Carrot Celebration

Braden is a miniature version of Brad when it comes to the food department. If you don't know what I mean let me just tell you that he is PICKY!!!! I have been frustrated with Braden's eating habits for quite some time. After talking with his pediatrician at our 2 year visit we discussed if he has texture issues or if we have allowed him to manipulate us into eating only certain foods. Well, I finally came to the realization after talking on the phone to a food aversion therapist and thinking back to different food situations with Braden that we have allowed him to manipulate us about his diet (if you know me this was a HUGE pill to swallow!).
Prior to talking to Dr. Miller these are the foods that Braden ate:

• crackers


• fruit snacks


• popcorn


• bacon


• oatmeal


• peanut butter (occasionally)


• mandarin oranges (occasionally)


• apples (occasionally)


• purple grapes only (occasionally)


• Mickey Mouse cheese....yes it has to look like Mickey Mouse (he has been on a cheese strike recently)


• any type of sauce (ketchup, ranch, marinara, etc.)


• any type of sweet or candy

Do you understand my frustration? Well our new plan, along with LOTS of help form my parents and brother since they are with him everyday is:

• no more junk food available


• so long fruit snacks


• he can eat what is offered to him on his plate or not eat


• he gets a small healthy snack in between meals...if he chooses not to eat it, oh well


• limit juice, milk, etc before meals.

The first night (Tuesday) was horrible. I made marinara sauce with pureed carrots and pureed ground beef. I also offered him Mickey Mouse whole wheat pasta and grapes. He cried and refuse to eat his food when he saw his plate, but we were strong and didn't give in so he ended up eating about 5 grapes and that was all that he got for dinner that night. Wednesday my dad made him oatmeal for breakfast and he refused to eat it so he wasn't offered anything else. He had a handful of grapes for snack and he was offered soup (which he refused) , yogurt and oranges for lunch. He ate all of the oranges and half of the yogurt. For dinner he ate peanut butter toast and 3 apple slices. Today he ate a muffin for breakfast, grapes and something else I can't remember right now for lunch. Tonight for dinner I offered him chicken, apples and grapes with a strawberry cream cheese dip and sliced carrots. He ate all of his chicken, apples and grapes and he tried the carrots and ate 3 1/2 carrots dipped in ranch dressing. And he kept asking for more chicken and more carrots and saying "Umm..good...yummy."

For you parents of non picky kids you are wondering what I am making such a fuss about but 1. Braden doesn't try new things and 2. He doesn't eat vegetables. So there......a carrot celebration! I am so proud of my boy!