Alison Sweeney talks about toddler nutrition

Days of Our Lives star Alison Sweeney recently announced her joint campaign with Gerber to promote toddler nutrition. The 30-year-old, who’s hosting the new season of The Biggest Loser, now reveals she was motivated to get involved as a result of her own struggle with weight.

I feed Gerber Graduate food to [my 2-year-old son Benjamin Edward]. I value his nutrition and want to get him into proper eating habits that will carry him throughout his life. I struggled with my weight, and a lot of scientists now talk about how metabolism starts from day one. Gerber Graduates is the line of food they provide that are healthy snacks for your toddler, like dried fruit, which Ben loves.

Alison, who’s married to policeman Dave Sanov, has been outspoken about her weight battle in the 1990s, during which she gained until she was a size 12. But with diet and exercise, the actress dropped to a size four. She put weight back on during her pregnancy, but it didn’t faze her.

When I was in my first trimester, I had terrible morning sickness. The only thing I could eat were grilled cheese sandwiches and whole grain pasta. I gained weight because of that, but I looked at it like there is an end in sight and I went back to my goals after my son was born, losing weight again.

 

Source: OK!, September 3 issue, pg 68-71

Comments

“she ballooned up to a size 12″ are you freaking kidding me? Balloned? I wish I could balloon to a size 12. It’s almost like they say it like she was obese. Sad…

Sarah’s note: I’ll change Raye’s post. The choice of wording wasn’t the best, but ‘ballooning’ is what Alison said in the article.

- Karrie on August 23rd, 2007

Wow, Ben has gotten really big! Seems like yesterday she was posting blogs with him as just a little guy!

Plus, I don’t really like the author of this article referring to Alison’s weight gain as “ballooning to a size 12.” I understand the point was to emphasize she gained a lot of weight, but perhaps different terminology would be less offensive to us whales who aren’t a size 4…

Sarah’s note: I changed Raye’s post already. It may take a minute to show up.

- Nicolie on August 23rd, 2007

I’m not sure I like that either the article or the writer calls it “balooning to a size 12″, insinuating that she’s just HUGE! Isn’t the average woman a size 12 or greater? I’m a size 12-14 now, after losing 30lbs, and I’m quite happy with that. I don’t feel “ballooned”, or fat.

Sarah’s note: Yes, it’s been changed.

- Nellie on August 23rd, 2007

Really, though, Gerber graduates as the basis for good nutrition? Their freeze dried fruit, ok, but everything else? LOADED with sugar (like those dissolveable stars things) and salt (like those shelf-stable (shudder!) meals). I’m not sure I’d call everything from a package proper eating habits.

- Jean on August 23rd, 2007

Yeah Gerber Graduates are great if you can actually get your kids to eat them. My daughter refused to eat them starting when she was about 1. I tried to keep her on them but unfortunately my mother always shoved sweets down her throat despite my pleas not to.

Anyways, I also ballooned up to a size 12/14 after each of my children and have struggled to drop it. For those of us who are petite, we do become borderline obese while taller women are a size 12/14 and are perfectly normal/healthy. Just depends on the woman.

- Has on August 23rd, 2007

You couldn’t pay me to feed my child GG. GMOs up the wazoo.

- chersolly on August 23rd, 2007

If she’s so concerned about getting the child to eat the right food, she might give this a try.
How about feeding your child only fresh and home-cooked food? What a novel idea. No huge amounts of sugar, no chemicals …
And yes, I do work full time.
No time? Matter of setting your priorities.

- Irishlass on August 23rd, 2007

I knew this post would bring out the Parenting Police. I’m not crazy about Gerber food either, but it’s not as if she’s feeding him cookies for breakfast. Gerber food is better than some of the alternatives.
It’s ridiculous that there are so many people who are so quick to judge every mother who dares to do something even slightly different from how they’re doing it.

- Kate on August 23rd, 2007

wow a size 12—-that is just so fat. Actually it is normal, size 4 is rare. And I agree, you don’t need good nutrition from a jar. It’s pretty easy to mash up the cooked food that the family is already having for dinner. That way, baby gets used to the family’s meal flavors!

- Aitch on August 23rd, 2007

That has got to be the CUTEST little boy I have EVER set eyes on and I do mean that! And Alison looks beautiful as always! Good for her! I admire her so much! Not only is she a beautiful woman, she is like some super woman. She seems kind, loving and just so into life!

- crazydazy on August 23rd, 2007

Alison herself said she balloned up to a size 12, it really wasn’t the author who said it. And actually for some people who are small frame or thin, or in alison’s case always had a bit of a weight problem even before pregnancy which she has talked about a lot herself, a size 12 is big. If your petite and used to being a size 2, going up to a size 12 for that person, feels like a lot. Now if your a size 8 and go up to a size 12, well than it makes sense it won’t be that big for that person’s body.

