Green Beans

Now that he is older, we are switching to solid foods only. Goodbye pureed jars, and welcome foods that don't take me a half hour to coerce into Johnny's mouth! The only thing is, it's really hard to create a balanced diet for him.

Without formula to guarantee the right amount of protein and other needed essentials, I really worry that I won't get everything right. Granted, he won't exactly starve or anything, but the pressure is on! It doesn't help that Steve and I don't have the greatest diet in the whole world. I've turned to fresh and canned green beans, peas, corn, and steamed carrots and squash when I have the time. Fruit is a bit easier, dried apples are easy to come by and we always have peaches, pears, and bananas. Canned food is so much easier than anything else, but I try to get fresh as often as possible. Frozen isn't as easy.

Protein is perhaps the hardest challenge. I found out the other day that he is a fan of steak, so as long as I shred it small enough he will eat that. Chicken isn't as easy for some reason, and he doesn't like ham at all. I think I am going to hard boil some eggs and see how he handles that. This is when jarred "dinners" are greatly missed. I tend to overdo the grain block of the pyramid, (oh wait, they don't have that anymore do they?) but I can't help but give him multigrain cheerio's and whole grain crackers. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches go over well, so he usually has one of those every other day. Whole milk is a favorite, and watered down apple juice goes a long way.

Now if only I could get myself to eat as healthy! It's just so expensive... fresh fruits and veggies are ridiculous and the healthy grains and meat are so overpriced. Macaroni and cheese in a box is extremely cheap, as is off-brand cereal in relation to other meals. It's like we're still freshman in college. We splurge enough to get the healthier pasta, but when it is a staple in your diet, you aren't exactly doing well in the carb department. What else can we do?

When it comes to food, we have encountered the first time we have questioned my relation to Jonathan. Sure, I gave birth to him, but he likes green beans?!