Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Children Cereals, are they good?
Kids love sweetened cereal for breakfast. I used to see on TV about average American families have for breakfast. They usualy on the breakfast table having the bowls of cereals with milk and a glass of orange juice. And for quite sometimes I thought, this is what normal family need to do in the morning before doing their activities.
Little did I know that not all breakfast cereals are healthy, even though they may seem like they are. I spent sometimes on the research of this issue when I started to walk on the aisle of supermarket figuring out what to serve my family for breakfast. There are many brands of cereals from oatmeal to US cereals dedicated for children. And I thought, let's do some researchs on what is the good brand to choose since I would like to give the best to my family. A good, healthy and sometimes fun breakfast helps children to start the day out right.
One of other reason why I need to know this issue is to be able to explain someday to my kids why it is better not to have sweetened cereals for breakfast. Someday Noelia would probably come back home and request to get the same cereals as her friends have in the morning.
According to US Consumer reports, Cereal companies spend about US $229 million a year advertising cereals to the children, hoping to get them to beg to their parents for their favorite brands. Are they good enough?
Studied have been made that 161 breakfast children cereals from 4 leading manufacturers were high in calories, sodium, carbohydrate, and sugar but significantly lower in fiber and protein. Why not sugars for them?
We need to ensure the children maintain a diet of complex carbohydrates and decreasing simple sugars will help them maintain their energy throughout the day rather than all at once. When children have long days and need to concentrate in school providing unhealthy start to their day can inhibit their development and progress.
Apparently, breakfast cereal is among the worst in the industry, labelling their products being "made from the whole grains" when they are made primarly with refined grains. Those US made cereals such as Kellogg's Honey and Post Golden Crisp, are more than 50 percent sugars and 9 or at least 40 percent sugar. Some of it has high sodium and zero in dietary fiber. Many cereals that have "chocolate" in it actually the chocolate made out of sugars. It is partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, and cocoa. I think the real chocolate would have been healthier.
Some of the best cereal for breakfast which could be fun for the kids are;
1. Raisin Bran
Love the organic Raisin Bran. We can find it in supermarket and it is cheaper than US made cereals marketed for children.
2. Granola
This probably consume for most European.
3. Oatmeal
I served organic oatmeal that I found in NTUC supermarket on alternative days for Noelia. Some days she has wholegrain bread that I bought in Cedele as a 'tartine' in french. It is a slice
of bread with the fruit jam. That bakery shop has a good range of healthy diet breads and cake.
4. Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite-Sized
I am not bias, although that I do not serve this to my family but according to research this can be a good option for fun breakfast. It has 12 grams sugar per serving but it also very low in sodium and has 6 grams of fiber.
5. Honey Nut Cheerios
If I am forced to have choices I may get this as an alternative for other healthy breakfast
6. Cheerios (all General Mills)
Personally, I want to help and support the products from small farmers not big
manufacter like General Mills. I will have to do more more research on this issue
as General Mills maycontribute to global warming.
7. Kix
Luckily, Noelia is not fussy about breakfast. She loves multi-grain or whole-grain bread with a jam or oatmeal because it contains lots of fiber and iron she needs. She usually starts with Kiwi or other vitamin C fruits and followed by 'tartine' or oatmeal porridge with milk.
Honestly, I prefer not only encouraging the healthy habit to the children but purchasing with consciousness the products we consume everyday. This involves also the whole stakeholders, the farmers, the environment, the distributors and the products.
Remember, check the nutritional value on the box if we have to purchase the cereals. The cereals who have 'a halo effect' such as added iron and calcium need to be examined before purchase.
And Have a healthy breakfast to start your day!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Lazy Sunday Mini Cheesecakes
Friday, August 14, 2009
Take them Outside!
A couple of days ago, my friend asked me "Why don't you try Little Gym or Gym for the toddlers in Forum and other shopping centres? They have a good reputation among parents with toddlers to improve their skills and confidence"
And I was wondering for awhile that it is not a bad idea to try a couple of times for Noelia. She probably required more skills and it looks like she's ready. Of course, I wasn't agreed to do it when she was below 1 year old. Furthermore, it's a comfortable place to hang out in aircon room. There are many indoor playground in Singapore these days.
When we look for child care around where we live, I took the consideration on how much time she can play outside. The staff explained to me about 45 min in the morning from 9-9.45 am. So I was pleased to hear that. She loves to ride a tricyle, jumping around on the grass, exploring the toy house with friends. But yesterday when I picked her up, Noelia jumped in to the tricyle and did not want to leave. The teacher told me that they didn't have outdoor activities because it was a morning rush for them and really busy. I regretted that they did not plan the day properly. But hopefully, it will be one occasion that won't be repeated again.
