The Honest Truth & Bullies

Howdy blogger world! Well I'm happy to say that we have moved and are finally settling in to our new home. It is lovely, and I'm so happy, but I'm also pretty exhausted. I haven't forgotten about you guys, I just have been swimming in boxes & haven't been able to find, well pretty much anything haha. Through the perils of moving Noah has maintained his good appetite, and still by the grace of God loves his veggies. The move has not been without a few compromises however as for the first time he had french fries, fast food more than once, and most days never got a hot meal. I haven't made his meatballs, or his breakfast muffins in about a month. Good news is, he's still alive, and he still loves his veggies. Happy to see he has pushed through and hasn't regressed at all. Some days he likes certain veggies more than others, but overall still loves them! I started putting a tiny bit of garlic salt on some of his veggies. He really loves them that way, which my mom says is unusual because most children don't like garlic... oh well, give it a try, maybe your little one would like it too!

Moving is not what this particular blog is about, even though surviving it with a 1 yr old could be a whole in blog in itself ahah... Yesterday I had a pretty rough day emotionally, which kind of sparked something in me that I felt like I needed to get off my chest. I was going through some boxes from my childhood that my mother dropped off, and found a couple of old diaries. I've had diaries my whole life, from elementary school and up. It has always been very cathartic for me to write out how I'm feeling. Anyways, I opened up the one from junior high and started reading. Noah was napping so I actually made it through the whole thing and ended up reading half way through my high school one. By the time I finished reading them I was incredibly grateful that I'm not a hormonal teenage girl anymore haha, but I was also so unbelievably sad.

Understand I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life, and overall looking back I've always felt like I had a good child hood. But the one thing I guess I tried to block out was how incredibly unhappy I was being an overweight kid/teen. It was a constant theme throughout my journals, and it wasn't a body dysmorphia issue. It was real, I was chubbier than all my friends throughout my entire time in school, and was the most un-athletic out of pretty much everyone... always. Here are a few key moments that stuck out to me:

- 12.28.98: 8th grade - told I need to go on a diet by an adult
- 12.31.99: while at a friends house overheard a boy (who bullied me for years) say to his friend I was "disgusting"
- Prayed to God for a date to the 8th grade dance, went single w/ my friends.
- 6.20.99: started Weight Watchers (only 14 yrs old)
- High school: tried out for drill team, didn't make it
- High School: Freshman/sophomore/junior year dances got set up by friends for dates to all homecomings
- Sophomore year had a girl in the lunch room tell me I was cute, & had a pretty face, but that I shouldn't be wearing a skirt that short (because I was too chubby - remember that like it was yesterday)
- No real boyfriend until my senior year in high school
- Bullied ruthlessly by a guy who literally didn't leave me alone from junior high THROUGH  high school
- Tried a million different diets, diet pills etc. in attempt to fit in
- High school sweet heart & first boyfriend cheated on me in college (w/ a girl half my size practically) & broke my heart
- Never under a size 12 until after I was >19 yrs old
- Every SINGLE diary entry had some sort of question to God about why I didn't fit in, and why I couldn't be skinny like my friends...
- Another constant theme was hating myself for the way I looked

THIS, THIS IS WHY I BLOG!! This is why I'm so passionate about being healthy and raising healthy children. It is HEARTBREAKING to be a chubby kid. It took me YEARS to learn how to be healthy, the right way. And now I'm so proud to say I'm not obsessed with trying to be skinny, I'm not scared of having overweight children... I'm simply dedicated to living a healthy lifestyle, and raising children who are set up for success in life because they are loved, know Jesus, treat people kindly, are healthy, and aren't bullied by other kids or adults for being overweight! It was hard to be me as a kid. I am, and have always been an eternal optimist, but it was really really really tough being an overweight kid/ teen.... I wouldn't change any of it, because it has given me a perspective on life that is absolutely invaluable, and has instilled compassion in my heart for those who struggle with their weight. It has also given me an avenue to empathize with my patients, and to help people, because I have literally BEEN THERE!

