We eat breakfast at our house around 7:30-8am, depending on wakeup times for the day. Right now, Nur likes peanut butter toast and a bowl of cheerios, and TT likes to eat a nutrigrain bar, and perhaps also a bowl of cereal. They both like a glass of apple juice first thing in the morning. Juice was one of those things I had every intention on being very strict about, yet they drink a glass (or more) everyday. They also both take a vitamin every morning for breakfast.
We do a snack around 9:30am, and TT's favorite snack is a pickle and a cheesestick, and Nur's is some sort of cracker. Then we do lunch anywhere from 11 to noon. As I stated, I'm not a big vegetable person but I try to make sure the kids get some at every meal. The problem is, is they don't love a lot of different types of vegetables, and that is most likely due to me not giving veggies to them at a very young age. Their favorite are green beens and edamame, and TT will also munch on carrots. Nur still has many texture issues, and doesn't do good with foods where he really needs to bite down. We also try to do a fruit at every meal, and some favorites are strawberries, apples (cut up with no skin for Nur), rasberries, peaches, and pears. Then comes the main course. Nur loves anything with a red sauce, and TT won't touch it. TT wants meats at every meal. She LOVES meat, any type. I've been buying rotisserie chickens for her and getting her chicken that way. Cause I clearly don't know how to make meat. I mean, I can cook ground up hamburger or a chicken breast, but that's about it. I try really hard not to become a short order cook, but I struggle because Nur and TT want very different main courses.
Dinner is around 5pm, and I try to give the kids a large variety of foods. Sometimes, they flat out refuse to eat what I make, which makes me stress that they are going to be hungry later. I've heard people say that it's too bad if they don't eat what I make, and I get that, but they are only 2 and 3. I really don't want them to go hungry. Some things I do for dinner are chicken enchiladas, homemade soup, hard boiled egg, spaghetti, meat of some sort (again, just for TT). And to be completely honest, some nights it's mac-n-cheese, grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, french fries, or anything that I know will get eaten and that there will be no complaints.
The kids also still drink whole milk. Most pediatricians say that after 2, kids should have a more reduced fat milk, but my kids are both hanging on at 20% on the weight scale, so I've decided to keep them on whole a big longer.
I try to make sure my kids get a variety of foods, and I try to make sure they are getting the right amount of calories on a daily basis, but I will never be a mom who home cooks all the meals, or has my children eat green or organic. I would love to be that mom, but I think the first step would be for ME to be that type of eater, and I would say I'm pretty set in my ways.
My kids are happy and healthy children, and I remind myself of that when I start to stress about food.
5 comments:
Please know that you are not alone! I often joke that myself and my girls are on an all carb diet. My son, anything processed and non-carb. I TRY to get them to eat healthy, and they are all of average weight, but food and meals are a nightmare. I try not to be a short order cook, but I cannot bare the thought of my kids going to bed hungry! I don't know if it will get better (my kids are 10, 7, and 4), just know that you are not alone!
Most of the time I feel like a big fat fail in this department too.
Breakfast - blueberries and sometimes yogurt.
They won't drink whole milk or 2%! Silk Fruit Milk is what we give them. I'm sure the sugars are ridiculous, but it's full of protein and they actually drink it.
Motts for Tots juice here. Water at the babysitter. Parenting fail.
LOTS of mac and cheese, cheese quesadilla, chicken nuggets, pepperonis and cheese, PB&J, spagettios, lasagna...
They like carrots a little. Addison likes salad and broccoli. Both like corn.
THANK GOD they both love fruit because they eat a lot. Fruitarians!
Hope that made you feel better?
I stress about food constantly. I worry they eat too much, too little, not enough of this, too much of that, etc. Working full time limits my ability to do what I want and think a "good mom" would do. You do what you can! The important thing is that they eat :) You're a good mom because you are aware of it and try you best. They are luck to have you!!
Yep, food is stressful at the Buster house too. Smoothies are the only way I can get LB to eat remotely healthy. He would subsist on yogurt and carbs if I let him. Maybe with the occasional banana. But he never tires of pizza, mac and cheese and raviolis. Give him some pasta and cheese and he'll go to town. Sigh. I just keep hoping he'll broaden what he eats as he gets older but I realize it may be a long shot.
Leah, you are not alone! I think most people with a toddler have struggled with food issues from time to time. With my son, I felt like we were feeding him the same things over and over and over....it is tough to have variety. Even though you don't eat veggies, you can still try to have various veggies available for Nur and TT. I've heard that the food issues gradually get better over time. Good luck! Heather
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