I really want my kids to eat healthy. However, we have a few issues.
Neither will eat vegetables. Claire will not eat fruit. Levi is ultra picky. Needless to say, this makes dinner difficult. Lunches are usually okay, as I can fix them what they want. Levi always wants a ham sandwich and Claire loves gardenburgers.
I have often stated that I will not make seperate dinners. I feel that my kids should learn to eat what is in front of them, to be thankful for their food, and, at the minimum, try one bite.
Well, I am sick of complaining. I am sick of Claire throwing food on the floor. I am tired of hearing Levi whine about onions, or peppers, or celery. I am tired of begging them to try a bite. I vowed to make a difference.
A while ago I bought "Deceptivley Delicious" by Jessica Seinfield. Tonight was my night. I went to Safeway and spend $75 on groceries; mostly veggetables to puree (beets, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, red peppers, and carrots). While the kids were sleeping I cooked and pureed the sweet potatoes and the red pepper. I made sticky rice with coconut milk and mangos. I browned the ground turkey. I cut up the onions, celery and carrots. I even made them really small. The kids were getting sloppy joes. Josh and I had Thai tofu and noodle salad. I cut up the garnishes: carrots, cucumber, water chesnuts and bean sprouts. I marinated the tofu. I was in the kitchen for two hours before dinner getting this all ready!
Everything looked great. And it tasted great too! But did my kids eat it? Did they try a bite without whinning? Was dinner finally not a battle?
I think we all know the answers to those questions: NO.
So, really, was it worth it? My kitchen is now a disgusting mess (thanks to no dishwasher), there is still food on the floor, and Levi was sent to his room about a zillion times because he could not contain the complaints. And there is TONS of food left over.
To top it off, my adorable neighbor Leslie, brought over some homemade muffins. They are whole wheat with obvious chunks of carrot and apple. Levi and Claire could not get enough of them.
AAGGHH
I wonder if I could pay Leslie to come over every night with dinner that "she made"???
4 comments:
What are we suppose to do then? I take it you don't recommend 'Deceptively Delicious.'
This is hilarious...well to me anyways, not to you I am sure. I have been lucky with good eaters so far anyways. It cracks me up that they will eat the whole wheat muffins with carrot chunks! Sorry Naomi, but keep trying! :-)
I find your story funny. Only because thus far we have not had to deal with that. We have not encountered a frut Joachim does not like, and as far as veggies he only dislikes a few. It is a rare dinner that he does not eat. I hope Macrina is that easy.
Try cooking for moi...
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