Eating the rainbow

When they say that you're on the right track if your child is "eating the rainbow", I'd say we are well on our way:

Food is not a battle in this house. But rules were established on day one and there were no substitutions. Did we have disagreements at the dinner table with the girls? Yes. Did we win? Yes. And I'm not saying that we won at that exact moment in time, but in the long run, we won. I love that I can fix a beautiful array of fruits and veggies, chicken or fish, dip and homemade pita bread, and proudly watch as the girls work their way through each and every bite. Mealtimes easily last 45 minutes to an hour - we talk about our day, we share stories with Daddy, we laugh, we listen, and we eat. Dining with my family is one of my greatest joys, and why shouldn't it be?

Staples

I'm not referring to the type of staples that are sharp, metal, and dangerous to little ones. I'm talking about the meal-time staples that ALWAYS feed a little body better than anything you could nuke in the microwave or grab in a drive-thru. Good food can be simple and easy, and for nights like last when we had company stay a bit late and dinner was put on the back-burner (get it???), these meals are perfect. I stress about what goes into our girls' bodies - I have from the very beginning, literally. I stopped drinking, quit eating sushi, and steered clear of delicious but unpasteurized cheeses as soon as it was possible that I might be pregnant. During my pregnancy, I made sure I was getting all the right nutrients, plenty of water, fruits and veggies... you get the idea. So when dinner rolls around and I don't have a well-balanced meal prepared, having these staples gives me peace of mind knowing that those adorable little bellies have just what they need for their next adventure.

• Avocado - diced and served as is; full of good-fat and high in vitamin E
• Fresh fruit - kiwi, oranges, blueberries
• Yogurt with flaxseed - we keep a container of ground flaxseed in the freezer and add a tablespoon or so to yogurt everyday; the yogurt provides good bacteria and probiotics, the flaxseed has fiber and is a good source of omega-3s
• Eggs - scrambled, with some cheese
• Whole wheat tortilla roll-ups - peanut butter and honey are a fave here
• Super Porridge - I highly recommend the book Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. This book was fantastic during the 6-12 month range while I was making baby food (another post on that yet to come). The "super porridge" recipe is simply homemade hot cereal, made from whole grains: brown rice, barley, millet. I grind up a big batch each weekend, keep it in the fridge, and serve it regularly for breakfast as well as for dinner on nights when needed. It is incredibly hearty and I have encouraged any of my friends who have little ones that struggle with constipation to give it a whirl - one day during our first super porridge week, I changed EIGHT dirty diapers by 2:00 in the afternoon. Yes, that's 4 dirty diapers each. And now, well over a year later, the girls still LOVE this meal and I love knowing that they are starting their day with a bowl of pure goodness! Here are several of our porridge add-ins:
• • Mashed banana (sweetens nicely instead of using honey or agave nectar)
  • Raisins
  • For younger ones, not yet getting a lot of veggies from other sources, I often combined steamed/pureed spinach with pureed pears or mashed sweet potatoes with cooked/mashed apples
  • Flaxseed or wheat germ
  • Milk or yogurt
  • Berries (blueberries are requested daily)

On a side note, vitamins have always been a biggie in our house as well. The girls came home from the hospital already on vitamins high in iron to prevent an iron-deficiency that is common in preemies. We gave the girls a daily liquid multivitamin everyday for their first 2 years and they have just switched to an organic chewable that includes probiotics and vegetable compounds. Now, based on how heartily Abby and Elise eat, I honestly don't worry about what might be lacking but a vitamin is a good security blanket, just to be safe. And for those little ones who aren't yet getting everything, I sure don't see where a vitamin can hurt.