365 Project - Day 130 - Lima Beans

My child loves lima beans. I know, I shouldn't complain. I just think it's a little strange that my daughter adores one of the foods that is loathed by other children (and most adults) the world over. I keep thinking that one of these days, Cadence is going to wake up and suddenly go on a food strike.

After experimenting with just about every fruit and vegetable we could find--from kiwi and blackberries to asparagus and zucchini--we only encountered one food that Cadence absolutely abhored.

Bananas.

The first time I gave Cadence a bite of banana, she squinted her eyes closed tightly and puckered her mouth, as though she had just tasted something extremely sour. Then, her eyes widened, her face turned a deep reddish purple and she gagged, loudly and repeatedly, until the mushy bite fell out of her mouth. At Cadence's next checkup, her pediatrician was surprised to hear that she had such a strong reaction to bananas.

"Really?" he asked, incredulously. "That's funny. Most kids love bananas. Maybe just give it a few months and try again. Sometimes children will completely refuse to eat something, and then all of a sudden it becomes their favorite."

I waited over three months before giving bananas another go. I didn't even get the bite in Cadence's mouth. The mere smell of the fruit made her grimace and gag, so I gave up. It didn't really hurt my feelings, or Steven's for that matter. Neither of us like bananas, so we just chalk it up to her genetics.

I really thought I was testing Cadence's limits when I picked up a bag of lima beans in the supermarket for her to try, but I figured it was worth a shot. After all, this is the girl that ate only a few bites of the grilled cheese I ordered for her when we went out to eat with my cousin Shelly and her husband Jason a few months back, but insisted on eating almost all of the steamed broccoli off Jason's plate. Truth be told, I think Jason was glad that Cadence was taking the broccoli off his hands, and I learned that the safest bet for Cadence at any restaurant is an order of steamed vegetables, preferably something green.

When I picked up the lima beans, Steven wrinkled his nose and told me I was crazy, but lo and behold, Cadence started shoveling them into her mouth almost as fast as I could shovel them onto her tray. So, we add another vegetable to our growing list of mealtime possibilities until the day my daughter finally decides that enough is enough.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to my adventurous eater and her obsession with all foods green. Thank you dear, for being so willing to try the things I put in front of you. I promise I will try to keep things as tasty and interesting as I can, and someday, when you go off to college and find that there are not near as many different choices, I hope you'll look back on these days with an appreciative smile.