So I had all intentions of blogging last night. To redeem myself from Bad Food Blogger of the Year I rented Food, Inc yesterday.
I know many of you have seen this movie because I've read it on your blogs.
Of course I need to tell you what I thought of it.
I prepared myself for a slaughterhouse movie. I'm sure many of you have seen PETA clips of slaughtering cruelty. There was a small amount of that kind of footage. However, most of it was just factual information about where your food comes from and how it's regulated.
I loved all of the new information I learned. I also liked how they showed both sides of situations.
There were a couple things I didn't like. They really focused on meat (which is understandable) but I was hoping they'd show more information about dairy and produce.
Also, one fact I learned was "the biggest predictor of obesity is income level". Produce and healthy food is expensive, organic or not. Why would someone choose expensive healthy food over the dollar menu at McDonalds? Especially when they have a limited income. The movie stated the fact but ignored a solution.
Overall, it was a great movie. Very intriguing. I don't see many movies like that.
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Anyways... Onto my day...
Breakfast was an ogre. Spinach, nanner, milk, water and Sunlands dark chocolate peanut butter (I LOVE THIS STUFF) Plus homemade iced coffee.
I was hungry about an hour later. I need to start eating toast or something with my ogres. I snacked on a chocolate chip MINI Clif bar. I normally try to eat just half of a normal one. It never happens haha! So I bought the mini's! Problem solved!
It was a rainy day here so we did absolutely nothing today...
Lunch was a turkey and hummus sandwich. Plus cottage cheese and raspberry jam.
The cottage cheese and jam sorta looks like mashed potatoes and gravy :)
And I had some sparkling water. This stuff is SO refreshing!
And now some Mommy information (about getting your kid to eat healthy):
Since the day the squirrel was born she's had "issues" eating. Obviously, at first it was because she was a preemie and maybe that is still the case.
She has always ate under the "normal" amount. When most babies were eating 8-10oz of milk she was drinking 4-6oz.
When she started eating solids she had texture issues. We found out later that my husband also had texture issues when he was a baby. Preemie + bad husband genes = a baby that won't eat.
It has taken a lot of my patience to get this kiddo to eat. Is she a picky eater? I don't think so. I think she likes the flavor of most things. I think she just doesn't like the texture of foods. For example she'll put blueberries in her mouth chew a couple times and spit it out. She'd do it over and over again.
The point of this randomness is... Never stop offering your child foods. Even if they act like they don't like it. My pediatrician said it takes several encounters of a food for a baby to decide if they like it. It makes sense though that parents offer it once or twice (especially veggies) and figure they just don't like it. Then they never offer it again. The squirrel has a vegetable on her tray for lunch and dinner 9.9 times out of 10. EVEN if I know she doesn't like it.
Just recently have I noticed a change in the squirrels attitude towards new foods. In the past week she has eaten grapes, cottage cheese, and cooked carrots. She has always spit these foods out.
My hardwork is paying off. This kid will like healthy foods and will NOT be a negative statistic! I am definitely not perfect. She occasionally eats chicken nuggets, french fries, candy, and cookies. I think to some extent all kids should.
While we were eating lunch today she noticed she smashed a pea with her sippy cup. She thought it was hilarious. So did I.
Since we had such a rainy day I made chili for dinner. I just dumped all of these in the crockpot:
Plus half an onion, a small amount of lean beef (1/4lb?), and some seasoning cooked low and slow all day.
I also made homemade cornbread to go along with it (I never buy the boxed kind anymore). Homemade is more betta. Plus I added 1 ounce of grated cheddar.
It was lick your bowl clean - squirrel approved...
Have any of you seen Food, Inc.? What did you think of it?
31 comments:
Awww.. I love the last picture. So sweet!!
Vegetabels and babies/toddlers = hard times! ha.
My 2.5 year old is on a green bean kick. That's the only veggie he will willingly eat. So he gets them at lunch and dinner. Fruits on the other hand-- he would eat 10 cups a day if I allowed it! Kids!
Your cottage cheese and jam look so cute in that picture! I haven't seen Food Inc yet. I hadn't heard of it until today. It was featured on Oprah today and now I want to watch it!
Marcia... I finally gave in and just let her eat the veggies she wants! She loves broccoli so sometimes she eats broccoli twice a day. Whatever I can get in here haha!
I watched Food Inc. I thought it was interesting, I couldn't eat chicken for a day :) I am now interested in reading Michael Pollan's books.
I need to get some mini Clif bars. I'm the same as you - fully intend to eat half but can never stop myself from eating the whole thing!
i saw food inc and stopped watching 2/3 of the way. just didnt want to watch anymore.
I saw Food Inc and loved it. Because of this movie I am doing Meatless Mondays to cut down on my consumption of meat. Just tryin to do my little part!
I love all the kiddo advice! Someday it will come in handy to me!
Ohhh the pictures of Squirrel are making me grin from ear to ear!
I like Food, Inc a lot. I had know much of the info because I read Michael Pollan's books "In Defense of Food" and "The Omnivore's Dilemma." But I think the movie is great at being pretty enlightening and moderate about the types of foods we should eat. It doesn't just take a stance against the meat industry, but it promotes ethical practice.
Great chili and cornbread dinner- so comforting and tasty!
Hi! I love your blog! And I think it's so adorable how you nicknamed your daughter the squirrel. She is so adorable!!
I have Food Inc waiting on my dresser for us to watch. I'm sure I'll have a review of it soon as well.
I heard once that it takes about 10 times for anybody (child or adult) to change their tastes on any particular food. So you may have to try broccoli 10x before you decide it tastes ok. Whether that holds true for texture issues or not, I'm not sure. Good luck with it! It's great to see you're making progress already :)
I really want to see Food, Inc- impatiently waiting for it to hit UK screens!