It has also sparked a huge desire in me to keep encouraging families to live healthy lifestyles and combat childhood obesity. I'm sure my parents never knew the depths of what I faced, nor did my friends , but the struggle is so brutal with how mean kids can be. Luckily I had a supportive family, my faith in God and good friends who loved me well and I pulled through.

I hope by hearing my story you will be motivated to keep fighting for a healthy family. It's so incredibly hard in  todays' society, but it's not impossible. It's not about being skinny... it's about family dinners, endurance during kids'  picky eating seasons, playing outside, not always opting for fast food, cooking meals together, and being devoted to having a healthy lifestyle in general.

If you don't do it for yourself, please do it for your kids. My immediate family is now the healthiest it has been in years. My husband and I are both committed to raising healthy kiddos in a healthy home, and having him as a support system makes all the difference. Noah is not a veggie lover by accident, it has taken a TON of hard work, dedication, creativity, and patience to  help him develop healthy eating habits. But if it sets him up for a long healthy life free of chronic diseases, and helps prevent people from bullying him about his weight... It certainly has all been worth!

A couple things that might help staying focused on what's most important when trying to have a healthy family:
1.) Give yourself grace when you're in tough seasons.
2.) Give yourself grace in general, raising kids is hard.
3.) Be the light and encouragement in your friends, kids, & loved ones lives who struggle with their weight.
4.) Know it's never too late to have a healthy family.

Keep fighting on ya'll!

Love & Blessings, 

The Veggie Momma

Buying Organic - Part 1

Howdy Ya'll!

Well I haven't forgotten about the blog world we have just been B.U.S.Y!!! We are in the process of moving, not far, only about 15 min. away actually, BUT moving with a 14th old is nothing short of absolutely exhausting.

With all the moving chaos I'm sad to report that Noah had fast food for the first time... oh it broke my little heart. Of course he LOVED the grilled chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-a, i'm sure because of all that yummy salt haha. I'm happy to report though, that even with all of the chaos, he still has been munching away on his veggies as usual. One morning he even wanted green beans for breakfast... yup, breakfast. Which just goes to show that our food preferences, or societal norms cannot compete with the physiological predisposition humans have for plants.. It was kinda' weird, and actually really awesome haha.

Now onto the topic at hand, buying organic versus buying conventionally grown foods can be confusing, and honestly annoying at times. It's confusing because some people swear that if you don't eat organic you will shrivel up and die from pesticide poisoning. Others state that there really isn't any conclusive hard core evidence stating that it is 1,000% better... It also can be annoying at times because it is SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE!!! I personally feel like the prices have gotten a little more reasonable though. I shop at HEB, and they have come out with their own brand of organic products that are very reasonably priced. In part 2 of buying organic, I plan to take pictures and compare prices and the overall bill in my local grocery store. For right now, I feel like the most important thing is to pick your battles, and be knowledgeable about which foods are actually worth the extra money. It is broken down into two categories. The "Dirty Dozen" and the "Clean Fifteen". The dirty dozen, as you see below, are the foods that should be purchased organic whenever possible, because they have been tested, and traces of pesticides have been found on a regular basis. Again their is no evidence that these pesticides absolutely hurt humans, however, with our dear ones' little bodies of course everything would be more potent in them. 

The next group is the "Clean Fifteen", feel free to buy the below foods organic as well, but know this may be an area where you can save a few bucks and spend it on the other dirty dozen.  * Side Note: No this is not a conversation about GMOs by the way, those are completely different, and I will talk about them at another time.

This is a great article that addresses if buying organic produce is really worth it or not... it tries to say it isn't, but can't really make that statement concretely. I personally buy as much organic as I can, while staying in my monthly grocery budget. Of course I do try and stick to buying the "Dirty Dozen" organic, and then meat if I can. 

