Teaching food values~

I knew the minute my children started preschool I was in for a long journey. You see, we live by food rules that not everyone believes in. I am okay with that. But I knew that it wouldn't take long for the questions to come.
Our oldest daughter started to notice some of the snacks and lunches that the other kids were bringing to school. She started asking if she could have yoghurt in a tube, cheesies, chocolate pudding.
I was careful how I responded. On the one hand I wanted to teach her why we eat the foods we eat- quality, nutrition, sustainability. I also explained that cheesies and pudding are treats that we enjoy at holidays or birthdays. (our version is organic/homemade).
She understood and I felt that I did a good job of not judging others and keeping the conversation open so that she would feel comfortable talking about it again and asking more questions.
I realized that how we speak about food is so important. Our language around food- what we like, what we don't like, what we believe in- all of this plays a huge role in how our children understand and appreciate food.
Food values are important to us. For many reasons. Our first priority is nutrition. Balanced food that is good quality. Our next priority is sustainability- local, sustainably produced, wtih good business practices.
Teaching our girls about nutrition has been fun. Children seem to naturally love science so we have focussed on the science and nature of food. Of course, you can only do this if your food is real.
Food values can start with simple conversations. And I think that starting early is helping us to lay a foundation of a life of good food values.

~Kimberley

Starting early~

If you read my post about feeding toddlers vegetables, you know that one of the steps we took to develop a love of food, was to start early. And by that I mean, start EVERYTHING early.

I don't really believe the old ideas about what children do and do not like when it comes to food. I think they are capable of loving spicy food, different foods, and healthy foods more than anything.

When we introduced solids to our daughters, we made everything ourselves. It is easy and actually not very time-consuming. I made food purees and finger foods from the food I cooked for us, cutting down on extra prep and cooking.

Example- if I steamed brocolli for us, I would cook some extra and leave it in a bit longer. I would then puree it with a bit of the cooking water and cool it. We would freeze it in food cubes using an ice cube tray and defrost as needed. When they were ready for more complexity, we would blend some of the food cubes.

Making Food Cubes

steam or prepare vegetables, legumes, or meat

puree with some liquid until smooth

portion into ice cube trays (and small glass or plastic containers when baby has a bigger appetite)

freeze

defrost when needed

Early on we introduced meat, beans, grains, and all kinds of veggies and fruits. The sweeter foods are definitely easier. But I was careful that not every meal was based on something that contains a lot of natural sugar, such as fruit or a veg like carrots or a baby cereal.

Once our babies were good with soft pieces of food and finger foods, it made it so much easier. I would make small, soft pieces of the food I prepared for us. I would create little plates of different foods for them to try and play and eat.

To introduce spicy and pungent foods, we simply let them try things like curries and pasta sauces. I think that children are like adults, sometimes they have what I call "food moods" and sometimes they simply don't like something.

I know that texture is a big reason for children not liking food. So if you have tried something and they didn't like it, maybe try changing its texture by preparing it differently.

However, I really try not to force the issue. I don't like eggplant. Never have, never will. And it is a texture thing, so I understand if there is something they just don't like. It's okay.

Some great first foods:
Any kind of vegetable
Vegetable blends
Fruits
Cooked legumes (chickpeas are very popular here!)
Tomato based pasta sauces (add beef you grind yourself or ground mushrooms to make it beefy)
Dairy such as real yoghurt or cheese
Whole grains, cooked like oatmeal
Nut butters
Eggs
Good quality meat and fish
Curries and pilafs
Whole grain pasta (or made with rice or another grain)
Tofu- but not the sugary flavored ones
Bread products at a minimum

We have avoided the major chokers- foods that are the major cause of food choking for children. It was suggested to me by a pediatrician to avoid the following until age 5:

popcorn
hot dogs -unless sliced lengthwise, but nutritionally should not be eaten by anyone, in my opinion
hard candies
raw carrot -especially those "baby" carrots, which you know aren't baby carrots right? They have been cored out of giant carrots and bleached.
whole grapes -unless sliced lengthwise

~next up? Feeding toddlers. It doesn't have to be a battle!