A while ago (in days, not posts) I told y'all about HB's newfound and super-annoying pickiness about food. At that time, he was eating only an extremely small handful of foods, enough so that it was a real struggle to find 3 meals and 2 snacks that were composed of different foods of which there was even a remote chance he'd eat. Not only was the list shrinking, it was not at all balanced in terms of proteins, carbs, fats, vitamins, etc. In fact, it was pretty much an All Crackers, All The Time diet with a few raisins.

Not Ideal.

Matt and I were increasingly frustrated/anxious/upset/pleading at mealtimes, which in turn made Hosea more recalcitrant/obnoxious/upset/screamy/inappetant. Something had to give, and it did.

Matt The Invincible came up with a list of possible foods to try with Hosea (basically, anything he had ever eaten before). We also discussed and agreed upon some general guidelines in terms of both food expectations and mealtime behaviours. We wanted to offer him at least two options at every meal. We wanted him to have closer to 5-a-day of fruit/veg (he was getting closer to 1-a-day. of raisins). We wanted there to be a clear understanding that the food he was offered at a particular sitting was It, and there was no "back-up cracker" if he didn't want it. Mostly, we said out loud and agreed with each other that he was NOT going to starve if he skipped a meal or 2, and that it was going to be okay with us if he refused the food we gave him (which may sound silly, but it is kinda hard not to take it personally when you cook something tasty up to have it unceremoniously dumped onto the floor).

It really had been a rousing success. HB has loved being introduced (or reacquainted) with a bunch of produce, has become more adventurous, and generally is less obnoxious at meals. Matt and I are less anxious about what we feed him (though we do still have to repeat a carb or something in the day). It isn't perfect, by any means, but we feel like we've gone from having That Kid to having a normal, slightly fussy toddler.

Here's tonight's meal as, in my opinion, a sign of how far we've come from the cracker-n-raisins of yestermonth:

On the plate, clockwise from top: red bell pepper, tofu cubes and strips, cucumber, yellow bell pepper, baby purple spring onions, and soba noodles with toasted sesame seeds. On the side is a cashew butter- soy- sesame dipping sauce.

He didn't like the sauce, but ate everything else on the plate with gusto. Yay!

(Incidentally, this was the dinner from which his was appropriated. Yummy, but needed more spiciness.)