Going Green

Getting Elyse to try new things, particularly healthier ones, has been a challenge I've been open about.  Getting her to eat period is finally improving so I'm moving onto the next step.  It's a challenge I take ownership of from being far too lax in the past.  

The things I allow her to eat, the things I serve her, have got to change.  Recipes from the weelicious website have inspired me to change.  I cannot express how much this website has excited me to cook!  They are simple, easy, healthy, kid-friendly recipes, yet they are things my entire family can eat.  I'm on it almost daily planning out the next things to try.  Since visiting the site for the first time last week I've made at least 6 or 7 of her recipes and I'm very impressed.  

This post is just as much about parenting as food though.  I, and only I, am responsible for what she is offered to eat.  I, and only I, can change that.  I am.

As I mentioned before, I've invited her into the kitchen in any aspect of the food preparation she would like to be a part of.  This seems to be helping a lot.  I let her chop, blend, spoon, sift.....primarily she just watches though.  I'm liking this time with her.  

She has an aversion to anything green so this week I'm going to work on that.  We're going green.  I'm pointing out numerous things that she does like that are green, even if they're not food, and we're cooking LOTS of green things!

Here they are waiting for the spinach muffins to bake.

 How could you not want to try something so pretty?

 She helped get all the ingredients together for spinach pesto and they both ate quite a few pine nuts before I got them toasted to puree'.

I give you the ultimate green meal, she had no other options but green food.  Even her drink was green.

She ate the muffins ("cupcakes") no problem, drank her juice as usual, but the pasta (and this kid LOVES pasta) was a battle much like the one I posted several days back.  In the end, she tried it, which is all I asked of her and she was given her plain pasta after.  

Today at lunch, for the first time, she ate kiwi.  She wouldn't admit she liked it but she did eat more than the required portion.

To some people this may not be a worthwhile battle, but for me it is.  I want her to learn green won't kill her and that we do expect her to try new things.  We won't starve her and I'll still serve her favorites, but I am not her short-order chef.  I'm in charge.  How she feels.  What she prefers.  Making it fun.  Spending quality time with her in the process.  Her security.  Teaching her.  Loving her.  Helping her.  All of that is extremely important.  But, I am in charge and she's getting that along with some veggies.  

I'm proud of both of us.