A side note. I see that babies are being diagnosed with Rickets because they are not getting enough vitamin D from breast milk. Many women are short on vitamin D, and cannot transfer enough to their babies. Maybe when they encourage women to breast feed, they should also teach healthy eating habits. Junk in equals junk out.

I know I have been introducing my 2 year old to all sorts of veggies and he loves asparagus, broccoli when dipped in hummus, cucumbers, bell peppers and more. I also try to balance his diet with whole grains, fruit, dairy and protein. However, when I do make other meals, I do ‘hide’ veggies in it in order to get a higher nutritional content into the food. It’s not about replacing veggies with hidden purees, it’s about making all the food we put on our bodies better for us and teaching a love for healthy and fresh food.

I started experimenting with raw versus cooked veggies and many taste better raw: zucchini, fresh peas from the pod. I am continuing with the experiment all summer.

Joshua Rosenthal’s “Integrative Nutrition”

I think it is fascinating and invaluable book about nutrition and diets. It may even change your life.

I found a great methodology for feeding kids. It’s by a “feeding and eating expert” named Ellyn Satter. She says, “Feeding demands a division of responsibility. Parents are responsible for the what, when and where of feeding; Children are responsible for the how much and whether of eating.”

This is a really nice philosophy. The onus is on the parent to provide wholesome choices. And the kids have control about whether or not they eat. If you put out a variety of healthy options, they will eat something.

We’re always looking for recipes and new ideas, too. Send them our way if you happen upon them.

Does she like corn or avocados? I am not sure about this, but kids might be more sensitive to taste. As we grow up we dull our tastes buds with coffee, wine etc. Some tastes are acquired over time. What about fruit; does she like fruit? I try to introduce healthy grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits, yogurt and other healthy foods. I have to admit that I did not eat much veggies as a kid, but I was and am healthy and never overweight. Have you tried some of the veggie/fruit juice combos ie: carrot and orange juice? I would not stress too much about this as long as you can get her to eat other healthy food. Make cookies with whole wheat four and some oats and nuts along with the chips. It may not be the healthiest, but it is a compromise nonetheless.