This post is sponsored by Happy Family Brands but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
When Abbie was born, I was determined that once we started solids with her, she would be the best eater. I was going to be sure to introduce all different kinds of foods, and that she would like everything – fruits, veggies, protein, and more. There was no way my kid was going to be the picky eaters my little sisters were – including one sister who subsisted on frozen pizzas and bologna sandwiches for years.
Things went pretty well at first… until around the age of 2. Suddenly, my good eater didn’t want to eat any of her old favorite things. Blueberries? No way. Avocado? Forget it, mom. Suddenly all I could get her to eat was all the typical “kid food” – chicken nuggets, pizza, and mac and cheese were her favorites.
It was so hard to accept. You do tons of planning as a mom – especially a new mom – and it was so hard to realize that there was nothing I could do to keep her from being picky. Back then, I didn’t know what to do about it and ended up just accepting her picky habits and trying to find ways to sneak in the nutrition I could. My mom tried to help, but sometimes you just need a different viewpoint.
Now that Abbie is nearly 6, she is coming out of the picky phase, but Ella is going straight into it. This time though, I have a new resource in Happy Family Organics new Happy Mama Mentor Chat.
I so wish this had been around when Abbie was little, but I appreciate it so much now! The new (FREE) chat service is there for any feeding advice or questions parents may have. It’s available 8am–8pm EST weekdays and 8am–4pm EST on weekends, and best of all, it’s staffed by moms! All the moms are registered dietitians, lactation specialists and are certified in infant and maternal nutrition. Talk about a great resource!
Ella is recently getting super picky about veggies (other than pouches, which I’m so glad to have on hand), so I reached out for some advice on how to get her to eat more of them. I spoke to Allison, who gave me some great tips!
I’m definitely going to try her tips and reach out if I need more. In the end, I do the best I can, as do all of us. I try to find little ways to sneak in extra nutrition – beans of all kinds make an appearance at every meal, veggies are hidden in pizza sauce, and pouches are always accessible. Thankfully, I now know that the picky phase only lasts so long!
