Tuesday, April 21, 2009

This is the way I feed my kids, feed my kids, feed my kids...

Several years ago, when my in-laws moved to Florida, my mother-in-law said one of the things she missed most was cooking for Dave.

I've always thought that there was something about mom's cooking - the food one grows up eating. It's tastey and just right, even if it's not super tastey. On the rare occasion that my own mom is at our house and whips up dinner, I revel in the familiarity of the flavors.

Now, I'm getting the mom's perspective. I love feeding my kids and I love watching them eat good meals. So ... now my food is mom's food. My cooking is their childhood food.

Teaching them to eat well and enjoy good foods is a significant responsibility to me. So, toward that end, I offer them healthy options. Breakfast and dinner are big meals for us. I spend time making eggs, hot cereal or French toast for breakfast. I think about dinner and like to make hearty food with a little something from every food group. Lunch, which is grabbed around nap schedules, does not always get as much attention.
Sometimes it look a little funny on the plate.

Here is Haven's lunch. Pot-popped popcorn without butter or salt, kidney beans and cheese. So, that's an odd lunch, but he ate it. That day Maiya got kidney beans, ohs and cheese. I'll be taking luncheon catering requests on a first-come-first-served basis. Try not to overflow my in-box.




So, what interesting foods have you offered your children?


7 comments:

millay said...

Oh my gosh that pic of Haven in his tux is to DIE for. What a cutie! I agree about a mum's cooking - I'm so lucky in that my mum is an incredible cook - but i know that even if she wasn't, her food would still be the best ever :)

Jessica said...

I remember when my niece was little and just learning to walk, you could barely ever get her to sit still. So Darby would leave little trails of fruit and cereal and bits of cheese all over the living room and Lyric would literally just grab up the food as she walked by. It was so funny!

Karenkool said...

I'm sure that my kids will, in the future, remember fondly how we'd sometimes have breakfast or strawberry shortcake for dinner every once-in-a-while.

Jenny said...

Oh my mom was a terrible cook in general. Although her grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup nights were awesome. Otherwise I grew up on fast food. I love my mom and she nurtured me in many ways, but food is not one of them. Laura is now at the stage where she wants to try everything that I'm eating irregardless of what it might be. Icing on a spoon, sure. Salsa on a chip, why not? But I draw the line at coffee and beer. There are some things that are just sacred :) I wish I had your cooking enthusiasm Jen.

Dad/Chuck said...

Fish and Balls was always a favorite, and who can turn down a big platter of egg rolls? How to make a head of cabbage and 3 strips of bacon feed 6 people!

melissa said...

that is so true. i had been thinking something like that lately, but not nearly as clearly as that.
well done.
i can't put two words together lately.

Jen said...

Dad, Dave won't let me call Tater Tots balls. I have to call them Tater Tots now.