Food! Ack!
If sleep is the ever present topic of thought and conversation for moms of infants, food is the topic for moms of toddlers. I think the burgeoning independence and the realization that if they don’t want to eat it, they just can refuse to, leads to many toddler mama worries. James and Emma have started down their paths of toddler food drama already. Well, not real drama, just stubbornness. Not like they came by that trait naturally because I don’t know a single solitary family member that has even an ounce of a stubborn streak. *cough cough*
My mom always told me, “Don’t try to apply logic to crazy people, because it just isn’t relevant.” I think, in some ways, that applies to figuring out what to feed a toddler. Just because green beans used to be the favorite doesn’t mean that they won’t get spit out at high velocity at tonight’s dinner. And if you try to figure it out, it will just change tomorrow anyway. I have read lots of advice on this topic, of which I think the best was probably along the lines of this: try to set out healthy options and don’t sweat if they won’t eat this thing or that thing. It will all balance out. If they eat all yogurt and crackers today, tomorrow may well be peas and chicken.
I am pretty confident that my kids will not starve and thankfully they have both grown very well so far. I try to maintain the balance of getting big enough (preemie mom worry) with not starting them out on the too heavy path (overweight family history worry), and they have been doing really well. But now they actually have opinions on the matter of food. Not that they can say, “Hey mom, this turkey leaves a bit to be desired, how about some ham tomorrow?” Instead it is communicated by refusing some foods or, my favorite, eating a bunch of bites without actually swallowing and then spitting out a lovely mix of chewed-up grossness.
My major concern with their food right now is that they don’t seem to want anything to do with meat. Even when I think it is well mixed into a dish that they can’t really pick out the meat, oh yes, they find a way. The other concern is that I think they don’t get enough diversity of foods. But last night we hit a jackpot on both of those fronts. We had breakfast for dinner – a favorite in our house and even my house growing up. Scrambled eggs have always been a hit and have not yet *knock on wood* been the subject of toddler disdain, but bacon has never worked (whose children are they?). So last night we tried two brand new foods – turkey sausage and blackberries. Both were a huge hit! Hooray for protein! Hooray for a new fruit!
Rest assured, I know that they next time we have those they will may or may not work. But for now, one dinner where each type of food was eaten? I’ll take it. And messy blackberry-smeared baby faces make it even sweeter.
4 Responses to “Food! Ack!”
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James is so stinkin cute in this picture. Breakfast for dinner is always a big hit! My boys aren’t big meat eaters either but they both love kidney beans which I always put on taco salad.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:58 pmI was actually going to recommend some beans too. My niece Annabelle loves kidney beans even though she doesn’t like a lot of meats. And peanut butter or almond butter (you can make your own at whole foods…it’s more expensive but you know it’s just peanuts or almonds so you’re not just feeding them corn syrup). I read somewhere that almond butter actually helps the blood sugar spike that happens from eating carbs in general. Also I think Emma looks a lot like you in that picture and James is looking more and more like your dad everytime I see him.
January 14th, 2010 at 12:11 pmOh, what cute little pictures!! =) James’ smile just makes me want to give him a big hug & little baby kisses!! =) What a doll!
You know, Victoria is the same way; she doesn’t eat too much meat & usually just picks around it when it’s mixed into something – but she LOVES peanut butter and black beans, so she still gets her protein in. She also really likes hummus – I make it with a mix of chickpeas and black beans, which is really yummy – although I don’t know if Emma & James would like the rest of what goes in there, the garlic & curry & all of that.
January 14th, 2010 at 2:32 pmyour family is precious!
and totally smiling at the “chewing up many bites and spitting out”…..oh, yes! the joy. =)
January 20th, 2010 at 10:03 pm