lunch & fruit

I included a smattering of raisins on Natalie's plate for lunch today.  (God forbid.)  She noticed right away and said, "No, mommy, I didn't ask for RAY-sins for yuunch!  Yuk!"  I calmly explained that we eat some fruit with lunch because fruit is good for you and helps your body grow.  (Now whether or  not raisins are the best option for a "fruit" is debatable, but really, I am struggling to get any fruit into her body!)  She nodded her agreement (imagine that) and then told me, "I will eat three raisins because I am three years old. I will not eat all of these raisins. Yuk!"  (Okay, fine!)

Our lunch conversation continued, and we chatted about our favorite parts of the movie Tangled and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.  Then, out of nowhere, Natalie stops talking, looks right at my plate, and says, "Mommy, where is YOUR fruit?"  Busted!  And she was right!  Darn, observant three year old!

I grabbed a handful of raspberries from the fridge and offered one to Natalie.  She reacted with much disgust and even agreed to eat all of her raisins as long as she didn't have to eat a berry!  

Fruit Strike and an Apple Today

Natalie has been on a fruit strike for the past three or four months. What's a mama to do?

Bananas & Pears

Before & Now: These are tried-and-true fruits in her repertoire; she eats a banana a day, pears less frequently

Grapes

Before: She gobbled them up and asked for more.

Now: Can't stand to have them on her tray. Not whole. Not cut in half. Not frozen. Not red. Not green. It's like Green Eggs and Ham, I tell ya!

Strawberries (and Blueberries)

Before: She devoured so many I was sure she'd turn red (or blue).

Now: Behaves as if she's being tortured if I put a single one on her tray.

Watermelon

Before: Again, I feared she would turn red ... and her chin often did.

Now: It put it on the plate and she eats it reluctantly - sometimes.

Peaches

Before: The first thing Natalie projectile vomited was pureed peaches. I decided that meant that she had an intolerance for peaches. Not a stomach bug or something rational like that.

Now: I still won't give her peaches.

Apples

Before: I've always given her apple sauce, but never actual bites of apple because they terrify me as a choking hazard.

Now: Natalie grabbed an apple while we were shopping at Trader Joe's today. I was hesitant to let her have it, but she was very persistent. [persistent - verb (in this case) - pitching a fit in the middle of TJs if I even put my hand near her apple]

We finished our shopping but she wasn't done gnawing on that darn apple - and I couldn't have her chowing an apple in the backseat while I drove. So we found a bench, sat and enjoyed a truly beautiful afternoon here in the NW, and shared that apple. She seemed like such a big girl eating that apple and offering me bites. Tears in my eyes! Sad to see her growing up. Happy to see her adding a fruit to her "will eat" list :)