Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Talk about setting the table early:




Super Foods are a smart food choice for PREGNANT MOMS on a nutrition mission for baby

During pregnancy women spend a lot of their time trying to eat the best food for the growing baby in their womb. Not all foods are created equal; knowing what foods pack the most nutrition into each bite just makes sense while pregnant, as well as when it’s time to feed your little one. One of the greatest breakthroughs in recent nutritional news is the concept of Super Foods. Super Foods are foods such as broccoli, quinoa, pumpkin, papaya and squash, that are super-rich in vitamins and nutrients, offer identifiable health benefits and quite literally are multi-tasking nutritional powerhouses. They’re important for every growing baby, on the inside and outside. Eating Super Foods as part of your daily routine just makes sense during pregnancy. That way when, it’s time to choose what to feed the new baby, Super Foods are already part of the routine and a no brainer.
Pregnancy IS the perfect time to explore Super Foods and become familiar with the incredible benefits for you and baby. Major nutritional Super Food sources include: fruits like papaya and mango, greens such as, asparagus, broccoli, spinach and peas, Vitamin A rich foods like pumpkin and butternut squash, and a little known Super Food grain, quinoa. It is important to select the purest options and to try to buy organic and or natural whenever possible. Remember moms we are looking for the shortest ingredient statements we can find and they are usually found in the perimeter of the store. The shorter the ingredient statement the less likely you and your bundle of joy are of ingesting something potentially harmful. Play around with recipes, add tasty spices, or incorporate Super Foods into everyday dishes like spaghetti (mix squash or spinach into your sauce!). What you discover now will help guide your choices when feeding your child, from six months through childhood. (But remember it’s important to keep the Super Foods unblended and simple when you start baby on solids, making digestion as well as allergy detection easier).
Making organic pureed food for your child is a wonderful thing, but when you lack the time, energy or resources, pre-cooked organic Super Food purees from companies like River Forest based Square One® Organics can be a lifesaver. Square One president and creator, Denise Henderson, made her twins’ food when they were small, color coding foods by vitamins and nutrients and then organized into age appropriate categories to make things easier. She found that using food journals and a superfood guide for each stage of food introduction took the guesswork out of feeding. After extensively researching Super Foods, Henderson worked with a pediatric nutritionist, pediatric allergist and a food scientist to create a line of organic Super Foods. That is how in 2008 Square One® Organics was born!
Below is an offering of Super Foods from Square One®, and why they are such a smart choice for both pregnant moms and babies:
Pumpkin: Super Food for the eyes and the heart, it’s an excellent source of vitamin A, E, C, and B6.


Papaya: Super Food for Digestion and Antioxidant, Excellent Vitamin A and C It is also and excellent source of folate (major for pregnancy) and contains an enzyme to help aid the digestive process.
Peas: High in folic acid, manganese, and vitamins A, B1, B6, C and K. Peas are also one of the highest sources of vegetable protein.
Broccoli and Spinach: True Super Foods for bone, heart, brain, and immunity these “greenies” are great sources of vitamin C and beta-carotene, folic acid, iron, potassium, and anti-cancer nutrients that help boost enzymes that detoxify the body. No wonder your own mom always pushed them on you!
Butternut squash: Super Food for eyes, skin, and heart. An excellent source of both Vitamins A and E.
Mango: A heart and immunity Super Food. Excellent source of Vitamins A and C, mango contains enzymes that aid digestion.
Quinoa: This lesser known grain supplies all the essential amino acids, contains more protein than any other grain, and is gluten-free.
Making Super Foods part of your daily routine is smart beyond pregnancy and into the stages of early food introductions (6 months to one year). Some additional choices to incorporate into your diet include berries, lentils, millet, avocado and beets. Introducing baby’s first foods one food at a time for 3-5 days in a row is a prudent and medically advised approach. This way any negative food reactions can easily be detected.
For a list of additional Super Foods that are easily digested by most infants and a more tips on creating your baby’s super healthy solid food plan, visit Square One Organics and then click view website.

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