Our nine year old daughter is very small for her size and is often asked if she is in kindergarten or first grade. Now, I'm no giant, but it's clear she is quite small and her height is a very sensitive subject with her. We have visited an endocrinologist, been through growth hormone testing and tried drinking milkshakes with every meal. So far, we've discovered that she does not have a growth hormone deficiency and that she really doesn't like milkshakes as much as I do. And, although we let her eat whenever and whatever she wants, as prescribed by her doctor, my husband and I decided to limit the sweet intake and try to get her to eat better. After six years, I think we're finally getting somewhere and it didn't take me hiding fruits and vegetables in her food.
I'm a firm believer in children knowing what they eat, what it's called and what it looks like. But now, I've broken my rule and have been hiding tofu in many of our family meals unbeknownst to my entire family. I've made tofu/fruit smoothies, added it to fried rice, sprinkled it in pasta sauce and any other way I can disguise it. The funny thing is, my family has been raving about my cooking lately! So why should I continue to keep this a secret? Why shouldn't I? My daughter is getting some needed lean proteins which I hope will benefit her medically, and my family is also eating healthier. Isn't that what a mom is supposed to do?
We will continue to monitor our daughter's growth and we'll see if the tofu makes a difference. Will I disguise other foods? Probably not because she has a pretty good intake of fruits and vegetables already.
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