If you are a parent, you have at one time or another worried about the food your child is consuming. From the moment they come into this world you ask yourselves questions about their food intake. Or at least I did and still do... Are they getting enough? Are they getting too much? Do they have a food allergy or intolerance? Why do they love something one day and despise it the next? Are they eating too much sugar? Are they eating enough veggies? Are the additives and preservatives affecting their behavior? And the list goes on and on...
I am committed to having healthy, fresh food in our house, and I try to limit the amount of fake, processed foods that we have. We make a lot of things from scratch and enjoy cooking together. I have not made the switch to organic, but the more I read the more I contemplate it. I do try to ensure the milk that we consume is from cows not treated with hormones.Each day, I attempt to provide a nutrient filled breakfast, a home-packed lunch, and a wholesome dinner though that doesn't mean my children always eat what I cook. I believe that children not only will eat when they are hungry, but also that they will gravitate towards the nutrients that their body is craving.
My husband and I encourage our children to eat what is on their plate, but we do not force them. We encourage them to be adventuresome and to try new things, but we certainly don't expect that they clean their plate. In our eyes, that is one sure way to encourage over-eating. All of that being said, what's on their plate is what's for dinner. There are no other options. If they don't eat then the next meal is breakfast. And we expect them to sit at the table and talk about their day and listen to each other.
When it comes to food, my precious number three child is the one I "worry" the most about. He typically eats a great breakfast and a fabulous lunch, but he rarely touches his dinner. Some nights he doesn't even touch his milk. Really, he will sit down take one look and say "all done." I take comfort in the fact that he is not filling up on junk, and one day he will eat supper with us. Truly, there is not one vegetable he will eat. The moments are even rare when he will taste something green. I do worry about this though his pediatrician does not.
Well this morning, I made a new recipe for zucchini muffins, and he ate them. I am always comforted when he gets something green in his body even if it is trapped in muffin form.
I have my grandmother's delicious recipe for zucchini bread. As I was making it back in the fall, I was appalled at the amount of sugar and oil in it so I vowed to try something new. I used the Happy Healthy Mama's recipe though I did substitute sugar for agave nectar. We we all loved it! Mary Frances even suggested that I make them the next time we provide "Friday Treats" {a.k.a. snacks} for her class.
And just to to keep it real ~ I made two batches... When mixing the ingredients for the second batch I was so distracted that I completely forgot any sweetener. Those are even edible but taste a bit like baking soda. I think will be really good with honey, maple syrup, or my sweet friend Anne's apple butter.
Hope you have wonderful weekend plans. We are thrilled to have our first overnight house guests coming this evening...
No comments:
Post a Comment