Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Book Tour/Giveaway - Eating These Foods Makes Me... by Kalifa Rodriguez

Eating These Foods Makes Me...

by Kalifa Rodriguez

 

GENRE: Children's Non-Fiction

 

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BLURB:

Is your kid a picky eater? Do you want your child to enjoy eating a variety of foods? Reading can be a proactive way to introduce your little one to the amazing world of nutrition! In this book, readers will explore healthy foods and learn how key nutrients benefit the body. These pages repeat positive affirmations that will empower and build your child's mindfulness about the foods they eat.

 

It is never too early to instill life-long healthy eating habits. Happy reading! Or should I say, happy eating!

 


 

Excerpt:

 

Eating these foods makes me… Strong.

These foods give us protein which builds our muscles and bones to make us strong!

 

From The Author: 

What Every Parent/Caregiver Should Know About Picky Eating

Something many parents and caregivers don’t fully grasp (myself included) is that even with a picky eater, mealtime does not have to be a struggle, in fact, it shouldn’t be! Picky eating is often related to the “fight or flight” stress response to trying unfamiliar foods. The good news is that as parents we have the power to ensure that every meal serves as an opportunity for our child to learn about food while making meaningful connections with family and friends. Often, when our kids refuse to eat what is being offered, we get easily flustered and that energy is quickly transferred to our little ones. In this post, I’ll offer you some information and tips to help put your mind at ease.

 If you haven’t noticed by now when we repeatedly put pressure or force a child to eat this backfires and causes more resistance. The act of eating becomes associated with negative emotions and criticism so meal time quickly becomes something that both parent and child dreads. Trust me, I’ve been there…and I’m still navigating my 2-year-olds picky eating tendencies. But as a clinical nutritionist (and fellow mommy),  I’m here to say sit tight, there are things you can do to keep your little one’s nutrition on the right track while getting through this phase. Speaking of phase…did you know that it is totally common for young children to go through periods where they refuse to eat certain foods, show a preference for a select number of foods or just have a smaller appetite in general? Yup, you are not alone, in fact, there are 2 main reasons behind this:

1) At a very young age, children begin blossoming into their own person and want to demonstrate their independence by doing things like feeding themselves and choosing their foods. Just like you, there are some days when their appetite and food interests fluctuate. So I wouldn’t worry too much about what your child eats on any given day, instead try to focus on offering a variety of healthy foods throughout the week and you can rest assured they’ll most likely be meeting their nutrient needs. My children’s book Eating These Foods Makes Me… explains why a variety of foods and key nutrients are necessary for our body’s growth and optimal quality of life. It’s a great resource that can help empower even the pickiest eater to be open to trying new foods, or at the very least spike their interest.

2) After the 1st year of life most children eat less, and their appetite takes a dip around the 2 year mark. That’s because the natural period of rapid growth and development slows down at this point, so there simply isn’t a biological need to eat as much as they were before. As a parent or caregiver, one of the best things you can do for your child is to introduce the concept of mindful eating at this stage, this way it becomes a lifelong healthy habit.

To help your child build a positive relationship with food and their self-image start by encouraging them to listen to their bodies- eating when they are hungry and stopping when they are full, something toddlers are very good at! It is okay to trust your child’s appetite, in turn, this will help solidify their internal hunger and satiety cues, something I notice many of my adult client population struggle with to this day. This means, that even if your child is not eating as well as you think they should, as long as they are generally healthy and growing, you do not need to worry. As a parent or caregiver, your job is to provide a variety of healthy foods - aim to offer at least 2-3 different food group items at each meal and snack. Then it’s up to the child to decide what, how much and whether they will eat.  Canada’s food guide can offer you more details on a balanced diet and recommended servings for different age groups.

The most effective way to say goodbye to picky eating is to increase exposure to foods. In fact, it can take about 8-15 exposures to the same food before a child is willing to eat it. So it’s really important to pique their interest by allowing them to look at, touch, smell and even play with different foods. But here’s the real kicker-Successful food exposure can also be accomplished by inviting kids to help out in the kitchen and with grocery shopping, playing with toys that imitate real foods and reading books about food!

I’d like to say one last thing. While picky eating is common, not all picky eaters are the same. It’s important to listen to your intuition, and if you know that your child’s eating challenges are more complex or severe please follow the advice of a pediatrician or a registered dietitian.

I hope this helps! Happy eating!

Kalifa Rodriguez M.Sc, RD, CBS

Author of Eating These Foods Make Me…

 


 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Kalifa Rodriguez is a registered dietitian and certified breastfeeding specialist. She currently works as a clinical nutritionist in Montreal, Canada. After receiving her bachelor's degree in nutritional biochemistry, she went on to complete a master's degree in human nutrition and dietetics at McGill University. Kalifa is passionate about promoting healthy lifestyle choices through nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness. She also hopes to leave a positive impact in the community through her work by giving nutrition education sessions to community groups and organizations. Kalifa and her husband are parents to their delightful toddler, who is the inspiration for this book.

 

 

CONNECT WITH KALIFA RODRIGUEZ

 

WEBSITE - Kalifa Rodriguez (kalifarodriguezbooks.com)

FACEBOOK - Kalifa Rodriguez Books | Facebook

INSTAGRAM - Kalifa Rodriguez M.Sc, RD, CBS (@the.nutrition.connection)

YOUTUBE - Power of Nutrition - YouTube

GOODREADS - Kalifa Rodriguez (Author of Eating These Foods Makes Me...) | Goodreads

 

 

PURCHASE LINKS EATING THESE FOODS MAKES ME…                    

 

AMAZON.COM - https://amazon.com/dp/0228860911

AMAZON.CA - https://amazon.ca/dp/0228860911

INDIGO CHAPTERS - https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/eating-these-foods-makes-me/9780228860914-item.html

BARNES & NOBLE - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eating-these-foods-makes-me-rd-cbs-rodriguez-m-sc/1140561192

BOOK DEPOSITORY - https://www.bookdepository.com/Eating-These-Foods-Makes-Me-Rd-Cbs-Rodriguez-M-Sc-Madeleine-Migallos/9780228860914

 

Kalifa Rodriguez will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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