Speaking of meat... Now, I would attack the organic meat topic, but following article does it beautifully, so I will let you read it. Click here to read. Personally if there is anywhere that I would encourage you to consider spending your extra bucks, it would be on organic meat. OMG if you have ever seen a documentary on how meat is processed in America it will make you throw up. I'm certainly a meat eater, and I'm not a member of PETA, but it's interesting to say the least. My family has always had a ranch, and my husband has been able to kill a dear and process the meat at least once a year. One dear processed actually keeps us stocked with meat for about 4-6mths! Honestly, that is THE healthiest thing you could possibly do. When you know EXACTLY where your meat came from, and what it ate, you are getting the best of the best. So ladies with husbands who hunt or fish, give them a break and enjoy your significantly more nutritious protein at the dinner table. The following table is from the link above, and compares the nutritional value between beef. There IS a noticeable nutritional difference when it comes to meat, just take a look.. 

Also don't be fooled, just because a food says 'Natural' does NOT mean it is organic. You have to see the cute little USDA Organic label on something to know it is the real stuff. Truth: It is my goal in life to get those DISHONEST MARKETERS AHHHhhhhh!!! haha

I think I'm going to stop here ... there really is SO much to discuss on this topic, and I will revisit it later in "Buying Organic - Part 2". Hope you all have a wonderful week, and are gearing up for the holidays. 

Love & Blessings,

The Veggie Momma

Veggie fries, yum, YUM!! Finger Foods, easy & FUN!

Howdy Ya'll! I'm from Texas, if you didn't know that :)

I'm very happy to proclaim that since Noah has become a better walker he actually is eating ALOT BETTER!! He's not nearly as grumpy therefore everything in our world and his is easier, including meal times.  He's back to eating his veggies on an almost daily basis again too, Weeeeehooo!!

Quick side note: I've said it before, but I will say it again. I really think it is important for us to remember that our kiddos have food preferences. Yep, they are mini people, and they get bored with food JUST like we do. I forget this.. a lot... I really do. It's not that I'm trying to be close-minded, but sometimes I forget I have literally given him the exact same meal for an entire week. I would be bored of it too. Also, I realize some days he's just not 'in the mood' for a particular food. I have yet to give up on a food altogether if he's not in the mood though... we always come back to it.

Now onto the topic for today. I have realized that kids love ANYTHING Fry-ish looking. I have deduced that it is probably related to a dexterity issue because they are easier to grab, and hold onto. When Noah was really little and just learning to eat, cooked green beans were the easiest food for him to eat. It seems like if they can get a good grip, and aim for their mouths it will eventually end up in there. Fry shaped foods are much easier I have noticed, compared to something small like peas, or beans which take pretty advanced dexterity skills to pick up and accurately place into their mouths.

Now I realize that REAL fries are yummy and salty and fatty and delicious..... THOSE reasons are the main reasons why kids like them I'm sure, but I also think part of it really is that they can hold them easily. No my kid has not had a real fry yet, if you're wondering. But he has had a TON of 'Veggie Fries'. See below some of the veggie 'fry' like foods we have tried.

The picture above is from tonight when we tried raw asparagus for the first time. I was wondering if it would go along w/ my 'fry theory'.... IT DID! I NEVER would have guessed that my little guy would actually LIKE raw asparagus, let along be able to eat it with only 6 teeth, but he did.. and he loved it. He ate his asparagus and green beans interchangeably, double fisting and eating away. Be still my happy little heart haha. The small bottom right picture in the collage is of Noah eating broccoli this week... apparently we like broccoli again, thank goodness haha. Smaller pieces of broccoli and cauliflower make fun little 'veggie trees' FYI. Noah doesn't appreciate that this is cool yet, but I used to work with inner city kids who harvested organic vegetables that they planted from a garden outside of their school. They LOVED the idea of veggies as little 'trees', try it on your kids... see what they think.

