Valentine’s Day is almost here, and parents who have allergies in the home know that the balance between finding safe products and enjoying sweet treats is (almost) as challenging as getting the kids to stay in bed after the lights go off. It can be hard to track down candies and chocolates that fit into your family’s needs, so we compiled this list of allergy-friendly items to help you out. Keep scrolling to see the different, yummy options!
Your baby may not remember this first Valentine’s Day, but that’s no reason not to go big with hearts and sweets. Read on for outfits, activities, sweets and photo ops to make this holiday memorable. You’ll looooove how cute your photos come out.
Buy a special outfit for the big day, like this heart-printed bodysuit from Primary. It's made from 100% combed cotton slub, with snaps on the shoulder seam for easy on/off. Visit Primary's Heart Shop for this and other clothing items in lovely prints and colors.
If your baby is eating solids (or just gumming them), use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to make a sweet treat for you to share. From watermelon to toast or lasagna noodles, there are lots of foods you can cut into cute shapes. For something even more decadent, send away for Sugarwish cookies. The company offers 20+ cookie flavors, including keto-friendly, vegan and gluten-free options.
Advent calendars aren't just for Christmas anymore! Build up excitement for Valentine's Day with Mickey Mouse and this cotton canvas and felt calendar that has pockets to hold small gifts for the 14 days leading up to the big one. Fill each pocket with a love note, treat or toy, or keep it simple and just move the Mickey ears to the correct day in the countdown. Available at Pottery Barn Kids, $49.
4. Decorate with Love
Instagram-ready! Decorate with items baby will love to play with, like these wood blocks ($45) that spell out LOVE, HUGS, KISS and XOXO.
Books you and your child will love: My Little Lovebug ($35), a personalized book featuring your child's face and name with lots of sweet sentiments and cute animal images. Kisses, Kisses, Up & Down ($7, paperback) is an interactive read that'll have you giving your baby kisses on their nose, toes, belly, chin and more. I Love You Stinky Face ($7, paperback) is a sweet story about the unconditional love a mother has for her child.
Kiss your baby while wearing bright red or pink lipstick for an Instagram-winning photo. Kiley from the Under the Pear Tree blog used the app PicMonkey to add some artistic flair for this memorable photo. Pro tip: Don't use long-wearing lipstick.
7. Make Cupid Cupcakes
These red velvet cupcakes from Bakerella feature cupid arrows attached to a 6-inch lollipop stick. You'll find both the arrow printables and cupcake recipe on the Bakerella website.
8. Write Love Letters to Your Baby
Your child (and your future self) will thank you for celebrating this Valentine's Day by professing your love to your mini-sweetheart. The time capsule Letters to My Baby ($13) contains 12 fold-and-mail letters so you can continue on your tradition every Valentine's Day for years to come.
Remember how tiny baby's hands are with a keepsake you can display for Valentine's Day or all year round. This sweet heart is from Mitts, Piggys and Paws. You send them an impression of your child's hand in PlayDoh and they'll create a one-of-a-kind piece of art.
Hearts and stripes and everything nice decorate these muslin swaddles ($55 for 4) from Aden & Anais. The breathable, versatile and soft fabric surrounds your little one in comfy goodness and makes everybody who sees your baby smile. Lay them on the floor during during tummy time or cover part of the car seat on a sunny day for an afternoon snooze on the go.
What’s the best part of Hanukkah? It’s not the gifts, learning how to spin a dreidel or chocolate gelt (although we do like an excuse for chocolate). It’s latkes. That’s right, potato latkes—the perfect excuse to eat food fried in oil (as if we really needed one). Even if you want to throw some veggies into the action, we’ve found a recipe for you. See our favorite 11 latke recipes below.
1. The Perfect Latkes Make what the View from Great Island calls “the perfect latkes” this December. Perfectly crisp, there’s also a recipe for spiced applesauce!
2. Gold Potato Latkes Gold is the secret ingredient in this delicious latke from Leah's Thoughts. Yukon gold potato, that is. The buttery taste of the Yukon potato will give these latkes a super-rich flavor.
3. Vegetable and Feta Latkes With grated zucchini, potato and carrots in this recipe, the latke is healthy, right? Add some crumbled feta cheese and you have a dish that is unique and sure to please even picky eaters.
4. Brussels Sprout Latkes with Dijon Yogurt Sauce Live Eat Learn just took your next latke to a new level, not to mention what they've done for brussels sprouts! Sprouts never tasted (or looked) so good! This recipe calls for potatoes, shredded Brussels sprouts and leeks. The sauce is equally delicious with ingredients like Greek yogurt, dijon and maple syrup.
