Kaile Hunt 0:10
We are officially in fall, and with the cooler weather comes hearty dishes, like soups, stews and chilies. But are these food safe to give my baby or toddler, and how can I make some of my favorite dishes Baby Friendly. Today we are speaking to a dietitian on how you can still make your favorite fall foods you love, but also make them Baby Friendly. Thanks for joining us. This is newbies.
Welcome to newbies. My name is Kaile Hunt, and I'll be your host today. If you haven't already, be sure to visit our website, at New mommy media.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, which keeps you updated on all the episodes we release each week. Another great way to stay updated is to hit that subscribe button in your podcast app, and if you're looking for a way to get even more involved with our show, then check out our online community. It's called Mighty moms. That's where we chat more about the topics discussed here on our show, and it's also an easy way to learn about our recordings. So you can join us live. Our expert today is Lauran Saunders. Lauren is a registered dietitian with a master's degree of nutrition and integrative physiology. Her chosen emphasis is in pre postnatal nutrition, helping mamas achieve their healthiest body possible. Lauren, thank you so much for joining us. Please tell us more about your family.
Lauran Saunders 2:03
Thank you. Kaile, I'm excited to be here. So right now, I currently have an 18 month old toddler keeping me on my toes, and then I am actually eight months pregnant with a new little baby coming at the end of October. So very exciting for that. Life is really fast paced right now, but I am loving the stage with a toddler expecting a newborn, the pregnancy, the postpartum, all of that is my jam. So we're just thriving over here. How exciting and wow, thank you one for coming on eight months pregnant. That's a lot.
Kaile Hunt 2:26
But also this is perfect, because I feel like it's right on the tip of your brain with this fall foods, nourishing your body, postpartum, feeding your toddler, this is all very timely. You're having a fall baby, which is exciting. Yes, I honestly, my first was a spring baby, and I'm I'm excited for all the fall foods. This time around, how excited and nourishing your body. Fall is one of my favorite seasons, so the soups, the stews, I'm excited to dive into it. I will also be chiming in on my experience with feeding myself and my baby yummy foods that were seasonally appropriate and nourishing for both of us. But first, let's take a quick break.
Welcome back today, we're discussing meal ideas that nourish both mom and baby during the fall. So this first portion, we're going to break it up a little bit is mostly postpartum questions, right? So let's chat about postpartum nutrition needs for a new llama. How important is it? And I'll give you a scenario. So, you know, mom just gave birth. She's newly postpartum. Maybe a week to two weeks. What type of foods should, you know, mom be prioritizing, and how can we make it, you know, fall friendly, fall in cooperative of you know, the fall foods? Yes, absolutely. So, you know, first I want to say, like, regardless of how you gave birth, whether it was a vaginal birth or a C section, there's a lot of recovery that your body needs to go through. And then pregnancy itself is such a depleting time point, and so most women are pretty depleted nutrient wise at the end of pregnancy. So focusing on that replenishment and recovery can't be understated, especially those first few weeks to few months of postpartum. And so in the context of like fall right now, and a lot of these fall foods, a lot of good protein sources and slow cooked meats, stews, things like that, chilies, with beans, bone broth, they're all going to be amazing, and they're full of so many nutrients to help with that postpartum recovery and replenishment. I love that. I love, yeah, soups is one of my favorite meals to eat throughout the entire year, obviously not just fall, but it's extra special during fall. Yes, it is, I guess what type of so, you know, you talked about slow cooked meat, can you name a few? So maybe like roast, you know, like hot roast chicken noodle soup. What exactly are you talking about when you say, like, slow cooked meat, for sure, like roasts, those types of things, if you take, like, a crock pot meal, where you, you know, you put your chicken on, you got it cooking for four to eight hours or.
