Issuing a challenge

I receive a number of daily emails from parenting and pregnancy websites and magazines filled with updates on safety recalls, top 10 tips for getting baby to do this or that, shedding baby weight, etc. Usually I scan through a few every day or so, sometimes while in line on errands, waiting for Jay to wake up and what not.

Because I scan through them haphazardly, I retain very little of the information but one tid-bit I read months ago has stuck in the back of my mind for months-

"If you ate only what your child ate for a week, would you be healthy?" 

I have to say, the answer is yes, probably healthier than if I am making the choices for myself. But this week I've asked myself, "But would you be bored?" again I think the answer is YES.

At 13 months Jay's daily menu looks like this-
Breakfast: 1 scrambled egg with a dash of ketchup, 1 biscuit with grape jelly and 1/2 cup of fruit, 8 oz. whole milk.
Lunch-Chicken Noodle soup, Spaghettios, Ravioli, Beefaroni, or maybe some leftover pasta, veggies like green beans or Lima beans or cooked carrots, 1/2 cup of fruit 8 oz. whole milk
Snack: YoBaby yogurt, vanilla goldfish or a fig newton, milk
Dinner: Veggies (above) pasta or starch that we are having for dinner, 1/2 cup fruit (almost always strawberries, pineapple, occasionally melon)

Every.Single.Day.

While I take a great deal of pride in his balanced, colorful meals and the fact that overall he is a good eater, I am somewhat ashamed by the fact that lunch and snacks everyday are canned-pre-made and boring.

So, I'm challenging myself over the next few weeks. My goal is to introduce new foods and present balanced meals everyday that are outside of our standard, mindless grab a can from the pantry and nuke it.

Not that I am trying to become a baby gourmet, but the hope is that everyday we will be able to enjoy new meals while maintaining the easy mealtimes that we both love.

Wish us (all) luck!