And it's not because my hubby is a dual citizen, I just really liked the fact that their guidelines are research based and very up-to-date. It also falls in line with Baby Led Weaning with recommending starting babies with textured foods instead of purees and jumping right into the high-allergen foods early on (except for peanuts). So we did just that... jumped right in. Much to my surprise it is working marvelously. The babies have seemed to like everything I've made for them! It would appear Riv likes meat more than Riley (we've been curious as to what their food preferences would be since G is a carnivore and I've been a veg-head for life!). River always goes straight for the chicken/beef/fish etc. right off the bat and Riley grabs veggies/fruit/pasta first. And Riley, the little stinker, when she doesn't want something on her tray she will grab it, hold it over the side of the high chair and drop it on the floor. I've also caught her putting it on her brother's tray! She's a sneaky girl, that one. LOL
I try to make meals that I can portion and freeze for future feedings. It is a new and foreign concept to me, but I have been hitting it hard and it really pays off. I now have a freezer full of options and I'm always trying to add to it. It's a lot of prep work I have to do when I'm lucky enough for the twins to take longer than a 15 minute nap, but it's so worth it for the convenience of only needing to heat up a ready-made meal. :-) I've also found a lot of baby/toddler finger food recipes that are chock full of shredded veggies, in pasta and even meatloaf balls! Yes. I said meatloaf balls.
I have kept track of everything the twins have tried this month and I am super proud of them that they have tried (and seem to like!) so many foods. Riley's favorites so far are watermelon, grapes and any kind of pasta. Riv doesn't seem to dig fruit that much, although he'll eat it for the most part and he really likes beef, cheese and omelets. Neither seem to keen on avocado (which seems crazy because I loooove it). It will be interesting to see if their tastes change as they get older and hopefully all this food sampling will lead to toddlers who aren't picky. We shall see!
Here is a list of everything they have tried this month...
FRUITS: watermelon, peaches, blueberries, nectarine, prunes, pears, papaya, apples, banana, raspberries, cantaloupe, kiwi, strawberries, pineapple, mango, grapes.
VEGGIES: sweet potato, butternut squash, eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, potato, carrots, spinach, kale, avocado, tomato, green beans, broccoli, pumpkin,
spaghetti squash, mushrooms, golden beets.
PROTEIN: eggs, beef, chicken, fish, tempeh, tofu, black beans, garbanzo beans, cannellini beans, lentils, cheese, yogurt
MISC: french toast &banana toast (both with 100% wheat bread), strawberry & blueberry pancakes (gluten free mix), hummus, organic waffles, oatmeal, many different kinds of whole wheat or gluten free pasta dishes, homemade lentil croquettes and veggie fritters
SEASONINGS: curry, coriander, basic, garlic, tumeric, oregano, garam masala, chili powder, parsley, black pepper
Looking forward to more adventures with food for the twins!