Lauran Saunders 5:00
Put a roast in the oven or in the crock pot, having that, that delayed cooking time, that long cooking time, can really break down the muscles, the tendon, ligaments, whatever you have in there, or if it's like a bone in meat, it can help kind of break down the bone a little bit too. And you're getting a lot of amazing nutrients from, you know, the muscle tissue, from the bones, from the ligaments there that's leaching into your food, which is only going to help your own muscles, your own uterus, everything to recover, because you need those nutrients. So any any types of meats that you know yet you have cooking all day long are going to be fabulous. I love that, and so I can only assume you know I'm not a dietitian, hence why you're on but iron is really important during pregnancy. I remember my midwives were like, are you eating enough red meat? You know, let's check your iron numbers. How important is it postpartum? Definitely incredibly important. Especially So, like you said, it is very important in pregnancy. And many women get very depleted at the end of pregnancy, because, you know your iron stores depend on baby's irons. For baby depends on you. And so baby's taking a lot of your iron stores. You're increasing your blood volume, so you need it in that and then a lot of times we lose some blood in delivery, regardless of how you deliver. And so we enter postpartum a little bit depleted, oftentimes. And so trying to replenish those iron stores. Getting that red meat in is going to be so important. If you think about you know, you're already exhausted in postpartum. You're not sleeping super great. You're kind of having all of those hormone changes. You might be a little more irritable, or anything like that. If you are iron deficient, that's just going to make everything feel even worse. And so it really can be understated to try and prioritize getting those iron sources in I so agree. And so for those who don't eat red meat, what are some other foods that are higher high in iron? I know spinach is one of them, but what are some other foods that maybe mamas can look out for? Yeah, so spinach is great, those leafy greens, kale, things like that, like kind of the darker, richer, leafy greens will be fabulous. Beans are an excellent iron source and fiber source. So black beans, kiddie beans, red beans, chickpeas, all of those are going to be excellent. Especially, you know, chili season, we have chilies. We have soups. Adding some beans are going to be great. They'll also get just some of that protein that you need. But one thing to be aware of when it comes to these more plant based iron sources is that you want to have a vitamin C source present with it, just to help your body absorb it. It is a different type of iron than what we get from animal based sources, and so it kind of needs to go through a little extra processing in our body. So the vitamin C can really help with that. So that could be, you know, tomatoes are great. So, like, a tomato based sauce is going to be excellent. Fruit, of course, peppers, things like that, can all help with that absorption. How interesting. I love that. And I that's something I would have never thought about, you know. And of course, most chili, most chilies that I eat, is a tomato base, yeah, but that's good to be on the lookout for that, especially for a newly postpartum mama. How does post or how does nutrition needs change if a mother chooses to breastfeed, because pregnant alone, right? Baby takes a lot of nutrients, and then you deliver, and then for the moms who choose to breastfeed for however long, how does nutrition needs change, and what should moms focus on when they are breastfeeding. Yeah, so your your nutrition needs truly are never higher than when they are when you're breastfeeding. You know, to put it into perspective, like you have a newborn, one month old baby, if they're exclusively breastfed, they're taking probably an additional 500 calories from you. But if you have a four month old baby who's a lot bigger than that little newborn, and if they're exclusively breastfed, they're probably taking a lot more 789, 100 calories from you. And so having you know that context in play, you want to be sure that you are eating enough, yes, to help your own body recover and replenish from pregnancy, but also to ensure that you have enough nutrient stores to support baby, to support your milk production. So you that's where that breastfeeding hunger comes in. Most of us can feel pretty ravenous, especially the first you know, four six months of breastfeeding, and it's because you really do have such higher nutrient needs when you are really supporting, like, that full life source for a new baby. How interesting. I never thought about that. And I breast my daughter. I'm actually still breastfeeding my daughter. She's almost a year and a half anyway, and I remember during the first year, right? Like during her leaps, so like, three to four months, that's when I was so hungry and kind of cranky, and I was like, why am I eating more than normal? Well, because she's growing, you know, that's a big moment for babies to grow, and then again, it hit again at six months, and then nine months, and you just put it in perspective that is so true that, yeah, then when they grow, obviously they need more, you know, breast milk. Um, wow. Yeah, that was eye opening.
Kaile Hunt 10:00
Well, perfect. Well, we have more questions, and our next section will be more about baby led weaning coming up, but first, let's take a quick break.