The above photo is from a couple of weeks ago when Noah was eating Zucchini and cucumber 'fries'. His favorite veggie fry by far are cucumber fries, he has yet to reject them, even on a rough day. I mean really, who doesn't like cucumbers? I usually cut the skin off, but after seeing him chow down on raw asparagus tonight, I guess I don't need to anymore? 

Other foods that  I think would be great to try making into veggies fries for your little ones (if they have enough teeth) would be: carrots, summer squash, okra, sweet potatoes (the obvious one), bell peppers, & jicama. I can't forget to mention that an additional 'healthy fry' option would of course include the fruit version 'fry' made out of an: apple, pear, peach, orange, or tangerine. 

 Now meet:  Sally the Steamer

I had planned on steaming veggies for Noahs' lunches anyways, so I went ahead and steamed the rest of the asparagus. It's just not worth it for him to choke. Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE my steamer? Blogger world, meet Sally the Steamer, I love her. She does a GREAT job! This was definitely the very best $30.00 I have ever spent (though I think it actually might have been a wedding gift haha). We didn't get to use it for a long time because it was packed away in our tiny little apartment after we got married. But once we moved into a house, my husband pulled it out one night and we have never put it back. Did you know that an affordable way to always have FRESH-er veggies in your house is to buy FROZEN veggies? Yes frozen, they are harvested at their peak of ripeness and flash frozen so they don't spend 4-6 weeks trying to get to where they are going, losing their nutrients along the way. Think about how long it takes for a veggie to get from another country to the U.S. hmmmm......??? If you can get Organic frozen veggies for a reasonable price, double yay!! Check the drier every day for 2 weeks for loose change/bills, and SCORE you could probably afford this beauty. If you are a busy working momma like me, all you have to do is fill Sally up with water then veggies when you get home from work, turn the timer on for 15-20 minutes, go change your clothes, change a diaper, and Voila! Veggies are done!! It really is that easy! And her clean up is super easy too... I just love her. This brand is an Oster.

Now, back to finger foods... I just figured out my little man LOVES meat balls. Well... only if they are heated for exactly 20 seconds haha, but he does love them! They are perfectly sized for his little hands, AND they really do fill him up. I seriously don't know why I didn't think of this sooner. Since he can't have eggs, all I did was take some fresh ground beef, roll it in a ball, put a little bit of seasoning on them and throw them in the oven. So. incredibly. simple! I plan on making these with Turkey, and Chicken and just adding them to my usual Sunday meal prep list. You should try them too!

Before I found out Noah was allergic to eggs we also tried these gems.. Veggie egg muffins. 

They were yummy, they were delicious, they were easy to make, and they were healthier than most breakfast foods. I'm sad my son can't have eggs, but hopefully he will grow out of his food allergy. And of course he does always have my beloved veggie muffins, which are super easy for him to eat as well. 

Recipes and MORE: I think I have stated more than once that I'm not necessarily the best cook, I do try, I do. This lady though, man she likes to cook, AND she has a whole blog on toddler finger foods WITH recipes and grocery lists - wohoo! Most of the recipes include eggs which is why I didn't feature them, but feel free to give them a try and let us know if you liked them!! I plan on trying a few for sure. 

http://melissafallistestkitchen.blogspot.com/2014/01/freezer-cooking-7-toddler-finger-foods.html

If you can think of any other foods that are healthy and easy for toddlers to eat, share away! I'd love to hear what has worked for you guys!!!

Hope ya'll have a wonderful rest of your week, and fabulous weekend!!

