Poop in the Pot, Poop in a Car, Food for Poo, and Pooping on Mars: Part I - Food
Updated: Nov 21, 2021
The title says it all! This series is all about our favorite topic: POOP!!!! Not too many people know this about me because a) they would hard-core judge me and also b) because as far as my husband knows, I have never in my life pooped, it just doesn’t happen ;) , but this is seriously one of my favorite things to talk about. Did you know that even Mozart though poop was fascinating? Actually, he found all things bathroom-related to be hilarious! We call these people “scatalogical!” So, I mean… if even Mozart thought it was great, then all you mamas and daddy’s are in great company right now!
(Note: At this very moment, as I sit writing this, my has son JUST pooped on his travel potty, in our car, on the side of the road, during a road trip (after WAITING for a full minute to go!)… And now, his very healthy poop is sitting in a plastic bag as we try to find somewhere to drop it off! There may or may not be a super expensive and exclusive resort coming up, at which we may or may not drop this rather robust bag of glistening, aromatic, medal-worthy goodness…)
Seriously though, I know that poop is a huge issue for so many potty training families. And it is so confusing. I mean, when will your child poop? Is their signal the same for poop as it is for pee? Why does she poop one day at 10 am and the next day, we don’t get a single pebble? And why in the world is there a “dinglehopper” sometimes (WAAAAAAAHHHH!!! Our dogs get these sometimes too and they are SOOOOO gross!)??? So, let’s dive in a little bit to all things poop!
Food for Poo
I want to start with what I believe to be the most important consideration when it comes to your child and their adorable and oh-so-smelly bowel movements: FOOD… Nutrition impacts nearly everything in our child’s life from their neurological development to their mood to yep, you know it, their poops. When we got pregnant, I began to delve into nutrition to find out what foods I needed to be eating to nourish my child’s mind, his body, and his spirit from in utero. Once he arrived, we tried to exclusively breastfeed but I had supply issues. So, for every single feeding, we ended up breastfeeding first until I was empty. Then, we followed up with donated breastmilk for the longest time. Eventually, we did also add in an organic formula that worked quite well (I will probably do a whole different blog post about breastfeeding at some point). Anyways, once David was 6 months old, we began to cook for him out of the “Smart Baby Cookbook.” Nearly all of his food was homemade with high quality ingredients, organic food, and natural elements. Rarely does David eat pre-packaged foods (even at 17 months), and we are adamant that he has a healthy serving of vegetables and fruits first thing in the morning and again throughout the day.
If your child is struggling with healthy poops, I would start first with their nutrition. Are they eating whole fruits and vegetables in balance? How many times do they have leafy greens a day? Consider sauteeing some spinach with garlic and onions (my son loves this stuff…) or just blend it into a smoothie with blueberries and full fat greek yogurt!
My favorite foods for inducing that poo!
1. PEARS
Sauteed in coconut oil
Sliced but raw
Sliced with peanut butter on them!
2. Plums
My son LOVES plums, he will just eat the whole thing before I can even cut it into small pieces!
If you can’t get your child to eat it, you try eating a piece first. Exaggerate how delicious it is and tease him with it.
“Want a piece? Just kidding! It’s alllll mine…”
Then, when he actually wants it, give it another try.
3. Apples
Our favorite way to eat apples is to slice them, sautee them in unrefined coconut oil, and sprinkle cinnamon all over them. YUMMMMMMM
Sliced and diced also works well!
They will taste even better if you pick them yourselves! Mmmmm
4. Dates
Sometimes, I will just chop up some dates and mix them with little pieces of cheese in my son’s snack cup.
He LOVES these but beware, they are very sticky
5. Coconut ANYTHING
In our experience, coconut does seem to help regulate bowel movements.
Coconut milk in smoothies
We even mix coconut milk with almond milk as a substitute for cow’s milk
Swap out vegetable oil for coconut oil anytime you can!
Your child could even eat those coconut strips
6. Avacado
For the longest time, we were having avocado with EVERYTHING…
This is such a great and natural food for your child to enjoy on anything or even just plain!
7. WATER!
I know many parents love to give juice, but even 100% natural juice is actually chock-full of sugar and while it is tempting to give them juice, we have found that it is best to stick to water and to keep the sugar coming from fully natural, unprocessed, whole fruits.
Try serving up water in any of these different ways:
With ice
Chilled
Room temperature
With a straw
In a “big boy cup”
Even frozen as a “popsicle!”
With frozen blueberries or strawberries instead of ice cubes
Remember that many of the other common toddler foods can actually constipate your child. So if she is eating bananas multiple times a day and is constipated, maybe limit the banana consumption to ½ a day. Even cow’s milk can cause constipation for some children! Really evaluate what your child is eating and how their bowel movements may relate.
PHEW! That was a lot of poop talk! Stay tuned for Parts II – IV in the Poop in the Pot, Poop in a Car, Food for Poo, and Pooping on Mars blog series!