Do you juice?

Recently we’ve hit a whole new milestone with my 2-year-old in that he actually has an opinion about what he eats and drinks. In fact, it’s a very strong opinion. Specifically, he will throw his peas off his plate while saying “I don’t want it, I don’t want it…”

I’ve steamed carrots, then mash them with butter and cinnamon, but he’s no fool. “I don’t want it….”

Luckily, he does love the veggie/fruit purees that come in the package (see left). It doesn’t matter what kind, he eats it right up. Ever the skeptic, I’ve tried to find negative information about these little packs, but can’t. The only draw back in my house is that because I know he’ll eat them, I’ve become lax about preparing fresh vegetables for him. It worries me that he’s not getting all the nutrients that you can only get from fresh produce. From time to time he’ll eat carrots, but mostly he’ll just use them as spoons to dip into hummus.

Our newest “argument” has been over juice. Since he’s still so young, I’m able to trick him by putting a splash, and by splash I mean as little as a tablespooon, of juice in his water cup. That seems to appease him. He even thinks getting lemon water is a treat. So I’ve set a “no juice at home” rule, to give myself some wiggle room when we’re out with groups and all the other kids are having juice. Because this is such a hot topic in our home, my husband sent me a link to an artlcle about popular kids’ drinks to avoid.

In addition to information about what to avoid, it also highlights making sure your kid is drinking enough milk. That’s not a problem for us. He loves his milk, and I am prepared to use my stealth ninja skills on anyone who tries to introduce him to chocolate milk. We don’t need to have that “argument” anytime soon.

So, please, if you have some amazing secret on how to get your kids to eat fresh fruits and vegetables..hook me up!