Love & Blessings,

The Veggie Momma

P.S. not a SINGLE patient of mine told me they didn't like veggies today. Ahhhh, it is the little things in life, my heart is happy :)

Grandparents, Husbands, & Vacation

I haven't posted in a while because my husband and I were on VACATION last week. That's right, we escaped from life, and spent 4 beautiful days in Puerto Vallarta Mexico. It was AMAZING!!!! More about that later, but right now I so very proud to report that Noahs' grandparents are SERIOUSLY awesome!!! My mom, dad, & in-laws split duties to make sure that our little one was totally taken care of for 4 days. I'm not sure exactly what he ate for every meal for 4 days, but I know they all did their best to respect our wishes and not let him eat junk food. I set aside what wouldn't perish for lunches, and tried to make as much in advance as possible for them before I left. It was almost all gone when I got back, AND to top it off today he ate his veggies & normal food happily.

Now, I wasn't worried about him starving at all (the kid really does like to eat). However, with his strong 1 year old opinions lately, and his severe egg allergy, I did have a few reservations.  My mom said she fed him almost everything I had prepared for him, and he didn't go into anaphylactic shock, so all in all I'm thrilled ha!

This brings me to an important point... I know that it is not going to kill your kid if they eat something unhealthy every once in a while, but it doesn't hurt to let people know your health preferences for them. I'm forced to be pretty vocal because my little one has pretty significant food allergies, but allergies or not, if it's important to you let people know. I'm proud of you for working so hard to try and feed your little ones healthy foods, you should be proud too. I do want to clarify there is a difference between being snobby, and being an involved parent. You may have family/friends who can't afford all Organic all the time (if ever), and it would be wise not to judge them. They are probably doing the best they can, just like you.

Lastly, it doesn't hurt to be prepared. I have found the easiest way to ensure that my kid eats what I want him too, is to always have healthy foods with me, or available for him to snack on. Luckily most of my girlfriends are health conscious and usually have healthy snacks on hand if I forget some, but it doesn't hurt to make sure you never leave the house without something. This is especially important to remember in restaurants! SO, the moral of the story is to communicate to friends and family the importance of caring about feeding your little ones healthfully like you do, AND make sure you are prepared so everyone is set up for success! This is a good idea whether you are on vacation or not.

Remember husbands are STILL a priority!

Now, the second half of this post has nothing to do with nutrition for your little ones so feel free to stop reading now haha. Well, I guess it kind of relates... because having a happy marriage makes everything in parenting easier. Including family dinners, meal prep, grocery shopping, and meal time in general.  Nothing makes me prouder than seeing my husband prepare a meal for my son, and care about making sure it is healthy. He shops mindfully for him, he is intentional about feeding him his veggies, and he is my most valued teammate in this life. See below a couple pictures of my love and I from our trip. 

We have been married for almost 6 years, he is my rock. He is the man I prayed my entire life for, and he is my biggest cheerleader. Here is where we started almost 8 years ago! 

Simply put, he's a respected business owner, Godly husband, and incredible father. We got asked probably 7 times if we were newlyweds on our trip. It was a huge compliment to say the least. What I have noticed as a first time mom is that parenting never really gets easier. Whether it's living through all the various stages of life with your little one from lack of sleep, learning to crawl/walk, or picky eating...  Parenting is fantastic, & a huge blessing but boy can be HARD! I feel like it's a million times harder if you and your spouse aren't on the same team. I truly feel like this vacation was necessary for our marriage. I don't ever want to take him for granted, but the truth is I do. I think as moms sometimes we feel like we are carrying the brunt of the load w/ caregiving, and most of the time we are. BUT if we don't invest in our marriage, then it makes it  a million times harder to function as a united team. I loved this man first, long before my little one came along, it's so important to remember that.  

Now, I know vacation can be expensive, and you may not have the familial support that our family does to make it happen. But a vacation far away is not the point, investing in your marriage is the point. Whether it's a walk in the park, or just one night away together, it's important. It's necessary, and for me, even though I missed my little one like crazy... it was a REWARD to see my husband relax, and be loved on. Tonight, when were back in the real world and he was helping me make dinner and feed our son, I realized yet again how lucky I am to have such an amazing partner in life. We were working side by side as a team, trying to build a healthy foundation for our new family. And even if Noah had drank juice and eaten cookies all weekend, the time invested in my soulmate would have been worth it. Don't forget about your husbands mommas, they are NOT just there to bring home the bacon... or in my home, the Organic veggies. 

