ME ON MONDAY (FEEDING HIM). 5 Jun 2012

Before I had a child, I always imagined that I would be kinda stringent with what I allowed my kid to eat. I thought that I wouldn't feed my baby meat or dairy.  Growing up, my own mother didn't allow me to have "junk food" or soda.  She rarely prepared red meat and we drank milk with every meal.  Nowdays, I still rarely eat read meat and I never drink milk except for the occasional latte that I have with something other than soy or almond milk. 

I definitely have my own eating rituals, and like everyone else, I've gone through numerous food phases over the years.  I continue to dabble in and out of dairy (I love cheese and yogurt) and I've been mostly vegetarian since childhood, although I do have some animal protein here and there when I want/need it.  I had a real "thing" for bone marrow when I was pregnant, which I now find totally gross.  I love fish.  I consider myself a lean, local and seasonal kinda girl (that's my other baby, Lithe Foods) and I've never been one to totally "type" myself.  I like eating whole, healthy foods and I also like indulging on the weekends.  That pretty much sums me up.

Now that my Mars has some teeth and is eating everything within arms reach, I have the job of helping him choose what he eats.  It hasn't been too difficult for me and I'm always surprised when people are so shocked that Mars isn't a vegan, gluten-free, whole-grain-free or a dairy-free baby.  I'm having such a great time introducing him to veggies, steak, Lithe's Smoothie's (pictured above), cheese, beans, french fries and pork.  I love watching his face and hearing him go, "mmm" when he tries something new.   

My good friend and night-nurse, Carol Dougherty, recently asked me if I was going to let Mars drink cow's milk when he is done with formula in another two months.  She was surprised to hear that I would be raising him on Cow's Milk (I'll buy horomone-free).  He'll probably also have Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, Soy Milk and Hemp.  I'm letting him taste the world and he'll decide what he's into when he's old enough.  My only standard is that he eats mostly organic foods and drinks Lithe's fresh-pressed juices (yes, unpasturized) instead of the store-bought kind. 

What do you mom's feed your mini me's?  I'd love to hear if you're currently raising or raised your babies based on your own diet, or if you are doing/did something completley different?

Image of Mars drinking Lithe's Summer Recovery Smoothie and smiling after lunch.

Comments

[Sandy]

my 16 year old son has been a vegetarian really forever... He is what the Dr.s call a "natural vegetarian". Even when he was young if I offered him anything non vegetarian he would just spit it out. Funny thing is we (my husband and I) are not vegetarians although it's lately been more and more appealing to me. The only real rule I ever had was no soda at all, it's funny to have a 14 and 16 year old and neither of them is a fan of soda (they of course have now tried it on their own, but had little interest in it.

[Lauren Boggi Goldenberg]

Sandy, that's so interesting. Sounds like he's evolved : ) Good call on the soda!

[Lauren]

I had lots of rules for my son when he was young. I worked at whole foods! He would be a healthy eater! I'll never forget the day I went to pick him up from daycare and his fingers were covered in orange powder from cheese curls. He was in love. My heart sank. I never wanted to restrict foods, but I assumed that since I gave him healthy food, that's what he would like. What a shock that they have a mind of their own. He's 12 now, and he LOVES meat and potatoes. I'm about vegetables, cheese and bread in all forms. We live on different planets that only align over mint chocolate chip ice cream.

[Melinda]

A lover of all foods healthy I love to create a great balance. My son is still breast fed, but when milk is necessary he already enjoys soy. I love the idea of exposure to all the things I love and giving him a wide range of tastes and flavors. I love that he will eat beets, tofu...and some steak. I keep a mostly vegetarian diet, but enjoy fish from time to time. I want my kids to eat what they enjoy. I cook meat for the boys and allow them to make their own decisions. They already know they feel much better from the foods that I feed them rather than "junk" I steer them away from.

[Kim S]

Lauren, I loved reading this! I am sort of the same way when it comes to the babes. I let Thomas try everything and anything - I want him to make decisions on his own when he's older after having been exposed to all. I feed him a LOT of fresh fruits, veggies, and milk (cow's milk, hormone free and DHA Omega-3 enhanced). I do stick to one rule: sweets are at a minimum. He's tried concentrated juices (watered down and straight up) and doesn't care for them. He's a water and milk kinda guy and LOVES being hydrated like his mama :) I will let him snack on goldfish, etc. but it's rare when he's eating ice cream/cookies/candy at this point. He LOVES Lithe foods and I never thought to give him the drinks - great suggestion!

Thanks for sharing!
Kim

[Lauren Boggi Goldenberg]

Kim, sounds like we're a lot a like!

[Lauren Boggi Goldenberg]

Melinda, you are one amazing mama! I agree on the junk and sweets. I always turn to fruit, also.

[Abby]

When Evan was a little younger than Mars, i found a book that was really helpful - Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense by Ellyn Satter. She is a feeding specialist and the book talks about what foods babies need nutritionally to best develop their bones, brains and to thrive. It also really helped me think about what meals times should be like and what i should be thinking about to raise a healthy eater (both in terms of nutrition and healthy meal time habits). In other words, how to leave any of my food issues or preconceived food notions at the door to support an adventurous eater. Granted, my 18-month old is a beast and ate 2 hot dogs for dinner the other night! I strongly recommend the book.

[Lauren Boggi Goldenberg]

Thanks, Ab I'll def check that out. Evan is so cute : )

[Kate]

Definitely agree with letting them try anything and make their own decisions. In my opinion, it's all about exposure. Our 3.5 year old will eat any fruit and some veggies (broccoli, corn, carrots, red peppers), but will also eat steak, salmon, ribs and most recently, curried lentil soup. Who knows! It is so so much fun to watch her try and react to something new. It's all about exposure in my opinion. BTW, she loves Lithe carrot ginger lemonade!