Post an answer by Monday, September 13 at midnight and your child’s classroom (or a classroom of your choice) will receive 100 Wet Ones Antibacterial Wipes travel packs for the new school year. Of all the posts below, five deserving classrooms will be selected to get Wet Ones Antibacterial Wipes. The wipes keep hands clean and germ-free when soap and water are not available. They kill 99.99% of germs and also clean away dirt and messes and don’t dry out skin like alcohol-based sanitizers.

*Disclosure: Wet Ones approached babybites with this opportunity and is providing the product for the classroom giveaways.

This time of year I am looking for ways to feed my family a healthy and delicious meal, without turning on the oven! This recipe is just what I want on a warm summer day…a delicate whitefish with fresh citrus flavors, topped with a seasonal green salad.

• Ingredients:
  • 1 ½ pounds of fresh sushi-grade whitefish, sliced as thin as possible horizontally (like a carpaccio)
  • 2 sticks of fresh lemongrass, very finely sliced, using only the tender parts
  • The juice of two red grapefruits (grapefruit segments reserved for the salad)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • Olive oil
  • Juice and zest of one lime
  • 8 cups of seasonal salad greens
  • One small bulb of fennel, thinly sliced (tops of the fennel reserved for garnish)

1. Place your thin sliced whitefish on a platter large enough to hold all of it in a single layer.
2. Combine in a bowl the sliced lemongrass, red grapefruit juice, a pinch of salt, the fresh ginger, 1/8 of a cup of olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and the lime zest and juice. Whisk to combine. Add more olive oil if necessary to make a dressing.
3. Cover the fish with this red grapefruit dressing, and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, combine the salad greens with the sliced fennel and grapefruit segments, and season with salt and pepper.
5. Divide the whitefish among your individual plates and top with some of the green salad. Drizzle the red grapefruit dressing over everything. Garnish with the fennel tops and serve.

As a mom and a health coach, I’ve always been a label reader and one who is skeptical of food products with a cartoon character on the front and ingredients that remind me of chem class on the back. Recently I was asked by NYC Green Schools to research just what some of these ingredients are and the answers, while not pretty, are not really surprising. Many are found in the obvious junk foods where you might most expect them but a large amount are also hiding in “healthy” foods llike whole-grain bread, yogurts and cereals. Here are a few to look for:

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) has gotten quite a bit of attention lately and we are now seeing ads touting products made with “real sugar” instead of HFCS. (I love the irony of sugar being the healthy choice). How bad is HFCS? Research is mixed. Some researchers believe that because HFCS does not occur in nature, our bodies don’t know how to process it and more of it is stored as fat. Others have not found that connection but worry that its cheap cost has made highly sweetened food very affordable and widely available.  Last year, The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy published two studies showing that almost half of the HFCS samples they tested contained mercury. This is of concern in part because of the huge amount of this stuff in the food supply. The Washington Post reported that Americans consume 12 teaspoons a day of HFCS.

Personally, I don’t like the company HFCS keeps: it is usually listed with other questionable ingredients and found only in highly processed foods. Until we know more, I am staying away. Other popular sweeteners feeding our growing national sweet tooth may be listed as polydextrose, maltose, maltodextrin, mannitol, barley malt and sorbitol.

In 2006, the FDA began requiring food companies to label the amount of trans fat in their products. There is a big loophole here though. A food can have up to .49 grams of trans fat and still be labeled “trans fat” free. This is a problem because many of us eat more than one serving from a package or eat multiple products with allowable trans fat in them, thinking it’s “trans fat free”. Since the recommended amount of trans fat in our diet is zero, this unconscious consumption could have far-reaching health consequences.

To replace partially hydrogenated oil, food manufacturers are looking for a new product that can give them the same long shelf life and you may have seen “interesterified oil” on labels. Preliminary research on this new fat does not look good, and until more is known, it seems wise to avoid it.

Food dyes seem to be everywhere in kids food and The Center for Science in the Public Interest just released a report called “Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risk” that charges these dyes trigger allergic reactions and behavior problems in children and can cause cancer. The group says the three most commonly used dyes – Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 – are contaminated with cancer causing substances. Great Britain has required companies to stop using food dyes and the EU requires a warning notice on dyed foods.

