SHAZI & JESSICA welcome you to this first issue of Food for Thought. At HAPPYBABY we understand the importance of a healthy start. Dr. Bob Sears and Amy Marlow, our Registered Dietician, will be share feeding and nutrition tips to help you give your little one the very best. As a parent, your lifestyle and eating habits have a profound influence on baby’s development, so from time to time we will offer healthy living tips to you as well. Think of DHA as “the brain food” because it supplies two essential nutritious fats to the brain, commonly known as omega 6 and omega 3. Getting enough DHA is most important while baby is still in the womb, when an infant’s brain grows faster than at any other time in her life, and during the first year of baby’s life, when her brain triples in size. DHA is also critical for eye development since the retina contains large concentrations of DHA. Just how important is DHA for brain development? Consider these research findings: • Infants who have low amounts of DHA in their diet have reduced brain development and diminished visual acuity. • The increased intelligence and academic performance of breastfed compared with formula-fed infants has been attributed in part to the increased DHA content of human milk. • Cultures whose diet is high in omega 3 fatty acids (such as the Eskimos who eat a lot of fish) have a lower incidence of degenerative diseases of the central nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis. • Some children with poor school performance because of ADD have been shown to have insufficient essential fatty acids in their diet. Source: askdrsears.com Mom needs healthy fats, too. To ensure that baby gets enough DHA during the two critical stages of brain growth, pregnant women and those who are breast feeding should eat foods high in brain-building nutrients, especially omega 3, such as: ground flax seeds and flaxseed oil, coldwater fish (primarily salmon and tuna), canola oil, soybeans, walnuts, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, and eggs. If you are not sure you are getting enough DHA, ask your doctor about DHA supplements. Smart solids for older babies To make sure baby gets enough DHA once she begins eating solid food and is drinking less mother’s milk or formula, HAPPYBABY has added DHA to its fresh frozen organic meals for infants 7+ and 9+ months old: Baby Dhal + Mama Grain and Grrreat Greens + Easy Going Greens. And since frozen is fresher than jarred food . . . baby gets more nutrients. Have questions? Visit www.happybabyfood.com for an FAQ about DHA. If you have specific questions about feeding problems or infant nutrition, email Dr. Sears and Amy Marlow at info@happybabyfood.com.   In answer to your requests for more meals for older infants, HAPPYBABY is introducing four new Stage 3 – Sorta Chunky flavors for 9+ months, including our first fish, meat and vegetable combos. You can see a list of ingredients and nutrition facts for each meal as well as store locations nationwide online. All HAPPYBABY meals are soy free, dairy free and produced in a nut-free facility.   We had literally thousands of entries to HAPPYBABY's first Photo Contest and we thank all of you who submitted photos. It was incredibly difficult for the panel of judges to choose among so many adorable babies and the task was made even harder by our need to find high resolution photos of smiling babies that worked with our packaging. And now the grand prize winners . . . Each winner will receive a basket of gifts from our photo contest partners. Project Peanut Butter was founded by Mark Manari, a pediatrician and professor at Washington University’s School of Medicine in St. Louis. He is saving the lives of children with a revolutionary treatment based on peanut butter. His Plumpy Nut treatment is supported by UNICEF and Doctors without Borders, and could become a worldwide standard of care.   Send us your favorite recipes using HAPPYBABY. If they appear in our newsletter or on our website, we will send you a special gift for baby. Email recipes@happybabyfood.com Also check out our Serving Suggestions and recipes online.   print out this coupon offer for yourself, or forward to a friend!