March 22nd, 2023

Allergies can be overwhelming and taxing on our bodies and brains as parents. But there are a ton of resources and programs that can help us overcome those feelings. There are many ways that a child can have allergies, whether it be growing into them, growing out of them, or maintaining the same as they were born. When your child gets diagnosed with these it can be very difficult to think of what you are going to feed your child. This can make you feel discouraged when you realize just how much your child can no longer have. Whether that be wheat/gluten, milk, eggs, nuts, fish, sesame seeds, and or soy. When looking at ingredients in premade food you will find most all foods are made with soy, as this is a common allergy it can be very hard to buy foods without it. There are a couple allergies that can be very tough to buy boxed and or premade foods. Dairy and or milk, eggs, wheat/gluten, and nuts are the most that I have found to be though to buy. I have found a few brands that are great for making products that are sensitive for these allergens, those would be King Arthur, Enjoy Life Foods, Free2B, Amy’s Kitchen, Daiya, Glutino, So Delicious, Made Good Foods, and many others. Some of these brands are online as they are not locally here in Vermont, but they all hit a lot of the main allergens and have allergen friendly facilities that they process the ingredients in. There is a local bakery in Essex that makes great baked goods that are gluten-free! West Meadow Bakery, I have attached the link for this below. I also have attached the links for those brands I mentioned that are allergen friendly! Also, there are a couple resources for recipes that are allergen friendly!

https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/gluten-free

https://enjoylifefoods.com/

https://free2bfoods.com/

https://www.amys.com/

https://daiyafoods.com/

https://www.glutino.com/

https://sodeliciousdairyfree.com/

https://www.madegoodfoods.com/

https://allergyawesomeness.com/

https://kidswithfoodallergies.org/

https://westmeadowfarmbakery.com/

March 7th, 2023

Hello everyone! My name is Jasmine, and I am the 12–18-month-old room teacher! When I was young, I always had a love for food, I was taught about baking and learned to bake around the age of 5. My aunt taught me while she was watching me for my mother, we would cook breakfast and desserts often, she would also teach me how to cook meals. My favorite meal to cook was chicken, rice, and carrots! During High-school I took a few courses in home economics that built on the passion I already had. Once I hit Junior year, I started in the Culinary Arts program at Northwest Technical Center, I spent two years studying and learning all the various techniques and styles of cooking. I then furthered my learning by attending the Culinary Institute of America where I received my associate degree in baking and pastry, it was an amazing opportunity to attend that college. I learned so much in my time there, I was required to take a nutrition class for my degree, it was honestly fascinating how much I didn’t know about this topic. There is still so much that I can learn and build upon in the years to come. I have a two-year-old daughter and I understand the many challenges that come with parenthood and the many questions of “is my child getting enough nutrients?” or “Is my child eating enough food to sustain their day?” Generally, the answer to these questions is yes. But in some slim cases there are more things you can do to engage your child in the healthy foods or even eating more foods that they may want.

I know it can be hard to find healthy alternatives that your child will eat for the snacky foods they want. But, if you give your child chips and that seems to be all they want to try switching it up with some of the healthier chip options out there like veggie straws, chickpea chips, or even try something on the sweeter side like apple crisps. Also, another option to try is just raw veggies, like carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, or even some snap peas. Don’t be discouraged if your child doesn’t like them at first either, make sure to give them at least 5 different chances to try them. Sometimes they just need a few tries to understand the textures, the flavor, and even the feeling of trying to bite through them. When your child tries something new for the first time, they are looking to get a sense of the thing they are eating. Like how we do as adults with trying new cuisines or even a simple dish someone has made us. Always remember to try new things and show our little ones that it’s not a bad thing to try new foods, children are more apt to try a new food or dish if you the parent shows them you are willing to.  

I am excited to be able to share all my knowledge with you and help guide you through challenges you may face! I know this time can be confusing or seem overwhelming but that is why I am here and why we are adding this to our center and making it a resource for families to read and interact with as needed and wanted! Feel free to ask me any questions or if you are looking for resources on a certain topic! I am all ears and ready to help and listen to what you all are looking to get help with!