Baby Building Blocks Week 32 - Vitamin D

VITAMIN D

WEEK 32

weight: 3.75 lbs.  |   length: 16.69″  

WHAT’S GOING ON IN THERE?

Baby’s bones have fully developed but they are still a bit soft. From week 32 onward, they’ll be getting stronger and stronger and preparing for life on the outside.

What do I need and why?

VITAMIN D is an important buddy nutrient to calcium when it comes to bone health. This important little vitamin helps your body absorb calcium from your diet and works with the bone-building cells (called osteoblasts) to promote bone growth and mineralization^[1].

While it is true that your own body can make Vitamin D through direct sun exposure, our tendencies to cover up in the sun (for good reason!) may limit our natural Vitamin D production ^[2]

HOW DO I GET IT?

fortified milk

fatty fish

fortified orange juice

Certain fortified foods now come packed with Vitamin D (milk, orange juice) but you can also find a good dose in fatty fish.

RECIPE

Pumpkin pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 Tblsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 3 large eggs
• 2 Tblsp melted butter (1/4 stick)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Whisk the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend.  
2. Whisk milk, pumpkin, eggs, melted butter and vanilla in a medium bowl to blend well.  Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth (batter will be thick).
3. Heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat.  Brush with oil if you think your pan needs it (mine did not).  
4. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls into hot skillet.  
5. Cook until bubbles form on surface of pancakes and bottoms are brown, about 1 minute per side.  
6. Flip over and cook for another 30 seconds or until they are cooked and nicely browned.  
7. Repeat with the remaining batter.
8. Serve with cinnamon sugar or syrup on top of pancakes and a big glass of cold milk!

(Recipe thanks to our friends at First Look, Then Cook!)

BABY BUILDING BLOCKS

VITAMIN D

1 cup whole milk with Vitamin D = 100 IU

(grab a glass of milk to wash down those pancakes and add another 100 IUs!)

CALCIUM

1 cup whole milk with Vitamin D = 276mg

¾ cup pumpkin pie filling = 75mg

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REFERENCES:

[1] van Driel, M. and JPTM van Leuwen (2014) Nature.           

[2] https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/