The art of feeding

Our lunch today was tasty and all three of us gobbled it up!

I've said before how sad I was to have to start feeding the girls solids months ago. Not because I wasn't excited about them having new foods and trying different things but because breastfeeding was SO easy that I wasn't looking forward to the extra work! I didn't have to pack anything, never had to worry if they were getting enough and knew that all the nutrients and vitamins were packed in there. They were growing beautifully and obviously were getting everything they needed (delicious chunky thighs and round bellies were proof of that!). They are still breastfed but only a few times a day now.

Initially we introduced solids around 6 months with just rice cereal and oatmeal. The girls weren't that receptive and our Pediatrician said they were growing and gaining weight well and that I could put them off for a while. At 9 months we started feeding them more solids and worked our way up to 3 meals a day of mostly fruit, cereal and pureed veggies. I was always adding spices into the fruits and vegetables because I had read that it helps expand babies palates and makes them less picky later. So far this has proven to be true! The girls love curry, cinnamon and nutmeg. They eat a huge variety of flavors and textures. Whatever is on my plate is what they eat. Their favorites include hummus, banana avocado "pudding", tofu with bananas, pizza (go figure!) and black bean burritos.

Feeding the girls vegetarian is challenging because I need to make sure they're getting everything they need to grow. I know it's the best and healthiest option for them and it's not less challenging for parents who feed meat to make sure their little ones are getting everything they need. Making sure they're eating the right combination of foods to get complete proteins and good fats can be daunting for me at times. Rasa is starting to exert her independence and will throw food instead of eat it or turn her head away from the spoon one minute and gobble up the next one. Adia is funny because even when she takes a bite of something she clearly doesn't like she continues to eat it bite after bite! I've got a pretty relaxed approach to it all assuming that if they're hungry they will eat and that they know much better than I do when they're not hungry anymore. It's worked out well this far as neither girls ever get sick and both are perfect for weight. I remind myself that like everything else it will get easier and my list of essential combinations will become like second nature to me.