Soup and Apples

Sometimes it's the little victories that mean the most.

I used to set the bar unintentionally high for myself saying things like, "My kids will eat only organic food, lean meats, leafy green vegetables, and whole grain breads." Life experience and a firmer grasp of reality have taught me that plan was naive and......well, stupid. Kids are kids. They like hot dogs and macaroni and cheese out of a box (a very specific box). They like McDonald's and Oreos. They prefer plain white bread, processed cheese, and, for the most part, they do NOT like leafy green vegetables. While my intention is to keep my kids healthy by feeding them the right kinds of foods, this battle inevitably has a negative effect on my own health and well-being by increasing my blood pressure, creating unnecessary tension in my muscles, and giving me a headache. And seeing that the goal of making my family eat healthy is that I can avoid dying prematurely of a stroke and/or heart attack, I've had to make some changes.

So, what do I do? Typically hide green leafy vegetables in other dishes or add them into items that can be smothered in ketchup. I buy bread that they'll eat and make pancakes with whole wheat flour which can be hidden under syrup. I do my best, but have chosen to choose my battles wisely. Let's face it...most days we're just glad our kids are eating. Period. Which is why my heart smiles a bit when I can steer them away from the "usual" and serve them something like homemade soup and apples for lunch. It's a small victory but on days like today, I'll take what I can get.