What exactly are these dyes and how do they turn food such groovy colors? They begin with benzene, a colorless and flammable oil that then goes through a complicated process that involves mixing it with nitric acid and sulfuric acid to create a poisonous substance called nitrobenzene. The next step is to expose it to iron to turn it into something called aniline, the chemical base for most dyes. Yuck.

I would love to see more research and legislation here in the US. My kids seem to love all brightly colored foods and it is the ingredient that I’ve found the hardest to eliminate as it’s not just in candy and other obvious places. Some yogurts have them and I’ve seen them in products as varied as chocolate syrup and seaweed salad. Food manufacturers use about 15 million pounds of eight synthetic dyes annually so they are very hard to avoid.

Artificial flavoring is another “ingredient” frequently listed. These flavorings are produced from chemicals that are manipulated in a lab to imitate specific flavors found in nature. Some of them may originate from crude oil or tar but the exact chemicals used are the proprietary information of the food companies so this is a case where it is almost impossible to know what you are actually eating. My recommendation? Put down the package and walk away.

Many popular kids’ foods are designed to have a long shelf life which can seem like a great thing for busy parents. After all, a granola bar can last for weeks in a backpack. This long life though is usually extended by the addition of BHT to the package. BHT is a petroleum based substance that reduces rancidity and is on the CSPI’s list of additives to avoid.

So, this is the buyer-beware, complicated terrain parents face in a standard trip to the grocery store. My best advice is to ignore the upfront labels and read the ingredient list. One popular granola bar has a label that declares it has “25% less sugar, no HFCS, is made with whole grain oats and is a good source of calcium and fiber”. When I read the ingredient list, I found 12 different sweeteners (including one artificial sugar), partially hydrogenated oil, artificial flavor and BHT (and this was printed in type so small it will challenge the eyes of most of us over the age of 40).

The bottom line here is to read your labels carefully or, better yet, choose foods that don’t need an ingredient list. After all, we really weren’t designed to eat a diet rich in sweeteners and petroleum based chemicals and neither were our kids. Stick to real foods as much as possible – it’s better for you, your children and the planet.

Post an answer by Monday, September 6 at midnight and be entered to win a gift set that includes: a Silikid bib, a Trebimbi dinner set for kids, & the book, Kitchen Playdates.

Congratulations to Monika for winning this week’s prize! Bon appetite!

Soon after my first daughter turned two I brought home my second daughter. To say my first daughter was a bit in awe and more than a bit jealous, is an understatement. Big sis was already peeved I was not able to pick her up all the time and I required A LOT more “breaks” than usual. So the thought of having to share my lap and attention with another person was NOT for her. After a bit of an adjustment and tons of daddy time, big sis got use to “her” baby and now the two are as thick as thieves. They wake up asking for each other as if my husband and I are just the opening act to a rock god.

So how did I maneuver the transition from one to two? Here are some of the tips I’d like to think helped out:

