Wheat Germ Question

Here's O. website, and there are many others:

http://www.creativehomemaking.com/cooking/baby-wheat-germ...

Wheat germ is a good source of:

* B vitamins such as folate, niacin, thiamin, and vitamin B6
* Calcium
* Complex carbs
* Fiber
* Iron
* Magnesium
* Manganese
* Omega-3 fatty acids
* Phosphorous
* Potassium
* Protein
* Selenium
* Vitamin E
* Zinc

As you can see the benefits of wheat germ are quite substantial and it is particularly high in vitamin E - an antioxidant which is good for the skin and has anti-aging properties.

Wheat germ also has a phytosterol content which has been shown to lower cholesterol and promote a healthy heart. In addition, wheat germ is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids helps to lower cholesterol and blood pressure as well as being important for nervous system functioning, and help elevate mood.

Wheat germ is also a good source of fiber which has many benefits including improved bowel function and may reduce the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes and prevent weight gain.

Wheat germ just has protein and good fats. It's better for you than regular flour. I basically use it to sub out some flour in baked goods. So if something calls for 3 c. of flour, I use 2.5 c flour and .5 c wheat germ. It also makes baked goods a little lighter, I think. You can use it instead of breadcrumbs in meatballs and meatloaf too.

So I wouldn't make a meal out of it, but it does help to take some "junky" stuff out and put good stuff in.

Happy eating!

Wheat germ also contains natural vitamin E in addition to what's mentioned below. As well as baking with it, you can stir it into oatmeal or yogurt without cooking it -- your child will get used to the texture and I think it adds a nice flavor. Do check whether to refrigerate it -- I always do, to retain freshness, but it may not be strictly necessary.

Wheat germ is an exceptionally healthy food in include in the diet. As with everything, it should be given in moderation and more importantly examine the total daily diet to ensure that a variety of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates are included in order to nourish the body with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients essential to life.

I like using ground flax meal, for the omegas, as an additive in baked things. I don't worry about Lucy's diet. We just provide healthy options for meals and snacks as often as possible, and the pediatrician said that as long as she's getting a good variety, that over the course of a week or a month she's getting what she needs nutritionally. And she gets a vitamin.

If the issue is that you can't get your kid to eat much, or to like healthy things, and you're just worrying that he's not getting enough nutrition, you might like the book "So Easy Toddler Foods".

I find that the best approach is to provide the simplest whole foods so Lucy can learn to enjoy individual foods instead of trying to mix up a bunch of different things with supplements and additives. You know, like chicken, green beans, a fruit and a roll for dinner instead of a casserole. But I do let her have breads, cakes, cookies, and puddings too, and she will occasionally eat things like baked mac-n-cheese or baked spaghetti.

I do a no-pressure approach to eating. I take her to the grocery often and we talk about food, watch cooking shows, I allow her to help in cooking sometimes or in preparing the snacks and meals, I provide snacks buffet style, I choose a healthy variety, but I sometimes ask her what she'd like to eat, and if she doesn't eat, she probably isn't hungry and I let her go back to it and self-feed when she finally is. I make treats unimportant and un-special by offering them randomly and never as a reward. It seems to work and we don't have fights about food and eating.