Just like every other mom in the world, I suppose, I worry that he doesn't eat enough. Seriously, there are nights when I can't go to sleep worrying that he didn't really eat anything all day.
This lunch is rather blanc, wouldn't you say? But the boy won't touch anything of any color for fear that it's a vegetable. I've tried nearly every vegetable under the sun. He'll eat some of them some of the time but most of them not at all. And attempts to "hide" them in food have failed miserably. Maybe he's a super-taster?
Anyway, today's lunch is a hit...I've learned to not give him too many choices on the plate...3 things that he likes equally seems to be working. And if I put a whole big sandwich on his plate, even if it's cut into quarters, it's overwhelming to him. A small round sandwich is much more inviting.
23 comments:
Precious!!! You are truly one of the sweetest- most creative mamas!
Blessings!
Jill
I can totally feel for you, my daughter would not eat SO many things, hers was a texture issue (I mean really,what 4 year old doesn't LOVE mac and cheese??) I used to make ramen noodles and put cooked veggies thru the baby food grinder and stir them into the noodles..and all sort of other tricks and then just quit worrying about it when the dr said "they don't starve themselves, my son ate nothing but pasta for three years!!" so it will all work out..just keep putting a little bowl of other things out, cubed beets, sliced non spicy peppers..maaybe he will grab one and love it! Or he will go the other way and only want to eat sushi or something!!
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=muffin%20tin%20lunch&w=all
You have probably seen these. The grandpeeps love these little muffin tin lunches when they come to visit.
Oh I remember those days! And it is totally true, if you will just put three green beans on the plate, they are so much more likely to eat them than a whole pile. I think my daughter at age 10 finally had to actually request a whole sandwich, I was so used to cutting them into fun, small shapes.
Have you looked in the Sneaky Chef book. A LOT of good ideas for sneaking nutrients into kids...
Amy I feel your pain....my son is 9and I still have some trouble getting him to eat! And heaven forbid it is a vegetable...
xo,
annie
p.s. The lunch for Alfredo looks delicious and inviting for him!
It's amazing what we have to do to get our kids to eat. I used to worry about my son eating enough...but to look at him today at 6'4"...it's obvious I did something right!
How cute... your such a good Mama !!
I'm lucky my Andy will eat any veggie but you know what is a fun veggie kids love to eat?
edamame!!
Which are just baby soy beans still in the pod. You can buy them in the frozen veggie section, steam them in a steamer or double boiler and then let Alfredo peel open each pod and scoop the little beans out. He'll love it! Trust me! And you'll love that they are full of protein! Just flavor the pods with a little sea salt if you find them bland but I like them plain.
~S
after i read your blog this morning, i ran through our library drive through to pick some things up and one was "salad people" by mollie katzen. it's a kid's cookbook; my lucy is 20 months and LOVES to "cook!" so i was looking for inspiration (one can only eat so much zuchinni bread & granola) the title recipe "salad people" reminded me so much of your previous post about the animal collages-- they involve a pear body & cottage cheese or yogurt head and then you use various veggies/nuts/dried fruit/fruits/seeds etc to decorate . the book has a page that gives the instructions as pictures and i thought it would be another good "following directions" activity (like the collage). for a younger child you might want to divide the picture instructions up step by step...but he really shouldn't have too much trouble since he did so well with the other project. if he creates it maybe he'll be more likely to eat it? i know that i can get lu to eat anything i pick up at "our farm" on thursdays...but i have to give it to her IMMEADIATELY :) it's just not the same once we get home!
I made zucchini bread recently and not only did my big kids eat it, but my toddler-aged nieces devoured it. Very sneaky, indeed. ;)
I worried so much about my little guy's eating habits at that age. We always required a "no thank you bite" of anything new, and tried not to put too much pressure beyond that.
Now, he loves trying new foods - the more exotic the better. And when people comment on his height (6'4") I often joke that he would've been taller if he had eaten his vegetables!
You might want to check out the book written by Jerry Seinfeld's
wife. I have seen her on television talking about her creative techniques for incorporating vegetables into every day foods enjoyed by her whole family. She originally undertook the task because her
kids shyed away from vegetables.
Marie
I was also going to suggest the Jessica Seinfeld book. I have seen it on sale at Costco for a very good price! You would like it, plus it is full of cute retro illustrations.
At least your festive plate makes the blanc lunch bright and colourful!
My son is exactly the same way. He has a dairy allergy as well, so that presents even more problems. But I constantly worry he's not eating enough, good to know I'm not the only one feeling this way!
:) T
There are tons of tricks (and I can tell you with 3 kids of my own and a niece and nephew that are here most nights) some kids will eat them naturally and some just won't. My oldest son is 17. He is 6 feet tall and skinny as a phone post. He never ate a vegetable until he was about 13. Now he is the salad lover of salad lovers. He is 2nd in his class and being courted by the best colleges in the country. So it didn't kill him. I used to be so afraid he would get sick and wither away. The body is a funny thing and it figures it out. Alfredo looks like a cute sweet healthy boy who has a mommy who loves him and that is packed with more vitamins than any darn vegetable.
Two words: Ellyn Satter. She has a fab website, www.ellynsatter.com, and great books.
I know how you feel on the food front. My son, up 'til the age of two, was a veggie and yogurt fiend. In fact, we brought him to the doctor because we thought he was jaundiced, but he was actually a little orange from eating so many veggies. But after 2, that was it. Now he won't touch the veggies. I have no idea what happened. I can only hope he'll come around soon...
Alfredo is a lucky boy! I Came across this online. I thought you would get a kick out of it!
http://www.funkylunch.com/index.htm
you are so cute!!! I love the round sandwich also...
My all time veggie hiding recipe is sooo simple. Blend up carrots (tiny) in a food processor and stash them inside waffle batter with los of cinnamon and maybe some ground up nuts. By the time butter and syrup/jam are added...there is no suspicion of carrots. Plus, kids love belgian waffles. I think it's all those squares.
Bon Appetit!
My daughter loves to cook, so we got her to like veggies by having her make different dishes using them. She couldn't possibly not eat something she made!
I work at trader joe's we have chocolate chip cookies made with veggies in the batter. you would never even know by tasting them.
anyway. they do grow up and eat more as they grow. don't worry about it too much. My kids are now 16, 14, and 9. They have all been so picky at certain times. they get over it.
♥ Rebecca
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