This past weekend, Lily decided to flex her toddler muscles. Normally, she is a very eager eater and doesn’t hesitate to try anything we place in front of her. Like most children, she definitely has her favorites. We go through so many blueberries, strawberries, and watermelon that my wife jokes that we are inadvertently raising a vegetarian. Remember when your mother used to say “You can’t have any ice cream until you finish your liver”. We’re almost to that point except that blueberries are the dessert.
Obviously, there is nothing wrong with Lily desiring these delicious fruits, and one could even argue that we are setting her up for dietary success later on in life by not feeding her a steady menu of chicken fingers and French fries. However, as yummy as these various berries are, they do not contain the fat, iron, or protein that our little toddler needs.
This weekend we tried to get her to eat beef stew and ham. Normally, she gobbles up both, but Lily wanted nothing to do with either this time around. She ended up taking a few bites of chicken salad after some sleight of hand, and also ate two of those little Gerber meat sticks that come in the jar.
By default, these little goodies have become a staple in her diet. However, she’d have to eat an entire jar (seven) to tally 51g of protein (51% of her daily serving). Also, they are not very high in iron. Most parents would avert this nutritional crisis by loading up their kids on cheese. However, due to her systematic constipation, we do not have that luxury.
My wife discussed our dilemma with another friend and fellow mother over brunch on Saturday. The friend, a “from scratch” foodie, who even makes her own yogurt, told my wife about a grain called Quinoa. Apparently, it’s a magical high protein ingredient that can be mixed in with oatmeal, stir fry, soups, etc.
Lily and I are going to the Farmer’s Market first thing tomorrow. Hopefully, they will have it, and, fingers crossed, Lily will like it. Stay tuned for more.
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