The old story was that expectant mothers should eat fish to help their growing babies' brains. Then we heard that eating fish was dangerous to the health of the baby. If you're pregnant, no fish!
Obviously, fish was never really bad for expectant mothers; it was simply that some certain types of fish that had high levels of mercury. All the news about "fish," "mercury," and "pregnancy" must have been confusing. The most recent research doesn't seem to sound like anything new, just a reminder that fish is, in fact, good for the brain, as "Preschoolers whose mothers regularly ate low-mercury fish during pregnancy may have sharper minds than their peers...Researchers found that among 341 3-year-olds, those whose mothers ate more than two servings of fish per week during pregnancy generally performed better on tests of verbal, visual and motor development."
Just remember that it's fish with low levels of mercury, so make sure you do your homework.
For some reason these bouncing baby bags of rice make Western style birth announcements seem a tad impersonal. Talk about bundles of joy. These dakigokochi,or baby-shaped bags of rice personalized with a picture of their respective newborns, weigh just as much as the infants whose arrival the text announces.
Dakigokochi are far from being an age-old Japanese tradition. They were, ahem, conceived by Naruo Ono and his wife, Yukiko, who own the Yoshimiya rice shop in Kita-Kyushu. The popularity of the pair's wedding favor – a packet of rice, adorned with a picture of the happy couple – inspired them to create the unusual birth announcement. Even though their own son, Sota, is now four months old, the Onos haven't had a chance to send out their own dakigokochi. Guess they've been too busy fulfilling orders for other proud parents.
Sometimes the name of a product is just wrong. Just...wrong. And when you combine it with a photo on the package, it just gets worse. On the right is a photo of an actual product called Baby Bologna. Now, I'm sure the "baby" in the title refers to the size of the bologna. So why the heck did they put a picture of a human baby on the cover, smiling? Bizarre.
But there's more evidence that this is a growing trend. Will we soon see Kidsicles? Tater Tots?
This might be interesting for those with foodies-in-training, as their options can be fairly limited when they're not really up to un-mushed foods yet. The Mercury News has a great guide with tips and tricks for cooking your own baby foods, all of which are useful in helping to select the most nutritious foods and prepare them safely. In general:
Brightly colored produce, both fruits and vegetables usually pack more nutrients. They are more flavorful, so sugar should be unnecessary.
Steaming is the quickest and easiest way to cook the vegetables quickly. Puree them in a food processor once they are tender; there is no need to cook them to death.
Be vigilant about keeping surfaces clean while preparing the baby food, since babies are more sensitive to bacteria
Refrigerate or freeze foods after cooking and cooling to room temperature without letting them sit out.
Offer foods multiple times, but start with small batches in case it doesn't turn out to be a favorite.
One of the most interesting suggestions is to freeze the foods in ice cube trays for single-serving sizes after preparing them in large batches. Once frozen, you can defrost a cube or two as needed, and the cubes can be easily stored in a large plastic bag.
This week, the Wall Street Journal reviewed several companies that make and sell organic baby foods. Unlike Tot Pots, all four companies sell their products online, which means that they're available to anyone with a credit card and a mailbox. Hopefully, you'll have a baby, too, but that's not really a prerequisite to purchasing baby food.
Evie's Organic Edibles uses no preservatives, salt or sugar in their well-flavored foods. The NY-based company offers in-home cooking, delivery and classes, too. Plum Organics were described as "good enough for a grown up" - especially some of their dessert options. Homemade Baby is based in Southern California, has food prepared by a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef and offers an on-site baby food tasting room for picky eaters, in addition to mail-order. Little Potatoes Baby Food is colorful from fresh veggies straight from the farm and offers different textures for different age groups.
When everyone else seems to be eating organic, locally grown, seasonal foods and is able to identify the exact patch of ground that their carrots came from (kidding), there is a group of consumers that is largely left out: babies. Babies don't have a lot of buying power, but their parents certainly do and as parents become more informed about their own eating choices, they want to pass that knowledge on to their kids by feeding them high quality foods.
Companies like Tot Pots are springing up all over the country. Tot Pots makes organic baby foods that are distributed in the Seattle area. The thing that sets them apart from the other baby foods out there is that they seek out food from local farmers, mostly relying on seasonal foods, and pair them up in combinations that are unusual for baby foods, like Fig Raspberry, Quinoa Vanilla Rhubarb and Black Bean & Banana. They sound so delicious, that I wouldn't be surprised to hear that adults were sneaking tastes when baby isn't looking!
They don't sell their products online, but you can check them out if you're in the area.
When babies eat or drink, it's from a bottle, but does it always have to be so boring? Don't kids deserve a little
fashion and fun with their formula?
This one, designed like a cow, complete with an
udder, is an Italian product made of polycarbonate with a silicone nipple. It's so cute
I'd fill it with water and drink from it myself.
Okay, I wouldn't go that far. But I might be willing to babysit my niece more often.
I've always been a little shy about eating spaghetti, or any long noodle, for
that matter, because I am never sure whether I should or should not use a spoon as an "anchor" for my fork to
twirl the spaghetti. I thought it was more polite to do so, then I think someone told me that Italian people would never
do such a thing! Alrighty then. Can I order the penne?
My personal twirling fears aside, this cute automatic spaghetti twirling fork is so super cute for kids. With a
touch of a button, spaghetti will wrap around those tines and make it neatly into tiny mouths. Whether the sauce makes
it, though, is another question entirely.
For some reason these bouncing baby bags of rice make Western style birth announcements seem a tad impersonal. Talk about bundles of joy. These 
What the...??
This might be interesting for those with foodies-in-training, as their options can be fairly limited when they're not really up to un-mushed foods yet. The Mercury News has a great guide with tips and tricks for cooking your own baby foods, all of which are useful in helping to select the most nutritious foods and prepare them safely. In general:
When everyone else seems to be eating organic, locally grown, seasonal foods and is able to identify the exact patch of ground that their carrots came from (kidding), there is a group of consumers that is largely left out: babies. Babies don't have a lot of buying power, but their parents certainly do and as parents become more informed about their own eating choices, they want to 
I've always been a little shy about eating spaghetti, or any long noodle, for
that matter, because I am never sure whether I should or should not use a spoon as an "anchor" for my fork to
twirl the spaghetti. I thought it was more polite to do so, then I think someone told me that Italian people would never
do such a thing! Alrighty then. Can I order the penne?
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