Live in Austin- Breastfeeding

This mom is too hip for words. Way to feed that baby nature's perfect food.

Chocolate formula bites the dust

My colleague from Mead Johnson just informed me that her company is discontinuing their new chocolate toddler formula line, due to a misunderstanding of the product's use. I think this is a big win for the nutrition and consumer world. I am highly against getting kids use to intensely flavored beverages and food, especially with all of the efforts to get them to eat better and different foods.

From the Canadian Business journal:

GLENVIEW, Ill. (AP) - Children's formula maker Mead Johnson Nutrition Co. said Wednesday it will discontinue its Enfagrow Premium chocolate toddler drink due to what it called "misunderstanding and mischaracterization" over the product's intended use.

There had been news reports about parents concerned that a chocolate-flavored drink aimed at tots was inappropriate amid skyrocketing rates of childhood obesity, although the drink contains no more sugar than other drinks aimed at children.

The company said the product has a "superior nutritional profile" to other beverages such as apple juice and grape juice, but said there has been misunderstanding about who the intended consumer is for the product and the role it is intended to play in a child's diet.

Mead Johnson said the drink was intended for toddlers who have been weaned off breast milk or formula but still need "nutritional support" from their main diet, particularly picky or erratic eaters.

"The resulting debate has distracted attention from the overall benefits of the brand, so we have decided to discontinue production of Enfagrow Premium chocolate toddler drink and phase it out over the coming weeks," the company said in a statement.

Sugar Stacks

As a Registered Dietitian, it is some times difficult to explain to people exactly what they are eating. I am a fan of visual models, having used tubes of fat, a 51b fat model and containers to show what exactly is a whole grain.

The Sugar Stacks site is helpful to see exactly how many sugar grams are in foods and beverages. There are 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate, so you can see how quickly the calories add up. There are 4 grams per cube (so 16 kilocalories per cube).


At the site you can check out the sugar in cookies, sauces, desserts, snacks, smoothies and more.

Worst Food Product Ever?

Thanks to Fitz for sending on this one. From the Consumerist comes:

TADA! The Worst Food Product Ever! Pork Brains in Milk Gravy.


I feel nauseated. Yes, that does say 3550mg of Cholesterol. Hey man, brains are fat.

Eating Bugs

Thanks to Chris once again. This article is facinating! Makes you wonder.

June 9th 2008, Time Magazine, pp. 47-49
by: Bryan Walsh/Richmond
Eating Bugs. They're packed with protein and environmentally friendlier than other meat. But can greenies kick the ick factor?

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1810336,00.html

Article excerpt:

In the US, we're more accustomed to exterminating insects that to eating them, but in scores of countries around the world - including Thailand, where food markets are stocked with commercially-raised water beetles and bamboo worms - bugs have long been a part of a well-balanced meal.....

Incredibly efficient to raise, insects are also crawling packets of nutrition. A 100 grams (3.5 oz) portion of cooked Usataterpsichore caterpillars - commonly eaten in Africa - contains about 28 grams of protein, slightly more than you'd get from the same amount of chicken. Water bugs have four times as much iron as beef.....

'We think bugs are dirty, disease laden or otherwise dangerous to eat - though they're not, as long as you cook them properly, are not allergic to shellfish (which, like insects, are arthropods) and aren't collecting bugs from fields that have been hit with pesticides......'

I can see body builders trying to up their protein by snacking on these suckers. If food prices keep going up, we may have to think about some alternatives. Water bug prescription for your anemia? Yum.