5. Butternut Squash Latkes This recipe is so simple even your kids can make Hanukkah dinner! The key is shredding butternut squash the way you would potato. And then frying them up to perfection. Get the how-to over at Eating Richly.
6. Waffle Iron Sweet Potato Latkes Talk about a new twist to an old favorite. These latkes from Family Friends Food are made with sweet potatoes. And instead of frying them in a pan with oil, the latkes are scooped into a waffle maker. What you get is a tasty latke that looks like a breakfast favorite.
7. Mashed Potato Latkes Who says the traditional latke should have shredded potato? Not Two Kooks in the Kitchen whose recipe calls for leftover mashed potatoes as the starch. We think it's a great idea, especially if you don't have a lot of time to spend on grating but still want delicious fried latkes to enjoy.
8. Keto Cauliflower Fritters A low-carb version of the classic potato pancake, this fritter recipe is cheesy-good and the fact that you can use store-bought cauliflower rice means your prep time will be cut in half. Get the recipe from Savory Tooth.
9. Kimchi Latkes Ready to give your traditional latke a spicy Asian twist? Girl in the Little Red Kitchen combines Russet potatoes with a heaping portion of diced kimchi for an Asian twist. A side of sour cream and Sriracha sauce makes for a perfect side to the latke.
10. Mini Potato Latkes How cute are these little latkes? Perfect for tiny hands, this recipe from What Should I Make For will be a winner with the kids. The adults will appreciate the accompanying apple creme fraiche.
If you haven’t heard of Magic Spoon, you’re probably still embracing your childhood cereal with gusto. Well, it’s time to start adulting!
Known for its cult following, Magic Spoon is getting ready to kick off summer with some sweet new flavors. Say hello to Strawberry and Banana!
photo: Magic Spoon
So why do people obsess over this particular cereal? It’s practically guilt-free because its keto-friendly, offers high protein and is low carb. On top of all that, the unique flavor range is out of this world and we can’t get enough of the fun colorful boxes.
The brand new flavors drop today and you can snag a few boxes at magicspoon.com. Bundle up the savings and get four boxes for $39!
You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream. Summer ice cream season is in full swing and Instacart searched buying data to understand buying preferences and predict the next big ice cream trends. Are people meaning towards the tried and true favorites or are they stepping out of their comfort zones and trying something new?
Instacart found that while there’s something nostalgic and comforting about traditional ice creams from our childhood, consumers’ carts show that preferences are changing and people are gravitating toward something a little less vanilla these days. Non-traditional ice creams formats and categories such as Keto-friendly, vegan, plant-based and by the bar are beating the competition.
The low-carb, powered-by-fat Keto diet continues to take the country by storm. Instacart data confirms Keto’s surging popularity with consumer searches for “Keto ice cream” increasing 1,175% year over year.
“As more and more people experiment with the Keto diet, the demand continues to increase for Keto-approved products. Ice cream brands have also taken notice,” said Laurentia Romaniuk, Instacart’s Senior Product Manager and Trends Expert. “The number of ‘Keto’ or ‘high fat’ ice cream products available on Instacart has increased 93% year over year and purchase data shows that the category grew more than 561% within the same time period. In particular, we’ve noticed unprecedented growth for Keto-approved Rebel Ice Cream — in fact, the indicators we’re seeing with Rebel look a lot like what we saw with Halo Top before it burst onto the ice cream scene”
Instacart reports that according to the FDA upwards of 50 million people are lactose intolerant in the United States. So it is no surprise that non-dairy ice creams are rising in popularity. Customer searches for “dairy-free ice cream” on Instacart increased 25% year over year.
Here are the top five fasting-growing non-dairy ice cream brands, according to Instacart purchase data:
Chloe’s Pops
Magnum (non-dairy line)
Enlightened
Hakuna Banana
Cado
With two plant-based ice creams in the top five list, Instacart dug deeper to see if these varieties are rising in popularity. Searches for “plant based ice cream” are up 658% this year as compared to the same period in 2019. Additionally, avocado-based ice cream Cado shows 122% growth over the past year while Hakuna Banana has experienced a 117% rise in year over year sales via Instacart.
