Attached at the Hip

Picky on Plastics

As we begin this new year and new decade, many of us start thinking about ways we can improve our lives - our health, our dreams, our relationships.  While most of us don't think about "plastics" when we go through our resolutions for the new year, perhaps we should.

While it's impossible to totally avoid plastics in our lives today, there are certain types of plastic that we know contain harmful chemicals (such as bisphenol-A [BPA] and phthalates) which are best avoided.  The good news is there are many alternatives to these plastics, and they're becoming easier to find all the time.

Not sure what's good and what's bad in the world of plastics?  The Environmental Working Group has put together some simple tips to help you make wise choices in choosing and using plastics.  With details on the safest types as well as those to keep away from, it's a must-read for any family ready to make a positive change.  Also check out the EWG's Tips to Avoid BPA Exposure to find out where BPA hides in other common products.

Then, check out some of our favorite plastic alternatives:

• Klean Kanteen stainless steel colored water bottles
• Snack Sacks fabric food bags
• Bambu compostable plates, wooden bowls, and wooden utensils
• Frigoverre glass food storage containers
• Haba wooden baby teethers and toys

May you and your family enjoy a very healthy and happy New Year!

"Baby" Foods

A few months ago I stumbled upon some really intriguing viewpoints on introducing babies to solids. While I've always gone somewhat against the grain when beginning solids with my babies (for instance, I don't start until past 6 months, skip the rice cereal, and see food as mostly for fun until over 1 year), these ideas were new to me.  The basic concept is that babies don't have to be, well, "babied" as much as standard American approaches suggest.  Rather than feeding them bland, pureed foods, babies can actually tolerate - and enjoy! - more flavorful and texture-rich foods.  Not only is this almost certainly healthier in giving them a more balanced diet (though breastmilk should always be the primary food source until one year of age), it also gives them a broader palate, so that in future years they'll be more open to more foods.  MSNBC has a great article on research done on the subject, indicating that most of our ideas on beginning solids are more myth than science.

With my older boys, we did try to introduce a lot of vegetables and keep a balance between fruits and veggies.  There's a prevailing notion that giving "too much" fruit will create a sweet tooth, and certainly it seems that more vegetables are not only healthier in the short term but may create more interest in them in the long run.  Unfortunately, this hasn't proven true for us.  In fact, my oldest son doesn't like many vegetables because of their texture, regardless of flavor.

So what if we introduce more textures, earlier?  How about letting infants chew on things (with supervision, of course!) like carrots and broccoli, either raw or lightly steamed?  We've been doing this now with our youngest son for a couple of months and it's gone over very well. He doesn't ingest a lot of food yet, which is fine - breastmilk is all he really needs.  But he does chew, taste, and explore a variety of foods and is clearly mastering the art of eating a bit more all the time.

For more information on Baby-Led Solids (as it's called in the U.S., or Baby-Lead Weaning in the U.K.), be sure to read the Rapley Guidelines, available in English on a German breastfeeding site, or in PDF format (updated June 2008) from Rapley's site.

Apples or Avocados?

Today I received a package from Earthbound Farm, including a deep purple reusable shopping bag, coupons,  and their "Pocket Guide to Choosing Organic."  Apparently I entered a contest or filled out a survey or something of the sort, which I vaguely remember, some time ago.  It was a nice surprise, and a good reminder of the excellent resource available from the Environmental Working Group, the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce, on which the "Pocket Guide" is based.

The Shopper's Guide is a ranking of 44 commonly consumed fruits and vegetables, each evaluated under normal eating or cooking conditions (i.e., apples are washed and bananas are peeled) for pesticide content.  The idea of the guide is to give consumers a resource for choosing what products to buy organic.  Not everyone can find - let alone afford - exclusively organic produce, but many people want to avoid unnecessary chemical and pesticide exposures if they can.  By using the Shopper's Guide, you can choose carefully to minimize the risk.

The quick-reference version of the Shopper's Guide is available to download and print from their site (no registration is necessary if you'd rather avoid it), or donate to the EWG and get a professionally printed wallet card and fridge magnet.  It's one of those resources you'll want to always have handy, when faced with questions such as, "apples or avocados?"  (Extra points to whomever can share the best answer!)