- gabriella on August 23rd, 2007

Wow – seriously people! God FORBID that someone feed their child Gerber food! What the heck? How about some comments on what an amazing person Ali Sweeney is? Regardless of what she feeds that little guy – it is clear that she is an AMAZING mother & being a Days of Our Lives fan & devoted Ali blog reader – I know for a fact that she really is a great mom & puts that little guy FIRST in her life! Seriously! How about some comments on how GORGEOUS that little boy is! I honestly have not seen a cuter toddler then Ben in a LONG time! Ali is wonderful, Ben is gorgeous, and those of you who have issues with what other mothers feed their children . . . mind your own business & go worry about when your child is due to have their next sea weed rice cake. Wow.

- KM10 on August 23rd, 2007

I agree that it depends on your frame. I hate weight charts for that reason, they totally don’t take into account the VAST differences between bone structures, or the differences in build even between ethnic groups.
12 is not big for most people. Now, if someone like Sarah Michelle Gellar got to be a 12, that would be big for her, because she has teensy little bones. But I never considered Alison Sweeney to have a small frame at all! I’m frankly surprised that she’s a size 4. Or rather, claims to be a size 4. She obviously works hard to fit into a Hollywood beauty ideal, but she’s pretty normal looking for Hollywood.

- Aaron on August 23rd, 2007

The soap’s name is mistyped – it’s Days of Our Lives.

- Tannit on August 23rd, 2007

Aaron: In the interview Ali says that she dropped to a size four when she lost weight originally. She didn’t say that she is a size 4 now.

- Kate on August 23rd, 2007

Her son looks a lot like her, and he has the cutest little smile. He’s adorable!

- FC on August 23rd, 2007

I remember when she lost the weight originally, I wasn’t just thinking about how she looks now. I never at any point would have guessed a size 4! Then again, I’ve been totally surprised when I’ve met a lot of celebrities at how TINY they are in real life comparatively with how they show up on film/in print. Even the guys that look all brawny tend to be sooooo much smaller in real life. Everything is so distorted on screen!

- Aaron Boatwright on August 23rd, 2007

thank you km10..some people need to mind their own business…ali is a wonderful mom and a amazing person…

- peifgirl on August 23rd, 2007

KM10, I agree too. I love Ali and think she’s a great mom and fun to watch on Days of Our Lives. I’m a big organic/fresh food nut myself, but I think it’s better for somebody to feed their kids well-balanced Gerber graduate stuff than McDonalds and other fast food crud like that. I’m sure Ali is a paid spokeswoman for Gerber, and the girl’s got to make a living, right? It’s not like she’s pushing tobacco or Happy Meals to kids. It’s just baby food — and you can actually buy from their Gerber organic line, if you are into canned food but want something with fewer chemicals.

- PSB on August 23rd, 2007

km10, this blog entry isn’t about how cute her son is, it’s about Alison Sweeney talking about toddler nutrition. Heaven forbid we actually comment on what the blog entry is about… toddler nutrition! Gerber Graduates are not good food, yes, they’re better than giving your kid cookies, cheetos and coke in a bottle, but not much better (they have a lot of the same ingredients.) I’m just amazed that people defend celebrities that become spokesmoms, like they’re doing it out of the goodness of their hearts when really they’re doing it to pad their checkbook!

- Rebecca on August 23rd, 2007

Rebecca,
as a person who knows Ali and her associates quite well, I am inclined to disagree with your statement that generalises all celebrity moms becoming spokesmoms for the monetary incentive. Ali really is very committed to Ben, and would not be one to endorse something she doesn’t believe in. From what I know of Ali, she isn’t one to conform to the Hollywood norm and the need for publicity anyway she can

- Miss Z on August 24th, 2007

Miss Z, then perhaps you can use your close personal ties to Alison and convince her that aligning herself with Gerber (and Nestle for that matter) isn’t helping toddler nutrition. The ingredients in Gerber Graduates aren’t good for kids, and it’s just teaching kids that if they’re hungry they can just nuke something. Heaven forbid you cut up an apple if you get hungry!

If she wants to inform people about toddler nutrition, or even help people, her time would be better spent helping reform WIC guidelines, speaking out that making your own baby food is a real option for ANYONE (it’s not that hard or time consuming.)

- Rebecca on August 24th, 2007

Rebecca: You’re making some pretty harsh assumptions about a woman that you don’t even know. If you don’t want to feed your kid GG then don’t, but plenty of people do believe in those products and they’re not all uninformed mothers who “don’t have their priorities in order” as one of the earlier posters implied.

How wonderful for those that criticized Alison that you manage to find time not only to make all your child’s food but also to judge and criticize other mothers for not living exactly the way you do.

And those of us who are defending Alison are not naive to the fact that some celebrities promote products that they don’t believe in just to make money – but I’m not cynical enough to believe that every celebrity is a sell out. Those of us who are defending her just don’t believe in judging someone that we don’t even know.

- Kate2 on August 25th, 2007

“From what I know of Ali, she isn’t one to conform to the Hollywood norm and the need for publicity anyway she can.”

That’s amusing. I would NEVER say that about Ali. She’s a publicity diva. But as far as the Gerber stuff goes, I doubt she actually feeds it to Ben. She just gets paid to say that

- Jen on August 27th, 2007

I love that you are speaking up about Toddler Nutrition. I have been watching Days for over 10 years now and my son is almost 2. I have loved the Graduates for him because not only are they good for him, they are also convenient.

- Alicia on September 26th, 2007