As a baby, Ella had been a good eater. Not at all what I’d define as picky (except for her aversion to strained peas, but who can blame her?) But once she was old enough to eat what my husband Matt and I were having, mealtime took a turn. It all began with a splat of chicken casserole on our dining room floor. Ella flat out refused to eat it, with her lips buttoned up like a fortress. So what did I do? I ran to the fridge to fix something she would eat. A grilled cheese sandwich? Chicken nuggets? (Gulp) A hot dog? They all seemed like lousy options in comparison to my wholesome meal.
At that moment, I became a sucker…and a short-order cook no less—a big no-no in most parenting magazines. In my defense, I just wanted to make sure my little girl was getting all her essential nutrients.
Fruit fanatic!
Since her first introduction, the one thing that continues to astound us is Ella’s infatuation with fruit. She’ll jam-pack her mouth full of grapes and gobble down a banana like she’s being timed to break a world record. Stand back Joey Chestnut! Veggies don’t go down so bad either. Weird kid but she loves lima beans and we’re soon finding out that our little one-year-old Jaisa loves them too. Weird kids. Matt and I hate ‘em so if they show up in a veggie mix, we pile Ella’s plate with our rejects. Childish? Maybe. But someone might as well enjoy them.
No meat? That might be Mom’s fault.
I’m not a big meat eater, much to Matt’s dismay, so we tend to stick with chicken and ground turkey at our house, along with plenty of vegetarian dishes. Since we’re not fans of fish either, Matt and I have created monsters when it comes to polishing off protein. Ella and Jaisa either tolerate a few bites or, it hits the floor, thanks to our youngest.
If all else fails, try a bribe.
When it comes to table-time wars, a parent has to pick her battles. And sometimes that means using the occasional bribe.
”Take two more bites and you can watch Dora.”
“Just one more spoonful and you can have a treat.”
It can be exhausting coming up with new ideas.
Filling the nutritional gaps
Since no two days are alike, I’ve made one thing constant – a multivitamin. Since Ella turned two, I’ve been giving her a kids’ chewable multivitamin daily. I pick one that’s low in sugar and chock-full of essential nutrients she may be missing from her diet. Ella loves them and some days even begs for more (which of course I don’t give her). If only she’d show such enthusiasm for chicken casserole.
So, what will it be tonight? Penne pasta bake or a ham sandwich. Either way, this Mom will be prepared (I really am a sucker).
Got a picky eater? Have helpful ideas for dinner-time bribes?
I’d love to hear them.
