Getting Real with Kira Hazledine
I do my best to offer my toddler a balanced diet, which is especially difficult when she would survive solely on cheese balls. What makes it even harder is that I’m not the biggest veggie lover over here. I do think I eat healthy, overall. I love fruits and I try to minimize junk food in my own diet. But getting those veggies in is a challenge.
I eat salads not because I want to, but because I know they are good for me. And you know what, even my toddler will sit and eat a salad if I make her one and I’m assuming she must enjoy it. Hallie doesn’t know that salads are a part of a balanced diet, but she sees me eat them. I count that as a win, and I’m proud of myself for providing a good example.
Clearly, if I eat veggies, my toddler will too.
But this is hit or miss.
Why? Because I don’t eat my veggies as often as I should either. Hallie doesn’t see me eat a lot of other foods, and she won’t tolerate anything steamed like her dad enjoys. I’ve discovered that Hallie does like sautéed veggies, but I’m lazy. I would eat sautéed veggies if they were put in front of me, but I don’t even think about cooking them. It’s not on my radar.
I’m learning that I have to prioritize cooking the veggies both my toddler and I enjoy, the same way I prioritize teeth brushing and exercise. It’s just something that must start happening. I could just throw a gummy vitamin at Hallie every day and call it good, but I know in my heart that isn’t the right way to do things.
Will I ever be the mom that tells Hallie she has to eat her broccoli or there will be no dessert? Nope. I can’t possibly force my child to fall in line with a life style that I don’t live myself. This mama loves cookies. What I would like to be is the mom that incorporates more veggies into her own diet, and subsequently into the child’s.
Hallie will see me eating veggies and want to eat them, too. Just like how Hallie sees me exercising and wants to join in. Building healthy habits demands a good example, and I have to be that. It’s not easy, especially when I would much rather eat ice cream. But motherhood is full of sacrifices and including more veggies in my diet is just one of those things.
Luckily, there are a lot of delicious vegetable recipes out there. I just have to get off my butt and find them.
