Friends and others often comment about what a great eater Anna Claire is. And Larry and I loved hearing Anna Claire beg for more crawfish last night at dinner. Atta girl!
I've thought about writing this post about this for some time now, but after doing some reading, I truly think I know what I'm talking about and can write it with some credibility.
It Starts Younger Than You Think
I can tell you that it starts young, in infancy and in utero. Did you know that babies have very developed taste buds as early as 21 weeks in the womb? They take in and swallow their amniotic fluid which takes on the flavor of whatever you've eaten. Same is true of breast milk.
I nursed Anna Claire for the first 14 months, so it's no wonder we have identical cravings and that the child will eat just about anything, just like her mom! She was captive to my eating habits for a total of almost 2 years!
Exposure to Multiple Foods is Critical - and Do It Young
I also have to credit her Daddy. Larry is a graduate of California Culinary Academy and a true foodie if I've ever met one. It was his great ambition from the time she was able to consume solid foods to present her with opportunities to try everything. He had so much fun exposing her to foods and watching her reactions to them, as I did. And research does state there's a correlation between exposure to foods and children's eating habits.
Homemade Versus Store Bought Baby Food
I don't say this to sound snooty or judgmental, because had a been a single mom or had a different husband this may not be the case, but Anna Claire has never had store bought baby food. After tasting store bought baby food at a baby shower, I felt so blessed to have a husband that took such great joy in cooking and pureeing all of our child's foods - that stuff tastes gross! Here is an article comparing store bought to homemade baby food.
Another interesting fact is that babies actually have many more taste buds than we do. That's why they like lemons as wee ones, and reject them as sour later on. Little babies can pick up on the sweet notes of a lemon that we aren't able to as adults.
I say that to point out the store bought might be even less appealing to someone with more taste buds - if we think it tastes bad, what do babies who taste with more intensity think?
You Get What You Get and You Don't Throw a Fit
I think many parents are quick to say their child just doesn't like many foods, so they present them with chicken nuggets every night because "that's all they'll eat." I beg to differ - we have an expectation with Anna Claire, and always have, that what we present her at mealtime is what she gets. And you know what, she eats it! Raising our expectations for kids can completely change the outcome, I've found.
I am proud of how well our sweet girl eats, but I feel we have done a great deal to encourage this. I am expecting a baby #2, and we plan and steering the same course for her!
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