Next Instacart wanted to see what the preferences were regarding pints, popsicles, sandwiches, cones or bars. Somewhat unexpectedly, ice cream bars have caught the attention of dessert enthusiasts with the category experiencing a nearly 92% increase in items ordered from January to June this year. Coming in behind ice cream bars are sundae cones (18% increase) and frozen fruit pops (14% increase). In comparison, growth for traditional ice cream by the pint remained relatively stable with the smallest swing in overall fluctuation.
“We believe the bigger appetite for ice cream bars may be related to the onset of COVID-19 and the stay-at-home order issued in mid-March,” said Romaniuk. “We saw the first spike in ice cream bar sales on March 13 and the category has experienced tremendous growth since then. When consumers are looking for a quick snack for themselves or to satisfy their kids at home, grabbing an ice cream bar is an easy option — often preferable over a container of ice cream because they are pre-portioned and have a fixed amount of calories.”
These are the top five fastest-growing ice cream bar brands according to Instacart purchase data:
Binggrae Ice Cream Bar
La Michoacana Ice Cream Bar
Kaurina’s Kulfi Ice Cream Bar
Sundae Shoppe Ice Cream Bar
PICS Ice Cream Bars
There’s no doubt about it, no matter how you serve it, people love ice cream.
I have struggled to manage a healthy weight all my life. As a kid and into my teen years, I was always a bit chunkier than my peers, something that continued into adulthood. I’ve always been envious of other women with slim figures that seem to take minimal effort to maintain. The only time I can really remember being truly svelte was in college, mostly due to my obsession with dance classes and step aerobics, and lack of time to eat due to my busy schedule.
Things radically changed in my early 40s when I had a baby. Not only did my son weigh 10-and-a half pounds at birth, but I was also labeled a borderline diabetic during my pregnancy. Even though some of the weight temporarily came off during breastfeeding, it kept creeping up to the point where buttoning up my pants had become a real struggle. I would gasp when I saw my reflection and think, “Is that really me?”
Well into middle age, I knew it was time to take action, and not only for vanity’s sake. My health was in question, as I was diagnosed with high blood pressure for the first time in my life. I also knew from past attempts at dieting that this wasn’t going to be easy. After all, I have a raging sweet tooth and a deep abiding love of carbohydrates, which went along with my tendency to be inconsistent in making good food choices.
I needed professional guidance, and frankly a bit of a kick in the rear. In January, I turned to a medical weight loss clinic for help.
Feeling both excited and nervous to get going, I was greeted with a smile and warm welcome at my meeting. A diet counselor took me into a private room and gave me a packet containing in-depth guides to what I can and cannot eat, all based on the Keto diet.
In a nutshell, the Keto diet consists of foods that are low carb, high fat, and high protein. It sounds ironic that high-fat foods like bacon, cheese, and full-fat cream are part of the plan, but my diet counselor explained high-fat foods function as an appetite suppressant to keep you fuller for a longer period of time. All I heard wasthat I could eat bacon on this diet. Maybe it’s not so bad after all.
I quickly figured out that there were some “tricks” to making the Keto diet work for me:
1. Cooking is Key. If you don’t like to cook and rely a lot on take-out or pre-prepared meals, Keto may not be the diet for you. Carbs hide everywhere in our food, so the only way to really ensure that your food is low carb/high protein/high fat as possible is to make it yourself. Fortunately, there are a plethora of Keto recipes online; I’ve discovered that many of them are quite easy and relatively fast to make. One of my favorite is Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken served over zucchini noodles, with a side salad. If you have kids, they will most likely enjoy your Keto dishes if there’s a small number of carbs (like noodles) added to their meals.
2. If You Love Sugar, Let Yourself Have Treats. Even though many Keto diet experts would disagree with my rationale, I knew that I needed to find a way to satisfy my sweet tooth. By making my own baked goods using carb-friendly ingredients such as almond flour and monk fruit sweetener, I could make Keto-friendly treats.
3. Make Yourself Accountable. My plan required me to attend weekly weigh-in and nutrition counseling sessions at their offices. Reporting kept me honest and focused. If you are doing Keto on your own, create your own accountability strategy. It could be weighing yourself at home, or having a diet buddy on the same plan with whom you check in regularly.
4. Engage in Mild to Moderate Exercise. With Keto, you end up eating a smaller number of calories, so doing high impact exercise in addition to dieting is too much for many people. In fact, some experts recommend sticking to low impact exercise, especially for the first few weeks as your body adjusts. I take a daily brisk walk, but going swimming or doing yoga would be appropriate as well.
5. Track Your Food…Or Really, Your Carbs. Eating the right amount of carbs, protein, and fat required on Keto, while tracking calories, has it challenges. I used a daily food tracking app to keep me honest and informed.
