Food fetishes of an 8-year old

From that toddler whose mouth just opens automatically as the spoon makes its approach, or that teething infant who drools just seeing a carrot stick or biscuit, or the one who adorably savors each spoonful or mashed squash… sooner or later, most kids enter the “dark side” when they become picky, they have very little appetite, much less interest in food, most especially when eating time is pitted against playtime.Reese went through different stages of her relationship with food. I would not really classify her as a picky eater, but more of someone who has very specific needs and wants of what will be on the dining table, the plate, and eventually what she puts in her mouth. She is moody when it comes to trying out new things- sometimes she is relatively adventurous which is why she discovered she loves sitaw. But generally, if you want her to eat, and I mean really eat (with eyes closed pa while eating), just serve her her favorites. If not, better take note of her food fetishes!Do your kids have their own food fetishes? Here are some of Reese’s:

• When served spaghetti, she just eats noodles and not the sauce. Sometimes she adds on lots of parmesan cheese, but the less sauce the better.

You'll see the sauce being set aside when she eats spaghetti, even when it's her fave Pancake house spag!

• Same rule goes with the more typical carb, rice. She wants it white and without sauce. Save for Café Mediterranean’s buttered rice (where she would even ask for seconds) and her recently discovered paella negra, she will never eat java rice.
• The only fruit she eats is ripe mangoes.
• True to her name, she is a chocoholic. The only one among our three kids who has a sweet tooth!
• The only frozen yogurt she likes is Pinkberry’s, the only cupcake she likes is Cupcakes by Sonja’s chocolate surprise, and the only doughnut she likes is Krispy Kreme's honey glazed.
• She will not drink any other milk except Silk soy milk in chocolate. Much to my dismay, the importers stopped bringing in the big tetra packs so I have to buy her the individual tetra packs which cost 50 pesos each a pop!
• Her favorite food choices range from the common sinigang and crispy fried chicken to the unusual okra and tekkamaki sushi.



• For breakfast, she will only eat one of these: pancake (with butter but without syrup), omelette, egg, or cereals. Sometimes she will ask for instant noodle soup but I limit this as much as I can, and she knows that.

Reese and her favorite Edamame.

• Like most kids, she looves ramen and also the edamame (steamed and salted string beans) that’s served in most ramen houses. During our trip to Osaka, we would eat at Ippudo almost every night as a night cap, and on our last day, she cried because she thought she would never ever eat that same ramen ever again. What can I say? This one's passionate about her food.

With all these idiosyncrasies that go with feeding this little lady, it is a challenge to make sure she is getting the minimum recommended dietary allowance. That’s why I find that giving my kids supplemental vitamis. I feel that the vitamins and minerals they get from their food really isn’t enough.Reese has been taking Propan TLC syrup which is a multivitamin with chlorella, lysine and taurine, which helps build healthy muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs, including heart and brain.Propan TLC contains essential vitamins that help maintain the required levels of all necessary nutrients for her body in order to ensure proper growth and development. It also has important amino acids, chlorella, lysine and taurine, the source of building materials forShe takes it everyday ideally after breakfast along with a vitamin C which she also takes daily. If she is unable for whatever reason to take it during breakfast, we give it to her before bedtime which is also safe because I believe the body also absorbs vitamins well while we are asleep and Propan TLC has no side effects not even acidity in the tummy.I think daily supplements are a big reason why Reese is tall for her age and is rarely sick even when exposed to playmates who have cough and cold.  When she does feel something coming, like she will tell me she feels a “sharp thing in her throat”, I just make her gargle with salt water or spray throat spray, and it doesn't progress. Thankfully, our little girl is growing up strong and healthy.Besides attributing this to having been a breastfed baby, I think watching her food intake and supplementing with vitamins plays a big role as well.So if your child is like Reese and has all these rules and guidliens and fetishes when it comes to food, it would be best to supplement with a good vitamin daily, becauase as moms, there's really nothing we want more than to have happy and healthy children!