• Big sibling preparation class: My hospital offered a hour-long class for the preparation of the siblings for a new arrival. As a family, we read some books and watched a video about what new babies do (eat, sleep, and cry). My daughter colored a big sister badge, got to practice holding a new (CPR dummy) baby, and the best part was she got to tour the maternity ward where I was going to stay with the new baby. She even got to see the room, sit on my bed and look into the nursery at the other new babies. This was a GREAT experience and one which she still remembers two years later.
• The huge advantages of having a sibling: We knew the second baby was going to be a girl. So we let our oldest daughter know she was going to have a sister and what a very lucky girl she was to have a sister. I told (and still tell) her the best gift I might ever give her is a sister. She gets a built-in playmate/resource/friend/confidant/enemy/bridesmaid/etc for life. It makes her feel like she is the luckiest girl in the world still to this day.
• Play mommy: My oldest daughter inherited my baby doll from when I was a little girl. So in preparation of the new “real” baby, we got her baby doll some of the similar things the “real” baby was going to have. We even took her to go baby shopping and bought all of the things I got for the “real” baby for her baby doll too. So once the new “real” baby sister came along and I fed, bathed, and dressed her, my oldest daughter was right there with me doing the exact same things with her baby doll. She felt so responsible and she learned how to be gentle and soothing. It also kept her busy (a big plus when you’re going from man-on-man to zone coverage).
• Let her help: One of the best big sister gifts my daughter received was a cleaning set. She LOVES to help. So in any small way I could make her feel like she was helping, she was more than happy to do so. I asked her to sweep up under the table and to grab a spit-up cloth from the chair and to sing sweet songs to soothe the upset baby. It came to a point when the baby was around 4 months, the thing that could calm her down the fastest was her big sister’s singing. Oh, the pride!
• Focus on being the role model: As the baby grew older, I impressed upon my oldest daughter how important it was to set a good example and teach her little sister how to do things. It brought a great deal of responsibility (self-instilled) to her everyday tasks. “Watch how I drink my milk from a straw.” “I love to read that book. Do you want me to read it to you?” “Let’s go wash our hands together.” The youngest just follows now. The oldest is all to happy to have a little mini me (for now).

So what’s your tip for helping to smooth the transition when a new baby comes home to older siblings? Have you used any of the tips listed above?

Post an answer by Monday, August 31 at midnight and be entered to win a Messenger Bag from LÄSSIG. The LÄSSIG is a roomy, stylish and multi-functional diaper bag. With many great features such as a wide adjustable shoulder strap, stroller straps and the ability to interchange the cover flaps – you are sure to love your bag! Contents: changing mat, well-organized inner-compartments, single insulated bottle holder, zip pouch, wet pocket, removable bottle holder compartment, straps for stroller and a lot more. Plus, all LÄSSIG bags are eco-friendly!

Check out LÄSSIG’s facebook page and all items can be purchased through www.babyage.com & www.babiesrus.com.

Congratulations to Megan for winning the beautiful LASSIG bag! What a cool new accessory for Fall!

I grew up in a very athletic family and part of the country. It was common for me to move from one sport to the next with little to no break between them. I continued this pattern all the way through college and stopped once I entered the NYC’s corporate America. It just didn’t fit into my lifestyle and yes, my lifestyle now included eating out, traveling, and entertaining clients; this made for very long “working” hours. What little free time I had, I spent it sleeping or wondering the vast city with my friends.

That doesn’t mean I wasn’t “fit” (at least in my mind). I somehow managed to adapt my diet with no formal plan or professional opinion. I ate smaller portions, made healthier choices, and choose better snacks and drinks. No, I couldn’t run a 5K, but yes I could walk 40 NYC blocks (probably in some ridiculous shoes too). My self image didn’t suffer and I found it was one less thing I stressed about. In fact, thinking back to that time, I remember thinking what a waste it was for me to spend time exercising. I was leading a healthy lifestyle, albeit not a conventional healthy lifestyle.

Then along came the two kiddos. The walking/eating regimen of the past didn’t seem to cut it anymore. In fact, after getting through breastfeeding my second child, my body didn’t rebound the same way as it did the first time. I joined a gym but found the babysitting situation to be unbearable for me. Plus I just don’t like to train by myself. I tried to run with a stroller but that wasn’t my style either. I even tried that P90X DVD and menu plan (cue late night infomercial); it didn’t cut it for me. It wasn’t until my friend recommended I go with her to a Bar Method class that I actually became excited about being active again. For me, the camaraderie, the style of exercise, the tempo, the setting and most importantly the results all made me look forward to being fit again. Additionally, I found my diet changed due to my new activity level. I also got excited about trying out some new recipes from the cool finds I get at my local farmer’s market and Mark Bittman’s 101 series (New York Times food columnist). All in all, I think being fit requires a certain level of individual buy-in as well as some external motivation in order to be successful.

What do you think? Also have you shared what makes you feel healthy and fit?

Feel free to share and to ask questions below in the comments section.

