I am so surprised by some of the flavors and tastes my baby likes. Raw turnips? Have you ever tried them? Hummus with tons of raw garlic? Straight tahini? I marvel when he opens his mouth for more. The key now is to try to continue with this exploratory mode he’s in and not fall into a rut of “easy” things to serve. Peeling a banana is so much easier than steaming or sauteeing fresh fruits and veggies, but I don’t want to miss this “excited about flavors and new foods” window so I’m trying to think beyond my idea of normal too. I would have never thought to eat a turnip raw, or a turnip at all for that matter. But since a farmer at last weekend’s market handed my husband a raw turnip, my son quickly opened his mouth for a taste. He loved it, so steamed turnips are on the menu this week! The average American eats 4 different types of vegetables and I don’t even want to tell you that two of them are potatoes and tomatoes- yes, you guessed it, fries and ketchup. There are hundreds of different types and varieties in the world so we need to expand our vegetable repertoire. I think the easiest way is to join a CSA or go to the farmer’s market and see what’s in season. You’ll often be faced with things you’ve never even heard of- last year I tried garlic scapes for the first time. Yum! The food your children see you eat is the food they will want and develop a taste for, and it’s very gratifying to see a baby eating all of these healthful and nourishing options. Bring on the beets.
Very interesting! Definitely a reminder that even though I eat a much more varied group of veggies than I did when I was a kid, I need to branch out even more! Thanks for the tips, Holly!