Nasty Cukes and the Over-Dramatic Organic Gag Reflex

I had such high aspirations of cooking organic baby food for Bea. There are so many great, easy recipes in Caveman’s Guide to Baby’s First Year. I was good to go.

But that was month’s ago and since I’ve been too busy mixing marketing messages and biz dev fizzies for clients. And being a caveman.

Mama came to the rescue, though. She’s reduced her time at work to spend more time at home with Bea. And we’re both big on organics for baby (and ourselves now as well) and Mama has not disappointed.

Listen, I know when many of us were growing up we road our bikes without helmets and ate plutonium straight from the ground, and we’re doing okay.

There’s been a lot of science since then, though – a 1993 report published by The National Academy of Science entitled "Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children" concluded that current government pesticide standards do not protect the health of children.

According to Organic Foods for Your Baby by Sue Gilbert, MS Nutritionist:

• Babies' bodies are much more vulnerable to pesticides because their brains, immune and detoxification systems are immature and in a state of development.
• Pound for pound babies eat two to four times more vegetables and fruits than adults and so are exposed to a higher proportion of possible contaminants.
• The health effects of chronic low-level exposure to pesticide residues are still unknown.

My wife will tell you it’s a lot of work cooking and blending your own organic baby food, but the prices of organic fruits and veges are coming down, and if you’re fortunate to live up the street from a farmer’s market that features local organic produce, then even better. There’s a growing market for baby organics on the grocery shelves as well.

And what about nasty cukes and the over-dramatic organic gag reflex?

I’ll tell you. Cucumbers are nasty. Simple as that. There’s not much I don’t like, but I do not like cukes. Blech.

Yesterday Mama wanted to try and give Bea some little pieces of organic cucumber. She’s already eating a variety of fruits and vegetables and so this was just a new one for her to try.

As Beatrice began to gum the tiny pieces of nasty cuke (she does have her first tooth coming in), I began to joke:

“Beatrice, tell Mommy how much you dislike cucumbers. Tell her you’re like Daddy and you think they’re nasty.”

Within seconds Bea started to choke, scaring the Bea-Jesus out of us, and then her gag reflex kicked in clearing it all out.

Cuke puke everywhere.

Happy Friday. Eat your organics!

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