While it may sound crazy to be able to eat items like bacon, there is a dose of healthy vegetables thrown into the mix, and foods like traditional bread and crackers are decidedly off the table, but it’s surprising how varied a Keto diet can be if you put a little work and thought into it.
After 30 days, I had lost a total of nearly 11 pounds, and my body fat percentage dropped by nearly 2 percent. With these kinds of results, I am decidedly motivated to keep going until I’m back to my pre-baby weight. I can’t wait to catch myself in a reflection of a glass or a mirror, and think, “Is that really me?” And then happily answer, “Yes, it is!”
I had the incredible fortune of becoming a mom later in life, long after I expected I would. I live with a silly and awesome boy, a great hubby and a stubborn adorable dog. Life is sweet, but even better when I get to write about it.
The lunchboxes they’re using this year put a brown bag to shame. Make sure you fill it with the foods your crew will love by shopping at Thrive Market. Here are five reasons parents are choosing Thrive Market for all their back-to-school (and beyond) shopping needs.
Convenience. Online grocery shopping makes the whole process stress-free. Thrive Market offers free shipping on orders over $49 and will include a free item, like a new granola bar to try or almond butter. Perk: your order will ship in two days or less.
Brands. Find products and foods from your favorite brands like Happy Baby, Late July, Banza, Annie’s, Lotus Foods, Rao’s, Seventh Generation, Honest Kids and more. Or, shop the highly-rated Thrive Market Goods brand for pantry staples like olive oil, almond flour and apple cider vinegar.
Shop by Value or Diet. Thrive Market allows you to sort its 6,000+ products by 12 diets (Keto, Paleo, AIP), 35 ingredients, and 29 environmental or social values (Non-GMO, Preservative-Free, Grass Fed and Plant-Based). Perk: Thrive Market offers pre-selected boxes based on your diet or its value, which means you don’t have to think about what to buy.
Thrive Market does good. Try it free for 30 days. After your free trial, the $60 annual membership will provide a free membership to a low-income family, student, teacher, veteran or first responder so they can also access Thrive Market’s quality goods.
Discounted prices. See below for some popular products (and discounts!), including Dr. Bronner’s, Mrs. Meyers and Annie’s. If you don’t save at least $60, Thrive Market will give you the difference in credit after you renew your membership.
Editor’s note: Any medical advice presented here is expressly the views of the writer and Red Tricycle cannot verify any claims made. Please consult with your healthcare provider about what works best for you.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition where bursts of electrical activity in the brain cause abnormal behavior symptoms. These include muscle spasms, the sensation of pins and needles, fainting, and seizures. Epilepsy can be a complex and overwhelming diagnosis, especially in children, so here’s a short breakdown of what epilepsy means for young people, so it doesn’t need to be.
Related Conditions
Comorbid conditions, such as ulcers and headaches, may occur with your child’s epilepsy and should be monitored by your child’s health care provider. Evidence also suggests children with epilepsy have a higher risk of developing mood disorders, like anxiety and depression. Regular meetings with a counselor can help assist your child in minimizing these risks.
Triggers to Watch
Most seizures are random with no discernable pattern to help warn us when they’ll strike. So, it’s important to know what triggers to watch for. Triggers include a fever of 102 degrees or more, flashing lights, lack of sleep, hormonal changes, and stress or anxiety. If a seizure does occur it’s important to remain calm while you perform seizure first aid. If you’re unfamiliar with the proper steps, schedule an appointment with their care provider to have one on one instruction.
Treatment Options
When your child is diagnosed with epilepsy, doctors usually prescribe an antiepileptic drug. It’s common to try many different prescriptions before finding the right one. Other treatments such as the keto diet, vagus nerve stimulation or surgery may also work. Many parents choose to try alternative treatments, like using herbs and vitamins. It’s good to remember that each child is unique and what works for one may not work for the other.
Epilepsy in School
For most children, epilepsy does not inhibit them from attending school. Some children may have seizures in class and there’s a strong chance their teachers are not familiar with epilepsy. This is an opportunity to educate them. At the beginning of each school year, you can schedule an appointment with your child’s teacher and school nurse. This is the time to go over their needs and an emergency plan if any seizure does occur. Mention your child’s seizure triggers and warning symptoms so their teacher knows what to look for.
