Trickery

Why, why, why has it taken me so long to get creative with mealtime?

Ben used to eat everything.

Like cuddle-fish-in-Chinatown-everything. It was awesome. Mainly because he was so entertaining to take out, and waitresses marveled as he sucked down bowls of clam chowder, ate salsa with a spoon, shoveled in hummus, there was literally nothing he wouldn't try.

Then somehow we slipped into the cheese phase. Where for probably two months all he would eat was cheese. Not macaroni and cheese, or grilled cheese, just cheese. Slices, cubes, spreads. As long as it was cheese.

Thankfully we've landed somewhere in between now, but I still long for my adventurous little eater. And of course there are the nutritional concerns too. Docs say view the week, rather than day, so you don't obsess over fruits and veggies constantly. But I struggle in pretty much every category outside of dairy (he's a milkaholic and still loves his cheese).

So why did it take me so long to figure out that I could strategically plan my meals with a little trickery in mind?

Last week, after a total bust on steamed broccoli and cheese, I decided to smash steamed broccoli into his mashed potatoes. He loved them. No questions asked.

Imagine the possibilities here...I can totally mask fruits and vegetables into all kinds of things with a little focus.

How do you get your kids to eat their fruits and veggies?