Welcome back to newbies. We are continuing our topic for Fall foods that nourishes both mom and baby. For this section, I teased it before the break, but I want to talk about baby led weaning and some fall foods that are really great for mom and baby. And also I feel like, um, it's really popular. I see on social media, Tiktok and Instagram, that a lot of parents and moms are choosing to make one meal, right? They're making one meal. They're not they're trying to avoid making multiple meals for their kids. And I feel like baby led weaning is a great way to do that. So if your baby is in the clear, Lauren, you know, to eat solids during the fall. What types of food should moms really be focusing on? And I know it kind of changes six months to nine months to 12 months. Let's start with six months. You know, what are some fall foods that are really great to kind of start building babies palette, yes. And I, you know, the one thing I love about baby led weaning is that you don't have to do more work than you have to, right? If you're making all of these meals exclusively for baby like that's a lot of work on you as a mom. So with baby led weaning
Lauran Saunders 11:18
as a postpartum Mom, it's always important to continue to focus on that iron and those nutrient dense foods, especially with starting solids for a baby, around that six month mark, iron is very important. So those first six months of life, they're kind of relying on those stores that they received from you in utero. And then around six months, that's when they can kind of start to be a little bit depleted, and they need to start getting their own iron sources. And breast milk itself is not a great iron source. So trying to focus, you know, on, on those, those meats that are going to be safe to give your baby, or on beans that are going to be good to give your baby that are excellent iron sources is such a fabulous thing to start with. And those are some great first foods to start with for baby led weaning. I love that. I remember I gave my daughter a lot of beans. She loved black beans too, yeah, and so it made diaper changes fun to say those Yes, but yeah, she loved black beans and so. And she wasn't a big spinach eater. She liked red meat, but yeah, black beans was something that I knew kind of, sort of had good iron, you know, numbers and so we focused on that. So I guess, what are some fall food ideas that can be perfect for mom and baby? I know you spoke a little bit about like, you know, your slow cooked beads, but name a few. What are some good fall foods that, you know, moms who are going grocery shopping can be on the lookout to grab, so definitely, you know, grab some cans of beans. Those are going to be great. We've talked a little bit about chili already, but Chili's going to be fabulous. Whether it's just, you know, a bean based chili, or if you have, like, a really nice, fine ground red meat, that's also going to be excellent. Or, you know, pastas are great as well. If you're doing, like, a ground meat, to ground beef and pasta, those really small bites that your baby can have with that red sauce for that additional vitamin C can be excellent for them. And then, you know, large noodles that can also really help them explore their palate a little bit and kind of help with those, those teething motion and those feeding skills to have, like those big noodles beans are going to be great. Also, squash is excellent this time of year, and there's a ton of great fiber that you can get from squash and sweet potatoes for your baby. And I think, especially like when we start solids, and when your baby actually starts ingesting you, you have some some GI issues that you may experience, maybe your baby starts to get constipated, or, you know, the opposite. And so having those good fiber sources mixed in there with the beans, the squash, whatever it may be, is going to be really important, most definitely. Yeah, I remember vividly, like it would be like, two or three days my baby was breastfed, and that also adds an extra layer, right? Some breastfed babies just don't poop all the time. But I remember when she would go, she never went more than four days, but when she would go two to three days, my husband and I would look at each other and be like, we're having beans tonight.
Kaile Hunt 14:10
Help get things moving along. Very funny, I guess. Random question that I thought about, what are some fall fruits and veggies that are in season, that you know you can incorporate in some stews and some soups that you know are easy to pick up at the grocery store. Yes, so squash, definitely butternut squash. We love butternut squash. I love a cord squash, and I like to eat it with the skin on. Definitely for baby, you'd want to take the skin off unless you're you're kind of using it as a resistive teether that can be great for their oral motor skills to kind of have that tougher surface on it as well.
Lauran Saunders 14:49
Apples are great this time of year, and so apples in pears. We actually did a lot of that last year, where I would steam them just slightly so she could kind of gum it and break it off and I would sprinkle.
