Got A Lot of Eating To Do

My Mom is borrowing my camera so my post on 'my not so green thumb' is now postponed until I can snap a shot of my ailing plants. So what am I doing instead as my little one takes an actual nap in his crib? Reading about his food.

I decided I wanted to do homemade babyfood while I was pregnant, and I remembered the other day I had cut out a list from a magazine (most likely American Baby, Parents, or Parenting) inspired by Dr. Greene's suggestion to introduce a taste from all 21 plant families before age one. I just refreshed myself on food for baby with the list and reading this great article from Dr. Greene on homemade babyfood.

In any case, I was sitting here looking at this list thinking, boy, we've got a lot of eating to do (yes, please hum that to "Got a Lot of Livin' To Do" from Bye Bye, Birdie -- sidenote: when my sister was in high school, she was the cutest 'Kim McAfee' there ever was.)

So this list suggests G eat something from the following groups (I'm listing what Gabe has tried underneath the groups in italics. Foods yet to try are plain. Foods I really want G to try before age one are in color.) I went here for further reference. I still am sort of confused on family names and things so this list is not comprehensive of all the tastes Gabe will try.

Mushrooms - yet to try
Portobello mushrooms

Bromeliads - yet to try
Pineapples

Woody Trees - check!
-Bananas

Cruciferous Vegetables - yet to try
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Mustard
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Collards
Turnips

Myrtles - yet to try
Guava
Cloves

Umbrellifers - check!
-Carrots
Celery
Dill
Parsley
Fennel
Parsnip

Health Plants - check!
-Blueberries
-Cranberries

Legumes - check!
-Peas
-Green Beans
-Chick Peas
-Soy beans
-Lentils

Gourds - check!
-Zucchini
-Pumpkin
-Butternut Squash
-Summer Squash
-Acorn Squash
-Watermelon
-Cucumber
-Cantaloupe
-Honeydew

Composites - yet to try
Escarole
Lettuce
Artichokes

Sesames - yet to try
-Sesame Seeds (hmm... maybe some sesame seasoning?)

Lilies - yet to try
-Asparagus

Rosy plants - check!
-Apples
-Apricots
-Peaches
-Pears
-Plums
-Cherries
-Strawberries (age one)
-Raspberries (age one)
-Blackberries (age one)

Grapes - yet to try
-Grapes

Citrus Plants (age one) - yet to try
-Orange
-Grapefruit

Nightshades - yet to try
-White Potatoes (I made a potato puree that turned out HORRIBLY. Take two coming soon.)
-Eggplants
-Peppers
-Tomatoes

Laurels check!
-Avocado

Amaranths - yet to try
-Spinach
-Swiss Chard
-Quinoa (I really want to make G a quinoa cereal sometime soon.)

Loosestrifes - yet to try
Pomegranate (Maybe G will get some Pom. juice at age one. I don't understand how he could eat this otherwise, as yummy as I find the seeds in my champagne.)

True Grasses - check!
-Barley
-Oats
-Brown Rice

Bindweeds - check!
-Sweet Potatoes

Where do these go?
Mint
Mangoes

Um, we are 9/21. We've got a lot of eating to do! Gabriel is eight months today, and we started solids just over two months ago so 9/21 is not too bad of a showing for that schedule. And with Gabe's reflux, I've been reluctant to introduce him to foods which are reportedly gas-inducing or harder to digest like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, etc. But that little tummy matures every day, and this little man is getting ready for a real smorgasbord of food!