This morning I read an article titled 'Playtime-Take it Outside' by Rae Pica which now I have cleared the doubts about Indoor Playground on regular basis.
She said, "... The outdoor is a very best place for preschooler to practice and master emerging hysical skills...that the children can fully and freely experience motor skills like jumping, running and leaping.
The Outside is also important because the outdoor light stimulates the pineal gland, the part of the brain that regulates"biological clock", is vital to immune system and make us feel happier. Outside children more likely to invent games. As they do they are able to express themselves and learn about the world in their own way. They feel safe and in control, which promotes autonomy, decision making and organizational skills. Although the children are playing only to have fun, they're learning the following;
- communication skills and vocabulary (as they invent, modify and enforce rules)
- number of relationships (as they keep score and count)
- social custom (as they learn to play together and cooperate)
Furthermore she said, "...Children who spend alot of time acquiring their experiences through television and computers are using only two senses (hearing and sight), which can seriously affect their perceptual abilities"
Now I believe that outdoor in nature is their classroom. It may be hard sometimes for us to spend sometimes outdoor because of the heat and humidity under the sun. I know even if we are going for a jogging, we will choose the time after the sun goes down. But I know for sure that I won't pay to get my daughter enrolled in indoor gym on regular basis. Whatever the ad says that it improves the flexibility and skills, maybe it is. But nature is best for them now.
Recently I allow 30 minutes of Baby TV program, 4 times in a week. No, I am not thinking about introducing computer or laptop until she really needs it. Although most parents are proud that their kids (below 5 years old) can use the computer, well I don't.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Paris in Our Hearts
A month already we left Paris. But I still hear the accordion music played in the metro, the bicycle I rode when I stucked in the strikes season, the letters of every cafes, boutiques and restaurants, every morning I run to the boulangerie for 1.20 euro baguette and the lights of the buildings at night!! Is there any better place to declare the truth feeling of each other as we cruise the river in bateaux-mouche Paris at night?
I'd love being lost inside the city.
Therefore, I remember the song "Paris in our hearts" which I never know who sing it. But I love the lyrics!
Paris in our hearts
memories of a town
with millions of lights
reliving the time
when i close my eyes
longing for the place
where i felt so alive
longing for the place
where lovers lay
chorus :
we always have paris in our hearts
and our minds
we always have a passion for life
on our side
we always have the colour and light
through the night
we always have the touch of a hand
to understand
drinking our morning coffee
by the riverside
watching the water flow
through this old town
wanting to be there again
with you by my side
wanting to feel like lovers
through the morning sun
chorus :
we always have paris in our hearts
and our minds
we always have a passion for life
on our side
we always have the colour and light
through the night
we always have the touch of a hand
to understand
walking though a busy
main street at night
looking at the art
that gives pleasure to my eyes
needing to be in a town
that never sleeps
needing to wake up with you
so close to heaven
chorus:
we always have paris in our hearts
and our minds
we always have a passion for life
on our side
we always have the colour and light
through the night
we always have the touch of a hand
to understand we always have paris in our hearts !
Monday, June 1, 2009
Things I miss about Paris
It's been several months we're based in Paris and a few days from today we will re-unite with the whole family again. Me and my daughter, Noelia are having lotsa fun being in melting-pot city of Paris. I don't like to be the tourist in a city. I'd love to be in a small cafe and having a good conversation with the locals. It's easier when I get Noelia around, because they are friendly with the children.
Paris is one of the melting-pot city with so many immigrants, tourists, expats etc. I'm looking for something more profound than just what a spectacular Paris is. I am not talking about Paris museums and old buildings.
So, here things I am going to miss here ....
1. The Butter
It's amazing to see so many kinds of butters in the shelves of the supermarket. It has different taste from the butter where I lived in Singapore. Those butters over here are deliciously good, creamy, a little bit sweet and oohh heaven! At the beginning, I didn't understand why they can be contented with croissant and butter or la crepe and butter only. Now I want to taste all the butter they have in the shelves.
2. Cafes and Bistros
The service could be bad but being in the cafe is more than that. I am not even a coffee drinker. Well, I stopped drinking coffee when I got pregnant and now I am a tea lover. But for me the cafes and bistros are meant to be the gathering places, and the less-fancy the better. The old grunted man behind the bar prepare the drinks while the waitress guy takes your order, that's the first impression when you enter the cafes. If you can win their affection, you are lucky cos they can be really realy nice. But that's hard! I only managed to do it in one of the cafe in boulevard Raspail. I've got a free coffee and good conversation, that's good enough.