Some cinnamon on it. Well, my daughter loved that when we were just starting solids. So those are fabulous. Peaches also are an excellent source right now that my daughter loved. She doesn't love them so much now as a toddler, but she loved them as a baby. And so those are great too. And then, you know, we like to put a lot of kale in soups. That is when you want to be a little bit more careful with though some of the leafy greens. Leafy greens, it's harder for them to kind of maneuver until they're closer to that, like nine month age Mark,
Kaile Hunt 15:29
just with their mouth skills, but kind of the slightly tougher vegetables that you can steam to soften zucchini is another great one. Those are going to be excellent ones to add to your shopping cart. I love that you would add cinnamon on Apples. I made a lot of, like, homemade apple sauce I remember in the first year. And so talking about, you know, kind of spices, right? So spices added sugar, sodium, I kind of want to talk a little bit about this. So how important is it to limit extra sugar, sodium? And even I was even nervous to add spices into something. So I guess kind of my question is kind of a lot, but let's talk first about extra sugar. So how important is it to limit extra sugar for both a postpartum mom and a baby? So it, you know, it definitely is very important our bodies, as moms, we can handle a little bit more, of course. So sweet things here and there, not a big deal for us, but for babies, they straight up don't need it, and they don't need to have a ton of that sweetness in their diet either. That can, you know, later on, make them crave sweets. Even more, sugar itself is not, you know, a baby building food. It's not really going to benefit them. So the longer you can hold off, the better, of course. And so if you are making, you know, your own applesauce, or pures or sweet potatoes, things like that, just opt for no sugar. If you're making that big batch for the family, no sugar. You can sweeten yours a little bit after but baby simply just doesn't need all of that. And a follow up question to that is, what's the difference between Foods That Naturally have sugar, right? Because apples naturally are sweet, they have some sugar. So what's the difference between, like, you know, an apple in its own apple juice compared to an apple with added sugar? If that makes sense, you know. So what's the difference between the two for moms and even myself? Sometimes I get confused, yeah, so foods that naturally contain sugar, so like fruits, for example, they typically also contain a lot of fiber in them as well. And so thinking of, you know, the apples are going to be fabulous because it's got a lot of fiber with it, which is going to kind of help balance out any blood sugar spikes that we might have. Whereas apple juice. Yes, it's actually naturally containing its whole sugar. It's not added sugar per se, but that actually removes all the fiber from it. So 100%
Lauran Saunders 17:51
apple juice, straight from apples, is going to be better than, like, a sweetened apple juice, of course, but a whole apple is going to be the best option in terms of, like, the nutrient profile, because it comes with that fiber in it. Similar like sweet potatoes, they have a higher sugar content than regular potatoes, but they also are an amazing fiber source, especially for babies dealing with some of those tummy issues. How informative. Thank you. I love that. And so next we're talking about sodium. And this was a big topic in my household, because I before baby, tended to not season enough, where my husband was an over seasoner, and so I kind of got my way after my daughter was here, because I was like, no, no sodium. Sorry, season afterwards, you know, and everything's ready anyway. To get to my question, how important is it to limit sodium for a baby who's under one, and also, again, for a postpartum mom, because I feel like and I tell me if I'm wrong, I heard that Mimi, you know, moms need if they eat, you know, pretty organic or pretty raw food. Salt isn't necessarily bad to eat postpartum, but it's different for baby, if that makes sense, yes, so. And thank you for bringing that up, because postpartum wise, we already talked about, you're pretty depleted, and your your electrolytes are pretty depleted. So it's not necessarily something to worry about for mom, per se,
but babies, they their body, their equilibrium. It's a very, very, very fine balance, and that's why you know breast milk is so fabulous those first six months, and you don't need to give your baby water, because they get everything. They get their hydration. They get all their electrolytes from breast milk those first six months, or formula, if that's their out that you're taking. But when it comes to starting solids, that's where it can be kind of finicky, because if you're adding too much sodium that can really put their body out of balance with their fluid hydration levels and things like that. So I always would suggest, like, if you're making that big batch of soup for your family, you can add, you know, a little bit of salt for a big batch, that's going to be fine, but to really seasoned.
Kaile Hunt 20:00
Taste, do that to your own individual bowl at the end and leave, leave it out of baby's food. When it comes to sodium itself, when we're talking more about
home cooked meals, if you do have, you know, a pretty clean diet, and you are cooking at home, you actually can handle and baby can handle a little bit more sodium just in the cooking, definitely not something to go crazy on. You still want to more so season and taste your own meal after but it's, it's the processed foods that really, really get us here in our nation now, that's where we get, you know, the really high sodium, the really high salt. So more than anything, limiting those processed foods that are going to have a lot of sodium should be a high priority with your baby. I love that you totally explained that. And thank you, because that's, it's, it was a question I always had. I'm like, I don't know if I should add this much salt, but then I think about, you know, everything I maintain, or all of my ingredients don't really have salt in it, you know. I'm using a vegetable broth without any salt in it. I did a low soda, you know. So I'm like, Should I add a little bit of salt anyway? That cleared some things up for and also to, like, as soon as you start giving your baby solids, you can start offering, you know, a little bit of water with that meal time too. And so that that also is going to kind of help keep things a little bit balanced as well. I Yeah, so agree, and that that was a game changer as well. Yes, going from,
Lauran Saunders 21:21