Also check out our webbybites video of the week: Getting Back to Your Pre-Baby Body.

As a first-time mom, the hospital was a daunting place. It is where I choose to go and give birth to my children, twice. I prepared for the hospital by talking to my OBGYN, taking childbirth classes, reading books, and getting input from other moms. To put it simply, I was terrified. I had seen many births on movies and TV shows (I watched OBSCENE amounts of the Birth Story). It seemed every time someone went into labor and gave birth, there was A LOT of screaming, sweating, cursing, crazed women. Usually I reserved that behavior for the gym or the dry cleaners. I kept thinking, there is NO WAY I am going to push this enormous baby out. I HATE pain. I’m the biggest wimp. And I know about the pain-free options, but there were needles involved! Anyone who knows me knows I don’t like needles. I don’t even like for people to touch my neck (I’m know I’m weird). So why in the world would I volunteer for ANYONE to stick me with needles. But I digress, I obviously had both of the babies. So here are some tidbits on how I survived the hospital journey.

• Go in with a plan. Make sure your OBGYN has that plan. Make sure the other doctors in the OBGYN’s practice have that plan. AND be sure they all are on board with YOUR plan. Some doctors are in huge practices. They take turns being on call. You have a chance of going into labor when your doctor is on vacation or sleeping or just having a beer with buddies. But if he/she isn’t on call, then he/she won’t be coming to help you out at the hospital. Don’t let this alarm you too much. Just have a plan and make sure it is known by all.
• Pack a bag for yourself that includes the following: music and some way for you to play that music (I had an iPod with a doc); honey sticks (for energy boost); socks (your feet get cold for some weird reason); big ol’ granny panties that you will probably throw away (to put your ENORMOUS maxi pad in after you give birth); one big ol’ maternity dress to go home in; your toiletries (don’t even worry about makeup); a soft cotton outfit to put your baby in to go home (no need to make it cute as they’ll be all squished up in their car seat most of the time); and a camera. That’s it. Don’t take too many valuables (like jewelry) to the hospital; the baby doesn’t care about bling.
• Expect discomfort. Expect a bit of pain, or a lot in my case. Expect that your body is going to go through some serious trauma. You’re giving birth! Things move around and words are used to describe what is going on that you aren’t going to find pleasant. This isn’t a vacation; it’s bringing another human being into the world. Just go in with some realistic expectations. It’s a journey, making a child, and this is the end. It won’t be the last time parenting is tough. I think it’s just a little introduction to “What to Expect From the Next 50 Years of Life.”
• The hospital isn’t the Four Seasons. It’s a public hospital. Ever been to one? If not, I suggest you go visit the maternity floor before you go there to give birth. It’s very enlightening. They don’t have card keys to rooms (no privacy). They don’t have a fab restaurant downstairs (ever eaten cafeteria food?). The people who work there have been there and done that. That being said, you will run into some really nice nurses. Not every nurse will be nice so take special note of the ones that are. They are the ones who will take care of you (yes, you) and guide you through those first couple of days when you don’t know heads or tails because of sleep deprivation coupled with raging hormones and, “Oh look, it’s my baby.” It’s a lot. So don’t go to the hospital expecting a cushy stay, but take special note of those that give you a little extra hand.
• Sleep is for those people without kids. Unless you have a professional hand when you get home, take the time to rest as much as possible while in the hospital. Because when you get home, there isn’t going to be anyone as helpful (think of your husband keeping house; enough said) to take care of your baby. So sleep when they ask you if you want to send the baby to the nursery for a hour. You’ve got a whole lot of baby/mommy time coming in the following weeks/months/years. Give yourself some “you” time and you’ll be a lot saner once you hit home.

Hopefully, now that you’ve read my tips, the hospital doesn’t seem like such a intimidating place. Really, after a couple of months, you’re going to forget all about the hospital and it will seem like a blur. So go in with the comfort of knowing you’ll be walking out in a couple of days with a shiny, new baby!

Do you have any questions or tips to add to my list? Share/ask them here and get feedback from other moms and me. If you have really technical question, I can hook you up with an expert!