Since he uttered his first cry in this world, my son Jack has been a picky eater. In the hospital, all manners of tubes and paraphernalia were used in an attempt to convince him that he should drink breast milk. He had none of it and was on the bottle, happily sucking away, within a few hours of getting home. After hearing throughout pregnancy that "breast is best" this was hard for me. Now I realize it was the first sign in a long and ongoing saga with Jack regarding food.
The first few months of baby food went fine, but any texture, he would re enact The Exorcist. His stubborn streak does not present itself anywhere more clearly than in his choice of fine dining.
He existed for a long time almost solely on sweet potato and chicken which we blended down to a fine tuned science. Any other flavour would be gagged on, brought up, or spit out. There are those who will read this and not understand the sheer force of will of Jack, and wonder how this happened. Then there are those who understand exactly how it happened.
When finger foods were introduced, any nutrients went completely off the highchair as he decided to only eat goldfish crackers. If those were not offered, he would eat nothing.
Calls to Health Canada, trips to the doctor, did nothing. One day, he chose to try a piece of raisin bread and I almost sobbed. He had eaten something with fruit in it! I began to introduce other items with fruit hidden, also offering chunks of fruit and veggies which were never eaten.
Slowly he developed a repertoire of carbs, and gradually he also began to eat chicken, pasta, tomato sauce, and cheese.
Each new food he loves is a huge step forward and feels like a victory, even when it is not the healthiest option. At least he has added an item! This summer he finally tried and loved ice cream. He also developed a passion for Italian biscotti.
At a music group, the teacher asked each child to name a food at the grocery store in a song. Most said "apples, bananas, cheese." Jack said "biscotti."
This fall, I thought I was dreaming when he asked for a banana at morning snack. I heard a mother comment to a friend as she passed by, "Look, why won't Timmy eat healthy food? What am I doing wrong?"
Absolutely nothing. And neither did I.
Now I am going to go see what Jack is whipping up in his toy kitchen.
Bon Appetit,
Mom and the City
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