for some moms, it's a bottle. For me, we just went straight to sippy cup, and it was pretty easy for kind of fun once, once my daughter could drink out of a straw. That was like a game changer. If we were ever out of the house, she could just use my hotter bottle. Oh, definitely. I so agree. I so agree. So you've talked a little bit about processed foods. What are some processed foods that are good to avoid, you know? And I'm kind of thinking especially for baby, for example, I made my own apple sauce. I thought that it was pretty easy to do that. But what are some processed foods that you know, maybe baby and mom can avoid? And what are some processed foods that you know, I guess are okay in a pinch? You know what I mean? Like, sometimes you're just out running errands, and you, I don't know, I sometimes buy, like, the sugar snap pea, or the snap peas, the big bag from Costco. You know what? I make sure to get the I think it's the third sodium one bag. But what are some processed foods that are kind of good to have in a pinch when you're on the go? And what are some things that you really should avoid? So, gosh, I feel like this really is going to come down to specific brands and companies, because, you know, there's some there's some applesauce pouches that are great, and it's really just apples and like, lemon juice, and then there's some that are apples and sugar and
all sorts of different additives. So it kind of comes down to different brands and and even different products within different brands. And I think we'll talk a little bit about nutrition label in a minute, but it comes down to kind of reading that things like crackers and like bars, stuff like that. It's kind of a similar thing where there are some brands that are really great and then there's some brands where it's just full of a ton of a ton of extra sugar or a ton of extra sodium, and just random ingredients that your baby doesn't really need, that you don't really need. And so coming down to learning how you can look at an ingredient label and know, okay, so this one actually has less ingredients, and I can actually pronounce it all. It's probably going to be a better choice. Will still be great for, you know, on the go when you need something exactly. And so talking about nutrition labels, that has been, I, I remember, I think, like in college, I was like, super into reading nutrition labels for the calorie content, which is so silly now. And now I'm reading them for a whole different, whole different else, right? Different reason. It's like, what can what is in it? Can I understand it? Can I pronounce it? And so talking about nutrition labels specifically for targeted baby food, baby led weaning food. What are some good things to look for and what are some bad things to look for? For example, one thing that I've been totally looking at is added sugars. I do not like to get stuff where added sugars are, like, more than the normal sugar amount, you know. So let's say 14 grams of sugar, but eight are added I'm like, Whoa, that's silly. Anyway, I'm stealing the question from you. But right now, how do you read a nutrition label for these, you know, new moms, and what are some things to kind of look out for? Yeah, so for sure, for sure, we'll start with added sugars. You definitely want to look at that point. If you can find zero added sugar, that's going to be best. And I will say today, there's actually a lot of great options when it comes to bars, when it comes to fruit snacks, when it comes to, you know, Apple pouches or fruit pouches that do have zero added sugar options. So those will always be, you know, a better choice to go for.
Kaile Hunt 24:44
On top of that, looking at the fiber content, which is usually just below that sugar line on a nutrition label, the more fiber is actually going to be a little bit better, especially if you if you do have a little one that's struggling with tummy issues. So getting some better fiber options are going.
Be great as well. And then going down to the ingredients list, typically a shorter list with things you can pronounce are going to be a little bit of a better choice. If it's like, whole natural food based, it's going to be better. That being said, a few ingredients here and there that you're like, I don't know what that is. Doesn't necessarily mean it's it's bad, but going for, you know, more simple ingredients the sweetener should be, you know, further down the list, if sugar is the second option, it's probably not going to be a super good choice for your baby or for yourself, but more whole food based ingredients on that list just going to be a great thing to go for. I so agree, and I feel like, after a while, you kind of become like a pro. You're like, looking and you're like, oh, wait, nope. Let me put this one back and look at another one. Because some of the labels, everything I feel like, is targeted as organic. Now, which, which is good, but it's organic with added sugar and, you know, dyes. And I'm like, Yes, and it's really, you know, kind of scary too. So you really have to be on the lookout for all of those added extra stuff. And I guess follow up question to all of that, sometimes, I know bars are typically sweet, right? Like they have, which is kind of sweetness, I want to ask you, it's okay, you know, occasionally for a kid to have something sweet that's not obviously, like a donut, you know, but like, bars are pretty sweet and high in sugar, and that's okay to have, as long as it's with, like, a balanced meal, you know? Yes, yes, no, absolutely. And especially,
Lauran Saunders 26:32
I feel like, especially pregnancy and postpartum, I talk a lot about protein for moms, and it's important for your kids as well, except they actually, they really need to have enough carbs in their diet that is going to be their primary fuel source. And kids are moving and grooving all day long. They need to have energy. And so having, you know, a little bit of those higher carb things are going to be fine, and especially like, you know, bars that are date based, or they have nuts in them, things like that. They're going to be a higher calorie bar, a higher carb bar, but it's still going to be a good option, and still looking for like a no added sugar. It may be naturally sweet and because it has dates or fruit or something in it, but we're still wanting to try and prioritize that no added sugar on the label. And what about this has me thinking my daughter, and she's a year and a half, she just does not like peanut butter. It's not her Jam, which is funny. But what about and I love peanut butter. What about peanut butter based bars? And also, what about peanut butter in general? There is so many different varieties out there. What should a mom really be looking if she's looking at a peanut butter based bar or just buying simply peanut butter and making, you know, protein balls herself. What are some good things to look out for, for when you buy peanut butter? You know, the best is just peanuts. On the ingredient label, just peanuts. And there's a lot of different brands out there like that that are going to be great. A lot of nut butters have hydrogenated oils and just different additives and even sweeteners that are just unnecessary. So whether it's a peanut butter and almond butter, anything like that, you can find the type that is just peanuts. Usually you do have to stir, though, I will say that's usually the ones where you have to stir because the oil just naturally settles on top. But if you can give it a really good stir. The first time around, you usually don't have to stir it after that. Awesome. Well, we got more questions coming up, but let's take a quick break.
