A Food-Forward Generation

Foodie-Mom Blog - 12/29/10

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Before Gianna was born, my Master Food Plan was to have her indulge in all things healthful, to eat a variety of foods that brought culture and texture to her palate, to never lick a lollipop or eat something in “nugget” form. I even vowed that as soon as she could eat solids, they would be made from scratch, coming from my own culinary expertise.

Today, Gianna is three-and-a-half and I have to admit, my Master Food Plan is not going exactly how I'd thought it would. Instead, it is surpassing my expectations.

Today, Gianna is three-and-a-half and I have to admit, my Master Food Plan is not going exactly how I’d thought it would. Instead, it is surpassing my expectations.

If I had to label it, Gianna—and a lot of her playground friends—are Food Forward. They have been exposed to more specialty, diverse flavors, textures and variety than I was when I was at that age. Some examples:

Hummus with apples—Hummus wasn’t something I was introduced to until my 20s.

Seaweed and miso soup—Who thought a toddler would be experiencing umami flavors? Campbell’s Chicken Noodle was a staple in my diet and I’m pretty sure I did not have miso soup until at least after college.

Edamame, which she learned to appreciate after her friend Justin showed her how to find the beans at a dinner date at the local Japanese restaurant. (Lima beans were what I was served, and I never recall going out for Japanese!)

Greek yogurt—Mainstream with fruit on the bottom made a regular appearance in my lunch box.

Organic fruit leathers, among many other organic products, like cheese doodles that don’t turn your fingers orange and fruit purees in cool squeeze packs. (Organic? What was that?)

Whole grain pita chips (I don’t think anyone in my family in the 70s knew pita could be made into a chip) and tortilla chips with flax seeds (Doritos, anyone?)

Maybe all of my Master Food Plan hasn’t been met. (Only a few teaspoons of baby food have been homemade ... and she’s certainly had chicken nuggets, both the good kind and those from McDonald’s, thanks to Grandma and Pop-Pop ... And last Halloween blew my lollipop plan out the window.) But, Gianna is certainly doing okay.—Nicole Potenza Denis