healthy eating - Babiekins Magazine

Gluten Free Pumpkin Waffles

By Liz Jacob, Copy Editor Leave a Comment

There is something magical about autumn time in Ohio. The crisp earthy scent of leaves and wood that fill the air, the spices of vanilla and cinnamon that seem to always linger, and the bold, velvety colors that paint the landscapes. Autumn in Ohio is a true treasure that invokes all the senses. It’s only natural that we embrace this time of year and carry it into our homes, into our kitchen.

Since we don’t eat gluten in our home (and a long list of other foods due to my son’s Crohn’s disease) we came up with this simple, gluten-free pumpkin pancake recipe using almond flour, autumn spices and, of course, pumpkin!

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

– L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

GLUTEN-FREE PUPKIN WAFFLES | serves 4-6 |

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup pumpkin

3 Tbs. honey

1 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

nonstick cooking spray or coconut oil

Directions:

Preheat your waffle maker.
In a medium bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
In a separate bowl, add the pumpkin, eggs, honey and vanilla and whisk.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix.
Grease your waffle maker and add 1/4 cup of the batter and cook until lightly browned.
Serve with warm maple syrup and enjoy!

Schoolkins // Recess And Refuel

By Donna Tweedale, Former Contributor Leave a Comment

The first day of School, or even coming back after a long summer is a real mixture of emotions for kiddo's and Mumma's alike. Everything a new experience, new faces, new sounds, routines. While I'm sure he'll be having the best time, I'll be pacing the floor wondering if he's made friends, if he's overcome his nerves. I was thinking how I could get my little Babiekin a message through the day to let him know I'm thinking of him. Make him smile.

Recess would be the best opportunity. Sandwiches can be fun right?

Four Healthy Foods to Sneak into Your Kids’ Meals

By Sara Eslami, Contributor Leave a Comment

When I became a mother, it totally changed the way I looked at food. I started to do a ton of research into healthy eating and healthy living because, like most mothers, I didn’t want my daughter to be exposed to toxic foods and environments. Unfortunately, our kids will always be exposed to certain toxins in our environment that we cannot control but we can control the things that go into their food.

In my personal opinion, it is totally acceptable to sneak healthy foods into some of the foods that your kids already love. I have found four healthy foods that I mix into our meals every single day. The great thing about them is that you can barely taste they’re there and they have a ton of health benefits.

Chia Seeds. I love chia seeds because they have no taste at all but the benefits are enormous. They have a high concentration of omega -3’s, protein, iron, calcium, magnesium, and protein. When chia seeds get into contact with any type of liquid, they form a gel-like barrier around the seed. This helps slow digestion which keeps you feel full longer. It also makes for some easy chia pudding ;).
Ground flax seed. These are actually very similar in health benefits to chia seeds. The reason I like them and also add them to so many dishes is that they are just a little easier to hide in foods, especially if you have kids who are very picky about texture. These are very finely ground so they do not give the same crunch as chia seeds, but have relatively the same benefits as well as being easier on the wallet.
Raw Hemp seeds. These are one of my favorites that I have discovered, especially because my daughter loves to eat a handful right out of the bag! They are nutty and slightly crunchy and taste similar to sunflower seeds. They pack a ton of protein which is especially good if you are a family who does not eat a lot of animal protein, like us. In fact, they are one of the best sources of vegetable protein. They also contain essential amino acids as well as Vitamin A, B, D, and E.
Unsweetened coconut flakes. Coconut is definitely one of my favorite foods. The health benefits are numerous and each part of the coconut can be used for so many different things. I really like using coconut flakes for more sweet meals like oatmeal and cereals. It adds a tiny bit of coconut flavor without being too noticeable. The coconut flakes don’t add as much concentrated nutrition as the others but it is definitely one of my favorites for the flavor it adds and is a great source of heathy fat.

There are so many other great things you can use but these are four of my go-to items. I love to to mix them in my daugher’s oatmeal in the morning as well as in her green smoothies. You can sprinkle them in your kids’ cereals, pastas, smoothies, and even in sandwiches. A little bit goes a long way so get creative!

MOMKINS :: Healthy Eating Tips for Little Ones (and introducing @gracielaraquel, blogger from the Netherlands!)

By Gina Munsey, Senior Editor Leave a Comment

Hello, friends! Join me in welcoming Graciela of @gracielaraquel on Instagram, who’s the newest addition to the Babiekins blogging team!
—
Hi, my name is Graciela and I live with my husband and son Gabriel Mavi (2) in the Netherlands in a small lovely town near the sea. One of the great benefits of living in a small country like the Netherlands is that everything is so close. And I love that because that means I have my big Argentinian family near by me. I’m really a family kind of person and so is my husband. He comes from a big (Turkish) family as well. My little son is growing up with a lot of aunties and uncles around him to love and there is always someone to babysit — which is quite handy since my husband and I both work.

Beside my big family, I also love fashion a lot. I have studied Design & Styling for one year in Amsterdam. And like most mothers I like the brands Bobo Choses and Mini Rodini a lot for my little guy. Besides all the playful kids’ brands, I also really like the more minimalistic little collection of COS. And for some reasons I always go for stripes. I love stripes.

(Our organic garden!)

I’m a dietitian and we have our own organic garden. Healthy food is an important thing in my live and since the birth of Gabriel it’s become even more important. I think every parent wants to feed his child with healthy stuff full of vitamins. But nowadays it’s more difficult to eat real healthy food, since there are so many products to choose from. Most of these products contain a lot of food additives. So I have some tips for you and your little one to eat more healthy:

1. Get your kid(s) involved. Kids enjoy helping adults to shop groceries, selecting what goes in their lunchbox and preparing dinner. I know that isn’t always an easy thing to do but give them a task. Because it’s also chance for you to teach them about healthy food.

2. Look at the ingredient list of the product you choose. You don’t have to read every ingredient on the list. But remember: The longer the ingredient list, the more processed a food is likely to be.

3. Healthy snacks. Choose for healthy snacks between meals. Make sure you have a variety of healthy snacks available instead of empty calorie snacks. I always have plenty of fruits, vegetables and nuts to eat. But Gabriel loves dried fruits as a snack, his favorites are raisins, dried apricot and cranberries.

4. Relax and enjoy. When your kid is a picky eater avoid struggles. But keep on offering because it takes most kids 8-10 presentations of a new food before they will accept it. Most of all it has to be fun. I’m a lucky mum because Gabriel loves to eat almost everything healthy. But he also has periods that he’s a picky eater and that’s normal. The most important thing is that you don’t make a big thing about it and relax.

5. Limit beverages before eating. Because liquids often fill up. When Gabriel drinks a lot before dinner he will not eat a lot. I also try to avoid surgery drinks and give Gabriel most of the time tea and water.

Of course beside the healthy food, we eat ice-cream, cake and cookies.

xo Graciela

Gluten Free Pumpkin Waffles

Schoolkins // Recess And Refuel

Four Healthy Foods to Sneak into Your Kids’ Meals

MOMKINS :: Healthy Eating Tips for Little Ones (and introducing @gracielaraquel, blogger from the Netherlands!)

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