BLWers..."square" meals?

StrawberryAlarmClock

Do you try to offer LO a fruit, veggie, protein & starch? I noticed yesterday that DS had a banana, a pear, broccoli and a pickle....variety, yes, but not all the food groups.  Should I be introducing the pyramid if for no other reason but to get us both in the habit of having square meals?? And for fats...do you just rely on BM or try to incorporate EVOO and other healthy fats?

Brooke81

I really didn't worry about food groups until DS was older (like around 12 months) and as he started eating more solid and more meals and getting slightly less BM. I did try to give him variety but I concentrated on fruits and veggies as those were easier to BLW with in the beginning. At that point he was getting fat from BM and I figure carbs are a little less essential.

BelhurstBride

I don't. I try to get fiber and protien in, but that's it. I'll worry more about it when her primary source of nutrition is no longer BM.

StrawberryAlarmClock

Thanks, this is how I am doing things as well. I just was reading a baby nutrition booklet and thought to myself, "Yikes! I'm not doing all this!"

Then again, the booklet is published by Gerber, so I'm sure there are some alterior motives behind the quantities and varieties they recommend!

StrawberryAlarmClock

MandJS:

StrawberryAlarmClock:

Thanks, this is how I am doing things as well. I just was reading a baby nutrition booklet and thought to myself, "Yikes! I'm not doing all this!"

Then again, the booklet is published by Gerber, so I'm sure there are some alterior motives behind the quantities and varieties they recommend!

The thing that struck me most in reading about BLW was the part where kids who were left to eat what they wanted STILL had a balanced diet over time. It may not be balanced on any given day, but over time, the idea is LO will eat from all the food groups. 

Yes, that amazed me, too.  I also was floored that they avoided things they turned out to be allergic to! Did you read the research done with preschoolers and the Kool-Aid? They gave half of the kids real Kool-Aid and half the kids red water 30 minutes before snack time. The kids who had the Kool-Aid ate less snack.  It turns out that we have a natural calorie counter and we stop ourselves after the right amount of calories not the right quantity of food. We, however, override this natural ability and let ourselves learn to overeat.  I'm hoping to allow Dez to keep this skill.