Reading labels is a very good habit to get into to. The problem is that reading labels is often confusing. The good news is the more you practice the easier it gets. There are some proposed changes to labels, however, for now this is what you will see when you look at a label. Here are a few tips that might help.

The first thing to do when you look at a label is to look at the serving size. This is very important for 2 reasons:
          1) If you are comparing 2 products you want to compare a serving size that is the same so that you are     
               comparing the same amounts.                                                                                                                                 2) Often we eat a lot more than what the serving size is. That’s ok, however, you want to know how much the 
              package is stating the serving size is so that you can adjust it for the amount that you eat.

Some nutrients that I would always look at on labels, whatever the product is, are sodium and fibre. It is important to look at the amount of sodium when you look at the label. Look for the Milligrams (mg) of sodium. Try to choose products lower in sodium. Fibre is another nutrient that it is important to look for on the label. Look for the grams (g) of fibre. Try to choose products higher in fibre.

Only use the percent’s to quickly compare products if the serving size is the same. Don’t assume that you are getting the percent that it says. You can also use the Percent Daily Value to find a product that is low or high in something. 5% or less is a little and 15% or more is a lot.

Labels can be very useful to help us understand what is in a product but reading the ingredient list is also key because this tells us more information about what is actually in the food or drink.

To see what the proposed changes are to the label in Canada or to have your say click here

For more information or to gain more hands on practice contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

I love using green split peas as a finger food. They have a great texture and split pea soup is something that the whole family can often enjoy. Just be sure that the baby has already had the other ingredients in the soup and hold the salt until after you dish out the portion for your baby.

Split peas are a good source of protein and iron as well as fibre, and they are easy to cook, which is always a bonus. When giving split peas to a baby I welcome the lumps and clumps because it’s a great way to present different textures. Don’t worry if your baby doesn’t have teeth, they can easily mash it in between their gums. Our little guy loved split peas.

Warning – giving this to your baby will provide you with quite a mess to deal with afterwards.

When cool split peas really tend to clump together which is perfect for those little fingers to be able to bring it up to their mouths. You can offer your baby a spoon but let them use the spoon however they choose and definitely don’t spoon-feed them. Have them put the spoon up and into their mouths all by themselves. It’s very common that your baby will see the rest of the family eating from a spoon and request to use one too. Let them. You might find that they hold the spoon in one hand and use the other to scoop the food into their mouths. That is also fine. It’s all part of the learning process and letting them be involved.

For a split pea soup recipe click here

Need more ideas of how to feed your baby? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future’s Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

Looking for a recipe that is light and refreshing on those hot summer days. Not to mention quick too? This is a great one for the whole family. Allow the kids to pick and choose the parts of the salad that they want. If you want to add a bit more to this meal try adding some salsa and unsalted chips.

4-6 leaves of lettuce
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup black beans
1 avocado, diced
3 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 Tbsp Italian dressing

1. Wash lettuce and rip into bit sized pieces
2. Cut veggies, add corn, black beans and avocado
3. Toss with salad dressing and serve

Need help planning your meals or new meal ideas? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

My previous vegan pregnancy post discussed eating a vegan diet during pregnancy. Now let’s talk more about specific nutrients you need.

Protein should be a focus in the diet of a vegan pregnant mama. If you eat three meals a day and two snacks, I suggest protein with every meal and at least one snack. However, if you eat four smaller meals a day, include protein at every one.

There are many vegan protein sources to choose from. Although there are good options — that include fibre, iron, folate, and choline, etc. — they’re a bit harder to digest than meat, fish and eggs.

Vegans also have increased iron needs because many vegan iron sources contain phytates — antioxidant compounds that bind to the iron and make it harder to absorb.  So I recommend a vegan prenatal multivitamin that also contains iron. See more about iron in pregnancy here.

Through a blood test, your healthcare provider can tell you if you need an iron supplement over and above what you get from food and your prenatal multivitamin.

Vegan diets are usually high in Vitamin C, which increases iron absorption. If you take a prenatal multivitamin and eat high iron foods throughout the day, I don’t recommend an iron supplement unless your healthcare provider recommends it.

Remember that both caffeine and calcium can negatively affect iron absorption.

Zinc is another important mineral during pregnancy. Vegan foods high in iron are typically also high in protein, zinc, folate and choline.

