Puree.

Yes. It's true- I make Layla's puree food. ALL of it. I'm pretty proud of that statement- I won't lie. As you may remember, I had to stop breast feeding after a week and a half because of a hemorrhage and blah blah blah, It was a terrible emotional pain I went through. Now, here I am, 9 months later and I've been hand making all of her food since she was 5 months old. I do NOT make her oatmeal. She does NOT eat rice or sugar- no added sweeteners at all (except cinnamon which has some serious health benefits). She eats meat very sparingly right now and absolutely no (ZERO!) cookies, cakes, ice cream etc. We don't allow junk food in her belly- if it makes me feel like crap after I eat it, it will likely do the same thing to her. Pizza makes me sick- no pizza for Layla. Hamburg makes me sick- no hamburg (or ground meat at all right now) for Layla. She does eat pasta (which I don't make myself)- plain boring pasta with a bit of Parmesan cheese on it for flavor. She LOVES it. We don't give her red meat, we don't give her junk food- no chips, no added salt, no added sweeteners of any kind. Simply fruits, veggies and a bit of pasta or oatmeal. NO juice, no milk (formula only) and guess what people? My child LOVES ice water. 

Some people may ask me why? Why am I SO picky about what she eats? The reason is this: I want her to be able to make healthy choices when she is older. Knowing that you don't need dessert after every meal- you don't need soda, juice or sweet drinks. No need for chips or nachos (although they are tasty). No added filler foods. It isn't necessary. I want Layla to be able to make healthy food choices in her later years. Starting her off right is the only way I know how to do that. I've vowed to not use food as a reward or a punishment. Don't like what you're eating? Try as much as you can and then, dinner is over for you. You're welcome to a sandwich. Did you go on the potty? Good job! Here's a hug instead of a sweet treat. With that same token- finishing your dinner doesn't mean you get dessert. Dessert isn't necessary. Food can be your best friend or your worst enemy. I'm hoping to make it her friend. 

I'll be the first to tell you- my child has a sweet tooth. She LOVES fruits. HATES veggies. Unless you mix them with fruit. This involves me being creative most of the time. We mix sweet potatoes with pears, or apples. We mix spinach with blue berries...it's all good and she gets her veggies in. Matt's parents bought her some baby food the last time we visited- mango with apple and finely chopped carrots. Guess what? She INHALED it! And that's how I spent my day today :) 

Apples, pears, carrots, mango!

We are baby bullet users. My one complaint? The spatula SUCKS.

Delicious steamed carrots coming up!

Fresh cut mango!

And sometimes, you leave to soothe a crying baby and you come back to this.

This guy stands on his head just to blend my mango. Thanks upside down bullet man!

The BEST kitchen gadget EVER. It's akin to the slap chop- pampered chef style. It cuts my carrots into a fine chop with just a few presses of the blades. 

Finished product! Hungry anyone?

And just in case anyone is wondering, I taste all the food I give Layla. Not all of it tastes good to me...but, as long as it doesn't make me puke, I give it to her to try. You never know if she'll like it- sometimes she surprises me! She LOVES dried fruits mixed with oatmeal. We've been on that kick for a couple days now.

In short, I guess you could say I'm picky about what Layla eats because I want her to be picky about what she eats. Not that I don't want her to be open to trying new things, but I want her to be picky about the non healthy foods she eats. I'm not saying she'll NEVER eat cookies or cake...but in moderation and not very often.