Kaile Hunt 28:34
Welcome back to newbies. Our last section will be recipe ideas for both baby and Mama during the fall I have always loved cooking. It's changed. Now that I'm a mom. I'm always thinking of, okay, what can I make that baby friendly, toddler friendly, that my daughter's actually going to eat? You know, making sure there's some safe foods on the plate. So what are some easy fall breakfasts to make for baby and mom, and you get an extra star if it's freezable. So what are some ideas that you can make and then also freeze? Yes, so Well, for one like, I'm always an advocate for eggs because they are so nutrient dense. So eggs will always be great I eat. I actually make an egg casserole, like a breakfast casserole, that I do freeze younger week, I'll make a new batch that I will eat. My husband will eat it right now. That's the only way my daughter will eat eggs, because there is sausage in it, but something like that, totally fabulous.
Lauran Saunders 29:32
Another would be like oatmeal. I love a good hearty oatmeal in the cooler months as it started to cool down for fall, but that is something that you want to make sure that you are adding, like an intentional protein source to and you can use rolled oats for baby lead weaning. You don't have to use, you know, the oat flakes that are really fine and gross. You don't have to use those your baby can do rolled oats. So this is something that you can make a big batch with your baby, adding some chia seeds to it.
Is going to add some great fiber and omega threes, and then adding, you know, some type of nut butter is going to be fabulous as well, to give you some healthy fats and a little bit of protein too, to kind of balance it out a little bit more. So I love, I love that for breakfast as well.
Kaile Hunt 30:15
What about um? I use the Kodiak, I believe, brand pancakes, and I would add extra eggs to it to make it a little bit more protein, and obviously, use milk. What about so maple syrup, right? Or honey? How safe is that? And we're talking honey after a year old. No, honey before you're old, but after a year old. But you know, let's say maple syrup for babies under a year, or maple syrup and honey after a year. Anyway, how harmful, slash beneficial, is it to give a baby kid, you know that added sugar, rather than the type of syrup with high fructose corn syrup, you know what? I mean? Yeah, what's the big difference with that, with adding it on top of pants?
