sausages from Gilmores for around $22.00. That is about $1/sausage and the boys will eat two-three. Sometimes I will also go to our local butcher or get more quality ones from the supermarket.
- They are simple to prepare and eat. Cooking for a family is an unrelenting task. It also requires us to actually cook. I know for many cooking for their children is often the first time they really start to cook properly and are learning on the job (like so many aspects of parenting!).
- Toddlers will often be more inclined to eat meat in this form. It is also soft and most will be able to feed themselves. As a side note I made the devilled sausages one day after school recently (it's a fast slow cooker option) and it turned out to be life saving when Ray who is dropping his last nap literally fell asleep at the bench - being hand-free to gently cuddle him back awake and have dinner all good to go saved the night!
In Summary
Sausages are a nutrient dense protein option for the family as part of a weekly meal plan with other high iron sources. Where possible aim for high quality ones that ideally have around 75-85% meat or higher. Watch for fillers and additives, especially if there are certain dietary requirements for the family. In terms of sodium intake, it is our ultra-processed foods we really want to watch for such as two-minute noodles which contain more sodium in one packet than a grown adult should have at the upper limit in one day.
Do check out my new slow cooker mixes - these are all for meals that are high in iron, fat and vegetables.
For more help on baby and toddler feeding do check out my events schedule as well for upcoming virtual events and food shows happening!
x Dr Julie
]]>I live and breathe food. It is my passion, my purpose, my life's work and a source of immense love and joy.
And yet....
Feeding my tribe is an unrelenting, exhausting, expensive and often unrewarding part of parenting. I am ten years into this gig. That is 10 years of planning, buying, cooking, cleaning and repeating for breakfast, lunch and dinner plus the 50 million snacks that get asked for everyday, seven days of the week.
With many, many, many more years to go.
I know I am not the only one that feels this way and remember....this is actually something I largely still enjoy. It is ok if its not for you and (as I know you are acutely aware of) we still have to do it regardless.
Being honest and transparent about this reality is important as it will at the very least acknowledge the huge load it truly is.
I have learnt a thing or two in the last decade, with learning still ongoing! It never ends! If you are just at the start of your food journey you might find an earlier blog of mine helpful here and some of the tips below also echo this.
1) Meal Planning
I have written many a blog on meal planning. The short version is it saves money and time significantly. It also greatly eases the mental load especially on pear-shaped days. Let's face it too.....most days go sideways in some shape or form with kids.
Start with planning your weeks dinners. Anything else is a bonus and this is the heavy hitter in terms of time and load.
I have just updated my magnetic meal planner and (not so quietly) I think its bloody brilliant. It also has space for 'something to try' which is intentionally done to encourage toddlers without adding a lot of load for parents.
2) Bulk Cooking
When it comes to reducing the load of cooking, I encourage you to think of 'economies of scale'. The more you can cook in larger portions or in bulk the more time you save. In addition, it also reduces that never ending "what's for....insert meal" question. Moreover, it will save cost on food as you can purchase in bulk.
I my latest family cookbook, Feed the Tribe, I have two specific bulk meals along with options for cooking once, eating twice. As your tribe grows this will become essential and is certainly a draw back of food boxes as they do not allow for this (in all honestly no current food boxes are sufficient for my tribe either in terms of nutritional value or volume).
(Lentil lasagna on the double from Feed the Tribe)
3) Chest Freezer
This is one of my top recommend 'things' to get when having a baby! We spend so long looking at prams but children last in those like three years maximum. Read my first paragraph again on the load and length of cooking! I realise a chest freezer does not hold the 'cool' factor a pram does but hey you came here for advice right! I got a second chest freezer when pregnant with Ray and just a second hand pram for $150....he is three and a half now and almost never uses the pram but food....again first paragraph!
4) Essentials Stocked
In my cupboard at home (pictured below) I have an entire two shelves dedicated to what I call the 'essentials'. I have these well stocked at all times. These include:
*Stock
*Tinned tomatoes
*Coconut cream
When I say well stocked....I mean weeeeeeelll stocked! I can turn pretty much most ingredients into a meal with these on hand and it significantly reduces my stress and load knowing they are there.
5) Well Organised Pantry
I have shared this before but having a well organised pantry will not only make you feel really good and sorted but speed up your cooking time (no frantic searches in the depths of your cupboards) and help you to budget as well (no panic buying). This shelf you see is just from Kmart and the containers from The Warehouse which I slowly built up my collection with (they are expensive right!). My customised labels of course have been created with a lot of thought and love and match all the ingredients in my cookbooks.
6) Slow Cooked Meals
If you do not have a slow cooker...get one! Seriously I just use a cost effective one from the warehouse. I actually have three - two at home and one in my commercial kitchen due to the volume of cooking and testing of these. Sometimes I will cook the same slow cooker twice and freeze one - economies of scale! I will have a slow cooker at least once a week, often more and my new slow cooker mixes (with more coming) have been super popular as they make these even more time saving (let alone healthy!).
I may or may not be working on more slow cooker recipes...but in the meantime my slow cooker book is on special and will not be getting printed again in hard copy...in this form (wink, wink!).
7) Share the Load
It is important I say this - all too often I see mothers carrying all the load or the majority of the load of the cooking and managing of family food. This is not fair and it should not be this way. Regardless of if you are working or not working, if you are living in a home and eating in that home, then everyone contributes to this huge, unrelenting load. My older boys (aged 10 and 8) contribute. They make their own lunches the night before, unload the dishwasher in the morning and help do the dishes at night. They also actively take part in the meal planning....even my three year old does this. Do not get me started on grown adults who do absolutely nothing or very little in this regard - what kind of modeling is that setting for children?
Other Helpful Links
Go-to recipes:
*Lockdown balls (great for lunch boxes)
*Grain-free mussle fritters (good for babies)
*Breakfast muffins (pictured above)
*Rolled rib roast (good for babies)
*Double Zucchini Loaf (super popular) is from my sugar guide.
New Events:
It is so good to be back and doing events again in person! I will be covering this topic and so much more at my upcoming events check them out!
Free Shipping:
If you are reading this over Easter weekend I have free shipping on orders over $20 here in NZ so go grab yourself something you have been meaning to get or a slow cooker bundle (or two) to try!
I know that these tips are not glamourous or even the magic you are hoping for but they do really help.
All the products that I create through Dr Julie's Kitchen are designed to ease this huge load in mind while still preserving nutritional quality and being kind to our planet....together we can change the world and I will never stop believing that.
x Dr Julie