Thursday, April 10, 2014

the anti-wholesome baby

I'm nowhere near a "green" parent. I use disposable diapers, I give my kids plastic toys, and (gasp!) I don't even recycle. But I try where I can. Though my granola-ness is minimal, I truly attempt to be mindful in the areas I feel matter most.  One thing that I have consistently cared about with each of our children is the food that they eat, especially during their first precious year of life.

When B&F were ready to add solids to their milk-only diet, I went a little research crazy. I couldn't find a baby food option with which I was completely pleased, so I made most of their food. Sure, we had containers of gerber for the diaper bag and the days we ran out of the good stuff, but about 70% of their baby food went straight from the produce aisle to the food processor to their tummies. They loved the food, I loved knowing exactly what they were eating, and I honestly enjoyed the food-making process. So I planned to do the same with Shep.

My first tip that Shep's palate was a bit different came when we started transitioning to using formula.  After he turned 6 months old, we began introducing formula into his diet and he LOVED it. And he didn't just love it as much as my milk...he loved it more. He actually began fighting against drinking the pure breast milk bottles.

Then came the solids. He was fine with the purees I made, eating a few bites at a time. One day, though, we were out of fruit and gave him a gerber package. OBSESSED. The kid could not get enough. Since then, my homemade squash and sweet potatoes have been met with coughing, gagging, and the occasional forced vomit, while anything gerber (even the funky varietals) are met with scraping the bottom of the bowl.

Sweet Shep, I have a feeling you may not be a foodie.  But with a face like this, how can I tell you no?


No comments:

Post a Comment