Food

I hear horror stories from other parents about how their toddler won’t eat anything. These picky eaters end up hovering around the bottom percentiles of the growth charts. They receive ominous “projected adult height” prognostications that would imply a future of standing in the front row of pictures and having plenty of leg room in coach.

Let’s just say that we don’t have that problem with Mikey. He enjoys foods of all types, and he is moving up the growth charts nicely.


Here are some favorites of our 26 pound gourmand:
1. Banana: This oblong yellow fruit is much loved by primates everywhere. Clad in its very own wrapper, and shockingly inexpensive ($.41 / lb..what what!), this food is a parent’s dream. Our little monster goes all Chris Floyd on these things, consuming a whole banana in mere seconds. What Mikey calls it: “Nana”.

2. Edamame: These green steamed baby soybeans feature a rich meaty flavor and great nutritional value. These small beans are a perfect baby food: finger-sized, minimal choke risk factor, and no gunk or sticky juice. Michael eats these by the bushel while sharing liberally with Bella. We are thrilled that he is loving a green vegetable. What Mikey calls it: “ ___”.

3. Cuties aka Clementines: This variant of mandarin orange peels easily and features no baby-choking seeds. They have a delicious mild orange taste that Mikey enjoys. He also enjoys crushing clementine segments in his meaty little fists. I like to imagine that he has just threatened a rival and that he is crushing the orange to send a menacing message. He likes to rub the juice and pulp in his hair and on his clean outfit for the day. I take him to day care like that. What Mikey calls it: “Aaaa-puhl”, aka apple.

4. Whole Milk: It was a joyful day when we switched from powdered gold, ie formula, to good old whole milk. Michael has also transitioned to sippy cups. Michael’s favorite thing about sippy cups is that they can be inverted and shaken violently to send a flood of milk splattering everywhere. Fortunately, we have a dog that likes to drink milk. What Mikey calls it: “Ba-ba”.

5. Lemon Wedges: This is a rare treat, mainly enjoyed while dining out. There’s a love-hate dynamic here. I want to eat you, but you are so sour! Why can’t I stop!

6. Cantaloupe: When Michael eats cantaloupe, he enters a melon-lust frenzy. He yells for more while frantically making the ‘more’ hand sign. Cantalopes are a bit unwieldy to cut up, and they score very poorly on the mess-o-meter. What Mikey calls it: “Aaaa-puhl”. Any round fruit is apparently an apple.

Other Objects Eaten, For Better or For Worse:
1. A nice shiny quarter.
2. Purina Pro Plan Dog Food with Shredded Chicken Bits
3. A fistful of wasabi