When appeared on The Oprah Show, sassy kid #1 had just turned one and I was proudly cooking my own baby food and she was eating EVERYTHING we put in front of her. I was patting myself on the back and turning my nose up at a mother of three who couldn’t seem to get her children to eat vegetables.
What kind of mother needs to hide vegetables in food? That is ridiculous! Of course, I would later eat my words.
Around the age of two, everything came to a screeching halt when sassy kid #1 decided to rebel. Suddenly she had her own opinion and was spitting out my “gourmet” meals. This is when I realized that moms should NEVER judge other moms. Ever. Period. Lesson #1 of Motherhood.
The sad part is I know exactly where we (aka I) went wrong in teaching our toddler how to eat.
1. Not Enough Variety – Yes I was extremely proud that I was making homemade baby food, but at some point I became lazy and started making the same things over and over. I had perfected several veggies that were easy to prepare and store. I would later learn from other moms who made their own baby food that this can be a common problem. For sassy kid #2 I have not made the same mistake. It is all about variety.
2. Lead By Example – I made the mistake of hiring a nanny that did not eat vegetables or have a healthy diet. While she never ate poorly in front of my daughter, she never ate lunch with her. At the time, I had no idea how important it was for young kids to see adults eat at each meal. Now it seems like common sense but at the time I just wanted a nanny that would keep her alive and out of danger. I failed to consider that eating habits develop at an early age. The food on your plate sparks curiosity and interest in being adventurous. We eat dinner as a family every evening, but snacks and lunch count too!
After reading several books on how to handle picky eaters, attending seminars for picky eaters, trying all the tricks advised by friends and scouring the internet, I finally declared defeat.
Enter the sneaky chef. Surprisingly my first attempt went well when I was inspired by an Babble.com.
Both sassy kids and husband thought it was YUMMY so this one is a keeper. I’m not sure how long I will cater to this way of cooking because I strongly believe that children should be taught how to appreciate food and that means being able to identify what they are eating. When I do “sneak” in vegetables, the goal is to use this opportunity to explain what is in the recipe.
I am fully prepared for eating a balanced meal to take some time. Considering sassy kid #1 usually refuses to eat something she happily ate the week prior it could be a really, really long road ahead.
- Vegetarian Marinara Sauce
Sneaky Vegetarian Marinara Sauce
Makes 8 servings, freezes and reheats well!
- 2 baby eggplants (or 1 medium) peeled and chopped in small cubes
- 1 large zucchini chopped in small cubes (do not peel)
- 2 regular size carrots (chopped in small cubes)
- 1 clove of garlic (grated)
- Salt to taste
- (1) can Organic Tomato Sauce
- 14 oz can of Organic Crushed Tomatoes
- ¼ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated parm cheese
- Brown Rice Gluten Free Pasta
Saute eggplant, zucchini, carrots and grated garlic in olive oil in large pan until veggies are soft. Puree mixture until smooth, return to pan. Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, cheese and breadcrumbs. Simmer.
Prepare brown rice pasta per instructions on package. Serve sauce over pasta with vegetable of their choice.
Bon Appetit!
Sassy Tip: I froze the left over sauce in ice tray cubes for easy access.
I’m in the same boat. My first child ate everything pureed. Then he turned 3 or 4 and became super picky. My younger daughter is super picky, although she will eat brocolli and peas.
I am going to try your above recipe for a Meatless Monday. My kids eat all veggie meals with us every monday and are still resistant.
http://www.chicagonow.com/upsanddowsnofayogamom
Ha – #1 will only eat broccoli and peas too which I find so odd but who knows. Have you read the book My Two Year Old Eats Octopus? The author says her kid eating octopus was due to the variety and exposing her kids different types of food from the start. I am doing that more with #2 but it is still difficult. The child just spit out cheese grits tonight and I am 100% positive it was because of the texture. She’s 50% southern so it can’t be the taste. LOL!
Check out this book….http://www.mytwoyearoldeatsoctopus.com/
We are so in the same boat. My 1st eats NOTHING…my 2nd eats almost everything and my 3rd (and last) eats Everything….Because we GIVE him everything. I so agree that giving them different foods is important…exposing them to texture and different flavors creates their palates for later in life. I am going to try your pasta sauce….