Lauran Saunders 30:58
But I feel like is the nuanced question, it is still going to be a better sweetener choice. We'll say that. So honey, maple syrup, those kind of natural sugars, are going to be a better sweetener choice. They are still at a sugar though, and they're still going to increase the sugar content of the meal. Of course, the difference between like a syrup that's more fructose base comes down to how your body's processing it. And with high fructose corn syrup, it's it goes through your body's processes faster, so it can raise your blood sugar faster, so to speak. So those are obviously not ideal, but any sort of sugar, whether it's honey, whether it's maple syrup, whether it's, you know, natural cane sugar, can still raise your blood sugar levels and still kind of go through that whole, that whole system in your body. And so when it comes to like kids, less is going to be better. Right now, my daughter loves honey on apples, and so we're just doing, you know, a little drizzle of honey and a bigger drizzle of peanut butter to help balance it out a little bit. And I think like having that sweetness, especially if you're having pancakes like you want a little something on it so they're not dry, that is totally fine. But it all comes down to, you know, how much are we having? How often are we doing this? Yes, the honey, the maple syrup, that's 100% pure, is still going to be a better option than, like, a high fructose based option. That makes sense. It
Kaile Hunt 32:24
definitely makes sense. Um, switching gears, right? Let's talk about fall lunch ideas. And even I'm like, a year and a half into being a mom, um, about a year into feeding her, right? And I struggle with lunch. I am, like, at breakfast, great at dinner, right? But for whatever reason I lunch is just not my jam at all. And, like, I can just eat a sandwich, right? My daughter cannot eat a sandwich. Yes, six teeth, you know, like she can't. She can't do it yet. And so I'm really struggling with fall lunch ideas. Um, can you help me out? What are some fall lunch ideas that are great for both mom, right? And baby, yes, I'll
Lauran Saunders 33:02
say you are absolutely not alone in this, like myself as well, and almost every single mom that I work with, like lunches. Lunch is the struggle, and that is actually one area where I do think prepping some stuff for baby led weaning can be really helpful. And so with my daughter last fall, I actually made a lot of, like, homemade chicken nuggets with it was, like shredded chicken sweet potatoes, broccoli that I would kind of like mash all up together, crack an egg to help hold it together, and I would use a little bit of like garlic powder in it as well, form it into nugget patties and bake it until, you know, it's completely solid, starting to brown, and then I would just freeze those. And so on those days where I was like, well, I could just eat, you know, a sandwich, like you said. I could have some of those chicken nuggets in the freezer that had sweet potato and it had broccoli in it. She loved it. I could just warm those up and have it with, you know, some veggie sticks on the side, or some applesauce or something. And that was a great go to lunch that we actually survived on a lot
Kaile Hunt 34:04
last fall. I love that is such a great idea, and that even has me thinking I like to make I actually made it two days ago, turkey meatballs. Super easy to shred up some zucchini. Shred up some carrots. I use some bread crumbs, whether it's pinko or Italian breadcrumbs, whatever I have in my pantry. And, yeah, and it's sitting in my freezer right now. It's like such a quick go to quick grab and, you know, pop it in the oven or the air fryer really quick. Yeah, that is so helpful. What about dinner? And I think why I struggle so much with lunch compared to dinner is I want it to be different, you know? And I think that's just me putting an unrealistic mom goal on top of my shoulders. I want it to be different. Breakfast is like, egg based, right? And like, oatmeal and turkey sausage for breakfast. And then lunch, I'm like, I don't know what I want for lunch, but for dinner, we're having spaghetti, you know what I mean. So why? That's another issue. But what are some ideas for dinner that also maybe could be incorporated for lunch as well?
Lauran Saunders 35:04
Yes, so funny. I was actually thinking like a pasta based something pasta can be fairly easy, or even like this reminds me, and I haven't even made this since last fall, but like a lasagna soup where you have bigger chunks of noodles, which is going to be great for baby led, meaning really, like fine ground beef or turkey, whatever meat you use. A nice, fine ground your baby can do that as well. And then having that, you know, the red sauce based soup broth, if you have bone broth in it, like, that's another double whammy win there. Nutrient wise, that's great for dinner. That's also one that like it marinates overnight, it tastes even better the next day. If you do want to have it for lunch, that's another great option that's just come to mind as well.
Kaile Hunt 35:49
I love that. And one of my last questions really, what are some easy meals that you can freeze and I'll go first. I already said the turkey meatballs. Another thing that I love is it's kind of like a rice type of it's kind of like a rice mac and cheese, if that makes sense. I like cook rice in bone broth and chicken bone broth, and then I add a little bit of milk, and then I add a little bit of cheese and a little bit of, like, onion powder, garlic powder, and whatever vegetable I have on hand. So it could be carrots or it could be cauliflower or broccoli, whatever I really have, I kind of mix it all up, and my daughter loves it, and then whatever she doesn't eat, I freeze it for another day. So that's kind of, it's kind of like a cheesy rice dish. I'm not really sure anyway, but what are some easy meals that you can give some tips on for moms to use that can freeze?
