Ut-oh this post title itself is going to piss people off! But here we go, because I have no filter and this topic, I am super passionate about…(and let me clarify, chicken nuggets are almost an analogy here – they represent any unhealthy food we give our child daily.)
I can remember being pregnant, and people commenting about how my child isn’t going to eat healthy like I do.
“Wait till you have a kid, you’ll see! It (chicken nuggets) is all my toddler will eat and when your kid is bigger and can choose, they aren’t going to be eating healthy Amber.”
I am pretty sure those were the same women that also told me I would never get my pre-baby body back (another lie, and another blog post.)
How you eat when you are pregnant will shape how your child eats as a baby, toddler, and as your child grows.
It’s simple, yet we overcomplicate everything.
I was raised as a very healthy eater. I remember tofu and steamed veggies being the common answer when I asked what was for dinner, LOL! There was never soda in the house, nor can I really remember sweets being available. Being Italian, we normally had a Sunday pasta dinner, and to this day I will never turn pasta down! I remember my parents taking us to unique restaurants, one of my favorites was a Mediterranean one where we sat on pillows on the floor and ate hummus, pitas, and baba ghanoush.
But do you know what else I remembered? Not being able to tell them no, or that I wanted something else. It was understood that we were the children, and they were the parents. What they served; we ate.
Now don’t get me wrong, we ate pizza, McDonald’s and tv dinners! But those were super RARE and “special occasions” never a weekly or consistent thing. We weren’t deprived, we were taught that food was fuel to nourish your body, and you could have certain things, just in moderation.
I also remember my mother always buying organic produce and continuing that into my adulthood when I was responsible for my own food shopping. (I didn’t carry the tofu and steamed veggies into my adulthood though, HAHA)
(just received a text from my husband who is at dinner with Antonio for “guy time” and he sends me a photo of him eating: salmon, rice, avocado and a side of fries (because I’ve never met a fry I didn’t like) and I am laughing at the irony of the post I am currently writing!)
I ate the way I normally ate when I was pregnant, if not stricter and more aware, because I knew everything was being passed directly to Antonio. If I craved something, I ate it! But the thing is, when you don’t eat crap, you don’t crave crap. I am reminded of this every holiday season when I indulge in more sweets then normal and end up craving sugar! (I am just not a sweets person; I am a carb girl.)
When it came time to start feeding Antonio purees, I found this organic company, YUMI (they are still around, however they don’t offer purees anymore) and it was the best thing I ever did because he was introduced to such a variety of fruits, veggies, and blends – it would have been a nightmare to try to duplicate myself.
As he grew, he did what ALL babies do… eat and drink what Mommy is eating and drinking. And that is why the title of this post pisses others off, because of what they are eating and drinking. Because I hate to break it to you, but your toddler cannot demand chicken nuggets every night if they are not GIVEN them to begin with.
To have a child eating healthy, they need to be served healthy foods. And, if they are hungry, they will eat it. And, if those choices are all they have ever known, it’s even easier for them to want it.
I am not a perfect mother, and Antonio isn’t a perfect eater. However, his food choices are 99% better than most adults I know. Does he love a “baby donut” aka a munchkin from Dunkin Donuts? OF COURSE! But he didn’t have one until his 2nd birthday, and to this day I only allow him 1 as a treat when we go (yes, I am aware the staff at DD probably thinks I am crazy.)
When we go to his favorite restaurant, his meal is the unhealthiest meal he’s ever been allowed! Pretzel bites with Nutella, and a side of truffle fries. But, he gets that once in a blue moon.
His favorite go to meal is what he is currently eating (salmon, rice, avocado) and he will eat what I put in front of him, because he knows there is no other option. However, it makes me happy that he genuinely enjoys food that is good for him. I teach him that each fruit and vegetable has a purpose with vitamins in it, it is literally fuel for our bodies!
I also strive to make healthy dessert/sweet options, so he is never deprived (cookies, muffins, yogurt barks) and there is always something readily available.
It took him a while to eat meat, he has always loved fish and seafood. But, like anything else, I just kept serving it. It can take up to 10-20 times of serving a baby food, until they can decide if they like it or not. Primal Kitchen makes a dressing/marinade (Cilantro lime) and I drizzle that on almost everything, especially things I think he might not want or initially like.
But children are copycats, and going back to what I keep saying, it starts with what is on our plates. (Also, screw kid menus when you go out as they are normally filled with unhealthy choices. I either order a big meal and let him eat off my plate or order him his own items al carte and bring the leftovers home.)
Share with me! How did you eat while pregnant? Do you see a direct correlation with how you eat and your child’s food choices? Is your child a picky eater?
