Start young...

As I was making my salad wrap for lunch today, Bethany walked in the kitchen and said that she wanted a salad, too. I'm always very happy when she requests healthy food, and I quickly made up a cute little salad for her. I've been pretty successful in getting her to eat almost anything (in fact, she's the one who really likes the smoothies that I make!) and at 3 years old, she basically wants to eat whatever her older sisters are eating!

So, we sat down and ate our salads. Everything was great, until she noticed that I had a whole wheat soft tortilla shell and she did not. She also noticed that I had hummus, which I had tried to hide from her. Rats! When it comes to my healthy food, I get very protective. :-) I frequently remind my family that there are only certain things in our house that I can eat, while they are free to eat whatever they want. So, back away from my food! I'm kind of like a chipmunk or a squirrel...I stock pile and hide it. In fact, I have a whole shelf in our pantry to myself - and everybody knows not to touch anything without asking! That is where I store my cereal and crackers, natural peanut butter and Kashi granol bars. I suppose that it's not very spiritually mature of me to be such a hog...but this is about survival!!! lol

Anyway, Bethany told me that she wanted a tortilla like mine...and some hummus, too. So, being the older and more mature of the two of us, I graciously went and grabbed half of a tortilla and spread some hummus on it for her. (The tortillas are the expensive Ezekiel 4:9 kind, so I wasn't going to give her a whole thing only to find out she wasn't hungry enough to eat it all - that would be such a waste!) She quickly devoured that half (which surprised me) and then wanted more. Have you all ever read the book, "If you give a mouse a cookie..."? Yeah, well this was turning out just like that book. I was scared that she wouldn't stop! Soon, she would demand not just my tortillas and hummus, but my peanut butter, my fruits and veggies, and...dare I even say it? My cereal!!!

But thankfully, her little tummy was full after consuming a whole tortilla and some hummus. I was saved!

Here is a picture I took of her eating her tortilla. I'm doing my best to get her to love fruits and veggies just as much as me. Just not my tortillas...