They say that after your first kid you tend to relax a bit more with the second. Everything is less scary and you simply have the hang of it a little bit more than you did the first time around. The heavy weight of responsibility has become something you have learned to hold with more ease, and it’s sufficient to say that you worry a little bit less. So you would think that I might be less picky about what my second born eats, right? Wrong…
It has actually been quite backwards for me. My first born was introduced to sweets way too early, and I plan to be a lot more strict with teaching my girls how to love vegetables. My daughter, Ella, is just starting the stage where I am just beginning to introduce solids to her, so I am taking this opportunity to start them both on a healthier diet.
As much as I would love to be that mom who is so on top of it that she goes to the grocery store each week, buys all the organic vegetables and fruits, and then heads home to puree meals up for her baby… I will never be that mom. So I need a way to make sure my baby is still getting all those natural and organic ingredients, and I found that in Beech-Nut® Naturals™! Today I am sharing how to teach your baby to love vegetables in 3 easy steps, and why I start with Beech-Nut® Naturals™.
Start With Good Habits
If anyone learned this the hard way, it’s me. Don’t give your child sweets, and they won’t know what they are missing! It’s as easy as that! Start giving them healthy, all natural ingredients from day one! In our house, we only feed our babies Beech-Nut® Naturals™. Beech-Nut® Naturals™ is REAL food for babies™, made with real ingredients, simply prepared! Exactly what I needed! And the best part is that it is all ready to go, so all you have to do is stock up your cupboard! I take Beech-Nut® with me everywhere and love that all I have to do it open it up and know I am giving my baby the very best! Ella loves the Beech-Nut® Naturals™ Just Bananas in the morning, and I will even stir it into her cereal to give that some added flavor. I use Beech-Nut® Naturals™ Just Sweet Potatoes with her lunch and dinner along with Beech-Nut® Naturals™ Just Carrots. Finally, a trick I use to help a new-to-solids baby have bowel movements is the Beech-Nut® Naturals™ Just Prunes!
Eat Meals Together
I wish I had thought of this sooner because it seems so simple, but sitting down and actually eating meals with my babies actually helps them to be better eaters too. When my daughter Aria sees me eating my vegetables and going “MMM, this is yummy!” then she wants to eat them too! Even if it is earlier then I would normally eat dinner, or even if I am not hungry, I will now always make a point to at least snack right along with my girls and show them that eating healthy is delicious!
Sneak It In
Finally, for those vegetables that simply go straight to the floor no matter how many times you try, I have found that hiding them in other foods works well. For those vegetables that my girls will not touch on their own, I have learned to put them in other foods as ingredients and getting them to eat them that way. For instance, I have mixed Beech-Nut® Naturals™ Just Carrots with pumpkin, and put squash in with their mashed potatoes. You can also use Beech-Nut® Naturals™ as bases for other meals like adding it to rice and little bits of chicken or mixing it in with oatmeal for breakfast!