Love & blessings always, 

The Veggie Momma

Lack of Sleep & Eating Dirt

So, I learned a huge lesson over the past week. Even though I am a mother, and have been able to keep a human alive for over a year relatively unscathed... sometimes I have NO CLUE what I am doing haha!!!! I have been so very upset, b/c something had obviously been bothering Noah and I just couldn't figure it out. He has been GRUMPY! He has been eating horribly, he has been fussy, and temperamental, and clingy, and I had lost all hope my angel baby would ever return haha. I kept thinking that 13mths was a little TOO early for the "terribly twos" and that he had slid forever into grumpy toddlerhood oblivion.

So, in a desperate attempt to find guidance....  I went to Google... oh, how did our mothers, and their mothers, and their mothers LIVE without Google???? I just don't know... My search was for sleep disturbances. Eventhough my son has always been a great sleeper at night, his naps have been very weird lately. They have been so messed up that he has been going to bed around 6:00pm, and sleeping until 7:15am on average. He usually sleeps 12 hrs a night but has been too fussy to even barely stay up past 6:00pm. Because I work part-time and this last week I worked more than usual, Noah's schedule was all messed up. Side note: He has decided to start walking more then crawling over the past week too.

What I found out from Google is that when children start walking more, they actually become more exhausted then normal, which of course makes sense. Also, the sitter has all the kiddos on 1 nap/day, & I started wondering if that was adding to his exhaustion. Apparently when children aren't ready to drop to 1 nap/day, they will turn into little terrors haha. I don't blame this little guy, according to Google, when toddlers transition to walking more than crawling, it can be like running 3 marathons a day for them. Poor guy, he's just been EXHAUSTED!!

Over the past couple of days I have keep Noah on his normal 2 nap/day schedule and he is my sweet baby boy again. He's eating EVERYTHING like he always has, and today ate more veggies than anything else. When he was exhausted and grumpy, he would barely eat anything (there was just a lot of fussing and crying.. no interest in food at all). I felt like I was going crazy trying to get him to eat anything nutritious. It was basically organic crackers, almond milk, and peanut butter for days...

BUT, alas... he returned. Along with his sweet demeanor. These are all from today, he had mixed veggies, cucumber 'fries', zucchini 'fries', chicken, & new potatoes. He actually rejected his usual hummus tortilla for more veggies! Happy momma right here :)

Now, I thought it was a good idea for us to eat outside since it was GORGEOUS today...  however, another lesson I learned was that if a toddler has dirt and grass within reach, a toddler might mistaken one green thing for another. Before I knew it, he was eating dirt, grass, AND veggies... together. I guess there are worse things haha. And they always says a little dirt never killed anyone... See the pics below for a good laugh

                                      

Final thoughts: Today we laughed, we ate veggies, had 2 naps, and we had a wonderful day together. I guess what I have learned from this past week is that I need to start reading more parenting books haha. And continue to give my little one grace... lots of grace. It's not his fault his schedule had been so erratic. Also, if he liked veggies at one point, I just have to be patient until he's ready to eat them again. I wish I knew a pediatric psychologist, I truly feel like when our kiddos are rejecting food, they aren't always rejecting the food itself. They are trying to tell us something, or control something, or prove something... Which means as parents, we need to be better observers so we don't miss their cues. Hope you all haven't had to go through this, but I'm sure someone has. At least we're not in this parenting boat alone. 

Hope ya'll have a great rest of your week!

Love & Blessings,

The Veggie Momma 

Grumpy Goo

Our evening... 

Being encouraging... promise, I was encouraging not scolding, the hubby just caught me at a weird shot haha. 

