Happy World Breastfeeding Month!
by Natasha Bowden
Shaping Buncombe Coordinator &
Breastfeeding Friendly Community Initiative Lead Consultant
 August 1st began the world’s celebration of breastfeeding and human milk. Have you ever thought of breastfeeding as a local food?
It truly is the original local food. Human milk has zero “food miles,” is carbon neutral, has zero emissions, and is free!
When formula was created to help feed babies in 1865, the creation was out of necessity: some women could not produce enough breastmilk, many women died during childbirth, and other major illnesses complicated breastfeeding. This created a safe option to save infant lives and help struggling parents. Learn more at Fed Is Best Foundation.
Once evaporated milk came on the scene in 1883, the formula industry took off—using dehydrated cows milk, wheat, malt flour, and potassium bicarbonate and many non-regulated ingredients. Formula was and is created by growing ingredients or making them in a lab, trucking them to a factory, dehydrating the contents, packing the materials, and shipping them thousands of miles or overseas. Next, formula requires safe water to reconstitute to be put into bottles for infants to drink. The carbon footprint is ENORMOUS.
Regulation of formula began in 1929 and the Infant Formula Act passed in 1980 as companies were cropping up all over with crazy ingredients. Once regulation halted the explosion of formula. Formula companies began marketing formula around the world. In places where water is safe and easily accessible, formula became a life-saving tool for both infant and mother AND a choice for many, that has had huge consequences both environmentally and culturally. In places where water is not safe nor accessible, formula industries marketing is the cause of thousands of lost lives due to unsafe water.
Supporting breastfeeding and human milk feeding is supporting local food and reducing the carbon footprint all around and supporting vulnerable communities with little access to water or money. It is food sovereignty.
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Whip It Up!
by Marianne Lindgren & Chika Mita
NC Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
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While breastfeeding is advised up to two years of age, it is recommended to start introducing baby foods at around six months. However, recent investigations have uncovered that some commercial baby foods contain harmful substances, causing concern among parents and health experts. Growing your own vegetables to make baby food is a beneficial and wholesome practice. It guarantees that the food consumed by babies in your care is fresh, free from harmful pesticides, and rich in essential nutrients.
Homegrown vegetables can be harvested at their peak ripeness, preserving their flavor and nutritional value. This practice also allows parents and childcare providers to have complete control over what goes into baby's food, avoiding additives and preservatives found in store-bought options. Additionally, gardening can be a therapeutic activity, fostering a closer connection to nature and teaching valuable lessons about sustainability and the origins of food. By growing your own vegetables, you can provide your baby with wholesome, natural meals while enjoying the benefits of gardening. Here are some tips on how to safely make your own baby food.
Breastmilk Popsicles
Yield: 4 popsicles
Popsicles can be so refreshing on hot summer days! This holds true for babies, too! Why not try out breastmilk popsicles to help infants (six months of age or older) stay cool and even soothe discomfort from teething. Keep the popsicles simple and prepare them with only breastmilk or combine with a vegetable or fruit.
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh breastmilk*
3 tablespoons vegetable or fruit** (optional; when developmentally ready)
Small popsicle molds
* Popsicles can also be prepared with iron-fortified infant formula or a combination of both breastmilk and iron-fortified infant formula; do not use thawed, previously frozen breastmilk.
**When serving solid foods to infants, such as pureed vegetables or fruit, ensure the food has already been introduced and that it is prepared according to the infant’s developmental readiness. Solid foods are typically introduced around six months of age.
Directions:
- Pour breastmilk and/or prepared iron-fortified infant formula into small popsicle molds.
If adding a vegetable or fruit, place all ingredients into a blender and puree for 1–2 minutes on high speed or until completely smooth. Please note that some vegetables or fruits may need to be cooked prior to pureeing. Pour mixture into small popsicle molds.
- Place popsicles in freezer; freeze for at least 5 hours. Popsicles may be stored in freezer for up to 6 months in an airtight container—be sure to label with the date.
- Serve one popsicle with supervision and assistance as needed.
CACFP: If serving breastmilk popsicles in the CACFP, please note this item would not meet the required minimum serving for breastmilk or iron-fortified infant formula. If a vegetable or fruit is added to the popsicle, be sure it is appropriate for the infant’s developmental readiness and that the infant has previously been introduced to that vegetable or fruit. Follow the CACFP Infant Meal Pattern and verify minimum requirements are met for each food component. Read more about Feeding Infants in the CACFP here.
Recipe adapted from Baby Foodie
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This Week in the Garden
@ Preschool
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See what's happening
preschool edition! |
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The NC Farm to Preschool Network connects, educates, develops and shares resources between community and state partners, farmers, early childhood educators and families to spark the local foods movement in early childhood education environments. |
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Week 1 (August 1-7): World Breastfeeding
Week 2 (August 8-14): Indigenous Milk Medicine
Week 3 (August 15-21): Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding
Week 4 (August 25-31): Black Breastfeeding
Week 5 (September 1-7): Workplace Lactation
Week 6 (September 3-9): Semana de La Lactancia Latina
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My Mom is Breastfeeding Little Book
by Little Books
My Mom is Breastfeeding Little Book is a great way to help normalize breastfeeding for the entire family. The text touts the benefits of breastfeeding while photos show happy families and breastfeeding babies. It’s a kid-friendly, easy way to help siblings feel included. When aunts, uncles and grandparents read to toddlers, the whole family can get on board and support the breastfeeding mom. Available in English and Spanish.
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An ECE Success Story
by Natasha Bowden
Shaping Buncombe Coordinator &
Breastfeeding Friendly Community Initiative Lead Consultant
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Donald S. Collins in Black Mountain, NC, is a center that is really working hard to support breastfeeding and Farm to ECE! They have overhauled a storage room and turned it into a peaceful lactation space for families and staff, as well as a place for staff to regroup and relax.
They have implemented gardening as part of their day and just joined a cohort in Buncombe County working on breastfeeding and Farm to ECE with CDC’s State Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) grant from NC Department of Health and Human Services. This grant has provided a garden coach who does weekly garden programming and/or taste tests with the center. The kid’s first class was on insects and bugs in the garden! They were thrilled!
Director Monnie Wright has connected with Bounty and Soul and Manna Food Bank to get fresh local food for parents and staff to take home weekly. She also gets local produce from Red Scout Farm to serve the center's meals. Monnie is a Farm to ECE champion and is leading the way in best practices in early child care and education!
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Offering farm-fresh foods and engaging in farm to ECE programs can enhance the reputation of your childcare site. Parents may view providers who participate in Farm to ECE programs as more committed to providing healthy, high-quality care for their children. The Farm to ECE Connections Map can help you enrich your Farm to ECE program.
Check out this resource to discover additional advantages of the map and to gain insights into its effective utilization. Moreover, don't miss the opportunity to explore the ECE Resources tab for valuable resources and curricula. Lastly, ensure you register your site on the map by clicking here.
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