Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Trying New Foods


Two years ago, when Noah began the Diet, I remember feeling "freaked out" that he wouldn't be getting his fruits and veges..... a balanced diet..... Finally, our Dietitian said, "Cathy, 90% of his diet is Fat! No matter what little things you throw in there to make yourself feel like it looks more healthy or a little more balanced, his meals will still be 90% fat!" I realized at that moment how important it was for Noah to enjoy his meals. I didn't get hung up on trying "new" foods.

With my other children, I do not design meals according to their tastes. We eat the meal that I fix. In fact, my rule is - Try everything at least once. If I fix a vege you aren't fond of, guess what..... I've got another vege on the table. But if you don't eat all of your dinner, you can't get into the refrigerator the rest of the evening (except for water).

Am I harsh? No ..... I'm just not a short order cook. I proudly took on their food battles when they were younger and it has made our lives much more enjoyable. They try new foods willingly and eat fabulously when we are dining out or at other people's homes. I love it!

Anyway........ for Noah and the Keto Diet, it was all about eating the meal and eating it all! So, I've spent the past 2 years talking with Noah to find out what food he wants. I do my best to put meals together that he enjoys. In fact, this picture shows Noah with his favorite meal. "Noah Ice Cream." It's Heavy Whipping Cream (whipped), mixed with a small amount of melted Coconut Oil, some peanut butter, chopped pecans, Bickford Chocolate Flavoring and a titch of Splenda. Freeze it and serve in a cute bowl or sundae glass. He loves it. It actually smells like a Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pecan Ice Cream.

Recently..........I decided to try some veges and mayo with him. Normally, he cannot stand mayo. It's just not part of his diet (not fighting the battle with the Keto kid!). I sprinkled a titch of powdered ranch dressing to some mayo, sliced some carrots and celery and added some cheese slices to the plate. To my surprise...he LOVED it! He was so proud of himself for trying something new too!

My husband turned 40 last month. We went out to sushi that night to celebrate. My two older boys hadn't had sushi. I'm only a California Roll type wimpy sushi person and over the years I haven't been the best "sushi buddy" for my hubby that loves loves loves sushi! The two older boys loved it! Noah watched the entire meal, our reactions to the boys trying something new, and he loved the colors in the foods that we ate. A few days later, I asked Noah if he wanted to try some sushi. He was ecstatic! I sauteed a few shrimp, added some small globs of cream cheese to each, a few sliced carrots on the plate for color and butter candies on the side. (A butter candy is melted butter mixed with coconut oil & cinnamon. Poured into a small tinfoil wrapper and frozen. I pop them on his plate. He peels the foil off and eats his "butter candy.") He loved the "Noah Sushi" meal. It made him feel confident and adventurous.

I wouldn't worry about variety or balancing the meal or forcing new foods. But every once in a while, try to capitalize on the excitement of an experience to create something new and fun for your keto kid. I was surprised by his positive response. Hopefully you will be too!

**Maybe if I could convince him to eat a meal that Batman or Spiderman ate on a regular basis, he would eat that too;> Hee Hee Hee

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

That ice cream does sound good, but how do you keep it from getting too hard? I've made ice cream for Jade and I find I have to either take it out 30 to 60 minutes before-hand or else nuke it for a few seconds (which is uneven, of course). Any tips?

I've been meaning to make butter candies, but was going to use chocolate. Cinnamon is a great idea!

Cathy said...

Hey Fawn - I take the ice cream out and chop it a little with a butter knife. It seems to melt just enough as he eats it plus its in smaller bites from the chopping. Maybe food just freezes harder in Alaska;>

Cathy said...

Aaargh!! Sorry Fawn - I meant the Yukon!!!

Anonymous said...

Haha - no worries, close enough. :) Maybe the fat content makes a difference, too. I think "standard" American heavy cream is 36% fat and you can also get 40%, but here, the typical heavy cream is either 33% or 35%. I just figure coconut oil would make it harder. Time to experiment some more, I guess! But then it's SO frustrating when they don't like it!

stacey said...

Hello Cathy,
Looking to start diet in June for my 8 yr old daughter.
Wanted some info or advice on things i can do now to prepare.
Stacey

 

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