 Negotiating.... 

Giving up and dancing around the kitchen instead. 

First of all, pardon the nappy hair. It was a monsoon in Katy Tx today, and I got caught up in it, TWICE, on my way into work and out. Second of all, my little had a rough day, and was being a "grumpy goo" as we call it in our house. He didn't want to eat anything for dinner, not even his beloved veggies. Meal time was just a whole bunch of whiney noises and scrunched faces. Something interesting that I have noticed about Noah when he is not in his normal eating routine, is that there are a MILLION reasons why he might not be in the mood for food. More interesting, is that most of them typically have little to do with the food itself. Below are all the reasons I have observed so far... 

- TEXTURE, TEXTURE, TEXTURE!

- Wrong color

- Yucky smell

- Cut too small

- Portion too big

- Teeth hurt

- Boredom

- Fun to throw

- Fun to squish

- Strong flavor 

- New flavor

- Too hot

- Too cold

- Wants to play

- Sleepy

- Tummy ache

- Headache

- Distracted

- Too lumpy

- Touched other foods

- Too hard to pick up

- Slippery 

- Unrecognizable

Today, the main thing I noticed why he wasn't interested in eating, was just because he wanted to spend time with us. My husband and I danced around the kitchen to the radio like fools, to try and cheer him, and it worked... for a minute... but didn't appease him completely. The second I took him out and held him and twirled him around the kitchen he was happy. We went to the play room, and after a few minutes of quality time he decided he wanted to eat some beef and broccoli. Now I'm NOT encouraging everyone to let their kid become a little manipulative dictator who always gets to eat dinner in front of the TV or in their play room haha. 

No, I'm actually encouraging you to take a closer look at your kiddos and observe what is deeper that could be going on. Some days, he's just being a turkey. Today, he just wanted to spend time with us since we both had to work today. Ya'll, this parenting thing isn't easy, and for me I'm always learning something. Today, I learned that you don't always have to force your kid to do something. You can work WITH them, not against them, and they may eventually come around. 

I have also learned to make most meals a time of FUN! Yep, FUN parents. FUN fun FUN! I never realized why you see so many parents in movies looking like idiots playing the airplane game with every bite...until I became a parent. I know we're busy, i'm busy too. But my son eats SO MUCH BETTER when we sit down as a family, and include him, and pay attention to him. He eats even better when I sit with him, and give him my undivided attention and make funny faces, and sing funny songs. I made up the 'Yum yum' song  a loooong time ago, and he just loves it! We read books, and play peek-a-boo sometimes, and all of it helps to makes the whole experience FUN! :)

now all you parents with multiple kiddos are looking at this screen like I'm crazy. I know I know, this is unrealistic when you have 20 kids and 0 hours in the day to do this. BUT, I figure, if my oldest is a good example, then the little ones that come along will look up to him and learn something. Plus I feel like it sets a good ground work for our family, if our oldest is the veggie trail blazer. Who knows, I could be crazy, but I'll try haha. 

Final thoughts: at the end of the day, what I have observed is most of the time it may not be about the taste of the veggies (when they're really little anyways). It can be a million other things. Sometimes he rejects foods at dinner he ate happily at lunch. I'm challenging you as parents to look deeper... and not give up! This is the most important part, don't give UP! And take the time to TEACH them, they are waiting to learn anything and everything from you - even what healthy foods they should eat! If they see you taking every moment just to throw sub par meals together to shut them up and move on to the rest of the day, they will become adults that will never take time for their health. I know this for a fact, I see it every day. You've got this mom & dad, and your babies are worth the extra effort to figure this thing out!!

Take a look at my baby earlier in the week eating a cucumber. His cucumber that he will ONLY eat in large chunks now (he used to only like the slices... took me a while to figure this one out haha). And this is reinforcement why you never give up, one day they may love something one way, the next they may hate it. Eventually, it seems for us that Noah always ends up coming back around. 

