Foodie

I don't know what it is but I usually feel compelled to snap pictures of Beanie while she's eating. We have an awful lot of pictures of her stuffing her face - including today's lunch of peas and cheese ravioli and an orange at snack time that she had to eat whole instead of sectioned. This may lead you believe that she weighs a ton. Thankfully that's not the case. In fact, she has really slimmed down these past few weeks. She used to have a bit of a belly on her and now she has a flat little tummy, so small that some of her clothes are now too big.

Still, the kid loves to eat and eat well. I had always said that I would not be one of those parents that makes one meal for the family and another for her. JB simply must eat what is presented to her and if she doesn't eat it, then tough. Thankfully we haven't had to battle her at breakfast, lunch or dinner time. She has gone through a bit of a phase lately where she won't eat dinner, but she doesn't demand anything else. She's simply not hungry.

I am amazed by how much JillyBean loves to eat veggies. There was a time when she didn't go a day without eating broccoli but that love affair has fizzled. Her fave things now are green beans and peas. I HATE peas but I'll be darned if I let my food aversions affect her. Two books were published a year or so ago that teaches parents how to "hide" veggies in their kids' food. On the surface that seems like a good idea, just to make sure they're getting the nutrients they need, but I think that it should be a last resort. I believe that it's important that kids get the chance to know what they're eating and we should find ways to make them try it. I don't think that many parents think about adding spice to their kids' food - ginger to cooked carrots, a drizzle of olive oil to beans, curry to peas. It gives the food a much more appealing aroma as well as interesting taste. Sure it takes a bit more imagination that many parents have at this stage, especially working parents, but it's worth letting the child know exactly what he/she is eating. The Petit Appetit Cookbook was a huge help for me. It is packed with fabulous recipes that start with beginner purees and takes you through the toddler years.