Scarlett is a veggie baby. She’s never had a Happy Meal, drumstick or tuna sandwich. After she stopped eating exclusively at the Mom Café, Scarlett embraced black beans, soy milk and “fu-fu,“ usually known as tofu. Scarlett was born into a meat-free household. The reactions of people when they discover this run a wide spectrum from enthusiastic support to inquisitive interest to skeptical hostility. Whatever their take on Scarlett‘s diet, most people express some sort of concern about the health ramifications for a little person who doesn’t eat meat. This is interesting given that she is one of the most robust kids I know. More interesting than what she won’t eat is what she does eat--and love. She loves fruits and, more surprising, vegetables. Celery, corn, sw
eet potatoes and, especially, broccoli are in great demand. Scarlett chose “papes” (grapes) at the church Halloween party rather than eating the candy from her pumpkin bucket. None of this means that we have a superior parenting strategy, just that we’ve discovered what it seems the little ones already knew: stuff that is good for your body makes for good eating. In Sesame Street’s scratch ‘n sniff book A Sweet-Smelling Garden, Elmo (yes, him again) and Zoe decide to spruce up around Oscar’s trash can and bring more fresh produce to the street by tossing out scattered garbage and planting fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Oscar isn’t on board until he realizes that gardens mean dirt. Lots and lots of beautiful, messy, grouch-pleasing dirt. Everybody wins.http://pbskids.org/sesame/
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