March on & good luck moms & dads!!!

Love & Blessings,

The Veggie Momma

Parents United

The first part of this is just to brag on my hubby. He made lunch for Noah tomorrow while I was cooking, and he put this together!!

The entree is our dairy free version of a hummus & home made corn tortilla "quesadilla", avocado, organic chicken, organic peas, blue berries, a peanut butter sandwich (snack), a banana, and pouch if he's being fussy. I'm so just impressed my hubby cares and is trying to make a healthy lunch for our munchkin beyond a Lunchable haha. 

Side note: at some point we will probably have lunch meat, however you might want to be mindful about the nitrates/nitrites that are in processed meats. Since Noah's body is so tiny, and everything is more potent in it, I think we'll wait on sausage and lunch meats for now. This article is a good middle of the road view point about nitrates, and I strongly encourage you read it!!! http://m.livescience.com/36057-truth-nitrites-lunch-meat-preservatives.html

Also, what I'm about to cover is one of the most important reasons why I decided to start a blog. So important in my opinion, I decided to bold it, & change the color so you would think it was super important enough to read & remember. ;) 

I would like to  encourage you AND your spouse to make efforts to feed your kids healthfully TOGETHER. I know, I know, sometimes this can be really hard. I see spouses every day that just can't get on the same page with their meals at home. However, as much as you can, TRY to be a good example for your kids... both of you. They look at BOTH of you, and revere both of you, and will not eat veggies if they don't see both of you doing it. Trust me, almost weekly I have grown adults tell me they don't eat veggies because their mom didn't cook them when they were little, OR their dad didn't like them (and vice versa). SO, you really will be significantly more impactful if you are a united front. 

Also just because you don't like a certain veggie, doesn't mean you shouldn't offer it to your kid. PLEASE do not put your food preferences on them. And as much as you can, please try NOT to label your kid as a 'non-veggie lover'. This is very very very important to avoid. I have met SO VERY MANY adults that swear up and down they don't like veggies, non of them, all 1,000 varieties... because they didn't like them when they were little. It just makes me so sad, because taste buds change! Also, children can find an identity because of their food preferences, AND they sometimes like the attention they get from having them. So please please please, try as hard as you can to keep your food jags to yourself :) And do not give up on offering them to your little ones! I will write a blog about this another time, but most of the time kiddos don't like veggies because of the texture, NOT the taste. Which I have learned to get around. Also if they are used to getting french fries most of the time... that's of course a big part of the problem too. So go ahead parents, feed your kiddos prunes, and brussel sprouts, and cabbage, and beets, and let them decide for their selves if they don't like them! :)

Final thought: I have had quite a few people ask me for my muffin recipes. Here is the thing, I haven't found one I LOVE yet! Today's batch were the first ones that actually tasted quite good, and were pretty, BUT I still feel like they have a little too much sugar in them. Also I really wanted a good oat muffin recipe for the soluble fiber, and found one AFTER I made these. I'll share this recipe, but I want you to know my search for the healthiest veggie breakfast muffin I can find is not over! Next week I'm trying the pumpkin, oat, zucchini, flax muffin recipe I found today. Wish me luck (I always need it in the kitchen haha). 

- 3 c 100% whole wheat organic flour

- 1 t salt

- 1 t baking soda

- 1 T organic ground flax seed (w/ 3 T water)

- 1 t cinnamon

- 1 t pumpkin pie spice

- 1 c pure cane sugar

- 1 c unsweetened organic apple sauce

- 3/4 c vegetable oil

- 1/4 c almond milk

- 2 t vanilla extract (didn't have this & they were still good)

- 3.5 c shredded zucchini 

*Bake at 350 for 30 min. 

*I altered this a little from the original recipe, so if it doesn't turn out good for you, let me know!!

Moms, dads, kiddos, & veggies unite!

Love & Blessings, 

The Veggie Momma