Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Chicken Nuggets Aren't Food

Part of our conversation at dinner tonight...

Moana: "Are these chicken nuggets?"

Me: "No. It's mahi mahi. Moana, where have you seen chicken nuggets?" (I'm wracking my brain trying to remember the last time I've even seen a chicken nugget? It's been at least 8 years I'd think?)

Moana: <crickets>

Me: "Have you ever eaten a chicken nugget?"

Moana: "No."

Me: "Good. We don't like chicken nuggets." (I'm indoctrinating my daughter.)

Scott: "Chicken nuggets are yucky. Chicken nuggets aren't food." (In good news, Scott and I think alike.)

Moana: "But Kekoa likes chicken nuggets!"

Ah ha! So that's where she's seen chicken nuggets. Pre-school lunch. And now I can just picture the conversation that's going to occur next time Moana is at school and some kid opens his lunch box and pulls out chicken nuggets... Moana is going to say something like My mommy says chicken nuggets are yucky! Lol. And the teachers are all going to roll their eyes and remember that Moana has the crazy mommy who comes to pick her up with that weird pink tape on her calf.

I used the leftover brown sticky rice tonight to make rice cakes with scrambled eggs and chicken (real chicken!) from the Feed Zone cookbook (awesome!) so that's what Moana is going to pull out of her lunch box tomorrow. She's probably the one who gets made fun of at school. Today she had steamed beets and zucchini along with the leftover turkey shepherds pie (again Feed Zone) I made last night. And strawberries for dessert. She ate it all!

Moana's school pictures came in today... this is the spring version. I bought the fall pictures and wasn't going to spend more money on spring pictures too but those photo companies have a smart game plan. I mean, they take these super cute pictures of your kid and then print them out for you... how in the world was I going to opt out of buying this one? I'm a sucker. But she is darn cute if I say so myself. ;)


18 comments:

mmmonyka said...

She is darn cute!

I also do not remember the last time I saw a chicken nugget.
But I thought that they were made of real chicken. I just do not eat them because everything in the frozen meal section is not a good healthy food (although I eat frozen pizza...).

I hope that you are not right saying that the she is a kid made fun of because of what she eats. I hope you are too pessimistic and most parents give their kids healthy real food.

Angela and David said...

What's little ham! Yep, she's cute.

ADC said...

Very cute.

Lizzie said...

Hi Michelle - I love this post! I love your approach to food and feeding your daughter. I guess it comes with the triathlete territory, but it really makes me smile when I see or read about kids who are learning about good healthy (fresh!) food by example. I was raised in a similar way, and so was my husband, and it makes all the difference in the world. Though I will confess that we do occasionally eat Bell and Evans chicken nuggets if we have had a crazy busy day and it's quick and easy :) Moana is just gorgeous - you and Scott should be so proud!

Anonymous said...

"No honey, we don't like chicken nuggets. We like wine." hehehe. ADORABLE PICTURE!

Run Gunn Run said...

She's beautiful!!

I cannot wait to get my hands on that cookbook! I've heard so many wonderful things about it!

Trisaratops said...

She is a DOLL! Love it! You'd better get the bats and sticks ready to fend off all the boys...

What is this cookbook you speak of? I am always looking for healthy quick lunch options for the kids! Gonna have to do some googling! :)

cherelli said...

Love your food approach! And yep, your daughter is damn cute!!

Matt said...

But chicken nuggets are so good...haha

Had the same conversation with my niece but was about french fries..

JC said...

Ahhhh - so cute, what a great photo!
I say if you start the kids young on veggies and fruit they are lifer's (well I hope;))

mtanner said...

I LOVE HER! and I love how she learns about chicken nuggets @school! Clearly, where else is she going to? AND YUMMY cookbook. Love me some rice/fig bars!

Betsy said...

I seriously applaude you for having a 4 year that doesn't even know what a chicken nugget is!

Molly said...

Super cute!!!

AND OMG I love EVERYTHING in that cookbook.

Heather said...

Wow! What judgement. My children eat chicken nuggets. And it is real food. From the time the chicks hatch until they are processed I am well aware of how/what they are being fed and cared for. Since my children and I are doing it. We don't waste the chicken so the nugggets are often made of dark meat and coated with a raw milk yogurt (cows live about 10 miles away) and dried herb crumbs. This is about as real as food gets. But if that means I'm a sorry excuse for a parent, so be it.

Michelle Simmons said...

I knew somebody would be pissed off about that blog post... Do you agree that *most* chicken nuggets are highly processed with a bunch of crap added? If you're making your own chicken nuggets that is not at all the same thing as what I am talking about. Most parents are not making their own. Kudos to you if you are!

hillary biscay said...

you make me want to have a little one so i can be the weirdo (read: COOL) mom like you. and omg she is adorable!

Kay Carter said...

LOVE her school picture! Really shows her personality. And no, I wouldn't have been able to pass on buying the photos either! xo

Heather said...

Not pissed. Surprised. One of the reasons I regularly read this is because of the view it gives me (a middle of the pack age grouper who must first focus on 4 kids and being the supportive person to another's career) and you seem not only tolerant of but accepting of those of us who just clutter the road after you are done. I'll keep reading and think you are amazing but needed to pipe up as the (free-range, no-additives or gmo-feed) chicken-nugget serving mom.