3. Cycling around with Vélib'
Paris is notorious for having the street demonstration, strikes and other surprising events which can affect our plan to move around. Luckily, the governement provides the bicycles everywhere for the Parisien to move around. I used the service once, when I was really late to my class during the demonstration around Gare Montparnasse. It's really a good alternative beside buses and metros. Especially during a hot day, you don't want to jump into bus and metro! You'll feel like in the oven, they don't use aircon (not like busses in Singapore!!). But of course, we need to be brave to cycle in between all those crazy Parisien drivers, especially taxi! But I love the look of Velib bicycle, and it's ecolo! For once, it's the transport which doesn't produces a lot of hazard for the environment.
4. The unique sense of fashion
Of course, Paris is the fashion city and I understand a little bit more than that now. Anything that feel comfortable is the key, and everybody is an unique individual. Although most of the famous designers are from Paris, but everybody doesn't need to have Louis Vuitton and Prada bag or shoes. It is more than luxury brands. There are higher end society group who are happy to show off those branded stuffs to each other. But for the most part, they don't look like carrying the common Gucci or Louis Vuitton stuffs around the town. I think those are for the tourists (especially Asians!!!)
Their sense of fashion is dorky and Bohemian or Bobo (Bohemian Bourgeois), in a way. They don't really care about the global luxury brand, it's the mix between our old and new ones. A funky jacket with the vintage t-shirt, with the grandmother's jewellry. The good example from the celebrities are Kate Moss and Nicole Richie's sense of fashion. They are not neatly attire but it's attractive. And we can google what is BoBo, a Bohemian bourgeouis...
Fashion for the French is for tout le monde with young, fresh brands at affordable prices making you look fashionable with no excuses. Just take a look at those adolescent lycéennes and you’ll get my drift.
Hair and make-up must look effortless and natural (so, no big fake eyelashes and thick make-up powder here, that goes for CanCan dancers). I am not sure how they do these, I never found a secret or not just yet. They are less flamboyant than the ones in London.
5. The Boulangerie (Bakery)
My friend who lives in the city of Paris told me that he loves to smell the fresh bread from the nearest bakery in the morning. He sometimes walk around 3 or 4 o'clocks in the morning and smell 'the morning aroma'. Thierry, that's for you!! Haha...
It's true, it's amazing how I grow in love with the French baguette which costs 1.60 euro (medium quality). I love cutting the fresh bread for breakfast (only), but I love it fresh for the tartine. I am lucky, we have home-made jam over here too! In Singapore, those quality bread is priceeyy...
6. Accordion musician busking in the metro (trains)
Noelia loves when there's somebody plays an accordion in the metro. It can be bored sitting in the stroller for a journey, the music is good to bring up the spirit. I just loved the instrumental music and not when they are singing. Crossing down the quai and looking out the busy and narrow streets of Paris entertained with these buskers make us framed in the nostalgia of old Paris.
7. The smelly cheeses
I could be a little bit crazy if I say this, but truthfully I love them. There are sooooo many different kinds of cheeses but I only love soft and creamy cheese. I know it's fatty. But during my diet, every evening for dinner I have to choose between having a dessert or cheeses. I usually have cheese twice or three times a week, it's enough. The foul smelling of them could be 'hazardous' for some people, but even me too. I just have to switch off my smelling sense for a while and trust my taste buds to work it out for me.
8. The cutest and SIMPLE children clothing
I know, I am a mom. But Paris has a simple, most adorable, gorgeous, well-made children clothing. Forget GAP, OSHKOSH B'GOSH, BENETTON (boring), WALT DISNEY characters (sorry, I never fond on them). Sometimes I really can't help it but what I can do when they dedicated the entire streets for children boutiques.
9. Friendly passer by who helped with the strollers
It could be a little bit a hazzle to travel around Paris with the stroller and the baby. I would say the condition is not baby friendly, because there are many stairs to go up and down. I usually have to lift up the stroller with Noelia inside of it. It is heavy. But I love to see how young or old people ask "Avez-vous besoin d'aide avec la poussette? (Do you need help with the stroller)". They help me to carry the stroller together. It's one of the good basic courtesy over here beside opening up the door for us. I don't normally get those in Singapore. The men couldn't care less about opening the door in the shopping center for us to get in. Even when they see we are with the baby, the shopping bags and stroller.
10. La Creperie, chocolate noir, and sumptuous kinds of desserts
Should I write more about these? It's extraordinary. It's hard to look for the good crepe restaurants around Paris. The good crepe is coming from brittany (Bretagne) part, so usually we can get those places around Montparnasse area.
I am not going to explain how the taste could be, but you just need to look out the window display the variety of desserts and you'll know.
I will definetely come back for more, it is only 10 things at the moment! Maybe I will change my taste about Paris in the future, but it is one of our home.
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