Lauran Saunders 36:38
Yes, I'm going to be honest, I freeze almost everything, just because reheating it, I like the flavor better if it's coming from Frozen than like if it sat in my fridge for two days. So this is great. I freeze everything I already said, like the breakfast casserole. That's fabulous, especially if you have busy mornings to do some type of breakfast casserole and freeze it in individual portions. I highly, highly recommend that for you and for your baby. I actually made stuffed peppers the other night, and I kept my peppers more firm. I didn't cook it down so it was super soft. So when I froze it, and I just had ground pork and an enchilada sauce in inside of it, when I froze it, that actually it helps soften your peppers when you go to reheat it to kind of breaks the cell wall so your peppers are soft when you go to reheat it. So the first time around, if you have a new baby, the pepper that's more firm is going to be a great resistive teether. They're probably not going to bite much of it because it's more firm. But the second time around, after you froze it, it's going to be a lot softer, and your baby can actually get a little bit more of the actual pepper the second time around. Plus, if it's loaded with, you know, a ground meat and rice or beans or whatever, that's going to be great for them too. So that's, you know, another fun thing that I like to freeze. I also, this time of year, I feel like pumpkin we're all we're all crazed about pumpkin flavored whatever. But I I made some of this last week, and I actually used to make it all the time last year, but little pumpkin scones. And instead of the sugar, I would add applesauce as my sweetener, and I would make small ones and freeze it for my daughter. And so, you know, whether it's morning or a snack or something like that. I could give her a little pumpkin scone, and we would just always have it stocked in
Kaile Hunt 38:25
the freezer. How lovely. And I love you talked about something sweet. This brings back a memory, which I love to bake as well. I've been making a lot of pumpkin mini muffins, and I use yogurt, and then I do use maple syrup, however, I kind of want to switch it out with applesauce. Maybe. Yeah, try that anyway. That all being said, I've noticed that when I do make my mini muffins with a yogurt base, and I just use regular flour, that they freeze pretty well, and then you just microwave, you know, for 10 seconds at a time, until it gets, you know, defrosted. And, yeah, my daughter loves loves them, and I feel good because it has, you know, yogurt base, yes, yes, which is super beneficial, yeah, better than other store bought muffins. You know, I guess my last question for your what type of fall flavors do you incorporate in your meals? And let's just look, I mean, we're just beginning fall right now we're recording this in late September. And so what are some fall flavors that you are going to incorporate in your meals for this season?
Lauran Saunders 39:28
Oh, yes, I love this one. And also, you know, kind of going back to talking about seasonings, especially with babies, you you shouldn't be afraid to add seasoning and different spices to your baby's meal. It actually really helps them kind of develop a better flavor profile and be, you know, more willing to try new foods with different flavors. So we, I love, like, the whole pumpkin pie spice profile with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, all of that. And pretty much all my baked goods for like, the next three months are probably going to be pumpkin or. Apple based. I love those flavors. And then with like, more savory dishes, honestly, I love the savoriness that you can get from sausage or having a little bit of, like, fennel, a little bit of sage. I love those flavors. And last year, I actually made the Thanksgiving turkey, and it was a very like sagey Turkey, which I loved. So I love those types of flavors, and especially, like I said, You shouldn't be afraid to add flavor and seasonings to your baby's meal. Of course, you know, go for the garlic powder, not the garlic salt, or like the onion powder, not the onion salt, but adding those flavors like it can really spice up a meal for your baby, especially, like, for example, we do a lot of yogurt, and one day I'll add cinnamon, and the other day I'll add, you know, pumpkin pie spice, and then I'll add, like, a coconut nut butter or something like that, just to give it a little bit of variety too, for Baby, I
Kaile Hunt 40:56
love that. I Yeah, yogurts my go to snack for my daughter and I always add cinnamon. I am going to start doing pumpkin pie spice. That's gonna be so yummy I'm excited. Well, Lauren, you have been a pleasure. I'm so excited to have this episode come out in fall and have all these fun, yummy ideas for our new moms to listen to. So thank you so much for joining me.
Unknown Speaker 41:18
Thank you, Kaylee, it's been a pleasure. Yay. Be
Kaile Hunt 41:21
sure to check out new mommy media.com where we have all our podcast episodes, plus videos and more.
That wraps up our show for today. Thanks for listening. If you love newbies as much as we do, please consider checking out the amazing businesses that sponsor our show week after week. And we'd also love for you to tell another new mama about this resource, which, of course, is absolutely free. And if you want to check out some of our other podcasts we produce, such as Peggy pals, parent savers, boob group and twin talks, then visit our website at New mommy media.com don't forget to follow us on Instagram for more information, giveaways and more. Our handle is at New mommy media. Thanks for listening to newbies.
Disclaimer 42:11
This has been a new mommy media production. The information and material contained in this episode are presented for educational purposes only. Statements and opinions expressed in this episode are not necessarily those of new mommy media and should not be considered facts. While such information and materials are believed to be accurate, it is not intended to replace or substitute for professional medical advice or care and should not be used for diagnosing or treating healthcare problem or disease or prescribing any medication. If you have questions or concerns regarding your physical or mental health or the health of your baby, please seek assistance from a qualified healthcare provider you.
