Seems I’ve been called up to the majors and I’m absolutely terrified. Sienna celebrated her 15-mo bday yesterday complete with a trip to the pediatrician, a couple of shots, a note that Sienna’s in the 3rd percentile weight-wise, and an instruction for me to stop giving her jars of purees and introduce her to more foods and textures. This is one of my nightmares, one of the things I’m most frightened of when it comes to being a stay-at-home dad.
I’m not good with food. In fact, I’m one of the pickiest eaters you’ll ever meet. No seafood. No mushrooms. No cheese. No palate or sense of adventure. In addition, I’m a terrible cook. I survive on fruit, nuts, peanut butter, chips, garlic hummus, and eating out when I can. My wife, who could live on cereal for the rest of her life, can’t cook either, so she’s not much help.
In addition to always giving her a taste of whatever I’m eating, I’ve been giving Sienna Cheerios, half a mug of oatmeal mixed w/ a jar of baby food, and about 4 oz of milk for breakfast; Cheerios, yogurt (which I loathe), and about 5 oz of milk for lunch; and pasta, frozen vegetables, and a jar of baby food for dinner. If she’ll eat it, she’ll also get strawberries, grapes, blueberries, bananas, apples. honey maple turkey, etc., but sometimes she likes them and sometimes she doesn’t. Eggs and cheese have failed completely.
Now I have to be adventurous for my daughter, something I can’t do for myself. I walk into grocery stores and feel lost even if I have a list; I always wind up buying the same things. My wife suggested trying out a recipe once a week, but that scares me. Cooking scares me. What if go through all the trouble of cooking something and Sienna won’t eat it (and I don’t like it?). As much as I try not to, I tend to take it personally, like I failed somehow. This is not to say I won’t do it, I’m just severely anxious at the moment and haven’t been able to MAKE myself do it…yet (as my therapist always tells me to add on to each of my sentences).
It took me forever to become comfortable with the routine we established and now it’s getting shaken up again. I guess that’s what having a child means…constant shakeups to established routines. As worried as I am, I know I can’t depend on purees the rest of my life. Time for fishsticks (ick), macaroni & cheese (if the smell doesn’t make me vomit), and actually cooking things. Right now I feel lost…as if I were in a grocery store.
Gigi
June 22, 2013 at 7:04amHello Lorne, Try getting a cookbook for toddlers to get some ideas, without overwhelming yourself. Just make sure that each meal Sienna has 3 or 4 of the food groups, think fresh and good quality. You don’t even have to always cook to serve such foods. She will be able to eat pieces of breads (get the good quality kinds, but be careful of grains and seeds, I usually just get whole wheat since my son is not allergic), fresh fruit pieces (my son LOVEs oranges, but make sure you cut out the white parts) including peeled, seeded and sliced grapes, blueberries, fresh mango pieces, papaya etc. The freezer is my best friend. If I’m going to cook, I make a batch of food, I freeze it and can use it for many meals (pureed thick rice chicken broths with lots of green leafy vegetables, orange coloured vegetables like butternut squash and yams,or different grains like quinoa mixed with the rice for extra protein, and fresh chopped meat-think hearty soups), then to defrost, instead of using a microwave i steam it. Some parents give their children steamed pieces of chicken or meat, but I find most kids don’t like that initially so I mix it in with my aforementioned rice broths (covers 3 of the food groups). I found the key for me was introducing the foods slowly, without pressure and in an enjoyable manner for the child….let her make a mess, discover the food and try as little or as much as she wants. It’s ok if she rejects it, then you continue your search for what Sienna will eat. I think purees are ok and can be very nutritiouos as long as you include your own fresh foods instead of just using jarred pureed foods and serve alongside finger foods as well. My son LOVES pureed fresh applesauce (chopped and puree apples, then cook it in a saucepan for about 5-10 minutes and cool). I blend it with other fruits and even vegetables for variety. You can also make oatmeal adding milk and fresh fruit purees. Also, I found planning the week’s meals was helpful in organizing myself and making the week easier (plan for 3 meals and 2-3 snacks each day). Finally I always try the food that I serve my son. If I can’t stand to taste it, how can I expect him to like it? I hope this will give you some ideas, and apologies if this is all information you already know and tried. Anyway, all the best with your food adventures with Sienna. It’s been many hits and misses in my experiences, but all worthwhile! Love your new blog.
Lorne Jaffe
June 22, 2013 at 2:37pmHey Gigi,
Thanks so much for the compliments on the blog! A cookbook for toddlers is a good idea, though even the idea of cooking overwhelms me. Tried an Eggo pancake today, but no go :(. She def loves fruit. Went nuts over an apple just now. So just get whole wheat bread (what are the “good” kinds? I really don’t know) and then some fruit? I’d love to add mango, but need to learn how to peel them. Terrible at it lol. Also need to learn how to puree. I worry a lot about money too. Wish we could afford the organic stuff. I know I’m supposed to let Sienna make a mess, but I get so anxious when she does! I tend to do everything possible NOT to have her make a mess. I need to let go of that and just clean things up. Thanks for the ideas! Now I just need to get up the courage to try ’em
Gigi
June 23, 2013 at 4:20amHi Lorne,
What I meant by good bread are the ones without the preservatives and additives. I usually get mine from the bakery for about $2-$3 per loaf or from Whole Foods for slightly more expensive. They don’t have as long of a shelf life so you can freeze it.