I love hearing how parents encourage their kids to eat healthily- I don't have kids of my own (yet!) but it's something I think about a lot. Also being a healthy role model in terms of body image and stuff.
Your cornbread looks delicious- which recipe do you use? Homemade is so much better than store-bought!
Good idea with the chili -- All seasons, any weather, any time of day...chili is always okay in my book.
Good post. I need to watch that.
I coudn't bear to watch Food, Inc. The footage of animals being butchered would be way too much for me. My love of animals is what drives me to vegetarianism. I'm not a full-fledged vegetarian yet, but I'm darn close. I don't eat pork or beef at all. Only poultry (occasionally) and fish.
Geez, why did I just say all of that?? Oh well. :-)
Your daughter is just precious. :-)
Your food always looks so good and gives me great ideas for meals.
I really would be interested in seeing that movie. I must add it to my list.
I still haven't seen Food, Inc., but I feel like I have because I've read so much about it!
I think you are doing a great job of getting your daughter to eat healthy foods. I plan to do the same thing. Just keep presenting the foods and eventually, the child will develop a taste for at least some of them.
I really enjoyed Food Inc. I felt it showed a lot of truth. We are not 'factory farmers', but do have a large scale farm, and seeing the way some animals are treated blew me away. I feel that each and everyone of of our sheep gets good care.
The sqirrel always looks so cute, you're going to have an amazing journal of her life through this blog.
I don't think I've ever had cornbread, is that crazy?
I haven't seen Food, Inc. yet, but want too.
I love this post about eating with your babies. We have a big boy (he weighed over 9lbs at birth), so he never had had a problem eating. We just starting introducing baby food, in with his cereal the last few weeks. So far so good!
I am actually doing a post today titled Homemade Baby Food 101 - check it out!
We have the exact same approach to how kiddos eat. Makenzie always has a fruit or veggie with lunch or dinner and usually snacks as well. Snacks are always healthy - organic crackers, yogurt, fruit, cheese, pb sandwich, green monsters, etc. She usually gets what we have for dinner and we continue to offer her things over and over. But there's always the occasional room for treats - like the donut holes yesterday ;)
I haven't seen it yet, but I really want to!
I love Food Inc! I'm thinking of rewatching it over break, since it really makes me think about what I'm eating! You're definitely on the right path with the Squirrel. My parents made my brother and I eat the same healthy foods they did from day one, and while I have some bad memories from it (I still hate mushrooms from being forced to eat them in cream sauce with veal), I've never had a problem loving my veggies!
Your little squirrel is adorable! I always worry about my food issues rubbing off on my kids someday, I want them to eat healthy, but I don't want them to be afraid of snacks. I feel like it's going to be a hard balance to figure out.
I haven't seen Food Inc. yet, I should go rent it sometime.
I really liked when you said that you will not be a negative statistic - I feel the exact same way. I'm really looking forward to having kids and feeding them healthy, fresh foods. I already have a few tricks up my sleeve from hiding healthy foods in my husband's meals!
i was soooooo bored with food inc. the beginning was somewhat interesting but then i feel like they ran out of facts and i just wanted it to end.
I just saw Michael Pollan on Oprah yesterday and not only do I need to see Food Inc, but I need to read all of his books! Loving his philosophy... Would love to know your cornbread recipe - a good one is hard to find!
such a great movie! very eye-opening, although I had hear alot before, it's different to SEE it. I had heard about the dairy industry a bit at the healthy living summit, so i didn't notice that deficiency, but you're totally right, that's where i'd like ot know all the definitions of the terms labels use!
great work with squirrel, i never would have thought about all those things, but it's good to keep in mind if the time ever comes ;)
i've been meaning to watch that, too! i always laugh when people say that eating healthy costs more. i don't quite agree. okay, unless they mean by eat everything organic. that's true, i can't afford to do that for everything. but just because i can't afford the highest quality of foods available doesnt mean im going to eat the lowest (fast food). it's pretty cheap to shop in the middle, its just a matter of buying when things are on sale and learning how to use coupons. even gardening. that is so cheap! i guess part of it has to do with being lazy or not taking the time to prepare food ahead of time.
the biggest thing about that statement that gets me so worked up is how much more $ obese people spend per year than those who are healthy and in shape. and down the road all the medical problems that come up for sure can be more costly. clearly it's not more cost effective to be obese.
i dont mean to offend anyone with my comment, i'm sorry if i do!
-Alli
You are such a GOOD MOM!!! I have a friend whose son also had texture issues with food and it was definitely a struggle to get him to eat. I saw her frusteration first hand and so I can definitely imagine what it has been like for you. But seriously kudos to you for not giving up and sticking to your guns! You rock, Kristen!
I totally agree with what you said about never stop offering your child foods even if it seems that they don't like it. I think at such a young age their brains are still trying to remember or "learn" the different tastes of all the food we're giving them. But the same also goes vice versa. I introduced shrimp to my daughter when she was 2 and she loved it. Now she's 3 and starting to refuse it. Wierd how their likes and dislikes change.
I never saw food Inc.
I have not seen Food Inc yet but I REALLY want to! It was never playing around me when it was out in theaters. Have you thought about adding a little protein powder to your ogres/monsters? They may help with the hunger issue. I love making chili! Its such a fabulous din din
Chili sounds fantastic! I haven't ever made homemade chili, but I think I might try it next week!
well i guess i take your place for bad food blogger of the year, i still haven't seen the movie in its entirety! i have read the book though, so that kinda counts right? aw squirrel! i wouldn't worry too much, and you're right, just keep offering the new foods to them and eventually they'll like it! i read somewhere (totally unscientifically) that it takes 30 times for a kid to adjust to the taste of somethign and like it. whether that's true or not i have no idea, but in principle it certainly is!
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