Sports and Activities
Epilepsy is unique for every child and so are their safety boundaries. When deciding what sports and activities are suitable for their needs it’s necessary to first consider a few factors. Seizure frequency, medication side effects, and level of adult supervision will help determine their ability to take part. Activities such as swimming, bicycling, horseback riding and climbing are not off limits, but they pose some risks. Always speak with your child’s health care provider before signing them up for sports.
Find Support
Managing a child’s epilepsy is tough, don’t try and do it alone. One of the most important things you can do for your child and you are building a support system. Establishing a routine with the whole family can keep everyone prepared and on the same page while lightening your load. Making sure your child gets their medication on time with good sleep each night is especially important with epilepsy. When things get overwhelming there are many support groups and other family services available to assist you. Remember, you can’t effectively care for anyone else without first caring for yourself.
My name's Vicky and I have a beautiful four-year-old son named Paul who just started preschool. When I'm not being a mother, I practice tennis and play with my corgi, Milo.
Carb counters, keto enthusiasts and paleo lovers rejoice! Now you can get that everything bagel taste without the actual dough.
Trader Joe’s shoppers probably already recognize this everything bagel minus the bagel idea. TJ’s Everything but the Bagel Seasoning is a popular pick that gives customers the chance to recreate the onion-ish, garlic-y, salty, sesame goodness without having to eat a carb-heavy snack.
Even though you can get the savory shaker at any TJ’s store, now you have another option. For those of you who don’t live near the grocery retailer, CVS is selling a similar sort of seasoning. While you might know the chain primarily as a pharmacy, CVS also sells a small assortment of grocery-like items.
CVS’s Gold Emblem Everything Bagel Seasoning ($3.19) varies slightly from the TJ’s fave, but still follows the same basic idea. With salt, dehydrated garlic, dehydrated onion and a few other select ingredients, you can flavor anything from a steak to pizza sauce!
You can check out the awesome everything bagel copycat online here. But you can’t order yourself a shaker full of seasoning goodness. This spice selection is only available in stores.
When you’re a busy parent, the hardest part about dieting is sticking to it, especially when it means making two separate dinners every night. One of our favorite things about the keto diet is that it’s actually fairly easy to make kid-pleasing dinners that still fit the low-carb, high-protein bill. While we don’t suggest putting your kids on this exclusive diet, we do think many of these recipes in rotation are yummy and nutritious enough to be home-runs. Keep reading to see them all.
This mouthwatering chicken dish from Eat Well 101 is bound to be an instant family favorite. It has a creamy, cheesy sauce that tastes indulgent, but you can also sneak in some greens to up the healthy factor. Click here to get the recipe.
Crispy breaded fish that’s still keto? It’s actually possible, thanks to this genius recipe from The Wholesome Recipe Box. Best of all, your kids won’t even be able to tell it’s not a normal breading. To find out the secret trick that keeps it crispy, click here.
If you’re dying for a Mexican food fix, you’ve got to try these yummy roll-ups from Skinnytaste. They’re filled with shredded chicken and smothered in homemade enchilada sauce and shredded cheese. Get all the details by clicking here.
For those days when all you want is a huge bowl of pasta, this keto spaghetti bolognese recipe from Stylish Cravings will keep you on track. You can pair it with zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice and whip up some pasta for your minis. Click here to grab the recipe.
Just because you’re keto, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on dessert! This mug cake from The Big Man’s World is just the thing when you’ve got a craving for something sweet, and can be made in the microwave or oven. Click here to get the recipe.
This Mexican taco skillet from Cast Iron Keto is tasty enough to woo even the pickiest of eaters. It’s filled with ground beef, tomatoes and cauliflower rice and topped off with a healthy dose of melty cheese. To get the recipe, click here.
Spaghetti squash is one of our favorite veggies to work with, and kids love it too. If you haven’t given it a go yet, this casserole recipe from A Mind “Full” Mom is a great way to introduce it to your diet. It’s got all the flavors of spaghetti minus the heavy pasta. Grab the recipe by clicking here.
Get a little fancy with this fabulous chicken cordon bleu recipe from Mama Bear’s Cookbook. Chicken thighs are filled with ham and cheese, then breaded with almond flour. To get the recipe, click here.
We can never turn down a meatball, especially when they look as delicious as these homemade ones from Modern Low Carb. Pair them with pasta for the kids and a simple green salad for yourself. Click here to grab the recipe.
For a sweet treat, whip up this decadent strawberry cheesecake ice cream from Low Carb with Jennifer. The base is made from cream cheese and coconut cream (yum!), and chopped strawberries are mixed in. To get all the details on how it’s done, click here.
