Great Greens!

It pains me to say that Master X is not a great eater. As a lover and skilled preparer of food, I had these delusions that he would become something of a gourmand. (You know the old saying about what happens when you assume something.) As a new eater, he was open to all sorts of concoctions... lentils, salmon, you name it. As a toddler, his sad repertoire consists of (organic, of course) baked chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, pizza, turkey meatballs, and sometimes, hot dogs. Veggie-wise, he'll eat peas, Dr. Praeger's spinach cakes, sweet potato and french fries. He won't touch spinach if it's not in a 'cake' or tomato if it's not 'sauce' or 'ketchup.' He won't even put a carrot in his mouth, despite the fact that orange is his favorite color.

I try new things continually, but they are often spit out (with an indignant gag, like I've fed him cat litter) or simply dismissed with a "No, Mommy!" He would eat his weight in fruit, if he could, and enjoys crackers, yogurt, and of course, any kind of dessert item, especially those with icing. When I expressed my concern, the pediatrician simply stated that he eats four more vegetables than some kids... if you count a fried potato as a veggie, which I sort of don't. Being a strict vegetarian for the past ten years, I'm a little perplexed. I'm not despairing though, because I'm hopeful he'll broaden his horizons as he gets older, but for the meantime, I'm just hoping he gets the right nutrients.

That's where this post comes in. I've made a surprising discovery.

When Mister B and I were dating, his mother, a well-meaning chiropractor, suggested that I try this powdered greens drink - Greens First - that she had begun to use. I agreed to try it out of respect, but really had very little interest. For one thing, I was a raw foods vegetarian (think fruit, raw veggies and nuts) at the time, and got plenty of green produce in my diet. Additionally, after trying everything on the market, I pretty much knew what we all know: greens drinks SUCK. They're gritty, taste like grass, and leave a terrible aftertaste. (Don't even get me started on wheatgrass.) So I drank it and was pleasantly surprised, shocked even. It was delicious. She left us a canister and returned to Seattle and I became a temporary devotee of the stuff, even convincing Mister B to drink it. (Like Master X, Mister B cannot be forced to do anything, nor does he have much patience for 'healthy' things I spring on him.) Every morning at six a.m., I made the drinks while he walked the dog... and then the canister ran out and I got out of the habit.

Fast forward to this summer. I'm exhausted from chasing Master X around the beach all day, and pretty aware that my pregnancy diet is heavy on the barbeque chips and light on energy enhancing 'superfoods.' So I called my MIL, confirmed that there were no pregnancy contraindications and asked her to ship me some greens. It arrived and I began a daily regimen of mixing it with water, shaking it up, and enjoying the benefits of the forty-nine superfoods and organic fruits and veggies it provides. Sometimes, I drink it in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon... it all depends on when I'm feeling sluggish these days.

But here's the point. Master X is obsessed with it. At first I thought it was just the enjoyment of shaking the container, and I fully expected him to spit his first sip out. Instead, he asked for more. Now we drink it every day. We call it "Mommy's milkshake," and he sucks it down like I've just given him a chocolate milkshake. (Now I am not saying that it tastes anything like a chocolate milkshake.) In the picture I'm posting, he's actually standing at the front door of our apartment, cornered after he took mine and tried to run away with it.

So if any of you Mamas are looking for an energy boost, or think you or your kiddos could use some additional veggies or cell-enriching antioxidants, I think this is a great solution. (It's only available online, so I can give you some of mine if you're interested.) It even works in smoothies, or with protein powder.

And there's one thing you can trust... if it's passed the strict tastebud regulations of both Mister B and Master X, it can't be bad.