Ask the Mommy Chef with Lianne Phillipson-Webb
Better Baby Bums is excited to add Mommy Chef, Lianne Phillipson-Webb, to its team of  "natural" experts to help you raise your little one as safely and naturally as possible from pre-natal to post-natal.
Lianne, expert Family Nutritionist and original Mommy Chef as seen on Breakfast Television, Canada AM and Today's Parent is the founder of Sprout Right, a health and nutrition service specializing in preconception, pre-natal and post-natal care for women and their families. Lianne, a Registered Nutritionist (Dip. ION and RNCP) and mother of two, offers support and guidance through personal one-on-one consultations and dynamic workshops and Mommy Chef cooking classes.
We are excited to be carrying both of Lianne's Mommy Chef DVDs (see below). These DVDs will help you take the guesswork out of feeding your baby by guiding you through six Mommy Chef classes on each DVD. Each class focuses on two recipes.
Mommy Chef will be a monthly Q&A section on our site so watch for one each month below.
If you have a question for Mommy Chef, email your question to us at info@betterbabybums.com and if your question is selected, you will win a set of Babycubes so you can freeze your homemade purees.
July Questions:
I like to make smoothies for my kids in the blender and I am always trying to add things to them to pack in as much nutritionally as possible. Can you give me some ideas of what I can sneak in there to boost the nutritional value? My kids are really picky about vegetables these days so I am hoping that a yummy shake can help with this!
I love making smoothies for my family as they are not only quick and easy to prepare, but this liquid meal can also be a powerhouse of nutrients. In one smoothy, I can get 2-3 servings of fruit, plenty of fiber, protein, antioxidants and omega 3 fats! As a base, I like to use rice or another alternative milk as many people are sensitive to dairy. Bananas are great for adding in vitamin B6, vitamin C and potassium as well as making the smoothy nice and creamy. I also add in pears (leave the skin on!) for vitamin C and fiber, and I throw in some frozen blueberries, or any berry for that matter, as they are a great source of antioxidants which help fight disease. Always important is to add in a form of protein like hemp and/or rice protein poder which is really going to help stabilize blood sugar and help you and your little one to go longer. I especially like hemp as it is also a good source of fiber and omega 3 fats! You can also sneak in some raw sprouts such as sunflower, which are super high in protein and minerals. I also like adding in a tablespoon of molasses as it's high in calcium and iron. If not too fishy, you can add in your DHA supplement to help support the functioning of the brain, eye and nervous system- very important for growing bodies! Try and experiment with different fruits and flavours until you find your favourite combo!
Follow up question to this one:
I have heard of people putting seaweed flakes into shakes. Is that for protein?
Yes, you can get seaweed "shakers" and sprinkle it onto anything you like! Sea vegetables are a good source of iodine, vitamin K, folate, magnesium, and some B-vitamins, iron and calcium. They are actually not a good source of protein. That is where the protein powder comes in!
May Questions:
My baby is starting to eat semi-soils. After the cereals we offered her, some meat was recommended but to no avail. She won't eat any. We then moved to meat alternatives (pinto beans and such) and vegetables. I would like to try fish before returning to meat. What low mercury and mild tasting fish would you recommend?
Thanks for your question. I am not sure the age of your baby, but remembering that both meat and fish have a lot of texture to them, may help you decide how to move forward. If it is iron that you are concerned about, the cereals areproviding some, and perhaps your next step might be egg yolk. It is high in iron, cholesterol (an important fat) and other vitamins. I would highly recommend only using organic eggs. You can hard boil it (6 minutes) peel away the white and mash the yolk with fruit or veggies and serve. Three eggs a week should do the trick for the added iron needed and take the pressure off th get the meat in. IF you want to do fish, buy wild and try some light white fish such as sole, halibut or haddock. Of course Pacific wild salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring are the highest in DHA which is essential for the development of your baby's brain, so those are always my preference.
Happy cooking!
Question 2
I wanted to ask Lianne about introducing fresh squeezed vegetable juice (made in a juicer) to an infant. My baby just turned 6months old and I am introducing all of the new solid foods, which she is loving. I've read that fruit juice should not be introduced until the 2nd year to avoid it becoming a substitute for breast milk or infant formula. I am leery about buying juice from the store, as I know that it is quite high in sugar and can have a lot of extra ingredients which are not desirable. While pregnant, I drank fresh squeezed fruit and veggir juice every day. I am hoping to make the same for my babe, but have not seen any information on this published anywhere. I am wondering about fresh squeezed carrot juice and other vegetable juices and whether or not these can be given to a baby/toddler?
Great question! Fresh juices are fantastic to increase anyone's nutrient intake, but it may not be the best for your six month old. Fresh fruit and vegetable juices are more concentrated without the essential fiber. The fiber in fruits and vegetables slows down the release of natural sugars (fructose and other carbohydrates) and helping to stabilize blood sugar levels. In your baby, it would be too much of a fast releasing carbohydrate, which would then need the appropriate insulin response, not something to be over worked at this age. And you are right, you don't want to take anything away from the amazing breast milk providing carbohydrate, protein, fats and nutrients. I might suggest closer to 18 months and then the juice can be diluted. I always encourage moms to get water into your baby first so that they get used to the plain taste, as once you move onto juice, it is often tricky to encourage water drinking. The amazing fruit and vegetable puree is giving both the nutrients and fiber as well as learning what eating solids is all about.
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