In matters of food I often underestimate the girls.I often immediately assume I'll have to cajole, beg or bribe them to eat something healthy when, more often than not, it's what they really want. A recent example occurred just last night when Bryan and Audrey were outside grilling steaks, and I was in the kitchen tossing some steamed broccoli with a little butter and sea salt. Millie was hungry, or in her words, staaarrrvvving (my kids are nothing if not dramatic, no idea where they get that from), and we were still a good 15 minutes from sitting down at the table.
My first instinct was to offer up a few pretzels, but out of desperation (and proximity) I instead handed her a broccoli spear. She happily popped it into her mouth...and then another, and another, until she had eaten half the bowl.
I need to give those girlies more credit, no?
In other exciting news (yes, I'm the type of person that thinks a kid devouring broccoli is exciting...), my friend Lisa Greene just released her fantastic book, Processed Kids, A Real Mom’s Guide to Raising Natural Kids in a Processed World.
Prompted by her son's food allergies, specifically to High Fructose Corn Syrup, Lisa took a deep dive into food research and the impact of processed foods on health and behavior. She distilled all of her learnings into Processed Kids, which is full of information, guidance and easy recipes.
It is definitely worth a read!
p.s. Lisa is that genius behind the killer goat cheese polenta...I'm just saying.
Prompted by her son's food allergies, specifically to High Fructose Corn Syrup, Lisa took a deep dive into food research and the impact of processed foods on health and behavior. She distilled all of her learnings into Processed Kids, which is full of information, guidance and easy recipes.
It is definitely worth a read!
p.s. Lisa is that genius behind the killer goat cheese polenta...I'm just saying.
Good kids and good mama for offering broccoli!
ReplyDeleteI'm off to check out Lisa's book...
sometimes I wonder if all kids really want is the flavour... so perhaps it's because you made the broccoli really tasty :)
ReplyDeleteYour broccoli experience - I read that somewhere as a way to get veggies into kids -- offer it when they're hungry. It works for my kids too!
ReplyDeletePardon the comments from a mom with a very grown family. Preparing and offering your children healthy food in a caring home is the best way,
ReplyDeletecajoling, etc. only creates stress and tension.
I know I grew up that way. I'm still "fussy" but learned to be more of a well rounded eater when away from the tension. I love the obi your daughter is wearing -- did you make it. Here I am so many years (how many ? years later) and thinking about books (I bought him many books)
I read to him including: The Carrot Seed and Gregory the Terrible Eater - which really is a wonderful book. It's good so many young mothers are going for the non-processed which of course if where profits are made. So continue on, I enjoy your blog. bg
i think i would fall over and die any of my kids just snacked on broccoli like that!! high five for good teaching!!
ReplyDeletekristen
Barbara
ReplyDeletethanks so much for your comments! it's always so great, encouraging to hear from someone who has already been through all of this!
Millie's little obi dress is from Tea Collection.
http://www.teacollection.com/
warmest
Joslyn
I really liked this post. Thanks!
ReplyDeletebtw, you must read "in defense of food" by Michael Pollen. i will blog about it soon!
ReplyDeleteHi Joslyn,
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your blog a lot. My son is almost a year old and so far he has been a good trooper. He eats everything I dish out. He is moving into the todds class next week and will be supposedly on the daycare's menu- which I dont like at all (hotdogs is a weekly rotation). I will have to bring a note from his doctor to have him eat homemade food and I might even have to go there everyday at lunch to feed him. Have you or any of your readers been through that with your children? Am I taking it too far? I just want him to continue having healthy wholesome meals.
Cheers,
Dana
amee -- in defense of food is one of my favorites! can't wait to read your post about it.
ReplyDeletedana -- i struggle with this every day...the school lunch/daycare food issue is the bane of my existence ;-)
I let my younger daughter eat lunch at her pre-school every day. I'm comfortable with 70% of the menu and try to compensate for the other 30% by eating healthy at home.
My older daughter gets to buy lunch at school twice a week. We look at the menu and pick the days together.
I really think it's such a personal decision so I would never say you're going too far, that said, I would probably start by talking to your son's daycare director about the possibility of implementing more healthy choices on the menu and maybe try to pack his own food a few days a week.
good luck!
When my six year old daughter was very young, I am embarassed to say that I actually asked the doctor if she could eat TOO MUCH brocoli! She loves it to pieces still... Steamed, plain. Her grandma tried to butter it up, she almost cried! "No grandma, not like that!". We grew it last year and it did wonderfully. The only problem was switching back to Kroger, even the organic type. It is JUST not the same... Anyhow, this was great and reminded me so much of her... Thank you! Brocoli lovers unite! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the book recommendation!
ReplyDeleteMy kids call broccoli "trees" and absolutely love them! We sub them for the fries on the kids' meal at their favorite restaurant. At home, I steam them and then throw on a little melted butter and lemon juice. Yum!
how adorable she is!! broccoli and all.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! I was a kid who ate everything you never thought a kid would because my mum never made a fuss of it but merely handed it over! Brussel Sprouts, liver,fresh squeezed carrot juice with no sweet stuff added - I didn't realise it was 'good for me' just that it was yummy! lol.
ReplyDelete