Food for Thought

Lianne Phillipson is the founder of Sprout Right, a company that specializes in pre-conception, prenatal, and postnatal nutrition for women, as well as good food and health for the whole family. With over ten years of experience, Lianne is a registered nutritionist, member of the International Organization of Nutrition Consultants, and mother of two. Lianne is passionate about the environment. Her commitment to a healthy, environmentally balanced lifestyle is reflected in both her personal life and the Sprout Right philosophy. Organic food, recycling, and environmental conservation are all integrated into the workshops and cooking classes. Lianne has a number of interests outside of nutrition. She is the mother of two daughters, and an active contributor to their school programs, as well as an IFR reflexologist, aromatherapist, and Reiki master.

It’s the holiday season, which means stress for most. Whether it’s the shopping, or entertaining, spending time with your least favourite family members or running between holiday gatherings, it’s a new level of busy and stress usually follows. Most holiday parties that I go to involve getting myself and the kids out the door by a particular time, cleaned up, dressed, with two matching socks on. That in itself is a whole load of stress...

A new study hit the news wire about the potential benefits of iron supplementation for low-birth-weight (LBW) babies. It has me thinking back to my experience with iron deficiency during my pregnancy and my new baby's sleep habits and mood swings. In this study, which made headlines in the Globe and Mail, researchers said that LBW babies are more likely to end up iron-deficient and may need more of the blood-building nutrient for catch-up...

Let’s face it… as parents we all despise making school lunches. Not only is it time consuming but it’s even more frustrating when the lunch boxes come home full, accompanied by complaints that this lunch ‘was gross mommy’. Enough is enough. This year hand the lunch making responsibility over to your kids! Yes, they can do it. Guidelines of what must be included gives kids a way to be creative with their lunch. Even if the idea...

If you are plugging your ears while singing “la, la, la, la, la” with the mention of summer coming to an end, we are with you. We are hanging on until the bitter end, making fresh salads with the summer harvest from local markets, picnicking in the park making homemade ice cream. Summertime Picnic Eating outside and the warm weather is such a pleasure. I wish having friends over for supper on the patio, drinks in hand and the kids...

We eat these weekly. I love that they make a big enough batch for dinner, lunch and some leftover to freeze. While other fish cakes that I’ve made in the past crumble and fall apart, these keep it together. I’ve made toddler fish cakes in the Mommy Chef classes for years with potato and they love them. It’s time for a new fish cake. If you didn’t read it below, you wouldn’t guess they contain oats. Give this fast and easy recipe...

The festive season is upon us. Festive party invitations are arriving via email and in the mailbox.  Some invitations may be adult only parties, but some may include the kids. Depending on the age of your child or children, heading out to a gathering of work colleagues, distant family members or friends of friends might make you gulp as you watch Johnny tip is bowl of dinner over the edge of his high chair. How on earth are you going to keep...

Last year, my family and I made it through the whole winter with only one cold! Think that's impossible? It's not, and I'll tell you how we did it. For starters, we made sure the usual precautions were taken – ate lots of vegetables and fruit, drank lots of water, practiced good hand-washing, and made sure we all got to bed in good time. Beyond the basics, I added some natural immune-boosting measures to ensure that our already busy lives...

I can feel it in the air, parents eagerly awaiting the first day of school. Don’t get me wrong, I know you love your kids—I sure do, and I’VE loved the precious time that we’ve had with them over the summer. But the idea of back to routine, and the sanity it brings, is like a breath of cooler fall air. One of the hairy routines of back to school is getting everyone out the door, washed, brushed and fed with the backpack full of...

As the temperature rises outside, what do you crave? Ice cream and sweet frozen treats are part of summer, but are they a healthy option?  Everything in moderation, yes, but what’s in your ice cream that you may not have expected?  Is it okay for your toddler or kids to eat all the time? Ingredient lists sometimes require a chemistry degree to decipher, so I’ve got a cheat sheet for you here: • Modified Milk Ingredients –...

A week ago, I held one of my all day Mommy Chef Tastes for Toddler cooking classes and something struck me (as it usually does) as I was speaking with the moms who attended the full day cook-a-thon class. It struck me how high the expectations of what a toddler eats are.  Whether it from parents, doctors, grandparents or friends, I see many concerned and worried faces when we talk about toddler eating habits. Some toddlers are really only...

After my last post about traveling with your baby an toddler I am on the road with my daughters who are 5 yrs and 7 yrs so no need for the stroller, playpen and other baby paraphernalia. This trip needed minimal packing compared to years gone by, but trying to figure out how to keep to our diet of gluten, sugar and dairy-free left me standing in the kitchen wondering what to take on our 2 1/2 day road trip.  I thought that if I could start...

Myth: Starting your baby on solids is as easy as mixing up cereal and water. Truth: For some this might be their experience, but most often I see the opposite.  What to start with, when, how much and what do I do if there’s a reaction are all great questions that you’d probably like the answer to before you jump into starting solids with your baby. If your baby is breast-fed, start with a cereal that doesn’t contain formula,...