Motherhood & Parenting

Bite Size Peer Pressure

Another lunchtime rolls around – that can only mean one thing.  Another buffett style selection of food for my daughter, prepared lovingly, by my own fair hand.  Although this gourmet feast hits the floor, in spectacular fashion most days, my enthusiasm is still there.

I like her to feed herself, ideally trying as many new flavours and textures as possible.   I have read the books, articles and forums.  I have recently acquainted myself, with the ‘100 Snacks Under 100 Calories’ list.  I am informed…ish.

Today I gave my toddler girl; chargrilled chicken, potato waffles, cheese, multi seed flatbread, raspberries, a fruit smoothie and a yoghurt.  Sounds a lot but a small portion of each, that eventually ends up on the floor, is my norm.  Last week I tried breadsticks with hummus…again.  Cucumber and pepper sticks with a dip.  It all meets the same fate.  I eat with her, share yoghurt and snacks with her – makes no difference.  

I was so proud to watch her, attempting to nibble, my antioxidant rich raspberry selection.  I think she licked it, then threw it.  I am much more relaxed about her lunches then I used to be.  I try and that’s all I can do.  I sat back with a cup of tea and my cheese sandwich, while my girl pelted me with fruit.  My daughter didn’t want her food….she wanted mine.  I gave her a piece of my rather lame sandwich and she was delighted!

She didn’t want my convoluted-peer-pressure-induced lunch.  She wanted basic…simple.

So now what!!!  The books say healthy snacks.   The forums recommend fresh fruit and vegetables at every meal time.  Veggie sticks, dips, lean protein, high fibre and the holy grail of couscous!  Trying to get my child to have a bite of broccoli, requires a cabaret act!  Now people are blitzing cauliflower to make a healthy rice alternative!

Sod off!

The pressure is just a little much.  Maybe my 19 month old, doesn’t have a sophisticated palate.   Or maybe she is just a baby.  She wants to suck on a cheese cube, rather than power through some mashed avocado!!!

I don’t remember my mum dealing with this when we were little.  Growing up in the 80s, we were bog standard, at best.  You might see the occasional Jacob’s cracker, grape, yoghurt and cheese triangle in the mix but that’s about it.  If we didn’t like toast or eggs then out came the rusks!  Simple.  As a baby, I had jar food.  Vegetables were strictly a Sunday roast affair.  Spaghetti Bolognese was the height of sophistication.  My mum would often give me a Chelsea bun to keep me quiet, as she perused the High Street.

Nowadays we have Super-Mums, flaunting their freshly prepared organic snacks.  Their babies are fully fledged rice cake fanatics, wielding their carrot sticks and guacamole!  As I slip my daughter her third Quaver, my eyes look at the floor in shame.  Some days are great, she will eat rice, peas and snack on slices of malt loaf.  Other days are a total dairy fest of cheese, yoghurt and milk.   

Will other mums know I try everyday, to provide a healthy and balanced diet for my daughter?  Does it matter that I tried and failed, where they have tried and succeeded?  I guess I question it because everything seemingly healthy, is rebuffed by my daughter.  I can just imagine their children, looking in disgust, at the thought of a processed crisp.  Probably the same face my daughter makes, at the thought of their homemade fruit kebabs.

Tomorrow is another day….

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.