Ladybug Food

I had a really hard time with my daughter transitioning through breast milk to formula to purees to real life food.  Mostly I had a hard time because common sense just seemed too obvious.  Thankfully I had some friends along the way to reassure me that common sense is usually the way to go.  In reality, when I needed it, I'm not sure it made it any easier.  I was constantly sitting around waiting for Landon to choke on something.  And she did, but never seriously, just little bits caught in her throat. It was her way of  learning how to chew and swallow properly. Now that I'm on the other side it all seems so easy.  But I know it's not and I always loved talking to moms and seeing what they were feeding their one year olds. 

A portion of my blog is going to be dedicated to what my little ladybug eats. And she can eat. I'm not sure where she gets her metabolism from.  I really work hard to make her diet healthy and varied. I always loved trying new foods and I want her to be the same way. I fed her goat cheese at 6 months old, which was probably against some cheese rule, but there are way too many rules about things anyway. You know your baby best, so act accordingly. I'm pretty sure French babies have Camembert with every meal and drink their breast milk exclusively in wine glasses.

French Baby. Oui.

I cook or slice fresh most of Landon's food and in addition she eats frozen veggies of all varieties (so easy to pop in the microwave and heat up), shredded cheese (baby crack), and cheerios. That sentence makes me sound really great, but in truth, it can be quick and easy to do. I have a life beyond Mommy. If I were that dedicated I would have made my own baby food.  I tried a few times... each time Landon threw it back up. Projectile. 

This is a Ladybug dinner from a few nights ago. Grilled chicken breast left over from our dinner, lima beans from the freezer, avocado sliced fresh from lunch, and sweet potato baked in the oven a few days prior.

Here is where I step on my soap box... maybe Americans are so fat because people don't know just how easy and inexpensive it can be to eat and cook healthy food. It can also be quick. The dinner above was all made in advance or leftovers of something else. Total prep time was about 5 minutes. So if I can do something to show how easy eating fresh and healthy is to the one to ten people reading this, then maybe that changes things for them AND for their kids. There are great little things you can do for yourself. The best way to teach your children how to take care of themselves is to take care of yourself. Show them by example. You don't have to be perfect. Lord knows I am far from it. I have a sugar addiction known well by family, friends, and certain waiters at restaurants around Houston. But I try to eat healthy most of the time and I hope my daughter will too.

If you can heat up a lean cuisine, you can heat up frozen vegetables. It really is that easy.

Oh, and one more French baby.

Oiu!!

-RT