food question

[Vishenka69]

Alison, your food posts always make me freak out in the opposite direction. DD is only a pound less than yours but six months younger. I feel like I'm raising a Godzilla. At least she's willing to eat plain Greek yogurt, so I don't have to worry about her having her dad's sweet tooth.

[DCJenn]

Alison-

Do you have a source for real European yogurt- not the crap that they sell here that is as Cassy so accurately described it, Candy in a Cup? Nikolai HATED American yogurt for the longest time- I'd buy plain or the yobaby stuff. Even now with the childhood onset sweet-tooth he really prefers the more European styles of yogurts. Whole Foods has some good ones. Emmi is a not bad choice if you can find it and can afford it- here it's like $1.50 for a 6 ounce cup.

Jenn

[ides]

food question

At first I gave Oscar whole milk plain then mixed in ripe mashed banana w/a dash of cinnamon. I also tried other superfine diced fruit like mango or blueberries. He really liked it and it provided some sweetness but nothing refined. Lately we have been getting yobaby which is less sweet in my opinion than adult flavored yogurt but is pretty yummy & sweet.

I was told kids under two should stick with whole fat dairy for brain development.

[alison]

You had to bring up the real good European yogurt.... No, I don't have a source here, unfortunately. Emmi is pretty good, I agree (it's actually one of the cheaper brands in Germany, from what I recall). German yogurt. Yum. American yogurt is way too sweet and has too much of a gelatin consistency. Smooth and creamy is the way to go...

Dd actually prefers plain to YoBaby by now. When I mentioned this to dh, all the YoBabys disappeared!

[Vishenka69]

How long can a yogurt container stay open? Also is goatmilk yogurt really much better for them (it's twice as expensive)?

[DCJenn]

I buy the large containers of yogurt and they seem to be ok for a week or two. I have no idea about the goat milk thing- I think if you (the parent) have cows milk sensitivities then it's an issue but otherwise why spend the $? The other thing to think about is that you and M are both first generation immigrants to this country so your 'exposure' to the allergens of the US is different. I'd feed her no differently than any other Russian kid, TBH. (except for that Russian thing for jellies and aspics- pretty but man, not so yummy)

Jenn

[Thirteen]

Have you considered making your own Euro-style yogurt with kefir grains?
It's legit, and you just go to the store, purchase a gallon of your choice of milk, and allow the kefir grains to ferment the milk for 7-10 days.

I have friends with grains (mine died during the great move), but I can get ahold/ship them if anyone wants some. Additionally, I would try your local farmer's market or CL to find some.

[spotty_dog]

How long can a yogurt container stay open? Also is goatmilk yogurt really much better for them (it's twice as expensive)?

Just wondering, is your pediatrician on board with dairy this young? It just seems a bit early to me, and I wasn't even all that cautious with Natalie. (I was obsessive with Eddy, LOL, so that's no point of reference!)

For Alison, you've probably seen references to the wholesomebabyfood site around here, I'm sure it's been mentioned several times. Here's their page on yogurt: http://wholesomebabyfood.com/tipYogurt.htm and it specifically mentions Brown Cow, LOL.

Jenn - you asked about "good" yogurt. I buy Chobani at Costco, and it comes out to a little less than $1/per cup. There's the alternate route of making it yourself, which should be no problem at all in hot/humid SA. I'm about to mix it all up and set it on the patio for the day.

[alison]

Yes, the pediatrician is on board with this. I was told to start her on yogurt and cheese already. Also we can give her anything we eat from the table since she is not a big fan of baby food.
I cut or pre-chew the food for her. NIIIIICE!

I'm guessing Alison (other Alison) was asking Julie about Izya. Standard time to start yogurt is 7 mo, so I don't think there's a question about it being okay for M.

[alison]

Oh, duh.

If a baby has had formula with dairy and shown no reaction, shouldn't they be okay with other dairy products? I don't know the answer, just wondering. We didn't give J dairy until a year but only because I have an allergy to it. He is fine though.

Back to yogurt. I never liked yobaby because J always fed himself and it is really runny and messy!! I get the smooth & creamy yogurts from TJ's. Blueberries & cream and vanilla & cream. They are thicker but have no gelatin!! I hear you on the european yogurt vs American, just wish I could eat it myself. Soy yogurt is vile.

[alison]

Good yogurt: http://www.ehrmann.de/

[Vishenka69]

She was on antibiotics last week (her multiple folds were starting to crack) and the pediatrician said I should give her some yogurt to introduce bacteria back into her system. She's very happy with plain Chobani yogurt, so I've been giving her a little (about a teaspoon) a few times a week. Since I need to finish it after her, I haven't done it more often. I've been buying single serve containers since I wasn't sure how long I can keep it open.

I remember Michele mentioning somewhere that goat's milk is better for babies because it's closer to human milk, so that's why I was asking about goatmilk yogurt. Now she's not on antibiotics I don't know if I should keep giving her yogurt several times a week. But she loves it and all the Russian moms I talk to seem to start solids much younger than is customary here.