Cooking with the Bug

Last night I decided to try a new approach with meals. Ladybug is a junk food junkie. If it has fat, sugar or carbs she wants it. Even better if it has all 3. If it has a hint of healthiness she wants nothing to do with it. And she is getting chunky.

She refuses to eat anything healthy so eventually I cave and give her junk food. She can't go without food. Right?

Wrong! I shouldn't give in. Because eventually she will get hungry enough to eat what is given to her. I will try to be strong. I will try.

So last night we (read this as me -- she is 5, she has no decision making authority) to make apple and sage pork chops. She was required to help. I chopped. She stirred. And complained.

Eeewwwww!

Gross!

This is disgusting!

And that was even before I had the pork chops in the pan. So we had an attitude adjustment. Be positive. And I will say -- she really tried. You could tell it was hard for her but she made an effort.

I also thought this cooking experience might be good for her to understand the time it takes to prepare food. She asks for food and she wants then. She doesn't even want to wait 30 seconds it takes to heat something up in the microwave. We worked well together. I let her mess up. I let her make a mess. And she learned quickly.

And when dinner was ready we sat down to the table with a healthy meal. She took one bite. That's it. One. Announced it was yucky.

So I stuck to my guns. I didn't make her eat it. I just reminded her this was dinner. There would be no more food. And if she asked for food again, I would serve this to her. She agreed. But she didn't eat. And she didn't ask for more food.

I did notice that she ate of her lunch and snack today -- including the carrots.

One day down -- a life time of good eating habits to go.

Mean Mama