I don’t do organic all the time for my son either. It’s not always convenient and I’m mindful of the cost as well. I don’t think it matters that much as long as there is variety and balance in their diet. About the mess they make…ah yes. I gave up my need to be a clean freak when I had my baby and I learned to let go of A LOT of things and re-prioritize. Nowadays if I don’t want to see my dirty floors, I just take off my glasses! More important to nap when he naps so I have energy to spend quality time with him. So, for a snack I would say the bread, some fruit and milk would be one snack idea. For a meal, you’ll need to add vegetables and meats. Try getting a recipe and making a stew (meat , beans, vegetables and grains and limit the salt). My husband like using a slow cooker, just dump all the ingredients in and let it ‘slow cook’ overnight. Very freezable, something you can eat and you can puree it a bit for Sienna. Serve it to her with some bread pieces and strawberry yoghurt. That said, do what you feel ok to do, but remember to trust yourself. Nobody has a baby and instantly knows what to do…I got a lot of advice, some of which made me feel bad/guilty, but at the end of the day I know my baby better than anyone else since I spend the most time with him and I have to trust that I am able to pick and choose the advice and make the choices that I think will work best for him. Here’s another snack idea (or something you can serve as a part of a meal) that my son quite likes….peel and chop 2 carrots and 1 zucchini. Boil in water until both are soft. Puree in food processor or mash until smooth and serve. All the best to you and let me know if you want anymore food ideas (I’m constantly searching as well). Good Luck and Cheers!
Danielle
June 22, 2013 at 2:10pmLorne,
I totally struggle with this all the time. I was great with Theo (first child and all) and he eats lots of different things and even asks for vegetables and fruit. With Luke I got a bit lazy or tired or something. He is much more addicted to sugar, and we (me and Luke) battle over the kind of foods he eats all the time.
Here are some ideas for Sienna…they come from The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood by Dr. Sears – I would NOT recommend getting this book – it is very stress inducing – I can only read it for so long without feeling bad about myself. But it has good lists….here are some “grow foods”
avocados
blueberries
oatmeal
spinach
tomatoes (I don’t like tomatoes but Theo loved them since he was 2 – I always had trouble giving them to him because I don’t like them but he still loves them and eats cherry tomatoes whole)
yogurt
brocoli (check out the frozen bags – super easy to microwave in the bag)
oranges
papaya
grapefruit
chicken (Trader Joes has already prepared frozen chicken that you just heat up – my neighbor does this all the time)
sweet potatoes (there is a brand called Alexa that has frozen sweet potato fries that are great)
hummus
and salmon, tofu, eggs, kidney beans and chickpeas
Also, the books say it takes 15 or so introductions of a food before a child likes something – this was true with Luke – he would not eat brocoli before and I kept putting it on his plate and now he does. With veggies, there are bags of veggies in the freezer section that let you steam them in the the bag they come in, in the microwave – super easy. There is also easy directions on bags for baby carrots for how to cook them to make them soft.
Hope this helps a little 🙂 And know that food and kids is stressful for me too!
Lorne Jaffe
June 24, 2013 at 2:12pmthx Gigi 🙂
Lorne Jaffe
June 22, 2013 at 2:44pmThanks Danielle! I need to get to Trader Joe’s, but there aren’t any around me. I’d have to drive out to Long Island or visit the one in the city. Plus it’s so damn expensive. And thank you for sharing that the whole food thing stresses you out. Makes me feel less alone. Re the steamed vegetables in the microwave…is there a particular brand? Is it a 1 meal thing or is it a big bag of vegetables that’ll leave tons of leftovers? I’ve tried the roast chickens they sell at the supermarket, but Sienna hasn’t been a big fan. She also refused it the next day (we had a ton left over). Maybe I’ll try that again. I’ll look for the Alexa sweet potato fries. Those sound yuummy and I want to avoid reg fries if possible. Do you buy avocados and then peel them or do you get pre-peeled avocados? I’ve never peeled an avocado before. I should def try beans. She’ll prob like baked beans, though I doubt those are very healthy. Thanks again for the ideas and for helping to make me feel less alone on this!
Danielle
June 22, 2013 at 2:58pmhi Lorne,
We don’t get to Trader Joes much either but I thought if there is one around you. You could also look for frozen chicken just at the supermarket – I think Purdue makes simple frozen chicken breasts with no breading. We get Bird’s Eye frozen vegetables but there are lots of brands including store brands that I have tried. It does make a lot but it will stay in the fridge for a few days. For brocoli or string beans if you buy frozen but not in the steam bag make sure you buy the “florets” – fewer stems. You can then just steam a small amount in a bowl with water – directions are on the bag – still super simple. Leftovers are a problem…I admit…try somethings til you figure out the tricks for you and Sienna 🙂 Ask me any other questions as well – I am happy to help if I can 🙂
Caren
June 27, 2013 at 4:49pmYou don’t have to be THAT adventurous. My son is picky and he eats the same things a lot – mac and cheese, bagels, mashed fruit. The key is just to make sure she gets textures, but they don’t have to be different every time, or that adventurous. That is WAY too much pressure to put on a new parent. Give yourself a break. She doesn’t have to eat like she’s a gourmand – just has to get some healthy stuff and some textures to stimulate the mouth muscles. You are already doing more than many people do!!
Lorne Jaffe
June 27, 2013 at 9:58pmThx, Caren 🙂
Add another bust to the list – boiled turkey dogs
Sigh