In pregnancy calcium needs don’t increase — your body absorbs calcium more efficiently.

Vegan diets often have low amounts of calcium. In addition, some vegan foods have phytates and oxalic acid that also affect calcium absorption. However, this is easy to remedy if sources of calcium are made a focus of the diet. Remember that caffeine can also affect calcium absorption.

Although many people meet their calcium needs with dairy, this is not the only way. Good sources of calcium include almonds, sesame seeds, fortified milk alternatives, blackstrap molasses, tofu (if calcium sulphate is listed in the ingredients), collards, figs, kale, turnip greens and broccoli.

Vegans, whether pregnant or not, most frequently ask if they’re getting enough vitamin B12, which typically comes from animal products. However, vegans can get it in fortified products such as red star nutritional yeast (be sure to check as not all nutritional yeast is fortified with B12), vegan meats and fortified milk alternatives.

I always recommend eating whole foods and avoiding packaged and processed foods as much as possible. So I point out that, although vegans can choose fortified foods to get their B12, these are all packaged foods.

However, using B12 fortified nutritional yeast is great because it is easy to add to foods that you are eating throughout the day.

To meet your needs with fortified foods you need to eat at least three fortified foods with B12 each day. A variety of B12 supplements are available. Depending on the dosage you choose, you may not need to take it every day. But don’t worry too much about getting more B12 than needed — you will just pee out any excess amount you take in.

That said, there’s no sense “peeing your money away” on unnecessary vitamins. So base your decisions on supplements on what you get from foods and what works with your lifestyle.

It’s a good idea for every future mother to boost stores of omega 3 before getting pregnant, and while you are pregnant it’s important to conserve them. This is especially important for vegans, who tend to have lower levels of DHA.

For this reason omega 3 is one of the most common supplements I recommend before, during and after pregnancy. Often it’s taken in the form of DHA, one component of omega 3.

Most omega 3 supplements are from fish sources, although you can find vegan forms made from micro-algae — the same source that gives fish their DHA. Taking the micro-algae form is a good option as it reduces concerns about mercury and other contamination.

There are vegan food sources available, including flax seeds (if they’re ground or in the oil form), chia and hemp seeds, and walnuts.

Omega 3 has another component, EPA, that is readily found in supplements. Both it and DHA are important to both mom and baby, although DHA tends to get the spotlight, as it helps in baby’s brain development.

Fish sources seem to be better absorbed and utilized by the body and there is also debate as to how much the foods listed above actually have in them. Our bodies actually convert plant sources of omega 3 to DHA and EPA, making them not as efficient sources of these fatty acid components.

Chia and hemp seeds also contain omega 6. North American diets tend to provide more omega 6, so it is important to ensure a ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids in the range between 2:1- and 4:1. Many plant-based vegan oils contain omega 3, 6, and 9, making it even more important to think about the ratio of omega 6 and omega 3.

Some things also affect our body’s ability to make DHA. This includes trans fats — another reason to avoid processed and packaged foods. Alcohol and smoking also have negative effects.

In short, it is possible, with a little planning, to eat a healthy vegan diet during pregnancy.

If you have further questions, please contact Jill, Nurture The Future’s Registered Dietitian, at nf.nutrition@gmail.com


*This article originally appeared on The Birthing Site. For a list of references contact email above. 

I'm often asked if babies get enough fluids from breastfeeding as they start out on their journey of s. I always like to remind parents that the baby will also be getting fluid from the foods they are eating. I tend to use boiled turnips for babies and I find that they contain a lot of fluid. Most babies that I have experienced eating turnips love them. Be sure to not bring your bias in when you are feeding your baby. Try to be as emotionally neutral as possible to whichever food you are giving them and let them decide if they like the food.

Turnip is a great food to offer in different forms. For example the first meal we used cubed pieces, next we used thick cut sticks (like fries) and we also tried grating. This is a great experience for the baby because they taste the same food but it is presented in different forms. 

Turnip's are a good source of Vitamin C, serving your baby turnips with some high iron foods will help them absorb the iron. Some people find turnips bitter, due to the way their genes make them taste. This is another reason I like to have turnips as a food for babies earlier on, it gives a very different taste than many of the foods they may have tried at this point in their journey.

Have questions about introducing food to your little one? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com