Food Fight

I titled this "Food Fight" because JD has been our little food fighter for months! I must go back and say (just to I guess make myself feel better) that I thought I would have the best baby eater of all time (and by best I mean HEALTHY) because I made all of his food from scratch via the food processor and fresh or frozen vegetables from when he was 4 months to 1 year. It was a great time for me and like I said it made me feel like I was introducing foods, without preservatives or additives (even though that's all I feel like we eat-HA!) and he would then LOVE vegetables and fruits and lean protein.

This stuff is pretty tasty! I like that its messy too!

Well...I have to admit when we went to JD's one year appointment with our pediatrician and he said all foods were fair game and that I needed to step up the finger foods...I kind of panicked. Meaning...I didn't even know where to begin! Prior to that JD had a fruit and grain for breakfast, a protein and grain for lunch, and a few different kinds of vegetables and grain for dinner (mostly pureed). Sure he ate Cheerios and crackers and had cut up chicken breast or lean pork but other than that I was clueless how I was going to get him to eat a piece of broccoli.

Fast forward to now...he doesn't eat that piece of broccoli or any vegetable for that matter. He will eat (on occasion) a veggie corn dog which makes me feel like he has to be getting some sort of good vegetable (right?). He only eats dried fruit and as far as protein goes...Tyson Chicken nuggets (the all white meat, no preservative kind...yes I am justifying). There goes my venture of not buying anything for him that is processed! AHHH!

Its kind of slippery though...maybe I will use a fork next time!

I do however still provide him with options at every meal. I give him a fruit and grain for breakfast still and he will typically just eat the grain (a dry piece of toast), lunch is kind of a give and take and then dinner is a fruit, chicken nuggets, and some sort of vegetable. The vegetable is thrown on the floor, the nuggets are eaten and the fruit is half eaten half on the floor. So there is the food fight!

Will you please get me a rag because I have something on my face.

The other day I put Spaghetti and Meatballs on his tray (hesitantly) thinking it was something new and tomato's are good for him (right?) :)...well as you can see he enjoyed it! I was eating up because he normally doesn't have this much fun when he is eating. His little undershirt is ruined (so don't try this at home without a bib...yet another thing JD refuses to keep on!)...but well worth it!

It was good but I am done! Can I please get down?

We did tell our pediatrician about JD's "food fight" and he told us that this is totally normal! And JD grew a ridiculous amount so he wasn't concerned. I will say that even though the Dr. says its normal you still feel bad as a parent when you don't feel like your children (or child) is getting the appropriate amount of fruits and veggies (at least I do)! Our fallback though is good old Vitamin D milk (makes a body strong right?)...he loves it and will drink it all day if I let him!

I am starting to try to teach him to eat with a spoon and fork ("spork" really) so wish me luck! So far...the oatmeal in a bowl ended up on the floor with not one spoonful in his mouth. The spork was really just a toy so it may take a while! Wish us luck!