As a team of feeding experts, we're here to help make mealtimes joyful and give parents the confidence to raise healthy little eaters! We share weekly updates with our newest research-backed articles and our best feeding tips!
Is it safe to give my baby vanilla extract?
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Hey Reader, Many recipes that you may want to feed your baby have vanilla extract in them - from muffins or pancakes to oatmeal dishes. At while initially it may not seem like any to thing twice about, you may change your mind when you learn that vanilla extract contains some alcohol! But is there a work around for this? Is the level of alcohol enough? And then it got me thinking - do I need to splurge on pure vanilla vs artificial vanilla extract for my baby? But wait....that has even MORE alcohol in it! This weeks blog covers if and when vanilla extract is safe to use in recipes for your baby, with details on the following topics:
Spoiler alert - it is safe to use in specific ways, and we actually love it as an alternative to sugar to "sweeten" up the flavor of food...without actually sweetening it :) Perfect example is in this recipe for Vanilla Almond Pancake Fingers with Raspberries. Ready for more recipes like the one above? Get our first 60 Day Baby Led Feeding Meal Plan with day-by-day instructions on what to feed your baby, including the strategic introduction of textures (easier and more advanced as the days go on), the strategic introduction of allergens (with allergen intro protocols embedded in the instructions), balanced meals and intentional variety of flavors and food types (you get through a 115 first foods checklist in only 9 weeks!). A lot of you have been asking about my niece, Aila and her progression after her starting solids video series we shared. Here is Aila at 10 months - now on 3 meals per day and pretty much a pro at eating everything independently! Her mom moved her onto three meals a day right at 9 months of age, as per our month-by-month schedule recommendations. Since adding it, she’s been eating SO well. LOVING and devouring every meal. More opportunities to practice with solid is definitely paying off. Here is her current schedule: 10 month schedule
One thing to note, is that Aila had always been on the mid-low end of recommended milk intake for age, but at 10 months of age now, she's actually evened out to be right at the "perfect" amount of milk consumed (about 24 oz/day). If your baby drinks less than this, it's is a-ok! Every baby is different, and as long as you are spacing out milk and solids appropriately (to still have an appetite for solids and aren't constantly "snacking" on milk) and your baby is growing overall - then they are getting enough! You don't want to have much more than 24 oz of milk per day at this age however. This is because, we want to keep an appetite for three good solid meals per day. More than that, and you risk seeing more "picky" behaviour and disinterest in solids. New to My Little Eater? We have a Baby Led Feeding Course + meal plan option for parents of babies 6-11 months of age to teach you all you need to know about feeding your baby like an expert! We also have a Feeding Toddlers course to help you prevent picky eating and overcome it (if it's already started). We recommend starting that at 11-12 months of age! One-on-one CounsellingIf you feel stuck with what the next move is when feeding your little one, dealing with stress and worry over your child's picky eating, worried about their nutrition or anything in-between....getting individualized help with a plan created just for you and your child to end the stress once and for all is what you need. You can book a free 15-minute discovery call with one of our dietitians here. Tip: Check to see if your health insurance plan and extended healthcare benefits offer annual registered dietitian and/or registered nutritionist coverage (if you're in Canada). Benefit plans renew every January 1st, so take advantage of this year's dietitian coverage and get the help you need! Have an amazing week, Edwena Kennedy, Registered Dietitian |
My Little Eater
As a team of feeding experts, we're here to help make mealtimes joyful and give parents the confidence to raise healthy little eaters! We share weekly updates with our newest research-backed articles and our best feeding tips!